Terobosan baru dilakukan salah satu pelaku baru di dunia sepakbola nasional yaitu Iman Arif. Pria yang adalah deputi bidang teknis Badan Tim Nasional (BTN) ini secara resmi dinyatakan sebagai salah satu pemodal di klub Inggris, Leicester City.
Melalui situs resminya pada Jumat (19/11) lalu, Leicester mengumumkan bahwa kini klub penghuni Divisi Championship saat ini dimiliki dua pihak. Pemegang saham terbesar yaitu 80 persen dimiliki Asia Football Investments dan sisanya 20 persen dipegang Cronus Sports Management Pte ltd.
Asian Football Investment adalah anak perusahaan dari K Power Spors Invesment yang dimiliki pengusaha Thailand Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn. Sedangkan Cronus Sport Management dimiliki oleh Iman Arif yang merupakan pengusaha asal Indonesia.
Cronus sendiri adalah perusahaan milik Iman yang bergerak di bidang olahraga dengan contoh programnya adalah sekolah sepakbola Arsenal yang dilakukannya dua tahun lalu, serta mendirikan Indonesian Football Academy (IFA) yang akan mengirimkan pesertanya melakukan try out di Leicester tahun depan.
Nama Iman Arif dalam enam bulan terakhir memang sedang harum terkait diangkatnya dia menjadi Ketua BTN menggantikan Rahim Soekasah, Berbagai terobosan pun dilakukan oleh Iman dengan merekrut Alfred Riedl sebagai pelatih timnas dan mengadakan sejumlah ujicoba dengan negara-negara papan atas.
Sayang dari sekian banyak yang direncanakan hanya Uruguay saja yang terhitung sebagai tim kuat sepakbola dunia, yang sempat hadir pada Oktober lalu. Namun begitu Iman sepertinya tak kenal menyerah dan melakukan upaya-upaya baru demi perbaikan prestasi 'Pasukan Merah Putih'.
Tak hanya itu, Iman pun memenuhi janjinya untuk melakukan naturalisasi dengan membawa Christian Gonzales serta Irfan Bachdim masuk ke dalam timnas untuk Piala AFF Desember mendatang.
Namun nasib baik tak menaungi Iman kala PSSI memutuskan menurunkannya dari jabatan ketum BTN menjadi deputi bidang teknis awal bulan ini. Kabarnya pria yang juga menjabat Direktur Keuangan Bumi Resources Tbk itu, memiliki visi berbeda dengan para pejabat teras PSSI sehingga ia harus tersingkir.
Selasa, 23 November 2010
NZ mine explosion: Second robot to resume search
Efforts to investigate the New Zealand mine where 29 people have been missing since an explosion Friday have resumed following the arrival of a new robot.
The first one to be sent down the Pike River mine on South Island broke down.
Engineers are also close to completing the drilling of a test shaft that will allow them to assess the air quality.
Earlier, the head of the police force said it was still not safe for rescue teams to go in, and that the situation was getting "bleaker by the hour".
"This is an extremely dangerous situation, I can't stress that enough," Police Commissioner Howard Broad told reporters.
He said the risk of a secondary explosion remained high.
'Long blast'
But the chief executive of the mine's operator, Pike River Coal, insisted there was still hope that there were survivors.
"I think it's becoming obvious there's not 29 guys sitting together waiting to be rescued," Peter Whittall said.
Entrance to the Pike River mine (21 November 2010) Dangerous levels of methane and carbon monoxide inside the mine have hampered rescue efforts
"How many of them there are I don't know. But those are the ones we need to rescue, and those are the ones I'm waiting to see."
There has been no contact with the miners - 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons and a South African - since Friday.
Mr Whittall said the drilling of a bore hole into the mine is still 10m short of its target of 162m, and would be completed overnight.
His comments came after CCTV footage of the explosion - the cause of which has not been confirmed - was broadcast.
It showed stonedust being blown out of the entrance to the mine tunnel for several seconds after the explosion.
Mr Whittall said they know that the blast went on for a long time, and occurred 2.5km (1.55 miles) away from where the video was taken.
Each miner carried 30 minutes of oxygen, enough to reach oxygen stores in the mine that would allow them to survive for several days in spite of the build-up of carbon monoxide and methane.
While the men would reportedly have been carrying flasks of water, there is no food underground. Their cap lamps' batteries last 24 hours.
Graphic: Cross section of the Pike River Mine showing location of trapped miners 2km inside the main access tunnel
* New Zealand's largest coal mine
* Employs some 150 people
* Operational since 2008
* Accesses Brunner and Paparoa coal seams via 2.3km tunnel under Paparoa Ranges
* 5.5m-wide, 4.5m-high tunnel bisects Hawera fault, through which methane gas is known to leak
* Blast is believed to have happened at 1530 (0230 GMT) on Friday
* Two injured miners emerged from the tunnel entrance on Friday evening
The first one to be sent down the Pike River mine on South Island broke down.
Engineers are also close to completing the drilling of a test shaft that will allow them to assess the air quality.
Earlier, the head of the police force said it was still not safe for rescue teams to go in, and that the situation was getting "bleaker by the hour".
"This is an extremely dangerous situation, I can't stress that enough," Police Commissioner Howard Broad told reporters.
He said the risk of a secondary explosion remained high.
'Long blast'
But the chief executive of the mine's operator, Pike River Coal, insisted there was still hope that there were survivors.
"I think it's becoming obvious there's not 29 guys sitting together waiting to be rescued," Peter Whittall said.
Entrance to the Pike River mine (21 November 2010) Dangerous levels of methane and carbon monoxide inside the mine have hampered rescue efforts
"How many of them there are I don't know. But those are the ones we need to rescue, and those are the ones I'm waiting to see."
There has been no contact with the miners - 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons and a South African - since Friday.
Mr Whittall said the drilling of a bore hole into the mine is still 10m short of its target of 162m, and would be completed overnight.
His comments came after CCTV footage of the explosion - the cause of which has not been confirmed - was broadcast.
It showed stonedust being blown out of the entrance to the mine tunnel for several seconds after the explosion.
Mr Whittall said they know that the blast went on for a long time, and occurred 2.5km (1.55 miles) away from where the video was taken.
Each miner carried 30 minutes of oxygen, enough to reach oxygen stores in the mine that would allow them to survive for several days in spite of the build-up of carbon monoxide and methane.
While the men would reportedly have been carrying flasks of water, there is no food underground. Their cap lamps' batteries last 24 hours.
Graphic: Cross section of the Pike River Mine showing location of trapped miners 2km inside the main access tunnel
* New Zealand's largest coal mine
* Employs some 150 people
* Operational since 2008
* Accesses Brunner and Paparoa coal seams via 2.3km tunnel under Paparoa Ranges
* 5.5m-wide, 4.5m-high tunnel bisects Hawera fault, through which methane gas is known to leak
* Blast is believed to have happened at 1530 (0230 GMT) on Friday
* Two injured miners emerged from the tunnel entrance on Friday evening
Bottled water has become liquid gold
In the last 40 years the bottled water industry has gone from a business prospect that few took seriously, to a global industry worth billions of pounds.
The commodity itself remains simple. The way we think about it has changed fundamentally.
Water is natural, pure and sourced at minimal cost. Its real value lies in its marketing and branding.
"I think bottled water is the most revealing substance for showing us how the global capitalist market works today," says Richard Wilk, professor of anthropology at Indiana University.
"In a sense we're buying choice, we're buying freedom.
"That's the only thing that can explain why you would pay money for a bottle of something that you can otherwise get for free."
Enormous markets
Glass being filled with water from the tap Consumers used to prefer free tap water to expensive bottled water
Through a confection of advertising and marketing, bottled water has become one of the biggest success stories in the modern food and beverage industry.
"The demand for bottle water has grown exponentially in the last few decades," says Dr Peter Gleick, author of Bottled and Sold.
"It's doubled, it's doubled again and it's doubled again.
"And the bottle water companies see enormous markets not just in the rich countries but also in the poorer countries."
'No actual variety'
Given that water is such a fundamental resource and a matter of life and death, and given that it is such an abundant commodity to many and so scarce to others. It has become emblematic of capitalism and trade in a way that other parts of the food and beverage industry have not.
"Some people think that bottled water is the high point of global capitalism, particularly the people in the bottled water business," says Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst.
"I think bottled water actually represents a kind of caricature of… the global economy.
"It provides people in the developed world with 20 or 30 varieties of something for which there is no actual variety."
Sceptical customers
Perrier being poured into a glass Perrier used slick advertising to make bottled water fashionable
At the beginning there really was no variety and the bottled water phenomenon began with one brand.
Perrier was a triumph of advertising, creating a brand that was to define a generation.
At the heart of the campaign to make the brand popular was Richard Wheatley, of the Leo Burnett advertising agency between 1979 and 1994.
"Perrier popularised bottled water," he says. "It made it acceptable, more than acceptable, it made it… desirable."
But it was not an instant success.
When Perrier UK was looking to increase its sales in the early 1970's, it faced a sceptical public.
Many questioned why anyone would buy water when you could get it free from the tap.
Faced with such obstacles, Perrier turned to advertising with a campaign that was to change our consumer landscape for ever.
"The water comes from France, of course, but the English and the French aren't that good friends," recalls Leo Burnett marketing manager Wenche Marshall Foster.
"So we thought rather than saying this is from France we sold this much more vague feeling of oh it's French, Frenchness, Frenchness is good, it's chic, it's everything that we English maybe would like to be."
Trendy drink
The Eau campaign was a marketing coup and sales went through the roof from 12 million bottles in 1980 to 152 million by the end of the decade.
A little girl drinks water from a tap at a refugee camp 20 kilometres south of the Shiite holy city of Najaf, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq Getting enough water is a struggle for more than a billion people in the world
Perrier was no longer just a bottle of water. The marketing and advertising teams had established a crucial emotional link between the product and the consumers.
"Perrier became a badge," says Michael Bellas, chairman of the Beverage Marketing Corporation
"When you held a Perrier bottle up, it said something about yourself, it said you were sophisticated, you… understood what was happening in the world.
"It was a perfect beverage for the young up and coming business executives, the trend-setters."
Convenient packaging
Where Perrier went the rest of the industry jumped in and product ranges and brand proliferation followed.
Before long, the market in still water became extremely important.
In an age of instant gratification, still water in portable bottles provided what people needed, exactly when they needed it.
"People in general are more and more time pressed," says Mr Fishman.
"We don't cook our own meals any more, we eat prepared foods of all kinds.
"And there's nothing more appealing than a bottle of cold water at a moment when you're really thirsty.
"But I think bottled water is one of those products that on many occasions when people buy it, what they're buying isn't the water so much as the bottle. That is the package and the convenience at that moment."
Soaring sales
Man drinking bottled water Consumers buy convenience rather than just water
When people bought this convenience, what they were really buying was Polyethylene Terephthalate, or PET, the single most important innovation in the industry's history.
Strong, shatterproof and a highly valued form of polyester, PET is a by-product of the oil industry.
It is now utilised in the packaging of everything from pharmaceuticals and soap, to ready meals.
In years to come, the environmental impact of PET would haunt the industry and raise questions about its very survival, but in the 1990s this was a revolution.
According to Mr Bellas it was behind the subsequent incredible growth of the industry.
"Starting with the introduction of the small premium PET waters, the category started to explode," says Mr Bellas.
"The bottled water industry before PET on the list of all beverage categories was number seven. With the advent of PET, water jumped… to the number two spot… behind carbonated soft drinks.
Health and wellness
In the late 1980s, the French brand Evian recognised the growing, wider health and fitness trend and exploited it to the full by marketing their bottled water the ultimate health and wellness product.
"Evian was sold as a beautiful person's drink," says Mr Fishman.
"The early Evian ads featured absolutely gorgeous people working out or just after working out in their sweaty and skin tight clothes.
"It was a way of saying if you want to be fit, if you want to be healthy, if you want to be attractive, drink Evian - and by drinking Evian you will be those things."
The link between bottled water and the health and wellness movement was a recipe for success.
Between 1990 and the turn of the century, global sales of Evian doubled from 50 billion to more than 100 billion litres a year.
For some, the choice and freedom is worth the price asked. For others, it represents the excess and inequality of the modern world; a world where nearly a billion people have no access to clean water at all.
"We cannot lose sight of the ultimate absurdity of the bottle water industry," says Mr Wilk.
"Here we have a world where people are dying of thirst, where people lack… the clean water to feed their children and we're spending billions of dollars and huge amounts of energy moving water from… people who already have it to other people who already have it."
As our consumer attitudes have changed, criticism of the industry has only intensified.
At the heart of the matter is what bottled water is actually made of, oil and water; the world's two most precious resources, in one neat package.
"The industry really wants to address these environmental concerns head on and it is doing everything it can to help resolve them," says analyst Richard Hall from Zenith International.
"It can only play a part in the wider picture, but it's certainly doing a lot to help deal with the problem. The environment matters to this industry because it's their future."
Consumers choose
By branding and marketing water, it has been transformed from something that many of us took for granted into a product that now makes billions for global multinational companies.
But like all products, its success is driven by consumer demand.
"Some people… want to consider the bottled water industry as a marketing trick foisted upon consumers," says Kim Jeffrey, chief executive of Nestle Waters in North America.
"I wish I was that good or had that much money.
"That is not a marketing feed, that's consumers voting with their purchases and their pocket books. Consumers make that decision that day."
The Foods That Make Billions. Liquid Gold, BBC2 at 2100 on 23 November 2010.
The commodity itself remains simple. The way we think about it has changed fundamentally.
Water is natural, pure and sourced at minimal cost. Its real value lies in its marketing and branding.
"I think bottled water is the most revealing substance for showing us how the global capitalist market works today," says Richard Wilk, professor of anthropology at Indiana University.
"In a sense we're buying choice, we're buying freedom.
"That's the only thing that can explain why you would pay money for a bottle of something that you can otherwise get for free."
Enormous markets
Glass being filled with water from the tap Consumers used to prefer free tap water to expensive bottled water
Through a confection of advertising and marketing, bottled water has become one of the biggest success stories in the modern food and beverage industry.
"The demand for bottle water has grown exponentially in the last few decades," says Dr Peter Gleick, author of Bottled and Sold.
"It's doubled, it's doubled again and it's doubled again.
"And the bottle water companies see enormous markets not just in the rich countries but also in the poorer countries."
'No actual variety'
Given that water is such a fundamental resource and a matter of life and death, and given that it is such an abundant commodity to many and so scarce to others. It has become emblematic of capitalism and trade in a way that other parts of the food and beverage industry have not.
"Some people think that bottled water is the high point of global capitalism, particularly the people in the bottled water business," says Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst.
"I think bottled water actually represents a kind of caricature of… the global economy.
"It provides people in the developed world with 20 or 30 varieties of something for which there is no actual variety."
Sceptical customers
Perrier being poured into a glass Perrier used slick advertising to make bottled water fashionable
At the beginning there really was no variety and the bottled water phenomenon began with one brand.
Perrier was a triumph of advertising, creating a brand that was to define a generation.
At the heart of the campaign to make the brand popular was Richard Wheatley, of the Leo Burnett advertising agency between 1979 and 1994.
"Perrier popularised bottled water," he says. "It made it acceptable, more than acceptable, it made it… desirable."
But it was not an instant success.
When Perrier UK was looking to increase its sales in the early 1970's, it faced a sceptical public.
Many questioned why anyone would buy water when you could get it free from the tap.
Faced with such obstacles, Perrier turned to advertising with a campaign that was to change our consumer landscape for ever.
"The water comes from France, of course, but the English and the French aren't that good friends," recalls Leo Burnett marketing manager Wenche Marshall Foster.
"So we thought rather than saying this is from France we sold this much more vague feeling of oh it's French, Frenchness, Frenchness is good, it's chic, it's everything that we English maybe would like to be."
Trendy drink
The Eau campaign was a marketing coup and sales went through the roof from 12 million bottles in 1980 to 152 million by the end of the decade.
A little girl drinks water from a tap at a refugee camp 20 kilometres south of the Shiite holy city of Najaf, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq Getting enough water is a struggle for more than a billion people in the world
Perrier was no longer just a bottle of water. The marketing and advertising teams had established a crucial emotional link between the product and the consumers.
"Perrier became a badge," says Michael Bellas, chairman of the Beverage Marketing Corporation
"When you held a Perrier bottle up, it said something about yourself, it said you were sophisticated, you… understood what was happening in the world.
"It was a perfect beverage for the young up and coming business executives, the trend-setters."
Convenient packaging
Where Perrier went the rest of the industry jumped in and product ranges and brand proliferation followed.
Before long, the market in still water became extremely important.
In an age of instant gratification, still water in portable bottles provided what people needed, exactly when they needed it.
"People in general are more and more time pressed," says Mr Fishman.
"We don't cook our own meals any more, we eat prepared foods of all kinds.
"And there's nothing more appealing than a bottle of cold water at a moment when you're really thirsty.
"But I think bottled water is one of those products that on many occasions when people buy it, what they're buying isn't the water so much as the bottle. That is the package and the convenience at that moment."
Soaring sales
Man drinking bottled water Consumers buy convenience rather than just water
When people bought this convenience, what they were really buying was Polyethylene Terephthalate, or PET, the single most important innovation in the industry's history.
Strong, shatterproof and a highly valued form of polyester, PET is a by-product of the oil industry.
It is now utilised in the packaging of everything from pharmaceuticals and soap, to ready meals.
In years to come, the environmental impact of PET would haunt the industry and raise questions about its very survival, but in the 1990s this was a revolution.
According to Mr Bellas it was behind the subsequent incredible growth of the industry.
"Starting with the introduction of the small premium PET waters, the category started to explode," says Mr Bellas.
"The bottled water industry before PET on the list of all beverage categories was number seven. With the advent of PET, water jumped… to the number two spot… behind carbonated soft drinks.
Health and wellness
In the late 1980s, the French brand Evian recognised the growing, wider health and fitness trend and exploited it to the full by marketing their bottled water the ultimate health and wellness product.
"Evian was sold as a beautiful person's drink," says Mr Fishman.
"The early Evian ads featured absolutely gorgeous people working out or just after working out in their sweaty and skin tight clothes.
"It was a way of saying if you want to be fit, if you want to be healthy, if you want to be attractive, drink Evian - and by drinking Evian you will be those things."
The link between bottled water and the health and wellness movement was a recipe for success.
Between 1990 and the turn of the century, global sales of Evian doubled from 50 billion to more than 100 billion litres a year.
For some, the choice and freedom is worth the price asked. For others, it represents the excess and inequality of the modern world; a world where nearly a billion people have no access to clean water at all.
"We cannot lose sight of the ultimate absurdity of the bottle water industry," says Mr Wilk.
"Here we have a world where people are dying of thirst, where people lack… the clean water to feed their children and we're spending billions of dollars and huge amounts of energy moving water from… people who already have it to other people who already have it."
As our consumer attitudes have changed, criticism of the industry has only intensified.
At the heart of the matter is what bottled water is actually made of, oil and water; the world's two most precious resources, in one neat package.
"The industry really wants to address these environmental concerns head on and it is doing everything it can to help resolve them," says analyst Richard Hall from Zenith International.
"It can only play a part in the wider picture, but it's certainly doing a lot to help deal with the problem. The environment matters to this industry because it's their future."
Consumers choose
By branding and marketing water, it has been transformed from something that many of us took for granted into a product that now makes billions for global multinational companies.
But like all products, its success is driven by consumer demand.
"Some people… want to consider the bottled water industry as a marketing trick foisted upon consumers," says Kim Jeffrey, chief executive of Nestle Waters in North America.
"I wish I was that good or had that much money.
"That is not a marketing feed, that's consumers voting with their purchases and their pocket books. Consumers make that decision that day."
The Foods That Make Billions. Liquid Gold, BBC2 at 2100 on 23 November 2010.
Eyewitness: Cambodia stampede
Australian Sean Ngu, who is visiting family and friends in Phnom Penh, describes the stampede during Cambodia's water festival, in which at least 339 people were killed.
"I was in the park, some 30m away from the bridge. There was lots of noise and celebration cheer. Suddenly the cheer became screams, louder and louder. At first we thought people were celebrating, but the screams were different.
There were too many people on the bridge and both ends were pushing towards the centre. The pushing caused those in the middle to fall to the ground and then get crushed.
Those who were leaning against them were pushed further into the centre. This caused a sudden panic. I saw at least 50 people jumping in the river.
Others tried to climb onto the bridge, grabbing and pulling loose cables - electric shocks caused many more deaths.
It was complete chaos, nobody knew what to do. The police, security and the military came straight away. Ambulances arrived within minutes. The prime minister and his wife also came straight away to inspect the situation.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
The city is full of people. It is very quiet right now, apart from the ambulances. What a tragic end to a wonderful celebration”
End Quote
The police started to move the crowd away from the area. We stood nearby, trying to see if anyone will emerge from the water and hear the latest announcements on the number of deaths.
No-one saw one single person coming out of the river - all those people must have drowned.
The last we heard on local news was that nearly 400 people are dead and that 240 of them are women and girls. Over 1,000 people are injured. The main hospital is full - they normally charge for hospital treatment, but they are not charging tonight.
I am shocked, everybody is shocked. It happened so quickly.
We are at home now and the phones haven't stopped. People are calling their friends and family to make sure they are fine.
The water festival is one of the most important celebrations in the year and many people arrive from the countryside. The city is full of people. It is very quiet right now, apart from the ambulances.
What a tragic end to a wonderful celebration."
"I was in the park, some 30m away from the bridge. There was lots of noise and celebration cheer. Suddenly the cheer became screams, louder and louder. At first we thought people were celebrating, but the screams were different.
There were too many people on the bridge and both ends were pushing towards the centre. The pushing caused those in the middle to fall to the ground and then get crushed.
Those who were leaning against them were pushed further into the centre. This caused a sudden panic. I saw at least 50 people jumping in the river.
Others tried to climb onto the bridge, grabbing and pulling loose cables - electric shocks caused many more deaths.
It was complete chaos, nobody knew what to do. The police, security and the military came straight away. Ambulances arrived within minutes. The prime minister and his wife also came straight away to inspect the situation.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
The city is full of people. It is very quiet right now, apart from the ambulances. What a tragic end to a wonderful celebration”
End Quote
The police started to move the crowd away from the area. We stood nearby, trying to see if anyone will emerge from the water and hear the latest announcements on the number of deaths.
No-one saw one single person coming out of the river - all those people must have drowned.
The last we heard on local news was that nearly 400 people are dead and that 240 of them are women and girls. Over 1,000 people are injured. The main hospital is full - they normally charge for hospital treatment, but they are not charging tonight.
I am shocked, everybody is shocked. It happened so quickly.
We are at home now and the phones haven't stopped. People are calling their friends and family to make sure they are fine.
The water festival is one of the most important celebrations in the year and many people arrive from the countryside. The city is full of people. It is very quiet right now, apart from the ambulances.
What a tragic end to a wonderful celebration."
Aung San Suu Kyi and son Kim reunited after 10 years
The younger son of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met his mother for the first time in a decade.
Aung San Suu Kyi greeted Kim Aris at Rangoon airport as he arrived.
Mr Aris had travelled to Thailand before his mother was freed on 13 November and waited to be granted a visa to Burma.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been kept in detention for much of the past 21 years by the ruling generals.
The 65-year-old was seen smiling broadly at Rangoon airport and told reporters that she was very happy.
The opposition leader last saw Mr Aris in December 2000; since then he has been repeatedly denied permission to enter the country.
It has also been a decade since she last saw her elder son, Alexander, and she has grandchildren she has never met.
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest less than a week after the country's first election for 20 years - which was widely condemned as a sham designed to consolidate the military rulers' power.
Kim Aris's visit has been described by British embassy officials in Bangkok as private and non-political.
But the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says that almost everything Aung San Suu Kyi does is watched carefully by both her devoted supporters and the ruling generals.
Mr Aris, who lives in the UK, is likely to find himself very much in the public eye, our correspondent adds.
Aung San Suu Kyi's husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999. In the final stages of his battle with cancer, the military rulers refused him a visa to see his wife.
Many believe that if she were to leave Burma, the pro-democracy campaigner would never be allowed to return.
Aung San Suu Kyi greeted Kim Aris at Rangoon airport as he arrived.
Mr Aris had travelled to Thailand before his mother was freed on 13 November and waited to be granted a visa to Burma.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been kept in detention for much of the past 21 years by the ruling generals.
The 65-year-old was seen smiling broadly at Rangoon airport and told reporters that she was very happy.
The opposition leader last saw Mr Aris in December 2000; since then he has been repeatedly denied permission to enter the country.
It has also been a decade since she last saw her elder son, Alexander, and she has grandchildren she has never met.
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest less than a week after the country's first election for 20 years - which was widely condemned as a sham designed to consolidate the military rulers' power.
Kim Aris's visit has been described by British embassy officials in Bangkok as private and non-political.
But the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says that almost everything Aung San Suu Kyi does is watched carefully by both her devoted supporters and the ruling generals.
Mr Aris, who lives in the UK, is likely to find himself very much in the public eye, our correspondent adds.
Aung San Suu Kyi's husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999. In the final stages of his battle with cancer, the military rulers refused him a visa to see his wife.
Many believe that if she were to leave Burma, the pro-democracy campaigner would never be allowed to return.
Hundreds killed in Cambodian festival stampede
At least 345 people have been killed in a stampede during festival celebrations in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen has said.
Huge crowds had gathered on a small island for the final day of the Water Festival, one of the main events of the year in Cambodia.
The stampede took place on a bridge, which eyewitnesses said had become overcrowded.
Hundreds more people were injured in the crush.
map
Hun Sen described the stampede as the "biggest tragedy" to hit Cambodia since the mass killings carried out by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
He said he had ordered an investigation and declared a national day of mourning for later in the week. He ordered all government ministries to fly the nation's flag at half-mast.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP news agency that more than 400 people had been injured.
"Most of the deaths were as a result of suffocation and internal injuries," he said.
Authorities had estimated that more than two million people would attend the three-day festival.
Panic broke out after a concert on Diamond Island, which followed a boat race on the Tonle Sap river regarded as a highlight of the festivities.
Sean Ngu, an Australian who was visiting family and friends in Cambodia, told the BBC too many people had been on the bridge.
He said some of the victims were electrocuted.
"There were too many people on the bridge and then both ends were pushing," he said.
"This caused a sudden panic. The pushing caused those in the middle to fall to the ground, then [get] crushed.
"Panic started and at least 50 people jumped in the river. People tried to climb on to the bridge, grabbing and pulling [electric] cables which came loose and electrical shock caused more deaths."
Witnesses spoke of bodies littering the area.
Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh's main medical facility, was filled with dead bodies as well as the injured, some of whom had to be treated in hallways.
Huge crowds had gathered on a small island for the final day of the Water Festival, one of the main events of the year in Cambodia.
The stampede took place on a bridge, which eyewitnesses said had become overcrowded.
Hundreds more people were injured in the crush.
map
Hun Sen described the stampede as the "biggest tragedy" to hit Cambodia since the mass killings carried out by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
He said he had ordered an investigation and declared a national day of mourning for later in the week. He ordered all government ministries to fly the nation's flag at half-mast.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP news agency that more than 400 people had been injured.
"Most of the deaths were as a result of suffocation and internal injuries," he said.
Authorities had estimated that more than two million people would attend the three-day festival.
Panic broke out after a concert on Diamond Island, which followed a boat race on the Tonle Sap river regarded as a highlight of the festivities.
Sean Ngu, an Australian who was visiting family and friends in Cambodia, told the BBC too many people had been on the bridge.
He said some of the victims were electrocuted.
"There were too many people on the bridge and then both ends were pushing," he said.
"This caused a sudden panic. The pushing caused those in the middle to fall to the ground, then [get] crushed.
"Panic started and at least 50 people jumped in the river. People tried to climb on to the bridge, grabbing and pulling [electric] cables which came loose and electrical shock caused more deaths."
Witnesses spoke of bodies littering the area.
Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh's main medical facility, was filled with dead bodies as well as the injured, some of whom had to be treated in hallways.
Rolls-Royce wins $1.8bn contract from Air China
Rolls-Royce has won a $1.8bn (£1.1bn) order from Air China to supply and service 20 aircraft engines.
Earlier this month Rolls, hit by safety concerns after one of its engines exploded in mid-air, won a $1.2bn contract from China Eastern Airlines.
In the latest deal Rolls will supply engines for Airbus A350s and A330s.
The Chinese carrier expects to take delivery of the A330 planes from 2013 to 2015 and the A350 planes from 2018 to 2020.
Steve Miller, Rolls-Royce's civil aerospace vice president, said "we are very proud that Air China has again put their trust in us" with another contract.
The UK company has been battling to allay concerns about its Trent 900 engine, one of which exploded during a Qantas flight, forcing the Australian airline to ground its fleet of A380 jets.
Rolls-Royce says it has isolated the cause of the engine problem and is fixing the engines.
Almost two weeks ago Rolls-Royce, during a trade mission led by Prime Minister David Cameron, announced an order from fast-growing China Eastern Airlines.
Earlier this month Rolls, hit by safety concerns after one of its engines exploded in mid-air, won a $1.2bn contract from China Eastern Airlines.
In the latest deal Rolls will supply engines for Airbus A350s and A330s.
The Chinese carrier expects to take delivery of the A330 planes from 2013 to 2015 and the A350 planes from 2018 to 2020.
Steve Miller, Rolls-Royce's civil aerospace vice president, said "we are very proud that Air China has again put their trust in us" with another contract.
The UK company has been battling to allay concerns about its Trent 900 engine, one of which exploded during a Qantas flight, forcing the Australian airline to ground its fleet of A380 jets.
Rolls-Royce says it has isolated the cause of the engine problem and is fixing the engines.
Almost two weeks ago Rolls-Royce, during a trade mission led by Prime Minister David Cameron, announced an order from fast-growing China Eastern Airlines.
Qantas to resume flying Airbus A380 superjumbos
Qantas says it is to resume flying some of its A380 superjumbos on Saturday, three weeks after an engine explosion forced one of the airline's A380 planes to make an emergency landing.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said he was satisfied the aircraft were safe to fly, following extensive checks.
Two superjumbos will initially fly the Sydney to London route, he added.
The pilots of a Qantas A380 made a successful emergency landing in Singapore on 4 November.
After the incident, the Australian airline grounded all six of its A380s.
Qantas was now working with Airbus and British engine-maker Rolls-Royce to get all six superjumbos back in the air, Mr Joyce said.
"We're completely comfortable with the operation of the aircraft," he said.
Rolls-Royce has said the engine failure on 4 November "was confined to a specific component" which led to an oil fire and loss of turbine pressure.
Flying debris from the engine then severed cables in the aircraft's wing, the plane's manufacturer Airbus said.
The A380 is the flagship of the European aviation giant's fleet.
The result of a long and costly research programme, it made its first commercial flight in 2007.
It is the world's largest passenger airliner, a double-decker which can carry up to 800 people - though Qantas A380s are set up to carry about 450.
All 459 passengers and crew on the plane that made the emergency landing three weeks ago were unharmed.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said he was satisfied the aircraft were safe to fly, following extensive checks.
Two superjumbos will initially fly the Sydney to London route, he added.
The pilots of a Qantas A380 made a successful emergency landing in Singapore on 4 November.
After the incident, the Australian airline grounded all six of its A380s.
Qantas was now working with Airbus and British engine-maker Rolls-Royce to get all six superjumbos back in the air, Mr Joyce said.
"We're completely comfortable with the operation of the aircraft," he said.
Rolls-Royce has said the engine failure on 4 November "was confined to a specific component" which led to an oil fire and loss of turbine pressure.
Flying debris from the engine then severed cables in the aircraft's wing, the plane's manufacturer Airbus said.
The A380 is the flagship of the European aviation giant's fleet.
The result of a long and costly research programme, it made its first commercial flight in 2007.
It is the world's largest passenger airliner, a double-decker which can carry up to 800 people - though Qantas A380s are set up to carry about 450.
All 459 passengers and crew on the plane that made the emergency landing three weeks ago were unharmed.
China seeks to calm fears about food price inflation
China's main economic planning agency has moved to reassure people who fear inflation is getting out of control.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement that the country had "the capacity" to keep prices in check.
There is particular concern about food price inflation, amid suggestions that some people are hoarding commodities.
But the NDRC said the government had adequate reserves of foodstuffs like poultry, eggs and grain to meet needs.
Food prices jumped 10.1% in October from a year earlier, increasing the overall inflation rate to 4.4%, well above the government's 3% target.
The government has taken measures to rein in banking lending, to help cool the booming property market, but many experts are predicting that interest rates will have to rise.
The NDRC said: "This fear [of inflation] is understandable, but we can safely say that the current conditions in China are fully conducive to maintaining basic price stability.
"This country has the capacity to keep the price level basically stable."
'Illegal activities'
The BBC's Shanghai correspondent, Chris Hogg, said that over the weekend the government told local authorities to boost food production to ensure supplies were adequate, and to punish illegal activities like hoarding that help inflate prices.
He added that the government was trying to do whatever it could to ensure supplies get through to markets.
China's Cabinet promised last week to ensure adequate supplies of coal, power, oil and gas, and said it would impose price controls on daily necessities if required.
In addition, the government has promised food subsidies for the poor and increases in pensions and minimum wages.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement that the country had "the capacity" to keep prices in check.
There is particular concern about food price inflation, amid suggestions that some people are hoarding commodities.
But the NDRC said the government had adequate reserves of foodstuffs like poultry, eggs and grain to meet needs.
Food prices jumped 10.1% in October from a year earlier, increasing the overall inflation rate to 4.4%, well above the government's 3% target.
The government has taken measures to rein in banking lending, to help cool the booming property market, but many experts are predicting that interest rates will have to rise.
The NDRC said: "This fear [of inflation] is understandable, but we can safely say that the current conditions in China are fully conducive to maintaining basic price stability.
"This country has the capacity to keep the price level basically stable."
'Illegal activities'
The BBC's Shanghai correspondent, Chris Hogg, said that over the weekend the government told local authorities to boost food production to ensure supplies were adequate, and to punish illegal activities like hoarding that help inflate prices.
He added that the government was trying to do whatever it could to ensure supplies get through to markets.
China's Cabinet promised last week to ensure adequate supplies of coal, power, oil and gas, and said it would impose price controls on daily necessities if required.
In addition, the government has promised food subsidies for the poor and increases in pensions and minimum wages.
US Air Force warns Facebook 'may reveal location'
The US Air Force has warned its troops that using Facebook and other social networking sites could inadvertently reveal their location to the enemy.
The warning, posted on an internal website and sent to commanders, concerns new technology allowing users to pinpoint their location on the map.
It said careless use could have "devastating operations security and privacy implications".
The US Army is set to send a similar warning to its troops.
Air Force officials are concerned that troops using BlackBerrys and other devices with GPS capabilities could reveal their location to internet services with geo-location features - Facebook, Foursquare and others - and that the enemy could discover their location, the Associated Press reported.
On most of those sites, users can adjust privacy settings to enable or disable the geo-location features.
The US has about 95,000 troops in Afghanistan and 50,000 in Iraq.
The warning, posted on an internal website and sent to commanders, concerns new technology allowing users to pinpoint their location on the map.
It said careless use could have "devastating operations security and privacy implications".
The US Army is set to send a similar warning to its troops.
Air Force officials are concerned that troops using BlackBerrys and other devices with GPS capabilities could reveal their location to internet services with geo-location features - Facebook, Foursquare and others - and that the enemy could discover their location, the Associated Press reported.
On most of those sites, users can adjust privacy settings to enable or disable the geo-location features.
The US has about 95,000 troops in Afghanistan and 50,000 in Iraq.
Senin, 22 November 2010
Artillery fire on Korean border
South Korea says it has returned fire after North Korea fired around 200 artillery shells onto one of its border islands, reportedly killing one marine.
The South's military was placed on its highest non-wartime alert after the shells landed on Yeonpyeong island.
North Korea has not yet commented on the incident, in which three marines and two civilians were also injured.
Correspondents say this is one of the most serious since the the Korean War ended without a peace treaty in 1953.
There have been occasional cross-border clashes since, but the latest incident comes at a time of rising regional tension.
North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il is believed to be ill and trying to engineer the succession of his youngest son. And on Saturday, North Korea showed off what it claimed was a new uranium enrichment facility - potentially giving it a second route to a nuclear weapon.
The move prompted the US special representative for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, to rule out the resumption of six-party talks on resolving the nuclear issue.
South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Hee-jung also said it was investigating a possible link between the artillery attack and recent maritime exercises near the western sea border earlier on Tuesday.
'Illegal firing'
South Korean officials said artillery rounds landed on Yeonpyeong island, near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border to the west of the Korean Peninsula.
Continue reading the main story
Map
* Q&A: Inter-Korean crisis
"A North Korean artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 1434 PM (0534 GMT) and South Korean troops fired back immediately in self-defence," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.
A resident on the island told the agency that dozens of houses were damaged, while television pictures reportedly showed plumes of smoke rising above the island.
"Houses and mountains are on fire and people are evacuating. You can't see very well because of plumes of smoke," a witness on the island told YTN television station.
"People are frightened to death," the witness added.
South Korea had deployed fighter jets to the island, Yonhap news agency said.
This western maritime border, also known as the Northern Limit Line, has been the scene of numerous clashes between the two Koreas in the past.
In March, a South Korean warship went down near the border with the loss of 46 lives.
International investigators say a North Korean torpedo sank the ship, although Pyongyang has denied any role in the incident.
Since then relations between the two neighbours have remained tense.
The South's military was placed on its highest non-wartime alert after the shells landed on Yeonpyeong island.
North Korea has not yet commented on the incident, in which three marines and two civilians were also injured.
Correspondents say this is one of the most serious since the the Korean War ended without a peace treaty in 1953.
There have been occasional cross-border clashes since, but the latest incident comes at a time of rising regional tension.
North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il is believed to be ill and trying to engineer the succession of his youngest son. And on Saturday, North Korea showed off what it claimed was a new uranium enrichment facility - potentially giving it a second route to a nuclear weapon.
The move prompted the US special representative for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, to rule out the resumption of six-party talks on resolving the nuclear issue.
South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Hee-jung also said it was investigating a possible link between the artillery attack and recent maritime exercises near the western sea border earlier on Tuesday.
'Illegal firing'
South Korean officials said artillery rounds landed on Yeonpyeong island, near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border to the west of the Korean Peninsula.
Continue reading the main story
Map
* Q&A: Inter-Korean crisis
"A North Korean artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 1434 PM (0534 GMT) and South Korean troops fired back immediately in self-defence," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.
A resident on the island told the agency that dozens of houses were damaged, while television pictures reportedly showed plumes of smoke rising above the island.
"Houses and mountains are on fire and people are evacuating. You can't see very well because of plumes of smoke," a witness on the island told YTN television station.
"People are frightened to death," the witness added.
South Korea had deployed fighter jets to the island, Yonhap news agency said.
This western maritime border, also known as the Northern Limit Line, has been the scene of numerous clashes between the two Koreas in the past.
In March, a South Korean warship went down near the border with the loss of 46 lives.
International investigators say a North Korean torpedo sank the ship, although Pyongyang has denied any role in the incident.
Since then relations between the two neighbours have remained tense.
Haruskah Pluto Digolongkan Planet Lagi?
Pluto telah ditendang dari statusnya sebagai planet sejak keluarnya ketentuan International Astronomical Union (IAU) tentang syarat-syarat benda langit agar bisa dikategorikan sebagai planet.
Beberapa syaratnya adalah mengorbit bintang tertentu, mempunyai massa yang cukup untuk memiliki gravitasi sendiri, tidak terlalu besar sehingga dapat menyebabkan fusi termonuklir serta telah mengosongkan orbit sehingga tidak ditempati oleh benda langit lain yang lebih besar.
Munculnya ketentuan itu sendiri salah satunya berkaitan dengan penemuan Eris pada tahun 2005. Eris saat itu dikatakan memiliki ukuran yang lebih besar daripada pluto.
Setelah kurang lebih 4 tahun Pluto tak menjadi planet lagi, kini perdebatan tentang status Pluto sebagai planet kembali menghangat. Situs Space.com menggelar jajak pendapat di websitenya. Jajak pendapat itu bertajuk "Haruskah Status Pluto Sebagai Planet Dikembalikan?"
Jajak pendapat itu digelar berkaitan dengan temuan baru tentang planet kerdil Eris baru-baru ini. Para peneliti mengatakan, anggapan bahwa Eris lebih besar dari Pluto mungkin salah, sebab berdasarkan hasil penelitian Pluto mungkin memiliki ukuran yang lebih besar dari Eris.
Para ilmuwan mengatakan hal tersebut setelah mengamati Eris baru-baru ini. Berdasarkan pengamatan itu, panjang okultasi Eris mungkin hanya 2.340 kilometer, lebih kecil dari panjang okultasi Pluto yang sebesar 2.342 kilometer. Artinya, ukuran Pluto mungkin lebih besar.
Sejumlah peneliti dalam publikasi Space.com memiliki tanggapan yang berbeda-beda terhadap pertanyaan pada jajak pendapat tersebut. "Saya menggolongkan pluto sama seperti objek lain di Sabuk Kuiper. saya pikir dia lebih bahagia di sana. Dia punya saudara," kata Neil deGrasse Tyson, Direktur New York City's Hayden Planetarium.
Sementara, Alan Stern, ilmuwan dari Southwest Research Institute di Boulder, Colo mengatakan, "Jika anda menuruti persyaratan IAU secara ketat, tak ada benda langit yang bisa dikatakan planet. Tidak ada benda langit yang benar-benar 'bersih' orbitnya."
Orang awam yang mengirim komentar tentang topik ini pun memiliki pendapat yang berbeda. Ada orang yang mengatakan bahwa Pluto tak selayaknya menjadi planet sebab IAU mengatakan hal tersebut berdasarkan massa dan inklinasi orbitnya.
Nah, bagaimana pendapat anda? Sejauh ini 44 % orang yang ikut jajak pendapat berpendapat bahwa Pluto seharusnya jadi planet, sementara 36% menganggap Pluto tak seharusnya menjadi planet. 20% orang memutuskan untuk menunggu hasil saja.
Beberapa syaratnya adalah mengorbit bintang tertentu, mempunyai massa yang cukup untuk memiliki gravitasi sendiri, tidak terlalu besar sehingga dapat menyebabkan fusi termonuklir serta telah mengosongkan orbit sehingga tidak ditempati oleh benda langit lain yang lebih besar.
Munculnya ketentuan itu sendiri salah satunya berkaitan dengan penemuan Eris pada tahun 2005. Eris saat itu dikatakan memiliki ukuran yang lebih besar daripada pluto.
Setelah kurang lebih 4 tahun Pluto tak menjadi planet lagi, kini perdebatan tentang status Pluto sebagai planet kembali menghangat. Situs Space.com menggelar jajak pendapat di websitenya. Jajak pendapat itu bertajuk "Haruskah Status Pluto Sebagai Planet Dikembalikan?"
Jajak pendapat itu digelar berkaitan dengan temuan baru tentang planet kerdil Eris baru-baru ini. Para peneliti mengatakan, anggapan bahwa Eris lebih besar dari Pluto mungkin salah, sebab berdasarkan hasil penelitian Pluto mungkin memiliki ukuran yang lebih besar dari Eris.
Para ilmuwan mengatakan hal tersebut setelah mengamati Eris baru-baru ini. Berdasarkan pengamatan itu, panjang okultasi Eris mungkin hanya 2.340 kilometer, lebih kecil dari panjang okultasi Pluto yang sebesar 2.342 kilometer. Artinya, ukuran Pluto mungkin lebih besar.
Sejumlah peneliti dalam publikasi Space.com memiliki tanggapan yang berbeda-beda terhadap pertanyaan pada jajak pendapat tersebut. "Saya menggolongkan pluto sama seperti objek lain di Sabuk Kuiper. saya pikir dia lebih bahagia di sana. Dia punya saudara," kata Neil deGrasse Tyson, Direktur New York City's Hayden Planetarium.
Sementara, Alan Stern, ilmuwan dari Southwest Research Institute di Boulder, Colo mengatakan, "Jika anda menuruti persyaratan IAU secara ketat, tak ada benda langit yang bisa dikatakan planet. Tidak ada benda langit yang benar-benar 'bersih' orbitnya."
Orang awam yang mengirim komentar tentang topik ini pun memiliki pendapat yang berbeda. Ada orang yang mengatakan bahwa Pluto tak selayaknya menjadi planet sebab IAU mengatakan hal tersebut berdasarkan massa dan inklinasi orbitnya.
Nah, bagaimana pendapat anda? Sejauh ini 44 % orang yang ikut jajak pendapat berpendapat bahwa Pluto seharusnya jadi planet, sementara 36% menganggap Pluto tak seharusnya menjadi planet. 20% orang memutuskan untuk menunggu hasil saja.
10 Negara Super Kaya di Dunia
Kekuatan ekonomi suatu negara biasanya diukur melalui Produk Domestik Bruto (PDB). Menilik angka itu, Amerika Serikat masih menduduki posisi tertinggi sebagai negara kaya melampaui China dan Jepang, Agustus silam.
Namun, PDB tidak mampu menunjukkan kekayaan negara yang sesungguhnya karena bisa jadi uang itu hanya terkonsentrasi di sejumlah pengusaha, bukan pemerintah. Itulah mengapa nilai Pendapatan Nasional Bruto (PNB) menjadi penting untuk mengukur kekayaan suatu negara.
Berikut 10 negara dengan PNB tertinggi per kapita, berdasar data terbaru Bank Dunia, seperti dikutip dari laman Daily Finance:
1. Luxemburg PNB per kapita: $58,810
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 4,8%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,7%
Merupakan daratan kecil yang berbatasan dengan Prancis, Jerman, dan Belgia. Diapit sejumlah negara besar, negara ini tumbuh menjadi salah satu pusat bisnis utama di Benua Eropa. Dalam tiga tahun ke depan, negara ini berencana menyediakan layanan bandwidth dengan kapasitas supertinggi untuk mendorong pengembangan ekonomi digital yang canggih.
2. NorwegiaPNB per kapita: $55,190
Tingkat buta huruf: 0%
Tingkat pengangguran: 1,7%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 6,7%
Merupakan negara superkaya yang mendapat keuntungan besar dari ekspor minyak bumi pada 1970-an. Pendapatan utama negara ini berasal dari sektor minyak dan gas, juga teknologi dan komunikasi. Saking kayanya, negara ini mampu mendanai berbagai program sosial dan pendidikan tanpa membebani pajak. Tak heran jika tak ada warga buta huruf di sana.
3. Kuwait PNB per kapita: $53,390
Tingkat buta huruf: 6%
Tingkat pengangguran: 1,3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,8%
Negara kecil di Timur Tengah ini memiliki 9 persen dari cadangan minyak dunia. Tidak seperti negara penghasil minyak di sekitarnya, negara ini cukup stabil secara politik. Dibanding dengan negara Teluk lainnya, tingkat pendidikan di Kuwait cukup baik. Daya serap tenaga kerja mencapai lebih 98 persen, baik di bidang perminyakan atau ekspor semen dan bata.
4. Macau PNB per kapita: $52,410
Tingkat buta huruf: 7%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 2,2%
Daerah administrasi khusus di daratan China ini mendapat banyak pemasukan dari ekspor tekstil dan aneka produk manufaktur. Negara ini juga sangat terkenal sebagai salah satu destinasi perjudian dunia yang cukup masyur. Bahkan pada 2006, pendapatan dari sektor judi melebihi Las Vegas. Mayoritas warga memanfaatkannya sebagai ladang bisnis dengan membuka kasino, hotel, dan pembangunan resor untuk menarik wisatawan mancanegara.
5. Brunei PNB per kapita: $50,920
Tingkat buta huruf: 5%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,7%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,7%
Seperti Norwegia dan Kuwait, sumber utama pendapatan pemerintah adalah dari industri minyak. Sebanyak 60 persen warganya bergantung hidup di sektor itu. Kemapanan finansial membuat pemerintah sanggup memberikan pendidikan gratis hingga perguruan tinggi. Sekadar catatan, Sultan Brunei bahkan pernah menjadi orang terkaya di dunia. Namun belakangan, ada kekhawatiran, menipisnya cadangan minyak mentah akan menjatuhkan standar hidup negara itu.
6. Singapura PNB per kapita: $50,780
Tingkat buta huruf: 5%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,95%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 2,2%
Singapura mempromosikan diri sebagai pelabuhan yang ramah bagi perdagangan internasional. Pemerintah setempat sangat ketat mengontrol perekonomian rakyat melalui kemajuan bidang industri elektronik dan farmasi. Selain mengedepankan kesejahteraan umum dan jasa publik, pemerintah sangat peduli terhadap tingkat pendidikan masyarakatnya.
7. Amerika Serikat PNB per kapita: $46,760
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 9,6%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,6%
Jumlah penduduk dan kondisi geografis membuat negara adidaya ini tak muncul sebagai negara paling kaya di dunia. Bahkan angka pengangguran dua kali Luxemburg. Negara ini mengedepankan perekonomi kapitalis yang tak terlalu memprioritaskan program sosial. Namun, negara ini tak ragu menghabiskan anggaran besar untuk pendidikan. Meski tergolong maju, kesenjangan sosial-ekonomi di negara ini cukup kentara.
8. Hong Kong PNB per kapita: $44,090
Tingkat buta huruf: 3,4%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,6%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,3%
Ekonomi negara ini sangat bergantung pada re-ekspor sejumlah produk. Hong Kong mendapat keuntungan dari transisi ekonomi eksportir industri ke pusat perbankan internasional. Pemerintah Hong Kong pro perdagangan bebas. Negara ini memprioritaskan anggarannya untuk kesejahteraan publik dan pendidikan warganya.
9. SwissPNB per kapita: $43,440
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 4%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,3%
Masyarakat Swiss mendapat keuntungan dari kebijakan pemerintah yang sangat ramah bisnis. Ini membuat Swiss menjadi pusat investasi dan perbankan internasional. Kebijakan pajak yang sangat ringan juga membuat Swiss tumbuh bak surga bagi para pengusaha kaya dunia untuk menghamburkan uangnya. Sektor jasa makmur telah berkembang untuk memenuhi tuntutan kelompok tersebut. Negara ini juga mendapat keuntungan besar dari ekspor mesin industri dan bahan kimia.
10. BelandaPNB per kapita: $40,940
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,5%
Pemerintah Belanda memainkan peran aktif dalam mempertahankan standar hidup tinggi bagi warganya. Belanda adalah model kebijakan ekonomi sosial liberal dan laissez-faire. Belanda memiliki ekonomi pasar bebas, yang didukung kekuatan pasar penyulingan minyak bumi dan industri mesin listrik. Kebijakan sosial liberal juga mendatangkan keuntungan melalui sektor obat-obatan terlarang dan wisata seks.
Namun, PDB tidak mampu menunjukkan kekayaan negara yang sesungguhnya karena bisa jadi uang itu hanya terkonsentrasi di sejumlah pengusaha, bukan pemerintah. Itulah mengapa nilai Pendapatan Nasional Bruto (PNB) menjadi penting untuk mengukur kekayaan suatu negara.
Berikut 10 negara dengan PNB tertinggi per kapita, berdasar data terbaru Bank Dunia, seperti dikutip dari laman Daily Finance:
1. Luxemburg PNB per kapita: $58,810
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 4,8%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,7%
Merupakan daratan kecil yang berbatasan dengan Prancis, Jerman, dan Belgia. Diapit sejumlah negara besar, negara ini tumbuh menjadi salah satu pusat bisnis utama di Benua Eropa. Dalam tiga tahun ke depan, negara ini berencana menyediakan layanan bandwidth dengan kapasitas supertinggi untuk mendorong pengembangan ekonomi digital yang canggih.
2. NorwegiaPNB per kapita: $55,190
Tingkat buta huruf: 0%
Tingkat pengangguran: 1,7%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 6,7%
Merupakan negara superkaya yang mendapat keuntungan besar dari ekspor minyak bumi pada 1970-an. Pendapatan utama negara ini berasal dari sektor minyak dan gas, juga teknologi dan komunikasi. Saking kayanya, negara ini mampu mendanai berbagai program sosial dan pendidikan tanpa membebani pajak. Tak heran jika tak ada warga buta huruf di sana.
3. Kuwait PNB per kapita: $53,390
Tingkat buta huruf: 6%
Tingkat pengangguran: 1,3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,8%
Negara kecil di Timur Tengah ini memiliki 9 persen dari cadangan minyak dunia. Tidak seperti negara penghasil minyak di sekitarnya, negara ini cukup stabil secara politik. Dibanding dengan negara Teluk lainnya, tingkat pendidikan di Kuwait cukup baik. Daya serap tenaga kerja mencapai lebih 98 persen, baik di bidang perminyakan atau ekspor semen dan bata.
4. Macau PNB per kapita: $52,410
Tingkat buta huruf: 7%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 2,2%
Daerah administrasi khusus di daratan China ini mendapat banyak pemasukan dari ekspor tekstil dan aneka produk manufaktur. Negara ini juga sangat terkenal sebagai salah satu destinasi perjudian dunia yang cukup masyur. Bahkan pada 2006, pendapatan dari sektor judi melebihi Las Vegas. Mayoritas warga memanfaatkannya sebagai ladang bisnis dengan membuka kasino, hotel, dan pembangunan resor untuk menarik wisatawan mancanegara.
5. Brunei PNB per kapita: $50,920
Tingkat buta huruf: 5%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,7%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,7%
Seperti Norwegia dan Kuwait, sumber utama pendapatan pemerintah adalah dari industri minyak. Sebanyak 60 persen warganya bergantung hidup di sektor itu. Kemapanan finansial membuat pemerintah sanggup memberikan pendidikan gratis hingga perguruan tinggi. Sekadar catatan, Sultan Brunei bahkan pernah menjadi orang terkaya di dunia. Namun belakangan, ada kekhawatiran, menipisnya cadangan minyak mentah akan menjatuhkan standar hidup negara itu.
6. Singapura PNB per kapita: $50,780
Tingkat buta huruf: 5%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,95%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 2,2%
Singapura mempromosikan diri sebagai pelabuhan yang ramah bagi perdagangan internasional. Pemerintah setempat sangat ketat mengontrol perekonomian rakyat melalui kemajuan bidang industri elektronik dan farmasi. Selain mengedepankan kesejahteraan umum dan jasa publik, pemerintah sangat peduli terhadap tingkat pendidikan masyarakatnya.
7. Amerika Serikat PNB per kapita: $46,760
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 9,6%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,6%
Jumlah penduduk dan kondisi geografis membuat negara adidaya ini tak muncul sebagai negara paling kaya di dunia. Bahkan angka pengangguran dua kali Luxemburg. Negara ini mengedepankan perekonomi kapitalis yang tak terlalu memprioritaskan program sosial. Namun, negara ini tak ragu menghabiskan anggaran besar untuk pendidikan. Meski tergolong maju, kesenjangan sosial-ekonomi di negara ini cukup kentara.
8. Hong Kong PNB per kapita: $44,090
Tingkat buta huruf: 3,4%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3,6%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 3,3%
Ekonomi negara ini sangat bergantung pada re-ekspor sejumlah produk. Hong Kong mendapat keuntungan dari transisi ekonomi eksportir industri ke pusat perbankan internasional. Pemerintah Hong Kong pro perdagangan bebas. Negara ini memprioritaskan anggarannya untuk kesejahteraan publik dan pendidikan warganya.
9. SwissPNB per kapita: $43,440
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 4%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,3%
Masyarakat Swiss mendapat keuntungan dari kebijakan pemerintah yang sangat ramah bisnis. Ini membuat Swiss menjadi pusat investasi dan perbankan internasional. Kebijakan pajak yang sangat ringan juga membuat Swiss tumbuh bak surga bagi para pengusaha kaya dunia untuk menghamburkan uangnya. Sektor jasa makmur telah berkembang untuk memenuhi tuntutan kelompok tersebut. Negara ini juga mendapat keuntungan besar dari ekspor mesin industri dan bahan kimia.
10. BelandaPNB per kapita: $40,940
Tingkat buta huruf: 1%
Tingkat pengangguran: 3%
Anggaran belanja pendidikan per PDB: 5,5%
Pemerintah Belanda memainkan peran aktif dalam mempertahankan standar hidup tinggi bagi warganya. Belanda adalah model kebijakan ekonomi sosial liberal dan laissez-faire. Belanda memiliki ekonomi pasar bebas, yang didukung kekuatan pasar penyulingan minyak bumi dan industri mesin listrik. Kebijakan sosial liberal juga mendatangkan keuntungan melalui sektor obat-obatan terlarang dan wisata seks.
Misteri Batu-batu Berjalan di California
Pernah dengar misteri batu meluncur atau batu berjalan? Ya, batu berjalan menjadi salah satu misteri yang paling menarik dari Death Valley National Park, tepatnya di danau kering Racetrack Playa, California-AS. Batu berjalan itu dapat ditemukan dengan mudah di permukaan Playa dengan jejak panjang di belakangnya.
Bagaimana mereka dapat bergerak atau berpindah masih menjadi misteri besar di benak para peneliti. Pasalnya, batu yang berjalan tidak hanya batu kecil yang mudah tertiup oleh angin. Ada beberapa batu besar dengan berat ratusan kilogram yang juga turut "jalan-jalan".
Pertanyaan besar yang tentu saja akan muncul kemudian: bagaimana cara mereke bergerak? Ini menjadi tantangan besar bagi para peneliti. Mengapa fenomena ini menjadi misteri? Karena, tidak ada satu orang pun yang pernah melihat ia berjalan.
Sampai hari ini, faktanya adalah tidak ada seorang atau satu organisasi pun yang mengetahui bagaimana batu-batu itu bisa berpindah tempat, meski beberapa orang sudah mempunyai penjelasannya masing-masing menurut nalar. Menarik untuk disimak.
Batu berjalan di Racetrack PlayaTapi, sebelumnya, sekadar diketahui apa dan di mana Racetrack Playa. Racetrack Playa adalah danau kering yang datar dengan panjang empat kilometer dan lebar sekitar dua kilometer. Terletak di California-AS, permukaannya terdiri dari batuan sedimen yang terbuat dari lumpur dan tanah liat.
Iklim di daerah ini juga kering. Hujan hanya terjadi beberapa inci per tahun. Namun, saat hujan, pegunungan terjal yang mengelilingi Racetrack Playa akan menyuplai air ke permukaan danau dan menyulapnya menjadi danau dangkal yang sangat luas. Sayangnya, ini hanya bertahan beberapa hari saja. Setelah itu, dalam keadaan basah, permukaannya berubah menjadi lumpur yang lembut dan licin.
Ada beberapa asumsi atau penjelasan tentang mengapa batu-batu di Racetrack Playa dapat berjalan. Semua penjelasan tersebut masuk akal. Bisa jadi Anda setuju dengan salah satunya. Namun, sampai saat ini belum ada yang dapat membuktikannya bersama-sama secara ilmiah.
Apakah mereka digerakkan oleh manusia atau hewan?
Jejak yang terbentuk di belakang batu menunjukkan bahwa batu-batu berjalan itu berpindah saat permukaan Racetrack Playa masih ditutupi dengan lumpur yang sangat lembut. Dan, di sekitar jejak batu, tidak ada lumpur yang rusak akibat jejak makhluk hidup lainnya. Artinya, sangat kecil kemungkinan batu tersebut dipindahkan oleh manusia dan hewan.
Apakah mereka digerakkan oleh angin?
Ini penjelasan paling favorit dan dipilih banyak orang karena dinilai paling mungkin. Bukan asal tebak atau sekedar menerka-nerka. Tapi, jika dipelajari dari jejak batu yang berjalan, arahnya sejajar dengan arah angin yang berhembus di Racetrack Playa, yakni dari barat daya ke arah timur laut.
Hembusan angin kencang diperkirakan mampu menyenggol batu sampai berpindah tempat. Kurva pada jejak batu tersebut dibentuk oleh pergeseran arah angin yang membawanya, karena interaksi angin dan batu tidak teratur.
Batu berjalan di Racetrack PlayaApakah mereka digerakkan oleh es?
Beberapa orang mengaku sempat menyaksikan Racetrack Playa tertutup oleh lapisan es tipis. Idenya, air membeku di sekitar batu. Lalu, angin berhembus di atas permukaan es dan menyeret lapisan es berikut batu yang tertancap di permukaan es.
Beberapa penelitian telah menemukan jejak sangat kongruen pada beberapa batu. Namun, seharusnya pengangkutan lapisan es besar diharapkan meninggalkan tanda para permukaan Playa. Sampai saat ini, tanda tersebut belum bisa dibuktikan.
Mungkin Anda setuju dengan salah satu dari beberapa penjelasan di atas. Atau, tidak ada salahnya jika Anda mempunyai penjelasan lain yang berbeda. Tetapi, mungkin cerita ini akan tetap menarik jika jawabannya tidak pernah diketahui dan menjadi misteri.
Bagaimana mereka dapat bergerak atau berpindah masih menjadi misteri besar di benak para peneliti. Pasalnya, batu yang berjalan tidak hanya batu kecil yang mudah tertiup oleh angin. Ada beberapa batu besar dengan berat ratusan kilogram yang juga turut "jalan-jalan".
Pertanyaan besar yang tentu saja akan muncul kemudian: bagaimana cara mereke bergerak? Ini menjadi tantangan besar bagi para peneliti. Mengapa fenomena ini menjadi misteri? Karena, tidak ada satu orang pun yang pernah melihat ia berjalan.
Sampai hari ini, faktanya adalah tidak ada seorang atau satu organisasi pun yang mengetahui bagaimana batu-batu itu bisa berpindah tempat, meski beberapa orang sudah mempunyai penjelasannya masing-masing menurut nalar. Menarik untuk disimak.
Batu berjalan di Racetrack PlayaTapi, sebelumnya, sekadar diketahui apa dan di mana Racetrack Playa. Racetrack Playa adalah danau kering yang datar dengan panjang empat kilometer dan lebar sekitar dua kilometer. Terletak di California-AS, permukaannya terdiri dari batuan sedimen yang terbuat dari lumpur dan tanah liat.
Iklim di daerah ini juga kering. Hujan hanya terjadi beberapa inci per tahun. Namun, saat hujan, pegunungan terjal yang mengelilingi Racetrack Playa akan menyuplai air ke permukaan danau dan menyulapnya menjadi danau dangkal yang sangat luas. Sayangnya, ini hanya bertahan beberapa hari saja. Setelah itu, dalam keadaan basah, permukaannya berubah menjadi lumpur yang lembut dan licin.
Ada beberapa asumsi atau penjelasan tentang mengapa batu-batu di Racetrack Playa dapat berjalan. Semua penjelasan tersebut masuk akal. Bisa jadi Anda setuju dengan salah satunya. Namun, sampai saat ini belum ada yang dapat membuktikannya bersama-sama secara ilmiah.
Apakah mereka digerakkan oleh manusia atau hewan?
Jejak yang terbentuk di belakang batu menunjukkan bahwa batu-batu berjalan itu berpindah saat permukaan Racetrack Playa masih ditutupi dengan lumpur yang sangat lembut. Dan, di sekitar jejak batu, tidak ada lumpur yang rusak akibat jejak makhluk hidup lainnya. Artinya, sangat kecil kemungkinan batu tersebut dipindahkan oleh manusia dan hewan.
Apakah mereka digerakkan oleh angin?
Ini penjelasan paling favorit dan dipilih banyak orang karena dinilai paling mungkin. Bukan asal tebak atau sekedar menerka-nerka. Tapi, jika dipelajari dari jejak batu yang berjalan, arahnya sejajar dengan arah angin yang berhembus di Racetrack Playa, yakni dari barat daya ke arah timur laut.
Hembusan angin kencang diperkirakan mampu menyenggol batu sampai berpindah tempat. Kurva pada jejak batu tersebut dibentuk oleh pergeseran arah angin yang membawanya, karena interaksi angin dan batu tidak teratur.
Batu berjalan di Racetrack PlayaApakah mereka digerakkan oleh es?
Beberapa orang mengaku sempat menyaksikan Racetrack Playa tertutup oleh lapisan es tipis. Idenya, air membeku di sekitar batu. Lalu, angin berhembus di atas permukaan es dan menyeret lapisan es berikut batu yang tertancap di permukaan es.
Beberapa penelitian telah menemukan jejak sangat kongruen pada beberapa batu. Namun, seharusnya pengangkutan lapisan es besar diharapkan meninggalkan tanda para permukaan Playa. Sampai saat ini, tanda tersebut belum bisa dibuktikan.
Mungkin Anda setuju dengan salah satu dari beberapa penjelasan di atas. Atau, tidak ada salahnya jika Anda mempunyai penjelasan lain yang berbeda. Tetapi, mungkin cerita ini akan tetap menarik jika jawabannya tidak pernah diketahui dan menjadi misteri.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)