Edisi 26 Oktober 2009 | International Bali Post

At least 25 dead in Egypt train collision

16 Pages Number 490 1st Year

PAGE 6

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Monday, Oktober 26, 2009

Universal Temples, the Castle of Bali’s Security PAGE 8

Jackson fans prepare for concert movie farewell

BP/doc

A bank robbed

PAGE 12

Police officers and people gathered outside the BRI bank in Dalung. Robbers entered the bank and run away with 295 million rupiah in cash

295 million rupiah taken by the robbers Denpasar (Bali Post) -

The first bank robbery in Bali was happened on Friday, October 23rd 2009. The bank which was robbed was BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia) in Padang Luwih Street, Dalung, northern Kuta.

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Five robbers stormed the bank and tied four of the employees. The robbers run away with 295 million

in cash which was originally will be sent to the central office. The employee could not resist because

the robbers were carrying weapons.

The information in the crime scene describe that four robbers were entering the bank and the other stay outside to watch the situation. A witness said “they were using a white van but no one saw

the license plate of the car.”

The police officer explained that the robbers were pretending to become customers of the bank. At first, two of them came in to the bank followed by the other two.

Continued on page 6

Senior Figures of Karangasem Royal Palace:

To Deliver Bali Post Flexi Phone Amlapura (Bali Post)—

Staple goods sold in charity market organized by Grand Palace of Karangasem in cooperation of Balinese Resident Cooperative (KKB) on Penampahan Kuningan, Friday (Oct 23) was sold out in relatively short time purchased by residents of Bungaya Village, Bebandem, Karangasem.

In the meantime, CEO of Bali Post Media Group (KMB), Satria Naradha, handed over Bali Post

Flexi Phone to senior figure of Karangasem Grand Palace, AAB Ngurah Agung. Later, it was followed by delivery of such cell phone set to local community figure in order it could be used for intense communication.

Satria Narada said that by Bali Post Flexi Phone was expected that Balinese community could commit something real in the endeavor to preserve Bali.

Continued on page 6

COMMUNITY FIGURE—Senior figure of Karangasem Grand Palace, AAB Ngurah Agung, handed over Bali Post Flexi Phone to community figure of Bungaya village in the midst charity market organized by the palace in cooperation with KKB of Bungaya Village, last Friday (Oct 23).

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International

Monday, October 26, 2009

Bali News Chief of Bali Police Angry at Poltabes

Bali Police Officer Judged to Lack for Discipline Denpasar (Bali Post)—

The visit of Chief of Bali Police, H. Sutisna, to Denpasar Metro Police (Poltabes), last Thursday (Oct 22) was slightly different. Chief Sutisna looked angry when providing a briefing to all officers of Poltabes.

One of the officers of Poltabes was found not bringing a note when he gave briefing. Officer given severe reprimand by Chief Sutisna is the son of a general. On seeing such behavior, Chief Sutisna judged the Bali Police officers remained to lack for discipline.

“I ask to all officers to always show disciplined behavior. Discipline is important and should be begun from the self,” affirmed Chief Sutisna.

Such disciplined behavior, added Chief Sutisna, was not only during on duty but also when in the midst of community. The presence of police officers was really expected. “For that reason, discipline should be improved.

For instance, morning briefing at sec-

tor police stations,” he said.

This former expert staff of Chief of Indonesian Police said discipline of police officer should be commenced by morning briefing. Because, this activity would enable them to know the presence, regular task of the day and absence of the officer. “Everything should be checked, chiefly the members who are absent, whether he or she is sick or due to other reasons,” he explained.

In addition, Chief Sutisna also reminded their superiors. A superior should know about his or her subordinates. They should know where the subordinates were in charge. “Please also observe who came late or later at noon,” asked the two-star general on shoulder.

In the meantime, officers undertaking the task with firearm were expected to use it procedurally. “Never act anarchically just because you bring firearm. Do not work independently,” he added. (kmb21)

Development of Titab Dam

Central Govt Allocated Fund at IDR 90 Billion Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Discontinuity of planning between Governor Dewa Beratha and the current Bali Governor Mangku Pastika looked progressively apparent. Its evidence was related to the development of Titab dam proposed for so long time to central government, in the upcoming 2010 it will get allocation of fund amounting to IDR 90 billion out of IDR 500 billion required. Unluckily, Bali Provincial Government together with Buleleng Government have not allocated fund for the land release. The Head of Commission III of Bali House, Putu Agus Suradnyana, revealed it Friday (Oct 23) in Denpasar. Responding on that reality, regional government had no choice but allocated it in the upcoming Regional Budget Draft of 2010 in order what struggled by previous governor would not turn useless.

For the development of such dam is required 24 hectares of land. At least, 5 hectares are required at initial phase. “We in the Bali House expect that there should be a shared financing between provincial and regency government for the land release,” he said. For instance, Bali

province bore 30 percent, while the rest would be born by regency government. He admitted that the dam development would be strategic and more beneficial rather than the previous one at Grokgak. This dam can hold many springs to be flowed to hundreds of hectares of rice field at the territory of Seririt and a part of Grokgak. The House was ready to mediate the parties related to financing matters for the land release. “We will attempt to discuss this matter with Bali Agency for Regional Development (Bappeda) and the regency, next Tuesday,” he said.

Secretary of Bali Office of Public Works Services, Made Sudiarsa, admitted that the budget for such dam development has not been available, including the one for land release. He justified the development needed the budget of IDR 500 billion. It is categorized into long-term project because its work is undertaken gradually.

Public Works Services did not allocate any budget for that because the regular budget of Public Works proposed at IDR 85 billion has been diminished to IDR 60 billion, whereas it has included the balancing budget worth IDR 8 billions. (029)

An officer from Denpasar Animal Department shot a dog in a dog hunt in Denpasar. Wild dogs are hunted throughout Bali in order to prevent the spread of rabies.

FOTO ANTARA/Nyoman Budhiana/ED/nz/09.

Across Kubu Subdistrict Infected by Rabies

VAR Unavailable, Residents Got Restless Through Kubu subdistrict was alleged to have been infected by rabies. At least, there were four patients referred to Sanglah Hospital after bitten by fierce dog. A patient from Munti Gunung was informed to have died due to late treatment. As consequence, local residents turned restless toward such fatal disease. How is the response of local government?

PET dogs in Karangasem (Bali) play a role to guard the house. However, in its development many wild dogs emerged. “These wild dogs had potential to result in rabies,” said the Head of Animal Husbandry, Maritime and Fishery Services, Nengah Mantha Eka Yudha, Friday (Oct 23) in Karangasem.

Seeing the rabies case in Kubu, his party has sent four samples of head of dog’s corpse to BTPT Denpasar. One has been stated positive to rabies, while result of three others have not completed yet.

On the other hand, the Head of Karangasem Health Services, IGM Tiryana, said that anti-rabies vaccine (VAR) for human has not been available yet at regional hospital and community health centers. Previously, Karangasem was the regency threatened by rabies and the dog with positive to rabies was just found within the past few days.

According to him, if there was any resident bitten by dog, the wound should be treated well. Cleanse it immediately under flowing water and use soap. Later, apply iodine and take it to community health center or Karangasem Hospital. Medical officer would decide if patient needed to be referred to Sanglah Hospital to get VAR or not. “One vial of VAR is very expensive. Based on publication of newspaper, Sanglah Hospital often ran out

of VAR,” he said.

Mantha Eka Yuda said that based on observation of rabies prevention in Kubu, transmission of rabies to Kubu was alleged that a diaspora of Kubu bringing a dog from Kuta, Badung. In addition, there was also a truck driver and worker at C-class excavation often brought a dog. First rabies case in Kubu was found at Pedahan, Tianyar Tengah. Afterwards, fierce dog bit many residents and the case spread to a number of hamlets at Ban, Tulamben, Tianyar Timur, Tianyar Tengah, Tianyar Barat, Baturinggit, Sukadana village and others.

A member of the Karangasem House, Nyoman Oka Antara, said that there was a resident from Munti died few days after bitten by dog. The patient died because of ignorance and late treatment.

In addition, at least there were four Kubu residents bitten by fierce dog that have been sent to hospital. They were Ni Nyoman Bali and Nengah Tempeh from Tamansari Hamlet, Tianyar Barat; I Gede Sari (11) from Tegalsari Hamlet, Gede Armika, a grandchild of I Gede Surata from Darma Winangun Hamlet. A wild dog biting Ni Bali, after tested, was positive to rabies.

Fierce Dog

In the meantime, the case on dog belonging to nobody suddenly got angry and bit many people were widely

reported to happen in Kubu lately. Dog bit Ni Kadek Adi from Tulamben, Kubu when she was lazing on a bench in front of her kiosk.

Gede Surata from Darma Winangun, Tianyar Timur said that Kubu residents were restless. There were many wild dogs roaming around the area. Meanwhile, local residents lacked for knowledge and awareness on the hazard of rabies so they were reluctant to put their pet dog in cage or fasten it. That was why they let the dogs be at large.

A number of Kubu residents also said that they were confused where to report if they found fierce dog. Similarly, they did not know where to go in case bitten by dog. This condition was caused by social background where most of them lacked for education and were indigent. In short, they did not know about the handling after bitten by dog until going to community health center and referred to Sanglah Hospital. Moreover, they did not have money for that treatment.

“Government apparatus of Kubu subdistrict looked indifferent to the case.

When a rabies team from regency or province giving socialization they did not serve at least water to drink. On the other hand, Mantha Eka Yudha rejected if Karangasem Government was indifferent to the case. He said that his party has established anticipation team for rabies case. Even, every night his team eliminated wild dogs. (bud)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z Chief Editor: ABG Satria Naradha z Managing Editor: Wirata z Editors: Alit Purnata, Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Darmasunu, Daniel Fajry, Diah Dewi, Iwan Darmawan, Martinaya, Mawa, Palgunadi, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Sutiawan, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Mas Ruscitadewi, Oka Rusmini, Umbu Landu Paranggi, Subagiadnya, Subrata, Suentra, Sumatika, Gregorius Rusmanda, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan, Tabanan: Surpi. Jakarta: Nikson, Suharto Olii, Indu P. Adi, Ahmadi Supriyanto, Achmad Nasrudin, Hardianto, Darmawan S. Sumardjo, Heru B Arifin, Asep Djamaluddin, Ade Irawan, Ipik Tanoyo. NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani, Nur Haedin, Suyadnya. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto. z Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi. z Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publiser: PT Bali Post

Bali News

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Monday, October 26, 2009

Tens of Ambengan Residents Come to Ubud Police Station Gianyar (Bali Post)—

Tens of residents of Ambengan, Sayan Village, Ubud, Thursday (Oct 22) came to Ubud polices station. Their coming was conveyed by trucks to accompany one of Ambengan residents, Nyoman Wanta (37) becoming the suspect and was summoned by Investigator of Ubud Sector Police.

Residents coming at 7:30 a.m. in middle customary attires only sat down in front of Ubud police station while waiting for one of their residents who underwent interrogation.

Nyoman Wanta was summoned by police in relation to the existence of report on maltreatment to a resident of Semana, Singakerta in the incident of mass clashes. It ensued on last October 7 coinciding with mutual assistance work. In that case, about 8:15 a.m. both groups of Semana dan Ambengan residents suffered from injury in the clash. The clash exploding had something to do with the case of graveyard of both hamlets that could not find any solution yet.

Concerning with the coming of residents, one of the village apparatuses of Ambengan, Gusti Ngurah Garputra, revealed that the arrival of

Ambengan residents to police station was to accompany their resident who was summoned by police as a suspect.

The summon was the second time.

First, he was asked to give explanation, but the second even was as the suspect.

“Whereas, at the time of incident, we were committing mutual assistance works. If one of our residents was made into defendant, of course, it is not fair,” he said.

“In several cases triggering a clash, we also once reported eight cases since the emergence of graveyard case. Out of such eight cases, we never heard about the Semana party was made like

ours. We completely regretted if one of our residents made into the suspect,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Ubud Sector Police, Nyoman Sukadana, received the coming of residents accompanied by hamlet apparatus of Semana to Ubud police station. They were received in the room of Chief Unit of Criminal Researcher to wait for one of the residents who were examined by investigator. At noon, the interrogated resident was allowed to go home.

Ultimately, tens of residents accompanying him left the Ubud police station. (kmb16)

Regarding to Tax Case of Tiara Dewata

Six Outlet Leaders to be sent to Court Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Case of tax fraud allegation engaging six Outlet Leaders of Tiara Dewata will be promptly stood trial at Denpasar Court. All could happen following the determination of each judge assembly by the Head of Denpasar Court Nyoman Sutama. “Indeed, the arrangement of judge assembly has been determined. Meanwhile, the schedule of session will entirely become the authority of each judge assembly,” said Public Relations Officer of Denpasar Court Posma B. Nainggolan, last Friday (Oct 23).

The Outlet Leader of each company consisted of Susanto Gondo Wijaya (PT Tiara Kuta Galeria), Hendro Teguh (CV Tiara Dalung Permai ), I Nyoman Gede Sugiartha (PT Karyajati Metama/ Tiara Grosir), and Wahyu Goesantoso (PT Tiara Monang Maning). Later, Susanto would be handled by judge as-

sembly chaired by Djumain, Nyoman Gede Sugiartha by IGN Adhi Wardana, Andi Haryono by Sigit Sutanto, Gusti Made Yasa and Wahyu Goesantoso by Emmy Herawati and Hendro Teguh by Daniel Palittin.

Posma B. Nainggolan said that schedule of session would be adjusted to other cases. In other words, the session would be attempted not to coincide with the session on the murder case of Prabangsa that usually drew many visitors. As has been published previously, allegation of tax fraud committed by Susanto Gondo Wijaya amounted to IDR 2.8 billion, Hendro Teguh (IDR 5.9 billion), Gede Sugiartha (IDR 18.6 billion), Andi Haryono (IDR 23 billion), Gusti Made Yasa (IDR 16.5 billion) and Wahyu Goesantoso (IDR 4.8 billion).

Modus operandi performed by each

defendant was by intentionally reporting the result of business activity on the pro forma invoice of revenue tax with incorrect data entry by making double statement in the form of accounting B that was not reported in the pro forma invoice. The more fatal one was the taxpayer did not submit the value added tax (VAT) charged based on accounting type B. Previously, the Regional Office of Denpasar Tax Services disregarded the calculation used by Denpasar Court when decided the case of Iskak Soegiarto stating the loss of state was only IDR 6 billion. The reason was the position of Iskak in that case has been pursuant to legal fact namely only played a role as supporter though in reality as controller. The figure IDR 71.9 billion denoted accumulation of each outlet. (015)

Residents to Protest

ID Card Making at a Slow Pace, Inspection to Intensify Singaraja (Bali Post)—

Ironical condition ensued in Buleleng. Justiciary Team of Buleleng Government is now intensively carrying out ID card inspection to residents passing through on the road. On the other hand, the process of ID card making at Population and Civil Registry ran at slow pace. A number of residents protested against such slow ID card service.

Residents of Buleleng delivered such protest, Friday (Oct 23). “Contrary condition made me worried because we have tried to submit ID card but the process took very long time,” revealed a resident. If the fate was unlucky, residents who had attempted to look for the ID card could be trapped in an inspection performed by justiciary team on the road at every subdistrict in Buleleng.

Even, as per schedule, the inspection would be resumed to crowded residence in Singaraja City. One of the Singaraja residents said that he had proposed the request but it needed a week and his proposal was not fulfilled yet. Whereas, as long as the knowledge of local residents, the printing of ID card by new machine only took one day. Due to this late service, residents turned restless because within the past one week, the justiciary team intensively performed inspection. Residents caught in the inspection were administered justice at roadside and obliged those had no ID card to pay a fine worth IDR 50,000 pursuant to regional legislation.

Residents admitted to have no objection of paying the fine but the problem was that they did not have ID card because the officer was late to process

the ID card submission. “It is very strange, low process of ID card making caused us to be imposed by a fine,” said the resident.

Head of Buleleng Registry Services, I Gusti Ngurah Sudirama, said that late process of ID card services in Buleleng subdistrict was caused by capacity of printing machine could not process the file of ID card applicants whose number was very large everyday. On average, the number of ID card applicant in Singaraja City reached 130-150 people.

“Meanwhile, the capacity of printing machine per day is only 100 pieces. This condition caused the accumulation of application files,” he said. According to Sudirama, to resolve the problem his party would optimized the working hour of the operator through overtime. (kmb15)

BP/doc

Tens of residents of Ambengan, Sayan Village, Ubud, Thursday (Oct 22) came to Ubud polices station. Their coming was conveyed by trucks to accompany one of Ambengan residents, Nyoman Wanta becoming the suspect and was summoned by Investigator of Ubud Sector Police.

Supreme Court to Reject the Appeal of Mayani Budi Related to Corruption Case of Askeskin Fund Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Supreme Court (MA) of the RI rejected the appeal proposed by the accused Gusti Ayu Nyoman Mayani Budi related to allegation of corruption toward the fund of indigent family health insurance (Askeskin). Judge assembly chaired by Made Tara with the member Dr. Artidjo Alkostar and Mansur K stated that basic consideration used by judge assembly in the first level and appeal were correct.

On the copy of verdict received by junior registrar at Denpasar Court, the judge assembly has given argument lengthily toward the rejection of appeal proposed by Mayani. The decision of Supreme Court supported the verdict of Denpasar Court and Denpasar High Court that previously sentenced Mayani Budi with four-year imprisonment and a fine of IDR 200 million.

The former data entry staff of Sanglah Hospital was stated that she was proven to commit corruption worth IDR 2.3 billion out of IDR 43 billions of the Askeskin fund sent to Sanglah Hospital. Other than 4-year imprisonment and fine, Mayani was also obliged to repay the loss to the state amounting to IDR 2.3 billion. Unless she could pay and her wealth did not suffice, the accused should replace it by 2-year imprisonment.

Public Relations Officer of Denpasar Court, Posma B.

Nainggolan, said that by issuance of appeal decision of Supreme Court, automatically the case of corruption allegation by Mayani Budi has had permanent legal force. Copy of previous decision has been delivered to authorized parties. Chiefly for public prosecutor, it would be used as legal basis to execute the accused. “The matter whether Mayani will take another legal appeal would entirely belong to her rights,” explained Posma.

As has been published previously, Mayani was alleged to commit corruption against Askeskin fund at Sanglah Hospital, where she worked previously.

As consequence, the deed carried out during February 2006 to April 2007 has harmed the state more than IDR 2.7 billion. It was performed by the accused by transferring the fund that actually intended for indigent patients to her personal bank account.

During more than fourteen months, Mayani with her tricks has transferred the fund originating from PT Askes of Denpasar Branch to her personal account. The claimed fund of PJKMM obtained from PT Askes should be delivered to indigent patients requiring the assistance pursuant to the program implemented by Sanglah Hospital. PJKMM or Askeskin fund delivered to indigent patients at Sanglah Hospital was originated in National Budget. (015)

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Monday, October 26, 2009

News

International

Taiwan president vows to press for China detente

AFP PHOTO/PATRICK LIN

Ma Ying-jeou Agence France-Presse

KINMEN - Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou called Sunday for continued reconciliation with former bitter rival China as the island marked the 60th anniversary of a key battle against Chinese communist forces.

“In the face of a new light shedding on the rapprochement, we will continue with our sincerity dispersing hatred and confrontation through exchanges and negotiations,” Ma said. “So that killing will be consigned to history and peace reign permanently.”

Ma was speaking to hundreds of veterans of the 1949 battle of Kinmen, a fortified island group

controlled by Nationalist troops off China’s southeastern Xiamen city.

The president said the sacrifice of the soldiers in repelling the Chinese attack had turned a “killing field” into a “peace plaza” and he pledged to do everything he could to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy.

About 1,200 Kuomintang soldiers died and more than 10,000 communist troops were killed or captured during the battle, which Ma said “has proved to be a turning point of modern China’s history and dramatically changed the fate of the people on the two sides of the strait.”

Historians generally believe the battle was a decisive victory for the Kuomintang troops, who had lost the civil war on mainland China to the communist forces led by Mao Zedong.

Taiwan and China have been governed separately since 1949, but China still views the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification.

Ma’s remarks came less than two months before the two sides plan to hold a fresh round of negotiations in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung.

Relations have warmed since May 2008, when the China-friendly Ma assumed the presidency.

Germany’s star politician becomes defence minister Agence France-Presse

BERLIN - Germany’s most popular minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, was named defence minister on Saturday, with responsibility for the country’s, and the West’s, biggest foreign policy headache: Afghanistan.

Guttenberg, aged just 37, raised eyebrows when Merkel picked him as economy minister in February, but he has become the darling of the German political scene and is even tipped as a possible successor.

The conservative aristocrat — full name Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg — has attained almost rock-star status in Germany’s normally staid political scene.

Surprisingly in a country with growing gap between rich and poor, voters are not overly bothered by his noble origins, with his lack of pretension — going to AC/DC rock concerts and even DJing — apparently winning them over.

Now, Merkel, who won a second term in elections last month and who on Saturday finalised a common programme with her new coalition partners, is hoping that the Franconian baron’s star qualities will work for Afghanistan.

Helping him in the job will be the fact that he speaks excellent

English, that he is well-versed in foreign policy and that he is an avowed Atlanticist, experts say.

Germany has around 4,200 troops in Afghanistan, the third largest foreign contingent, mostly in the north where conditions have been peaceful compared to the more volatile south and east, allowing a greater focus on reconstruction.

But violence has spiked this year, with militants stepping up attacks and forcing the reportedly poorly equipped German contingent into more and more skirmishes. Since 2001, 35 German troops have died, including four this year.

With all the main parties supporting the deployment except for the far-left Die Linke, Afghanistan failed to register as an issue in campaigning for September’s election.

But polls show that most Germans want troops to come home, and Afghanistan could well move centre stage now, particularly with Merkel’s previous coalition partners, the Social Democrats, in opposition. Merkel wants to use an upcoming international conference to press the Afghan government to take on more responsibilities so that Germany’s soldiers can come home.

In the run-up to the election, a number of videos emerged from Islamic militants threatening Germany with attacks unless its troops withdraw, sparking a tightening of security.

AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai

Afghan university students shout anti-US slogans during a demonstration in Kabul on October 25, 2009.

Furious Afghans on October 25 torched an effigy of US President Barack Obama at a mass protest over allegations that Western troops fighting the Taliban had set fire to a copy of the Koran.

Pakistan captures Taliban chief’s hometown Agence France-Presse

PESHAWAR - Pakistan said Saturday it had captured Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud’s hometown as the US demonstrated its support for the war on the Islamists with an air strike that killed 14 people.

Security officials said the army overran Mehsud’s town of Kotkai overnight after three days of aerial bombardments which had underlined the huge challenge facing the military in taking on the Taliban in their tribal heartland.

And in another part of the northwest tribal belt, a missile fired by an unmanned US drone spy plane killed at least 14 people including three foreign militants, local officials said.

With the militants continuing to carry out attacks nationwide since the army began a major offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region a week ago, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the unrest had hit every sector of society.

Although figures are impossible to verify, the army says more than 160 militants and 23 troops have been killed in the week-long South Waziristan offensive. Twelve militants and three soldiers died in the final stages of the battle for Kotkai, it added.

“Today, after intense fighting, security forces took complete control of the town of Kotkai,” the army’s chief spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told a press conference.

The army said many of the houses in Kotkai had been converted into bunkers by militants and it was also the site of a training camp for sui-

cide bombers.

“Security forces are in the process of clearing the build-up area of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), booby-traps and mines,” the spokesman added.

Abbas said the Taliban had been hit by a large number of desertions, saying that former Islamist fighters were now trimming their beards to distance themselves from their erstwhile comrades in arms.

The army launched the drive last Saturday, pitting 30,000 troops against an estimated 10,000-12,000 Taliban fighters where Al-Qaedalinked militants are believed to have plotted attacks against the West as well as in Pakistan.

The army had promised to make the Taliban leadership a particular target of their offensive and sealed off the main road into Kotkai last weekend.

There has been no word on the whereabouts of Mehsud since the operation began.

Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt has become a stronghold for hundreds of extremists who fled Afghanistan after the US-led invasion toppled the hardline Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.

While US ground troops are not free to operate in Pakistan, it has carried out a series of air strikes by unmanned planes known as drones.

The latest killed at least 14 people in the Bajaur district, to the north of Waziristan, and officials said the toll was likely to rise.

One security official said that a house was targeted in Damadola village, saying those killed included three foreign militants.

Another security official said a tunnel linked to a bunker in the house of a relative of local Tehreeke-Taliban chief Maulvi Faqir Mohammad was targeted.

Some of his relatives were among the dead and there were reports Mohammad himself had been in the house but left 10 minutes before the strike, he added.

Announcing plans for both himself and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to visit soon, Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the region, said the US is “very impressed with the Pakistani resolve”.

Although the government has said it will deal a decisive blow to the militants, the rebels have continued to carry out attacks in Pakistani cities since the start of the operation, with the military a major target.

On Friday, a bomb attack outside a Pakistani Air Force base killed six civilians and two air force personnel. On Thursday in Islamabad gunmen killed a brigadier and his driver.

Nearly 200 people have been killed in attacks this month alone.

“The wave of militancy has adversely affected every segment of society,” Gilani told a meeting of his top security officials late Friday.

International IMIGRATION Australian Consulate General Jalan Tantular 32 Renon Denpasar Phone: +62 361 241118 Fax: +62 361 221195 (General) +62 361 241120 (Immigration)

General Info

Monday, October 26, 2009

HOSPITAL Denpasar There are 4 major hospitals usually used by foreigners Denpasar General Hospital (RSUP Sanglah), Kasih Ibu Hospital, Rumah Sakit Wongaya and Rumah Sakit Dharma Husada.

HOSPITAL Bangli Bangli General Hospital Jl. Kesumayuda 27, Bangli Phone : +62 366 91521 Gianyar

Royal Danish & Norwegian Mimpi Resort Jimbaran, Bali Phone +62.361.701 070 The Czech Republic Jalan Pengembak No. 17 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.286 465 France Consulate Agency Jalan Merta Sari Gang II No. 8 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.285 485 The Federal Republic of Germany Jalan Pantai Karang No 17 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.288 535 The Republic of Hungary Jalan By Pass No 219 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.287 701 Italian Consulate Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai Jimbaran, Bali Phone +62.361.701 005 Honorary Consulate of Mexico Jalan Mohamad Yamin 1 A, Renon, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.223 266 Honorary Consulate of The Netherlands Jalan Raya Kuta 127, Bali Phone +62.361.761 506 Honorary Consulate of Spain Komplek Istana Kuta Galleria Blok Vallet 2 No 11. Jalan Patih Jelantik Kuta, Bali Phone +62.361.769 286 USA Consulate Agency Jalan Hayam Wuruk No. 188 Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.222 426 Consulate General of Japan Jalan Raya Puputan No. 170 Renon, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.227 628 Honorary Consulate of British Jalan Tirta Nadi No. 20 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.270 601 Swiss and Austria Consulate Jalan Patih Jelantik, Komplek Pertokoan Istana Galleria Phone +62.361.751 735 Honorary Consulate of Brazil Jalan Legian No. 186, Bali Phone +62.361.757 775 Honorary Consulate of Thailand Jalan Raya Puputan Renon 81, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.263 310 Embassy of India Jalan Raya Puputan Renon 42-44, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.241 978 Honorary Consulate of Sweden anf Finland Segara Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.282 223 Honorary Consulate of Malaysia Alam Kulkul Boutique Resort, Jalan Pantai Kuta, Bali Phone +62.361.752 520

RSUP Sanglah is the main provincial public hospital. Its facilities have improved since the emergency ward had been built in 1991. Difficult/critical cases would not become a problem anymore since it has complete equipments. It is located on Jl. Kesehatan Selatan 1 Sanglah Denpasar with : Phone : 227 911 – 15 Fax : 226 363 Kasih Ibu Hospital is a private hospital which caters for less serious cases such as diarrhea, intestinal disorders, anemia, asthma and minor accidents. Kasih Ibu is also equipped to care for pregnant women. This hospital is located on Jl. Teuku Umar 120 Denpasar.

Phone : 223 036 Fax : 268 690.

Rumah Sakit Wongaya (Public Hospital; Psychiatric Unit) Jl. Kartini, Denpasar.

Phone : 222 142.

Rumah Sakit Dharma Husada , (Private) Jl. Sudirman No 50, Denpasar Phone : 227 560, 234 824 In relating with health, Bali also has insurance and medical evacuation company, that is: AEA International - SOS Assistance Bali.

PT Abhaya Eka Astiti, Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 24X, Kuta 80361.

Phone : 755 768 Fax : 755 768 One thing that should be noted by tourists here is that the Blood Bank in Bali normally carries no stock of Rhesus (Rh) Negative blood.

Badung Bali Medical Clinics There are some medical clinics that are well known by foreigners in Bali. Some of them are western owned and operated : Bali International Medical Center (BIMC) Bali International Medical Centre (BIMC) provides excellent Primary Health Care & Emeregency Medical Services for tourists, traveler, and expatriate living in Bali.

Emeregency Room, Ambulance, Clinic Services, Insurance & Medical Evacuations also available. Open 24 hours Phone : 761 2631. Located Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No.100X, Kuta, Bali 80361 - Indonesia. http://www.bimcbali.com International SOS Clinic Bali Opened in 1999, offers International SOS members and visitors to Bali comprehensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency medical service.

Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai 505X, Kuta 80361, Bali - Indonesia Phone : 720 100 Fax : 721 919 E-mail : info@sos-bali.com ttp ://www.sos-bali.com Bali Nusa Dua Emergency Clinic Jl Pratama No. 81 Phone : 771 324 Kuta Clinic Jl. Raya Kuta Phone : 753 268 Dental Clinic Dr Indra Guizot, Jl. Patimura 19, Denpasar Phone : 222 445, 234 375 DDS. Ritjie Rihartinah, Jl Pratama No. 81 Nusa Dua Phone : 771 324 Retno W. Agung, Jln. Bypass Ngurah Rai No.4A Br. Tamansari – Sanur Phone : 288 501

Clinic Mas Jl. Raya Mas, Ubud Phone : +62 361 974573 Toyo Clinic Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone : +62 361 978078 Permata Bunda Clinic Jl. Patih Jelantik 50 X, Gianyar Phone : +62 361 942082 Ubud Clinic Jl Raya Ubud No.36 Campuhan, Ubud Phone : +62 361 974911 Gianyar General Hospital Jl. Ciung Wanara 2, Gianyar Phone : +62 361 943049 Karangasem Karangasem General Hospital Jl. Ngurah Rai, Karangasem Phone : +62 363 21001 Klungkung Klungkung General Hospital Jl. Flamboyan 40-4, Klungkung Phone : +62 366 21371 Negara Negara General Hospital Jl. Gelar, Negara Phone : +62 365 41006 Tabanan Laboratorium Clinic Jl. Gunung semeru No. 8, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 819260 Mengwi Clinic Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai 46, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 880550 Darma Kerti Hospital Jl. Teratai 16, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 812359 Tabanan General Hospital Jl. Pahlawan 14, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 811027 Singaraja Prodia Clinic Jl. RA Kartini 12, Singaraja Bali 0362 - 24-516 Singaraja Hospital Jl. Ngurah Rai 30, Singaraja Bali 0362 - 22-573 Pet Clinics Kayumas: (0361) 226934 Sayang Binatang: (0361) 483121 Satwa Kertha Husada: (0361) 263018 Pantai Sindhu: (0361) 287518 Sidakarya: (0361) 724492 Pedungan: (0361) 720026

TAXIS Praja Taxi : (0361) 289090 Bali Taxi : (0361) 701111 Ngurah Rai Taxi : (0361) 724724 Pan Wirthi Taxi : (0361) 723366 Komotra Taxi : (0361) 758855

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Monday, October 26, 2009

News Rio’s Olympic dreams challenged by drug gangs Agence France-Presse

AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE

Egyptians search for survivors after a collision between two passenger trains in the Al-Ayyat area of Giza, 40kms (25 miles) southwest of Cairo, late on October 24, 2009. At least 25 people were killed and 55 others injured when a passenger train drove full-speed into the back of another, witnesses and police said.

At least 25 dead in Egypt train collision Agence France-Presse

GUERZAH - At least 25 people were killed and 55 others injured when a passenger train drove full-speed into the back of another on Saturday in Giza, southwest of the Egyptian capital, witnesses and police said.

The toll however “may become worse,” a police official at the scene told AFP. A security services official who declined to give his name said that the trains “were travelling on the same track. One ran into the other as they headed towards Upper Egypt.”

The trains collided near the village of Guerzah, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Cairo, when one train stopped unexpectedly and another, also heading south from the capital, ploughed into it from behind, the security official said.

The first train, heading to Fayyum, 100 km (65 miles) south of Cairo made an unscheduled halt, apparently after hitting a cow.

However the second train, on a southbound journey from Cairo towards Assiyut, 400 km (250 miles) from the capital, travelled onwards at normal speed until it slammed into the back of the stationary train, the official said.

Villager Samhi Saleh Abdel Al, 21, told AFP that “the first train stopped after hitting a cow and 10 minutes later the second train arrived at full speed.”

“I was sat near the road at around six o’clock (1600 GMT) when I heard a deafening screeching, then shouts and I saw passengers jumping from the train,” he said.

Dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene, with rescue workers trying to use a crane to lift one wagon from on top of the other in the hope of finding bodies in the wreckage.

Al-Ayyat was the scene of Egypt’s deadliest ever train crash when the bodies of at least 361 passengers were recovered from a train following a fire in February 2002.

Egypt’s national railway system is the biggest in the Middle East, with nearly 5,000 km (3,150 miles) of track, according to Egyptian National Railways, which employs 86,000 people.

There have been other fatal crashes on the busy rail network.

In July 2008, at least 44 people died near Marsa Matruh in northwest Egypt when a runaway truck hurtled into bus, truck and several cars waiting at a level crossing, shunting the vehicles into the path of a train.

In August 2006 at least 58

Egyptians were killed and 144 wounded in a collision between two trains travelling on the same track. Following that crash, an Egyptian court sentenced 14 railway employees to one year in prison for neglect.

Egypt’s roads are also dangerous, with traffic laws frequently flouted and road surfaces not properly maintained.

In 2008, more than 8,000 people died because of traffic-related accidents in the country, officials say.

In July this year thirteen people were killed and 26 injured when a passenger bus and pick-up truck collided head-on on a road in Egypt’s Western Desert.

“One of the drivers lost control of the wheel, causing the crash.

Thirteen people were killed immediately, and 26 injured were taken to hospital,” in Wadi Gedeed province west of Cairo, a police official told AFP. In the same month eight Serb tourists and three Egyptians were killed when a truck on the wrong side of the road hit their coach head-on along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, a security official said.

Riska, Ketut Suyatna and A.A. Yuniari. They were tied by the robbers and locked inside a room. Then the robber opened the safe and run away with the money. Currently Wilmar Marpaung, the head of criminal division in Bali Police Department said that the case is being investigated by the police

officers. “We already have the picture of the robbers and currently being pursued by the police officers,” he added. A knife had been confiscated by the police as evidence. There was no security officers in the bank and that made the robbers very easy in entering the bank (kmb21)

A bank robbed...

From page 1 After they all inside, they threaten the bank employee and the other customers using their weapons. They robbers didn’t wear any mask to cover their faces.

The employees in the bank were A.A. Mirah Darmasti, Wayan

RIO DE JANEIRO - Rio de Janeiro’s image of fun and sun that helped it win the 2016 Olympics has been marred by a resurgence in drugrelated violence that raises questions over the city’s preparedness.

Pictures of a downed police helicopter in flames in one of Rio’s numerous slums were sent around the world a week ago as media highlighted the defiance shown to authorities and the big task they face.

Although President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed to “clean up” the problem of drug-trafficking gangs, and hundreds of Rio police deployed to the slums, the violence continued through the week, leaving a death toll of at least 33.

The International Olympic Committee, though, reiterated its confidence in Rio’s ability to host the Olympic Games.

It pointed out that in July 2005 London was hit by bomb attacks on its public transport system that left 52 dead the day after it won the right to hold the 2012 Olympics.

Nevertheless, doubts remain over Brazilian authorities’ capacity to rein in its chronic urban unrest in a city when a third of its six million inhabitants live in more than a thousand slums.

The rival power of the drug gangs “is exploding the pillars of the republic. For how much longer?” asked the head of Brazil’s lawyers association, Cezar Britto.

There are around 6,000 homicides a year in all the state of Rio, which has a population of 14 million. That figure is 10 times higher than for New York, or eight times that of all of France.

Since 2007, “homicides have

fallen from 45 per 100,000 inhabitants to 33,” the head of security for the state, Jose Mariano Beltrame, told AFP. “That’s still a high number, but there’s no magic solution,” he said.

“Our aim to is to bring crime down to tolerable levels, like those in industrialized countries,” he added.

A police “pacification” operation has already been underway for a year in five slums, which have permanent patrols. Big investment has also poured to transform the most violent shantytowns, in a program that is to be extended to around 100 of them by 2016.

Thus far, though, the pacification effort has mainly seen the drug traffickers simply move to other slums.

“The police retake territory occupied by the traffickers, and there’s a violent reaction on their part,” a professor at Rio University’s Violence Studies Center, Alba Zaluar, told AFP. She explained that Brazil’s vast and poorly monitored borders made it easy for criminals to bring in arms and drugs. Compounding the problem is the fact that Rio’s police are poorly trained, badly paid and often corrupt.

“Only a cooperation between the police and the military can improve the situation,” she said.

There are three types of police forces in the country: the federal police, the military police and the civil police. They are present in all of Brazil’s 27 states.

Lula in 2002 promised to reform the constitution to merge the civil and military branches, but that has gone unfulfilled, and the president has just over a year left before he has to step down to make way for an elected successor.

Senior Figures...

From page 1 By collectively subscribing the Bali Post Flexi Phone, they could do many things in performing affordable and quick communication to fellow community, to access the most update information and to deliver them. Later, it could be used to transfer donation to various temples or other social institution and to give donation to indigent people. “By Bali Post Flexi Phone we can transfer charity fund or donate goods, such as on the last Panca Bali Krama and Batara Turun Kabeh ritual at Besakih,” he said.

Ngurah Agung delivered a number of Bali Post Flexi Phones to local community figure such as the Head of Customary Village, I Gede Asta Astawa, Hamlet Head Wayan Karta and a member of Karangasem House from the village I Made Wirta. Other than attended by a number of local community figures, the charity market and delivery of Bali Post Flexi Phone was also attended by Chief of Bebandem Sec-

tor Police, I Ketut Gelgel, Head of Karangasem House, I Gede Dana, a member of the House, Nyoman Oka Antara and Guru Indra Udayana.

Charity market organized at meeting of hall of local village was thoroughly taken advantage by local residents for the needs of Kuningan festivity, last Saturday (Oct 24). No less than 900 residents, chiefly those of indigent families, had opportunity to buy staple goods and ritual paraphernalia like incense stick.

Head of Bungaya Village, Arta Astawa and Hamlet Head of Banjar Desa, I Wayan Karta, expressed their gratitude to senior figure of Karangasem Grand Palace and CEO of Bali Post Media Group due to their concern to lend a hand right away to residents in need. Arta Astawa said that the coupon of 700 packages of consumer goods at low price were delivered to indigent residents. It was said the residents of Bali ancient village remained to have 650 indigent families up to these days. (013)

Indonesia Today

International

Monday, October 26, 2009

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Five earthquakes jolt Indonesia on Sunday morning Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the edge of a tectonic plate prone to seismic upheavals, was hit by five earthquakes on Sunday morning.

The National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported here on Monday morning the earthquakes had hit Tual (Maluku Province), Waingapu (East Nusa Tenggara - NTT) Province), Bitung (North Sulawesi Province), and Siberutmentawai (West Sumatra).

A 5.3- magnitude earthquake shook 151 km southwest of Tual, Maluku, on Sunday, at 7.35 am Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB). Its epicenter was located 6.69 degrees southern latitude, and 131.97 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 39 km below sea level.

On Saturday evening (Oct. 24), a powerful earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale rocked Saumlaki, Maluku Tenggara Barat (MTB) and Maluku Barat Daya (MBD) districts, Maluku Province. Reports on damages or casualties were not available yet.

At 3.54 am WIB, a 6.1-magnitude temblor shook 176 km southwest of Waingapu,

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) at a depth of 19 km under seabed, with its epicenter at 10.16 degrees southern latitude, and 118.75 degrees eastern longitude.

Few minutes later, at 4.04 am WIB, another earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit 174 southwest Waingapu, NTT, at a depth of 23 km, with its epicenter 10.1 degrees southern latitude, and 118.75 degrees eastern longitude.

On Sunday at 9.25 am WIB, a 5.2-magnitude quake rocked 106 kilometers northeast of Bitung (North Sulawesi), with its epicenter 2.34 degrees northern latitude and 125.55 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 km below sea level.

Earlier, at 8.50 am WIB, also on Sunday, an earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted 69 km southeast of Siberut Mentawai, West Sumatra Province. The quake’s epicenter was located 1.58 degrees southern latitude and 99.43 degrees eastern longitude.

AFP PHOTO/ADEK BERRY

Sri Lankan asylum seekers stay on their boat moored at Merak seaport in Serang District on Indonesia’s Java island, on October 22, 2009, after they were stopped by Indonesian authorities on their way to Australia. Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on October 22 angrily denied extremists were among hundreds of asylum-seekers arriving in the country, as another two boats were stopped off the northern coast. The latest developments come just days after some 255 asylum-seekers threatened to blow up their boat and went on a brief hunger-strike after being stopped in Indonesia en route to Australia.

Development program to be discussed in national summit Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesian development program in the next five years will be discussed in the National Summit from October 2031, 2009, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Radjasa said.

“Today three coordinating ministers and the National Summit committee hold a preparatory meeting to discuss the summit,”

Radjasa said at the Vice Presidential Palace.

Radjasa said each coordinating ministers would put forward various problems and challenges related development program that have to be solved.

According to him, the problems and challenges related to development program in the fields of economy, poverty eradication, and

national defense in the next five years would be discussed in the National Summit.

“In the National Summit, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be the key speakers on Indonesian National Development in the Next Five Years,” Radjasa said. He said the National Summit would be held at Bidakara building from October 29-

31, and participated in by all regional heads across the country.

Present at the preparatory meeting at the Vice Presidential Palace on Saturday were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Radjasa, Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono, State Minister for National Development Plan-

ning Board/National Development Planning Board Chairman Armida Alisyabana, and Presidential Unit for the Management of Reform Programs (UKP3R) Chairman Kuntoro.

“The National Summit will be attended by all regional and central government leaders to formulate together 2009-2014 working program,” Radjasa said.

Finance, public works ministers ready to implement 100-day work program Newly reappointed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she was ready to carry out various programs, including the target she had to achieve within 100 days of her work. The same statement also stated by newly reappointed Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto.

THESE two ministers are reappointed again by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two are ready to achieve their target within 100 days of their works.

“The programs were made by the president, not the minister,” said Sri Mulyani after a ceremony held to transfer the post of the chief economic minister.

Mulyani was the finance minister and concurrently coordinating minister for economic affairs in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first United Indonesia Cabinet.

She said that the work programs that had to be finished in 100 days, one year and five years were decided by the president and must be carried out by the ministers.

“We as the president’s aides have the tasks to carry out the programs,” the minister said.

The minister said that included in the 100-day program was the formulation of strategic plans by the finance

ministry for the coming five years.

Besides, the finance ministry should also be able to carry out improvements in the investment climate, especially with regard to the customs and excise services such as the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW), she said.

Meanwhile, Djoko also said he was convinced he would be able to meet the work contract he had signed with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“The contract which I have signed is actually in line with the programs we are carrying out now so that I have no need to worry about whether or not I could achieve it,” Kirmanto said here on Thursday.

He said that in the 100-day work target there were a number of projects which were expected to be finished.

For example, he said the Kanci - Penjagan toll road and the W1 secion of the Kebon Jeruk - Penjaringan toll ways should have been operated within

100 days.

“I have asked the investor (PT Bakrie Toll Road) of the Kanci Penjagan toll road project whether it could be finished in November. I also asked the same thing to the contractor PT Adhi Karya,” he said.

The minister said that in order to achieve the targets based on the contract work and integrity pact, he would also ask echelon I officials of the public work ministry to sign the same contract to finish the project in accordance with the time frame.

“I will break down the targets that each echelon I officials has has to do and has to achieve in 100 days,” the minister said.

On the occasion, the minister explained that the president had also thanked him for his success in carrying out his tasks in the previous United Indonesia Cabinet.

“The president decided to let me resume my ministerial post after considering the achievement made so far,”

AFP PHOTO / Bay ISMOYO

Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati smiles before being sworn-in at the state palace in Jakarta on October 22, 2009.

the minister said.

He said that if he looked at the achievement made so far, he was confident that the performance ahead still could be further increased. “I hope the performance in the 2009 - 2014 term of office would be better,” he said.

(Antara)

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Internationa

Monday, October 26, 2009

Bali Today “Manawat” become tradition during Kuningan Antara

DENPASAR – Gathering around on the street while watching the people passing by which is usually called “mabalih anak ngaliwat” or “manawat” was still happening on Kuningan day. The Kuningan was fall on Saturday, October 24th 2009.

The scene can be seen in most regency in Bali such as Karangasem, Klungkung, Gianyar, Bangli, Badung, and Denpasar. The “menawat” activities become a tradition to some of the Balinese people. Generally, they sit on the porch which is built on the side of the road.

The activity was done in the afternoon, after all of the ceremonies related to Kuningan day had

been done. People gathered and talk on the side of the street. Pande Gede Widana, a resident of Nongan village in Karangasem, said that after finishing the ceremonies on Kuningan day, the people in Bali usually spend the rest of the day entertaining themselves and one of them is buy “menawat”.

“There was no one knows how it starts on the first place but Balinese people quiet fond of watching people

passing by. On holiday, many people wandering around on the street and that what the people was watching,” he added.

“Manawat” become more interesting after the people who joined in it talk and make fund of each other. The sense of humor will make they laugh and happy. The tradition was done in order to relax and gathered with friend and families during holiday.

Prestigious TUI Awards NUSA DUA - Meliá Bali was voted among the most popular 100 holiday hotels in the world and awarded TUI Umwelt Champion 2009 by one of Europe’s largest tour operators TUI Germany. TUI honored 100 hotels in 22 countries in the 2009 Environmental Champion Award based on sustainable environmental resort management practices.

It is a stunning achievement for Meliá Bali, the only hotel in Asia Pacific to be honored by this European organization.

TUI presented Melia Bali its’ Environmental Award in 2005 and named Meliá Bali TUI Environmental Champion in 2008. This year the resort again successfully improved its environmental standards and was named the third time as the TUI Environmental Champion 2009.

The TUI Environmental Champion emblem will be added to Meliá Bali’s listing in TUI’s brochures and on its website to attract the growing environmentally-aware TUI target

group.

The TUI Environmental Champion award is a special honor presented to TUI Hotel partners who consistently orientate their hotel philosophy along the lines of sustainable hotel management and as such actively contribute to preserving the environment.

Meliá Bali is proud of its environmentally and socially conscious commitment. It is the first Sol Meliá hotel in Asia to be certified Green Globe Gold. The 20082009 ASEAN Green Hotel Award recognizes the resort’s dedication to the highest environmental and social standards. The Emerald Tri Hita Karana, awarded to the resort five times, recognizes the UNFCCC-endorsed approach to protecting the global environment and socio-cultural concepts. Meliá Bali is dedicated to the principles of sustainability to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the beauty and culture of Bali. (BTN/*)

Universal Temples, the Castle of Bali’s Security

Bali Post/Edi

People are praying at one of the temples in Bali. In terms of tourist’s perceptions, Bali is frequently called “the island of a thousand temples.” This attribute is really logical, since wherever tourists travel, they will find the pura (temple) easily.

In terms of tourist’s perceptions, Bali is frequently called “the island of a thousand temples.” This attribute is really logical, since wherever tourists travel, they will find the pura (temple) easily.

Throughout Bali ranging from the seashore to the mountaintop, temples look so magnificent and nowadays have become Bali’s tourist point of interest. The word pura is derived from a Sanskrit word, namely the root “pur” meaning castle. Pura is also known as kahyangan that means the abode of deities. Hyang has the same meaning as peak or top, and shining has the same meaning as that of deva.

Balinese people believe that the planes of devas are located on the peaks or higher places.

In terms of its making process, pura is a purified place or deliberately made sacred and subsequently being kept for its sacredness. One of the requirements of making a sanctum according to the palm-leaf manuscript, Sang Hyang Kamahayanikan, is by setting up a boundary/fence/wall (castle) as a specific sign that also means to maintain its sacredness later.

According to the belief of Balinese people, establishing a temple in accordance with all guidance and ritual processions in which one of them includes the implementation of Deva Yajna concept (holy sacrifice to God). In the palm-leaf manuscript Tatwaning Kusuma Dewa described how to build a temple along with its complete ritual processions, so that one will obtain bliss in his life. Temples that are spread throughout Bali constitute a

stiff foundation to protect the island and the people of Bali against various calamities.

In terms of its character, the temples (pura) in Bali are categorized into two kinds, namely Pura Kahyangan and Pura Warga. Pura Kahyangan (universal temple) is the temple that has general quality and is used as a worshipping place for the general public. While Pura Warga (temple of a clan) or also called Pura Kemimitan is used to worship ancestral souls that have been considered to be “Devas”. Pura Kahyangan especially, in accordance with its grade, is distinguished into two categories, namely Kahyangan Jagat, and Kahyangan Desa. Kahyangan Jagat is a temple whose supporting devotees are from all over Bali, while Kahyangan Desa is a temple whose supporting devotees are limited to the inhabitants of its local village.

Those that are categorized into Pura Kahyangan Jagat are Pura Sad and Pura Dang Kahyangan. Pura Sad Kahyangan is the main nuclear temple that becomes worshipping place for Hindu devotees, namely Besakih, Lempuyang, Andakasa Temples in Karangasem, Batur Temple in Bangli, Batukaru Temple in Tabanan, Goa Lawah Temple in Klungkung, Uluwatu and Puncak Mangu Temples in Badung. While Pura Dang Kahyangan is a temple that has a relation to the pilgrimage of Hindu saints like Dang Hyang Dwijendra in Bali such as Purancak and Rambutsiwi Temples in Jembrana, Petitenget and Uluwatu Temples in Badung, Batuklotok, Ponjok Batu and Pulaki Temples. In addition, there are also some temples

that become worshipping places of Hindus, but not including in Sad Kahyangan and Dang Kahyangan like Tirta Empul Temple at Tampak Siring, Penataran Sasih Temple at Pejang and Candi Dasa Temples.

Based on the decision of a seminar on the interpretation uniformity of Hinduism aspects that was held

by Parisada Hindu Dharma, the existence of Kahyangan Jagat Temples in Bali are based on the conception of Rwabhineda, Caturlokapala and Sad Winayaka. The temples that are based on the conception of Rwabhineda are Besakih Temple as Purusha (male element), and Batur Temple as Pradhana (female element). Temples that are based on Catur Lokapala are Lempuyang, Andakasa, Batukaru and Pucak Mangu temples. While the temples that are based on conception of Sad Winayaka are Uluwatu Temple in Badung, Batukaru Temple at Tabanan and Puser Tasik Temple (Pusering Jagat) in Gianyar.

Every temple mentioned above has its own piodalan (temple festival) that falls every six months in accordance with the Balinese calendar. On the occasion of the temple festival, Balinese people from various villages all over Bali are present in great numbers to perform worship to appeal for welfare. Lines of people entering the temple and ritual processions are creating an exceptionally alluring view.

If you make your holiday in Bali, you can see this kind of colorful odalan ritual. Simply discover these ritual processions and comply with all the regulations and norms that are valid in the region. (BTN/Ketut Sumadi)

al

Monday, October 26, 2009

Balinese Culture Telkomsel: the need of bundling package very high IBP

DENPASAR – The Manager of Telkomsel for Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Hendrat Widjanarko, said that the need of the people of Bali in cellular phone bundling packages is very high. “The condition can be seen in GraPari Fair which was held on October 19th through October 23rd 2009 in Denpasar,” he added.

In the event, Telkomsel offered

very cheap bundling equipments such as Blackberry, iPhone 3G, hand phone, and modem flash with various kinds of bonus. There is great hope that by the cooperation conducted by Telkomsel with others in bundling package will make the customers become easier in determining the equipment that they need.

The bundling packages offered by Telkomsel are Nokia E71 and E63

Telkomsel

Telkomsel’s Branch Manager of Denpasar Hendrat Widjanarko looking at the mini exhibition that held in Grapari Denpasar.

which will receive a N1202 hand phone as bonus, and the bundling of Nexian G922, HP ZTE F188, modem Speed Up, modem Huwaei, IPhone 3G, and BlackBerry.

Widjanarko said “for Nexian G922 with dual GSM sim card, qwerty button, camera and video recorder VGA, Telkomsel ChatBox and facebook facilities, opera mini, and other interesting fixtures such as MP3 player, video 3gp, FM radio, external T-flash memory, Bluetooth, and others only cost 999,000 rupiah.”

The package also equipped with 2 units Telkomsel starter pack, free 25 megabytes of free data access per month for 12 months with 50% of discount.

The Telkomsel chatbox also applied for 12 months, free 50 SMS and 5 MMS per months and received 2 full track songs.

“The same thing also applied for modem HP 3G ZTE F188 equipped with dual camera 3.0 mega pixel, music player and FM radio, micro SD card up to 8 Gb, bluetooth, USB 2.0 FS, video call, Telkomsel chatBox and facebook application only cost 888,000 rupiah. It already include 150 megabytes of data, 240 minutes of talk time, 240 SMS, and 90 facebook SMS for 6 months period,” he added.

Agrotourism at Plaga Just a Discourse

Community to Receive No Contribution BAGUS Agro Pelaga agrotourism object, Petang is judged to have not provided significant contribution to Badung Regency, chiefly to surrounding residents. Existence of this agrotourism object remains to be questioned regarding to its effectiveness in supporting the agricultural sector of Northern Badung. Head of Commission B of Badung House, I Putu Parwata, Wednesday (Oct 21), said that benefit of agrotourism was not obviously perceived by the community up to the moment. The reason was the development of such agrotourism could not be focused yet. As consequence, management of agrotourism has not run flourishingly so benefit of its presence could not felt.

Ideally, he said, agrotourism in Plaga should become a pilot project of agricultural sector for Badung Regency in relation to improve the agricultural and tourism sector. Unfortunately, this matter could not be realized because it lacked for synchronization between the party of management and related institution.

Parwata also confessed to have emphasized the matter to related institution, such as Badung Cooperative and Trade Services, Agricultural Services and Tourism Services.

Expectedly, there would be a mutual coordination so the management of agrotourism could provide apparent contributions to local community.

Some contributions that can be de-

livered consisted of human resources development of farmers, provision of seedling and fertilizer including preparation of marketing of the agricultural products yielded by local farmers. If this matter was thoroughly paid attention, it can be said as agrotourism giving contribution to local community.

“The ongoing process just denotes a discourse and was never realized,” he criticized.

Long-term

When contacted separately, Bagus Sudibya, serving as the stakeholder of Bagus Agro Pelaga, said that his joint venture company with Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC), Nusa Dua was a long-term project.

Original vision on the establishment of Bagus Agro Pelaga was to synergize the agricultural and tourism sector.

According to him, basic of Bali tourism was culture and root of culture was agriculture. “Without agriculture, tourism is nonsense,” said Sudibya.

Based on his success to manage the Bagus Jati and Puri Bagus Ponjok Batu, he would like to develop agrotourism in Petang. At location, there were 18 hectares of land belonging to BTDC that have been dormant for 30 years.

Afterwards, he initiated a cooperation with BTDC and in 2003 was agreed the establishment of Bagus Agro Pelaga, a joint-venture company between Bagus Sudibya and BTDC with share composition of 49:51. Bagus pro-

vided the amount of IDR 4.9 billion and BTDC of IDR 5.1 billion.

Meanwhile, Bagus Agro Pelaga leased the dormant land of BTDC. Out of the 18 hectares of land, only 5 hectares were cultivated. Ironically, leasing fee of the land was only IDR 1.3 million per month. Regarding to such cheap leasing fee, Sudibya said it was pursuant to original condition of land belonging to BTDC that was good for nothing. “So, please do not see the current condition after infrastructure has been built. Pursuant to the agreement with BTDC, after the Bagus Agro Pelaga is considered profitable, leasing fee would be increased,” said Sudibya without mentioning the rate.

On the other hand, when contacted separately, Managing Director of BTDC, Made Mandra, acknowledged the cooperation of BTDC and Bagus Sudibya. Its share composition was 51 percent for BTDC and 49 percent for Bagus Sudibya. Such cooperation was driven by the concern of BTDC to agricultural development as a form of its corporate social responsibility CSR).

He considered the reputation of Bagus Sudibya through Bagus Jati and Ponjok Batu was moderately good in developing agrotourism by basic concept of empowering local farmers. By chance, BTDC could not cultivate the land at Pelaga. By the offer of such cooperation, BTDC agreed after making consultation to Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) in Jakarta. (ded/056)

Bebek Betutu

(Roast Duck in Banana Leaf) Overview: The rich flavor of duck is greatly enhanced by a host of pungent roots, herbs and seasonings in this dish, which is invariably a great favorite with visitors to Bali.

The Balinese have great admiration for the duck and consider it to be a particularly strong animal as it is, like the turtle, the only one able to survive on land as water.

Ingredients: 1 whole duck, weigh about 2 kg (4 ½ lb) 18 shallots, peeled, cut in half, and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half, & sliced 3 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced 5 fragrant lime leaves, finely sliced 6 candlenuts, chopped 5 cm (2 in), ginger, peeled and chopped 8 cm (3in) fresh turmeric, peeled, chopped 8 cm (3in) kencur root, peeled, chopped 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 5 bird’s-eye chilies, slices 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 2 tsp dried shrimp paste, roasted and coarsely crushed 1½ tbsp salt 3 tbsp oil Banana leaves, greaseproof paper or aluminum foil for wrapping Preparation: Wipe the duck dry and set aside. Combine all ingredients except banana leafs in a bowl and mix well.

Rub the duck outside with this mixture and fill the center of the duck with the remainder.

Close open duck with satay skewer. Wrap in several layers of banana leaves, greaseproof paper or foil and steam for 50 minutes. Transfer duck to a moderate oven and bake at 180o C (350o F) for 30 minutes.

Remove banana leaves, cut duck meat up in small pieces and serve with stuffing. When cooked, the meat should be so tender that it falls off the bones. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

9

10

Destinations

Monday, October 26, 2009

Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest Alas Kedaton is a small forest with the width about 6-7ha located in the middle of the rice field in Tabanan regency, west part of Bali. The total size of this forest, temple and its supporter facility is about 12 ha. In this forest, there is a temple called Alas Kedaton Temple and owns the natural environments that is looked green with its fresh air and create the calm, quite and holy atmosphere.

The monkeys in Alas Kedaton are very tame and free gallivanting in temple yard, so that the calm atmosphere is sometime solved by noise voice of the monkey, which are playing around and scrambling of food. The monkeys who dwell in this forest, there are jump up and down in temple wall, take a bath in moat or there is also hang out in few leaves representing impression view. The

International

monkey like as custodian of temple, which are always ready to greet all visitor who are paying a visit to this place.

Beside monkeys, in Kedaton forest also can be met the bats and some other animals. At least 24 types of grove plant have been identified in Alas Kedaton.

Alas Kedaton is located in Kukuh countryside, Marga Sub district, Tabanan Regency . The journey go to this place can be done easily by using motor vehicle follow the major roadway from Denpasar to Tabanan. On the way go to this tourist place, we will see the beautiful nature view where in front of us will meet the carpet of rice field and irrigation voice at the side of road to bear the impression/ peaceful atmosphere. Alas Kedaton Temple have three yard that are external yard, middle and center yard. In the center and middle yard are encircled by wall and the outside yard is representing a open yard. The interesting point of this temple is the inside yard representing holy yard, its situation lower than the middle yard.

This thing is different compare with the general temples in Bali that are more goes to inside the temple, the more higher the place will be. Beside of that another interesting point of this temple owns four entrances.

The temple ceremony in alas Kedaton temple is carried out every 210 days a year. It is on Anggarakasih Medangsia (Balinese Hindu Calendar) or on every Tuesday where on that time the society do the worship or pray to request the safety and prosperity. The unique in this ceremony is do not use the fire and do not hence Penjor and also finished before the sunset or before the night is come.

In growth of handling of this tourist destination, Alas Kedaton has several become a training location about tourism nature, environmental handling and agro tourism. Alas Kedaton is many visited by the tourist from local and foreign countries which are generally a lot of paying a visit on August, December until January, while the local tourist generally pay a visit on holiday season and feast day of Ramadan (Moslem holiday) and this place is good to be visited in the day time. In front of Alas Kedaton temple there are quite a lot small shops selling the handicraft as souvenir, for example clothes, pants and other handicrafts. Others, there are some shops booth selling food and beverage, toilet and park area which is wide enough. (www.balistarisland.com)

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11

BUSINESS China proposes early discussions to Taiwan on economic cooperation Agence France-Presse

BEIJING - China said Sunday it planned to launch official discussions for closer economic cooperation with Taiwan before the end of the year, state media reported.

“We are willing to negotiate with Taiwan and launch official discussions on cross-strait economic cooperation agreement (...) as early as possible before year end,” Taiwan affairs chief Wang Yi was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

Wang said talks could take place between the mainland’s Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, “if both sides consider it necessary.”

AFP PHOTO / HO / DUDI ANUNG / PRESIDENSBY.COM

Handout photo taken and released on October 23, 2009 by the presidential office of Indonesia shows Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) leading the first cabinet meeting next to vice president Budiono (R) at presidential palace in Jakarta.

Indonesia’s new government targets 7.0 pct growth Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Friday his new economic team was aiming to achieve seven percent growth by the end of his final term in office.

On the first full day at the helm of his new cabinet, which was sworn in Thursday after July presidential polls, Yudhoyono promised to return Southeast Asia’s biggest economy to pre-crisis growth levels by 2014.

Yudhoyono said his government had yet to work out the details of its plans but promised “development that is inclusive and just” and to reduce poverty in the mainly Muslim archipelago of 234 million people.

The government has predicted growth of 4.0-4.5 percent this year, third only to China and India in the G20 club of rich and major developing countries. The economy grew 6.1 percent in 2008.

The local stock market has soared almost 80 percent in 2009, but about half the population continues to live on less than two dollars a day, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Addressing the inaugural session of the new cabinet, Yudhoyono said seven percent growth could have been reached this year but for the impact of the global downturn on the domestic economy.

Yudhoyono’s new coordinating minister for the economy, Hatta Rajasa, earlier said that while the government was aiming for seven percent growth by 2014, a longer-term eight percent target was “achievable”.

The liberal former general, who was inaugurated Tuesday having won a landslide election victory in July, has compiled a rainbow coalition of six parties controlling 423 out of 560 seats in parliament.

He has come under fire for handing most seats to party-political figures rather than competent experts more likely to improve governance and fight corruption in the world’s third biggest democracy.

The choice of former transport minister Rajasa as economy minister raised some eyebrows, but the all-important posts of finance and trade stayed with incumbents seen as reliable technocrats.

Former International Monetary Fund senior executive Sri Mulyani Indrawati keeps the finance portfolio, while Mari Pangestu stays in charge of the trade ministry, where she has been a steady advocate of open markets.

The two bodies would hold the new round of talks in the Taiwanese city of Taichung in mid or late December, the fourth round of meetings since last year, according to Xinhua.

Speaking during a cross-strait symposium in Chengdu, southwest China, Wang said Beijing was willing to “further interact with Taiwan to solve problems concerning cross-strait economic exchanges and push the economic relations between the two sides to a new level.”

China and Taiwan went through decades of hostility after the two sides split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, but tensions have eased significantly following the election last year of a more China-friendly government on the selfruled island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Asian EU-style bloc not just a dream: analysts Dreams of creating a huge economic bloc covering half the world’s population are slowly becoming a reality in a plan that would boost Asia’s global clout, analysts and officials say.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama aired his proposal for a so-called East Asian Community to fellow leaders at a summit in Thailand this weekend, saying that the region should aspire to “lead the world”.

The plan still lacks details and is fraught with challenges, but much of the groundwork has already been laid for a grouping that would further advance the idea of an “Asian Century”, experts said.

“It is coming together,” former Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretary general Rodolfo Severino told AFP. A more cohesive Asia would have a bigger role in global affairs, Severino said, especially after the region rode out the global economic crisis more quickly than the West.

“It’s not just Asia coming together economically but politically as well. The more integrated you are, the more forceful you are,” said Severino, who heads the Singapore-based ASEAN Studies Centre.

The foundations of any East Asian community would lie in the web of free trade agreements that the 10-member ASEAN has signed with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

At the Thailand summit, regional leaders agreed to carry out a feasibility study on a huge free-trade zone covering ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said.

A separate study on a wider grouping that would also take in India, Australia and New Zealand will be carried out in tandem, and Kasit said the

two could be combined to create “one regional cooperation on a larger scale.”

East Asia has also this year agreed on a 120billion dollar fund — using its currency reserves — to help nations in financial distress without the need to borrow from the International Monetary Fund.

Asian countries additionally made a concerted and coordinated effort to provide stimulus packages during the recent economic crisis which helped the region’s relatively quick rebound.

But any East Asian community remains a long way off, largely due to the lack of concrete proposals and disagreements about the involvement of the United States and the influence of China.

Japan and some other countries want to give Washington a role in the group, as a counterbalance to the influence China might have on a new regional architecture.

China’s growing wealth has made it a major player in meetings with ASEAN in particular.

Hatoyama however said that Japan’s alliance with the United States remained the “cornerstone” of Tokyo’s foreign policy.

But Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert with the Singapore Management University, said she thought the US-China contest was overblown.

“Relations between China and the US remain strong and there are common interests towards Southeast Asia in many areas such as stability and economic growth,” Welsh told AFP. It could instead be the small print that undermines Asian attempts at unity, with diplomats saying that Japan’s proposal lacked details.

“I would say it is still very much on a conceptual stage,” Philippine foreign undersecretary Enrique Manalo said.

Merging up to 16 countries into a free-trade zone is fraught with challenges, especially in the sensitive area of agriculture, said Severino, noting that Australia, India, Japan and South Korea are major farm producers.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the issue is “more about the modalities and the steps” by which economic integration can be achieved.

He said during the summit that the fact that several East Asian nations had already signed free trade or economic partnership pacts with ASEAN was a “very strong foundation for an East Asia community.” (Agence France-Presse)

12

Monday, October 26, 2009

Entertainment

International

Danish film of neo-Nazi gay affair wins Rome fest

Criminal charges dismissed against Kanye West Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – A court commissioner dismissed criminal charges against Kanye West and his road manager stemming from their scuffle with photographers last year.

Misdemeanor charges were filed after West and his manager were arrested on Sept. 11, 2008, after an altercation with two photographers at Los Angeles International Airport.

The struggle was recorded and broadcast by celebrity Web site TMZ. The photographers and the rapper have reached civil settlements over the case, which resulted in a still camera, flash, and a video camera being broken.

West’s attorney, Blair Berk, successfully argued the case should be dismissed because of the agreement and that California law allows for certain criminal cases to be settled out of court.West, 32, was not required to and did not appear in court on Friday.

Deputy City Attorney Felton Newell argued the charges shouldn’t be dismissed because West and his manager, Don Crawley, intended to commit a felony and that one of the photographers was slightly injured in the scuffle.

Berk noted that county prosecutors had declined to file felony charges in the case, and that it took city attorneys more than six months to file misdemeanor battery, vandalism, and grand theft charges against West. She said the case was “wildly overcharged” and that it should be

dismissed in the interests of justice, fairness and common sense.

West and Crawley have already completed 12 hours of anger management classes, Berk said.Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Mark Zuckman dismissed the case, but wants both men to perform 50 hours of community service. He said he was taking into account the steps West and Crawley had already taken, their agreement with the photographers, and that there were no lasting injuries to the men. He also noted that neither man had a criminal history.

Berk said she was “very pleased” with the outcome.”We objected to the motion but ultimately we have to respect the decision of the court,” city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

The altercation was another example of West’s notoriously testy temper, but also the first time his actions had turned physical rather than verbal. He verbally assailed President George W. Bush over the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and lashed out at awards shows when he didn’t win.

Since the airport scuffle, West has been publicly derided for seizing the stage from Taylor Swift during this year’s MTV Video Music Awards after she became the first country star to win for best female music video.

He has repeatedly apologized for the incident and told talk show host Jay Leno that he was taking time off from music to reflect on his behavior.

Singer Morrissey in hospital after collapsing on stage Agence France Presse

LONDON- British singer Morrissey was in a stable condition Sunday, a hospital said, after collapsing on stage with breathing problems.

The 50-year-old former frontman of 1980s pop band The Smiths fell ill just one song into his concert Sunday at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, southwest England.

Morrissey’s knees buckled and he slumped to the floor as he came to the end of opening song “This Charming Man”, The Smiths’ 1983 breakthrough hit, The Daily Telegraph newspaper’s website said. He was then dragged offstage.

“Just after 9:00 pm we got a call to a 50-year-old man who was reported to be suffering from respiratory problems and was unconscious,” said a spokeswoman for the Great Western Ambulance Service. “We sent a paramedic in a doubled-crewed ambulance.

“When they arrived they found a conscious patient who was not feeling well at all. They made an initial assessment and took him to the Great Western Hospital (in

Swindon) for further assessment.”

His condition was not thought to be life threatening, she added.

“The stage went dark and he was taken off the stage and then his band all left the stage,” The Daily Telegraph’s website quoted 40-yearold eyewitness Mark Taylor as saying.

“There was a wait of about 25 minutes before one of the stage crew came on and said Morrissey had left the building, and that he was seriously ill.

“Everybody started booing, thinking ‘here we go again’. He has a bit of a poor track record for cancelling his concerts.”

The Mancunian singer has been touring North America and Europe since releasing his ninth solo album, “Years of Refusal”, in February.

He has cancelled several concerts during the tour, including dates in Florida, North Carolina, California, Britain and France.

“Morrissey was brought in to the Accident and Emergency department,” said a Great Western Hospital spokeswoman.

“He has been seen by the medical team. At this stage his condition is stable.”

Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Sony Pictures

In this film publicity image released by Sony Pictures, the movie poster for Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” film, is shown.

ROME – A Danish movie about a gay love affair between two members of a neo-Nazi group won top honors at the Rome Film Festival, while Helen Mirren won the best actress award.

Mirren won for her depiction of Leo Tolstoy’s wife in Michael Hoffman’s “The Last Station,” while Meryl Streep picked up a career achievement award.

The winning movie, “Brotherhood,” takes a hard look at the neoNazi group that the leading character, Lars, joins after leaving the army. The group carries out raids on homosexuals, but Lars and his mentor in the group, Jimmy, begin a love affair that they try to keep secret.

“Brotherhood” is the first feature film by Nicolo Donato, a 35-yearold who previously worked as a fashion photographer.

The jury handing out the awards was headed by Oscar-winning director Milos Forman.

The best actor award went to Italy’s Sergio Castellitto, who played a single parent and blue-collar worker dreaming that his son will become a boxing champ in the movie “Alza la Testa.” The festival paid homage to Streep through the career award and a retrospective of her work.

Jackson fans prepare for concert movie farewell Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES- Michael Jackson fans will get a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been Tuesday as the movie charting the tragic singer’s final concert rehearsals makes its long-awaited premiere.

More than 100 hours of behindthe-scenes footage for Jackson’s aborted comeback have been distilled into a two-hour film being hyped by organizers as the last ever performance by the “King of Pop.” Jackson family members and stars are expected to descend on a red carpet at Los Angeles’s Nokia Theater, one of more than 15 simultaneous premieres being held in across five continents.

The movie — “This Is It” — will go on a limited two-week release in theaters worldwide from Wednesday, with advance tickets in several countries selling out within days of going on sale last month.

“It’s a movie about rehearsing for a concert that never happened,” Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal told Entertainment Weekly.

“It’s heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.”

Jackson, who died on June 25

aged 50, had spent the previous four months rehearsing in Los Angeles for a gruelling series of 50 concerts scheduled to begin at London’s 02 Arena in July.

More than 800,000 tickets for the concerts had been sold, with organizers promising one of the “most expensive and technically advanced” live shows ever.

Jackson was putting the finishing touches to the show at the time of his death, which authorities in Los Angeles have ruled a homicide.

Video footage from the rehearsals had been intended to help organizers critique the show and was never intended for viewing by the public. The footage was snapped up for 60 million dollars by Sony after executives saw only several minutes of images.

“We had a very strong gut feeling that this could be a cultural event despite the fact that none of us re-

ally saw any of the footage before we concluded the deal,” Sony’s production president, Doug Belgrad told the Los Angeles Times.

Sony has said an “unprecedented number” of shows across the United States have sold out and other cities including London, Sydney, Bangkok and Tokyo experienced similar levels of demand after tickets went on sale last month.

London distributor Vue Entertainment said the movie sold 30,000 tickets within 24 hours, outstripping demand for blockbusters such as “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it in the 25 years I have been film buying,” Vue director Stuart Boreman said.

Analyst Jeff Bock of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations said the film could “play bigger than Elvis.” “This is more of a memorial than a movie,” Bock told AFP. “I think we could be looking at 70 to 100 million dollars in the first five days alone, which is extraordinary for this type of film.

Life Style

International

Monday, October 26, 2009

13

Hong Kong investors see wine as good bet for capital growth Agence France Presse

HONG KONG- Hong Kong investors are turning to rare vintages as an alternative bet for good capital growth, a trend driven by an insatiable demand for imported wine in China.

Having witnessed tumultuous times for the stock and property markets in the financial crisis, investors now see fine wine as a relatively low-risk, cheap investment which guarantees long-term returns.

“We can easily buy HSBC shares because they will always be available on the market,” George Tong, a wine connoisseur-cum-investor and toy company owner, told AFP. “Fine wine, on the other hand, is something that cannot be replenished. Its value is bound to rise.”

“Every time someone opens a bottle of 1982 Chateau LafiteRothschild, the rest of the world is deprived of one more,” he said, referring to one of the most soughtafter vintages.

The strongest impetus for investors came from a surging demand for imported wine in China, which

has seen breakneck growth in personal wealth boosted by the government’s four trillion yuan (585 billion dollars) economic stimulus package last year.

In China, top-echelon vintages can be a status symbol for the super-rich as well as a powerful tool for building business relationships.

“You have to appreciate it from a cultural point of view. Chinese people show you how much they value you from the type of wine they serve you,” said Carson Chan, managing director of auction house Bonhams Asia.

“In order to return the respect, you must serve them wine of the same calibre.”

Chan said the wealthy and the rising middle class in China are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about Western wine, and their hunt for quality brands would eventually

widen from the current focus on the well-known Bordeaux region in France.

He said that fine wine would become an increasingly common investment for people in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the region.

Xavier de Eizaguirre, president of Vinexpo, the world’s biggest wine and spirits exhibition, has predicted that China, one of the ten biggest wine consumers in 2008, would be ranked number seven by 2012.

Wine prices have been significantly boosted by the Chinese market.

The price for a bottle of 2005 Domain de la Romanee Conti, for example, jumped from about 2,000 US dollars in 2005 to 8,200 dollars early this year, according to market data.

Hong Kong’s wine market has become a major beneficiary of that trend, thanks in part to a government move to scrap a 40 percent tax on the tipple last year and its geographic proximity to mainland China.

Thousands eat breakfast on Sydney Harbour Bridge Agence France Presse

SYDNEY- Thousands sat down to breakfast on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday after the iconic structure was closed to traffic and carpeted with grass for the first time for a giant picnic.

About 6,000 early risers were on the steel bridge from 6:30 am to take part in the two-hour event designed to showcase Sydney’s best food and outdoor lifestyle. As accordion players and trumpeters provided the background music, those who had won tickets to the picnic in a random lottery munched on fruit, pastries, muesli, yoghurt, and the staple Australian breakfast spread Vegemite.

“It’s amazing to see the bridge in this perspective,” said Sydneysider Don Fuchs of the structure which is used by about 100,000 cars daily.

“Usually you sit in the car, you cross it, and that’s it.” “It was beautiful,” said Linda Curnow who attended the picnic with her family. “The grass was so thick it was like being in your back yard.”

New South Wales state Premier Nathan Rees said the event was set to become an annual feature of Sydney’s month-long October food festival.

About 45,000 people applied for tickets to the breakfast for which people brought their own food but were able to taste samples from some of the state’s best producers.

“I don’t think we were ever doubtful of the success of this event today,” a government spokesman told AFP. “It was a unique world first for this iconic attraction. This type of event typifies the Australian personality.” Organisers are planning to use about 40 percent of the grass on Sydney parks.

The bridge was due to reopen at about 1:00 pm.

AFP PHOTO/Antony DICKSON

In a picture taken on September 12, 2009 corks from sample wines lie on a counter at a wine auction in Hong Kong. Hong Kong investors are turning to rare vintages as an alternative bet for good capital growth, a trend driven by an insatiable demand for imported wine in China.

Gene therapy experiment restores sight in a few Reuters

AP Photo/Rob Griffith

Some 6000 people participate in the Breakfast on the Bridge event at the Sydney Harbor Bridge, in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Oct. 25. The event is part of the Crave Sydney festival, a major celebration of Sydney’s way of life, offering 31 days of food, art, comedy and outdoor fun, including the Sydney International Food Festival.

PHILADELPHIA – Nine-yearold Corey Haas can ride his bike alone now, thanks to an experimental gene therapy that has boosted his fading vision with a single treatment.

The gene therapy helped improve worsening eyesight caused by a rare inherited disease called Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA, which makes most patients blind by age 40.

Twelve treated patients, including Corey, now have better vision, their doctors told a joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and PanAmerican Association of Ophthalmology in San Francisco on Saturday.

“All 12 patients given gene therapy in one eye showed improvement in retinal function,” Dr Katherine High of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and colleagues wrote in a report to be released at the same time by the Lancet medical journal.

LCA causes the retina to degenerate and the researchers found that the younger the patient treated with the therapy, the better the effects.

“Before, I used to ride my bike just in front of the house and now I just ride around the neighborhood with no one watching,” Corey told a news conference.

While the experiment was meant mostly to show the treatment was safe, it showed remarkably strong effects, High and Dr Jean Bennett of the University of Pennsylvania found.

“This study reports dramatic results in restoring vision to patients who previously had no options for treatment,” said High. “These findings may expedite development of gene therapy for more common retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration.”

They could also help restore the tarnished image of gene therapy, battered by the death of an 18-year-old volunteer in a clinical trial in 1999 and cases of leukemia in a few young children treated in France.

“The study by Bennett and coworkers will further boost gene therapy trials and provide hope for patients with inherited blindness and other genetic disorders,” Dr Frans Cremers and Dr Rob Collin of Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands wrote in a commentary.

A faulty gene means patients with LCA start to lose their vision in childhood. There is no treatment.High, Bennett and colleagues worked with 12 volunteers, aged 8 to 44. They reported on three of the adult patients in April of 2008.

14

Sport

Monday, October 26, 2009

International

Loeb wins Rally GB and sixth title Cardiff

Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, Rally GB 2009Sebastien Loeb has won the World Rally Championship for a record-extending sixth time after claiming Rally GB victory.

The Citroen driver had arrived at the season finale one point behind Mikko Hirvonen and facing his toughest title battle in many years, but led the rally throughout.

Hirvonen (Ford) admitted he had been too cautious on Friday’s opening loop, and mounted a fightback and cut Loeb’s lead from 9s to 2.4s by SS7.

But then Loeb all but secured the championship with an incredible performance on the next two stages, where he extended his lead to a comfortable 25s.

Hirvonen started closing in again this morning until his bonnet came loose and obscured his view on the penultimate stage, forcing him to stop and remove it, and leaving Loeb free to cruise to victory and the world championship.

“It has been an incredible season - a very good start then we lost everything in the middle of the season,” said Loeb. “It was big, big pressure and I’m really

happy about this one because Mikko was really, really strong. It was an incredible battle all season.”

Hirvonen was predictably disappointed to miss out on the title after coming so close.

“I need to get back to work and find more speed for next year,” he said. “We are now really close to Sebastien and that feels good, but it’s still a big disappointment in the end.”

The Finn’s late drama almost allowed Dani Sordo to complete a Citroen one-two, as the Spaniard closed to within 0.9s of the Ford. But Hirvonen was 0.1s quicker on SS14, leaving Sordo to settle for third.

Petter Solberg’s self-run Citroen had an ultra-tight battle with Sordo until a windscreen wiper problem left him struggling to see on the very wet Saturday morning stages. The former world champion could not close the gap after that and finished fourth.

Sebastien Ogier was on course for fifth for Citroen Junior until he crashed out on the penultimate stage.

“I think the guys in front of me

pulled some big rocks in the road and it was impossible for me to pass, so we went off because of that,” he explained.

That elevated Stobart Ford’s Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson to fifth and sixth. Both had quiet rallies once early rival Mads Ostberg (Adapta Subaru) sustained broken suspension.

Jari-Matti Latvala had a miserable weekend in the second Ford. A broken driveshaft on the first stage and the lack of a full service on Friday meant he only had three wheel drive for most of day one, and then he crashed after the finish of SS14 today, leaving him to limp through the final two stages with deranged suspension. He still managed to come home seventh, ahead of Citroen Junior’s Conrad Rautenbach.

The third Junior team C4 of Aaron Burkart was heading for a conservative top ten finish until he went off and lost five minutes on SS14. The Junior championship frontrunner admitted he had lost concentration passing Ogier’s wounded car.

AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Sebastien Loeb of France and co driver Daniel Elna of Monte Carlo drive a Citroen Total WRT car during a special stage of the Rally of Britain near Neath, Wales, Sunday, Oct. 25.

Schiavone to face Govortsova Serena prepares to tear strip off rivals in Kremlin Cup final Agence France Presse

Agence France Presse

MOSCOW- Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, the last seeded woman standing, cruised comfortably into the Kremlin Cup final with a straightsets win over Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko here on Sunday.

In final, the eighth seed will face Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who swept aside Alisa Kleybanova of Russia 6-2, 6-1.

The 29-year-old Schiavone, the 2005 runner-up, won 6-4, 6-0 in 71 minutes to record her fourth win over Bondarenko in their sixth

AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA

Francesca Schiavone of Italy celebrates during her semi-final match against Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine at the WTA Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow.

Schiavone won 6-4, 6-0.

meeting.

“I’m happy with my play,” Schiavone said.

“I was serving good, returning well. I moved quickly, played aggressively and dominated.”

Bondarenko, the world 36, started brightly with an immediate break but Schiavone took four consecutive games for a 4-1 lead.

The 25-year-old Ukrainian reduced the arrears with a break in the ninth game but Schiavone made the decisive break in the 10th to gain a one-set advantage in 46 minutes.

In the second, Schiavone underlined her supremacy at Moscow’s Olympic indoor stadium, producing three more breaks to win the second set to love and the match.

Meanwhile, Govortsova levelled her headto-head record with Kleybanova at two wins all.

Govortsova broke Kleybanova’s serve on three occasions to put herself one set up in 40 minutes. In the second set, the 21-year-old broke three times to win the set and the match in 86 minutes.

In the men’s section of the two-milliondollar joint ATP and WTA event, third seed Mikhail Youzhny cruised comfortably into the final past qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-1.

In final, Youzhny will face Serbian sixth seed Janko Tipsarevic, who outclassed Ilya Marchenko of Ukraine 6-1, 6-4.

The 25-year-old Tipsarevic was in complete command against Marchenko, the world 190, breaking twice in the opening set for a 5-0 lead before Marchenko chalked up his first point.

After taking the first set in 34 minutes Tipsarevic, 46th in the rankings, eased up in the second but still broke Marchenko in the seventh game to win the set, the match and a place in the final.

“The key was that I really started dominating from the first set,” said Tipsarevic, who is still seeking his first career title.

DOHA- Serena Williams, having stripped naked for an American magazine shoot, can lay bare her simmering frustration over losing her world number one ranking at the WTA Championships which start Tuesday.

Despite winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2009, taking her Grand Slam collection to 11, Williams has again been displaced at the top of the women’s game by Russia’s Dinara Safina who has yet to capture a major.

Williams’s fourth career stopover at the top of the rankings lasted just two weeks. Coming in the slipstream of her notorious, foulmouthed US Open meltdown, which could still spark a Grand Slam ban, the 28-year-old American will be on a very personal mission at this 4.55 million dollar season-ending tournament.

The eight-woman field of Safina, Serena and Venus Williams, French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Jankovic, also boasts intriguing subplots.

Wozniacki, the world number six from Denmark, finds herself embroiled in a WTA probe following her controversial injury withdrawal in Luxembourg last week.

Players are also desperate to lay down markers ahead of the 2010 season before Kim Clijsters, the shock US Open champion, and fellow former number one Justine Henin start chipping away at newly-minted reputations after coming out of retirement.

Serena Williams has never hesitated to mock Safina’s number one status already this year. “My motivation is to win another Grand Slam and stay No. 2, I guess. I’d rather definitely be No. 2 and win Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any,” she

Serena Williams said after her Wimbledon triumph over sister Venus.

Williams comes into Doha also desperately trying to move on from her now infamous US Open semi-final defeat to Clijsters where she launched a furious, verbal assault on a female line judge.

The outburst followed being called for a foot fault which handed Clijsters match point; the ensuing penalty point confirmed Williams’s defeat. A 10,000-dollar fine and an apology have not halted an ongoing ITF investigation.

“I think it’s important for people to learn from things that they’ve done in the past and I feel like I’ve completely learned and I would never do the same thing,” said the American, no doubt happy that the official from Flushing Meadows has decided against making the trip to the Middle East.

Safina, runner-up at the Australian and French Opens, has defended her position in the rankings, claiming it’s a reward for playing more tournaments and performing consistently well at them.

Sport

International

Monday, October 26, 2009

15

Sampdoria keep pace with Inter as top two win Agence France Presse

ROME- Inter Milan maintained their two point lead over Sampdoria at the Serie A summit as the top two both won on Sunday. Inter eased to a 2-1 victory at home to Catania while Antonio Cassano inspired Sampdoria to a 4-1 thumping of lowly Bologna.

It means Inter lead with 22 points after nine matches with Sampdoria opening up a five-point gap between them and the rest, although that could be cut to two if either Fiorentina or Juventus win on Sunday.

Inter were anything but spectacular against the Sicilians but their superiority was clear to see as they put the game to bed by half-time.

“I’m happy with the way we played in the first half and the way we fought in the second half,” said Inter boss Jose Mourinho.

“Obviously it’s never easy after a Champions League match. I think the game could have gone differently, it could have been easier.

“When it went 2-1 it gave Catania hope and made us nervous.”

Afer Wesley Sneijder had wasted an early chance, Sulley Muntari gave the hosts the lead at the San Siro in comical fashion as his ball forward, aimed at Samuel Eto’o, was narrowly missed by the Cameroon forward. But it flummoxed Catania goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo who stood rooted to the line as the ball slipped apologetically past him and inside the far post.

France captain Patrick Vieira, enjoying a rare start with Esteban Cambiasso injured, smacked a shot against the bar from 12 yards on 28 minutes but just three minutes later Sneijder curled home a delightful free-kick.

Catania earned a lifeline six minutes from time as substitute Giuseppe Mascara scored from the spot after goalkeeper Julio Cesar had felled Gianvinto Plasmati but Inter still held on comfortably.

Cassano was the catalyst in Genoa as the 27-year-old bad-boy turned in one of his most influential performances, setting up two goals and proving a constant menace. Italy coach Marcello Lippi has resisted the temptation to select Cassano for more than a year despite intense media pressure, but he cannot have failed to be impressed by this match-winning performance.

Neither could he have failed to notice the performance of Giampaolo Pazzini who scored despite playing in a mask after having his nose broken in a clash with Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera last week.

Cassano teed him up to open the

scoring on seven minutes before starting the move that led to the second on 16 minutes, chipping the ball to Pazzini who controlled it on his chest and then helped it on into Daniele Mannini’s path with the midfielder lashing home a stunning volley.

The game was over as a contest on 26 minutes when Switzerland midfielder Reto Ziegler turned Gaby Mudingayi far too easily 25 yards from goal and then sent a rocket past Emiliano Viviano into the bottom corner.

Bologna’s difficult task was made almost impossible in the aftermath as forward Marco Di Vaio argued with the referee and was shown a straight red card. On 33 minutes it was 4-0. Cassano teased the Bologna backline and tricked himself into space before crossing to Mannini to head home from two yards out at the back post.

Cassano almost scored a stunning individual goal, but after beating three players he blazed over. The Serie A strugglers showed great pride in the second period and pulled a goal back through substitute Pablo Osvaldo on 62min.

Injury-ravaged Real fire blanks in Gijon Agence France Presse

MADRID- After losing to AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek, Real Madrid dropped two points in the title race with a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon on Sunday as they failed to score for the first time this season.

Real go top above Barcelona on goal difference but the champions, also beaten at home in Europe by Russians Rubin Kazan, can open up a three-point lead with a home win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini was shorn of striking options with

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy injured so the onus was on Raul and Kaka.

The pair had two of Real’s best chances, with Esteban Granero missing the other, but Real could not find a way through against a Sporting side that remain unbeaten at home and a respectable seventh in the table.

“Football can be like this sometimes,” reflected Real playmaker Guti.

“You can create lots of chances but don’t take them.

“We had some important attacking players absent today and of course we missed them.”

AP Photo/Juan Manuel Serrano

Real Madrid’s Raul Gonzalez, reacts during their Spanish La Liga soccer match against Sporting de Gijon at the El Molinon stadium, in Gijon, Spain, Sunday, Oct 25.

Sevilla, the only Spanish side to win in the Champions League this week, missed the chance to capitalise on Real’s slip following a 0-0 home draw against 10-man Espanyol. Sevilla stay three points behind Real after failing to score in the league for the second successive game although that was largely down to some heroics from Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.

Espanyol, now unbeaten in five matches, had been reduced to 10 men after defender Nicolas Pareja was sent off for hacking down Diego Capel on the hour mark but Kameni pulled off some fine saves to hold on for a point.

“We have to get some points away and try to win at home - that is our strategy,” said Kameni.

The Milan defeat had raised defensive issues at Real Madrid again and Spanish international Raul Albiol was dropped to the bench with Argentine Ezequiel Garay taking his spot at centre-back.

Sporting had lost 7-1 and 4-0 against Real last season so must have feared the worst. Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas, at fault for two Milan goals, flapped at an early cross but Sporting could not take advantage of the mistake.

Kaka had Real’s first effort on 20 minutes with a low shot before Raul swivelled and shot wide close to the half hour mark following a goalmouth scramble. Gijon had their best opening close to half-time with Miguel de las Cuevas, who has four goals already this season, forcing Casillas to get down quickly to defend his near post.

AP Photo/Alberto Pellaschiar

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari, of Ghana, second right with white wristband, is congratulated by teammates after scoring during a serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Catania at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 25.

Lampard double puts Chelsea top Agence France Presse

LONDON- Frank Lampard scored twice as Chelsea leap-frogged champions Manchester United into top spot in the English Premier League with a 5-0 rout of Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

An own goal in the 20th minute from French defender Gael Givet, who turned Nicolas Anelka’s cross past goalkeeper Paul Robinson under pressure from Didier Drogba, put the Blues ahead.

England midfielder Lampard scored his first Premier League goal since April when he fired home from Drogba’s pull back before Michael Essien wrapped up the points in the 52nd minute when he beat Robinson with a curving shot from fully 35 yards out.

Lampard scored his second, and Chelsea’s fourth, from the penalty spot after Drogba was brought down seven minutes later by Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen, the New Zealand defender.

The impressive Drogba then

added a fifth in the 64th minute as Chelsea made it nine goals in two matches after their midweek 4-0 Champions League defeat of Atletico Madrid.

It was an important result for the Blues after they’d lost 2-1 to Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League and Lampard told ESPN: “We were disappointed after last week. We wanted to bounce back and we did it in style.”

Lampard was especially pleased by the confident return of fellow England international Joe Cole, playing his first Premier League match since suffering a knee injury against Southend in January.

“He is different class,” Lampard said. “I think everyone knows what Coley brings us, he is something different, he runs with the ball and he can create something out of nothing.”

Cole added: “When you’re out for 10 months just getting back on the training pitch is great so to come back to a game like that was fantastic.”

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard reacts after scoring a goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday Oct. 25, 2009.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

16

Sport

Monday, Oktober 26, 2009

Rossi captures seventh MotoGP title Agence France Presse Sepang

Valentino Rossi claimed his seventh MotoGP title and his ninth world championship in total by fighting back to third in a wet Malaysian Grand Prix dominated by Casey Stoner.

While Stoner (Ducati) blitzed the field from the outset, Rossi had to recover from a first corner error that dropped him to the foot of the top ten to take third behind Dani Pedrosa’s Honda.

Rossi said he was delighted to seal the championship title with one race to go, in Valencia on November 8. “With one round to go, I have clinched the world title. I thank all the people who helped me achieve this achievement. We did some great fight,” he said. Rossi’s title rival and Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo had to start last and recovering to fourth was insufficient to prolong the championship fight.The race was delayed by nearly 40 minutes due to a massive downpour, and although the rain eased considerably, the track was never ready for slick

tyres.

Lorenzo was demoted to the back of the field when he had to change to his spare bike and failed to get out of the pitlane in time to join the grid.

But it looked like he would swiftly overcome this setback, for while Lorenzo immediately gained ground off the line, Rossi ran wide at the first corner and dropped from first to eighth - right in front of his flying team-mate.

Both Lorenzo and Marco Melandri then passed the cautious Rossi before the opening lap was over, and it took several failed attempts before Rossi was able to re-pass the Hayate Kawasaki.

Lorenzo picked his way past Loris Capirossi (Suzuki), Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and Toni Elias (Gresini Honda) - overtaking Hayden three times in total as the American kept

fighting back - but Rossi was shadowing his every move, and that was no good for the Spaniard, who needed a lot of bikes between them.

Although following Lorenzo to the flag would have guaranteed the title for Rossi, he was not prepared to do that and overtook his team-mate to move into fourth on lap eight.

Up front, Stoner soon passed Pedrosa for the lead and then stormed away at 2s per lap in the first half of the race, before backing off and cruising to a brilliant second victory in seven days. Pedrosa came under pressure from his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso until the Italian crashed at Turn 5 late on, allowing Rossi to celebrate his championship victory from the podium. Randy de Puniet was the only other rider to crash out in the difficult conditions. The LCR Honda rider had a vicious high speed high side while running fifth on lap two but escaped serious injury.

Hayden completed the top five ahead of Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen, who lived up to his wet weather ace reputation by steadily advancing from his initial 14th place.

Aoyama closes on 250 title with win Sepang

Hiroshi Aoyama brought himself to the brink of the 250cc world championship by defeating title rival Marco Simoncelli in an epic Sepang race.

With Simoncelli pushed down to third behind Hector Barbera in a frantic last lap, Aoyama’s championship lead is back up to 21 points, with just 25 available at the Valencia finale.

The title fight is now a two-way contest, with second not sufficient to keep Barbera in contention, and fellow long-shot Alvaro Bautista crashing for the third straight race when running fourth early on.

Aoyama lost the lead to second place qualifier Jules Cluzel off the line, while Simoncelli quickly made progress from his disappointing eighth on the grid.

When Aoyama slid wide in a failed move on Cluzel on lap two, he slipped to fourth and found Simoncelli right on his tail - and then ahead of him as the Italian sliced inside his title rival at Turn 2.

The duo then picked through to the front of the field together, with Aoyama all over the back of Simoncelli. The Scot Honda went down the inside into the last corner on lap six, but Simoncelli had a better exit and eased Aoyama out over the kerbs, letting Cluzel get back between them.

Aoyama was soon back on Simoncelli’s tail and repeated his hairpin pass at half-distance. Simoncelli drafted back through on the straight, Aoyama outbraked him again into Turn 1, and then Simoncelli nipped back down the inside at Turn 2.

Two laps later Aoyama surprised

Simoncelli into Turn 9 and reclaimed the lead. Simoncelli again fought back on the pits straight and again the pair went through Turns 1 and 2 side by side, inches apart. But this time Aoyama got back ahead as they accelerated through the Turn 3 kink, resisted Simoncelli’s retaliation at Turn 5, and then finally made a break.

A string of new lap records took Aoyama into a comfortable lead, while Simoncelli had his hands full fending off Barbera, who slipped ahead at the final corner at one point only to run very wide.

Barbera stepped up his attack on the last lap, getting alongside on the dash to the line and taking the flag in a dead-heat with Simoncelli. They could not be split on video evidence so Barbera was awarded the place because his fastest lap was quicker than the Italian’s.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

Italy’s Valentino Rossi sprays champagne as he celebrates after winning the MotoGP World Championship with his third place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix motorcycle racing at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 25.