Edisi 09 Maret 2011 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 63 3rd Year Price: Rp 3.000,-

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Turtles Conservation Center become tourism attraction

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PAGE 8 Revelers of Rio de Janeiro’s samba school Grande Rio performs at the Sambadrome avenue on March 8, 2011 on the second night of city’ samba school parade.

Charlie Sheen sacked from hit TV series PAGE 12

AFP PHOTO / ANTONIO SCORZA

Police occupation allows Carnival into Rio slums Associated Press Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO – Residents of Rio’s Formiga shantytown celebrated their first Carnival since police pushed out drug gangs by dancing and singing the praises of law enforcement in an odd twist to festivities usually known for irreverence and uninhibited excess.

WEATHER FORECAST

The slum hadn’t had a Carnival street party in years before police moved in last July to expel gangs as part of an ambitious security program known by its Portuguese

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DENPASAR

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YOGYAKARTA

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Associated Press Writer

SURABAYA

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ISLAMABAD – The Taliban detonated a car bomb in Pakistan’s third largest city Tuesday, killing 20 and wounding more than 100 people in an attack they said targeted the offices of the country’s main intelligence agency. The blast in the Punjabi city of Faislabad underscored the reach of al-Qaida and Taliban in the U.S.-allied nation.

The militants are based in the

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acronym, UPP, which has generally improved living conditions and met with support in targeted communities.

The permanent police presence

has allowed Formiga and other slums to organize parties, and composer Gugu da Tijuca’s theme song for Formiga’s samba group this year celebrates this newfound freedom.

“We’re all coming together, Borel, Formiga, Casa Branca, Andarai ... With our UPPs, we’re going to raise some dust,” the song goes, listing neighboring shantytowns that will be able to celebrate together after years of not being allowed to cross drug gang

boundaries.

There are Carnival groups based in nine of the 14 areas that have police presence. They range from small, neighborhood parties like Formiga’s to the stately samba groups that put on the huge parades watched by millions on Sunday and Monday. The state pacification program was launched more than two years ago, and is expected to continue growing.

Continued on page 6

Taliban car bombing kills 20 in east Pakistan tribal regions close to Afghanistan, but have been able to tap into extremist networks in the country’s heartland of Punjab and strike there with regularity over the last three years. The remote-controlled bomb also devastated a gas station and an office of Pakistan’s state airline in the industrial city. Police said the offices of a “sensitive” security agency were nearby but were not damaged in the attack.

Continued on page 6

AP Photo/Khalil ur Rehman

A view of devastation caused by a bomb blast in Faisalabad, Pakistan on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. A car bomb outside a gas station killed many people and wounded more than 100.

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International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Bali News Tour Guide Association complains about guide impersonating as driver Denpasar (Bali Post)—

IBP/Bali Putra

Tenth of people are in line to get fuel in Gunaksa petrol station in Klungkung.

Fuel scarcity hits Klungkung Semarapura (Bali Post)—

Fuel in Klungkung Regency sets to grow scarcer. As a result, local residents had difficulty in obtaining the fuel, especially the one belonging to gasoline category, for their vehicles. No doubt, long lines were seen in a number of petrol stations in Klungkung Regency, Monday (Mar 7).

Such long queue also took place at petrol stations in Gunaksa, Dawan and Banjarangkan. If the delivery came late, fuel stocks in Gunaksa petrol station was ensured to be sold out on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, the stock in Banjarangkan petrol station had been sold out around 10:00 a.m. Local Time. “We got as much as 16 tons of fuel delivery on Friday (Mar 4). This morning (Monday—Ed) it had been sold out. Actually, we should have got another delivery,” said an officer of Banjarangkan petrol station, Wayan Widi. Some petrol stations even had to put up ‘out of order’ board sign because they were unable to meet the public demand.

The Batu Tabih petrol station, for instance, according to an officer, such ‘out of order’ board sign did not mean the station was really out of order. However, it was intended to state that fuel stocks had run out. As a matter of fact, the fuel stock had begun to rarefy at Batu Tabih petrol station from Sunday (Mar 6) afternoon. At that time, it showed a long line of motorists.

Meanwhile, the petrol station that was really out of order was that located on Jalan Rama, Semarapura Klod Kangin. The damage occurred in the parallel valve between one tank and another. In reality, the petrol station

located on Jalan Rama remained to have fuel stock. “However, it was unable to suck the fuel. If it is used by force, the damage will even be getting more serious,” said an officer of the petrol station of Jalan Rama, Agung Swandiyani.

In the meantime, an officer of Gunaksa petrol station, Wayan Sucita, acknowledged the delays of fuel delivery had made Klungkung find difficulties. Such delays in delivery ensued because the delivery officers were on holiday during the Nyepi, Saturday (Mar 5). “They were also on holiday on Sunday,” he said.

The damage happened to petrol stations and fuel shortages in those stations in fact had become ‘a blessing in disguise’ to fuel retailers in Klungkung Regency. By and large, they could only sell maximally 10 liters of gasoline every day, but when fuel scarcity and damage occurred to some petrol stations, they could sell up to 25 liters of gasoline in half a day. “Yes, we occasionally also want to get more fortunes,” said a gasoline retailer around Jalan Rama, Wayan Darmasih. She acknowledged that every day she could sell gasoline maximally 10 liters. “Today, within half day I could have sold as much as 25 liters of gasoline,” she admitted. (kmb20)

Polemic on the existence of illegal tour guides in Bali is increasingly insoluble. Aside from complaining about foreigners taking a side job as a tour guide, the tourism businesspeople coalesced into the Association of Indonesian Tour Guides (HPI) have also complained about the rampant illegal tour guides impersonating as a driver to fool the authorities.

“The presence of illegal tour guides is now camouflaging as a vehicle driver escorting foreign tourists to some destinations. Such an action is very detrimental to tourists and existing legal tour guides,” complained the Chairman of HPI Nyoman Kandia in Denpasar, Monday (Mar 7).

To become tour guide, he added, mastering a foreign language was not enough. People who wanted to be a tour guide should have a license and attended a particular intensive training. “Of course, those operating illegally disadvantage us as a professional and tourists because the information provided for tourists is often wrong,” he said.

Kandia judged the existence of Regional Regulation governing the existence of tour guides did not function optimally. So far, there was no visible intention of government, particularly the Bali Provincial Government, in dealing with illegal tour guides getting rampant in Bali. “Such a regulation is just like a toothless tiger. Illegal tour guides in Bali had been a classical problem. It is merely a discourse, no action,” he said.

According to him, there was no clear action taken by Bali Government Tourism Office to discipline those illegal tour

guides. Pursuant to the rules, a legal tour guide had to obtain a certification (license) and training from local institutions. “We do hope the Bali Government Tourism Office or public order officers (Satpol PP) could make a raid to tourist attractions visited by foreign tourists,” he said.

Complaints of the Indonesian Tour guides Association (HPI) related to the presence of illegal tour guides getting rampant in a number of tourist destinations in Bali had been followed up by implementing a regular raid. Even, a joint team of Bali Government Tourism Office managed to capture dozens of illegal tour guides operating to serve tourists illegally or without a license. Head of the Bali Government Tourism Office, IB Kade Subhiksu, previously stated that his party had raided a number of tourist destinations such as Tanah Lot. The joint team did not only capture illegal tour guides having no license, but also legal tour guides whose license had expired.

Aside from ensnaring illegal tour guides, the joint team of Bali Government Tourism Office also managed to capture travel agencies that did not have an operating permit. “According to Regional Regulation No. 1/2010 governing the business of travel services, those who violate is threatened with fine of IDR 50 million or minimally IDR 30 million with corporal punishment of six months in prison,” he said.

For information, the current registered tour guides in Indonesia has reached 12,000 members. Among them, 5,000 tour guides are operating in Bali. (par)

Eastern ring road almost broken off hit by abrasion Amlapura (Bali Post)—

Eastern ring road of Amed leading to Sukasada Ujung Park, Karangasem, was broken off. Location of the breaking-off road hit by the abrasion of seawater was in the curve of Lean tourist attraction, Bunutan Village, Abang.

A number of tourism practitioners at Lean like Nyoman Sar, Monday (Mar 7), asked the Bali Public Works to immediately improved the almost broken off road section hit by abrasion. It was worried if it was not immediately repaired, the eastern ring road would actually break off, so that it would be difficult to transport both residents and tourist.

Based on observation made on Monday, nearly half the road had been crushed by abrasion. The location was in the middle of road body breaking off last year. Last year, the corner of the uphill road was broken off as hit by abrasion. Having broken off for two weeks, the road was then repaired by Bali Public Works by means of

concrete. “Part of the road covered by concrete remains in good condition, but the next parts left uncovered by concrete is hit by abrasion, so that it vanished into the sea,” said Sar. A legislator of Karangasem House living at Lean, Luh Purnaminingsih, said aside from breaking off the road body in front of the Amed Hamlet Hall, it also collapsed with the length of about three meters and width of one meter. The collapsed road body was caused by floods eroding the land at the former location of the falling sea almond tree. Related to the road body almost breaking off at Lean, according to Purnaminingsih, her party had warned the land owners in front of the damaged road not to charge any fees to road users using the emergency road on his plantation as in the previous year.

The Bali Public Works should anticipate it immediately so the road would not be really broken off because it would require greater cost to fix,” he said. (013)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti z Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subagiadnya, Subrata, Suentra, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. 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. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Bali News

International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Bali ’s import drops by 44 percent DENPASAR - Bali saw a sharp drop of its import in January this year, which was valued at US$7.04 million, down by 44 percent from January last month. The figure also decreased by 77 percent compared to December 2010, Head of the Bali Statistics Central Bureau Gede Suarsa said in Denpasar on Tuesday, metrotvnews.com reported.

He said that the imported goods were mostly jewelries/gems and mechanical machines, while the rest included electrical equipment machines, optical equipment, and

leatherware.

Most of them were imported from Hong Kong , Singapore , China , the United Sates of America and Taiwan . Some commodities were also imported from Thailand , Australia , Germany , Korea and India . In January, the export from Bali reached $29.21 million, increasing by 21 percent from the same period last year.

Bali mainly exported fish, shrimps, garment, jewelries and handicrafts to Japan , America , Singapore , Hong Kong and France .

Many hotels and restaurants ignore environmental aspect Bangli (Bali Post)—

IBP/ist

The rice field in Bali. over 100,000 hectares of productive agricultural land in Indonesia had been converted annually.

Conversion of agricultural land in Indonesia at 100,000 hectares annually Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Conversion rate of agricultural land in Indonesia is progressively alarming. Ministry of Agriculture projects that thousands of hectares of productive agricultural land per year live through conversion. This condition is worried to continue and threaten the food security.

Minister of Agriculture, H. Suswono, after inaugurating The 17th Meeting of the OIE Sub-Commission for FMD in South East Asia and China (SEACFMD) in Kuta, Monday (Mar 7) declared that over 100,000 hectares of productive agricultural land in Indonesia had been converted annually.

It kept on reducing the extent of agricultural land.

“It will definitely threaten the food security if we do not attempt a replacement of new fields or utilize the displaced land,” he said.

According to him, most conversion occurred to productive wetland that was converted to dry land and became non-agricultural land such as used for buildings and other needs.

This condition also had an impact on the rice production.

“If the extent of wetland is declining due to such conversion, of course the rice production will decrease as well. In addition, the occurrence of weather anomalies also

threatens our food security,” he said.

It was said that President of the RI had issued an instruction as a measure to ensure the food security in Indonesia in response to the extreme climate change. The instruction aimed to provide flexibility against the extreme climate changes that had led to changes in the planting season, pest attack or climate damage related to agricultural land.

“For food security within the situation of extreme climate, we will provide compensation in case of crop failure. It will cover the seed, fertilizer and labor costs so that farmers can work again,” he said.

Government of Indonesia, recognized Suswono, had allocated contingency funds up to two trillion rupiahs to stabilize food production in anticipating the impact of pests or extreme weather. “The instruction is also intended for Logistics Agency (Bulog) so it will be more flexible in purchasing the rice and grain from farmers to maintain the

national rice stock,” he added.

Meanwhile, related to self-sufficiency of meat in 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture would hold a census on the population of cow and buffalo in Indonesia. Based on the data collected, the current population of cow and buffalo in Indonesia reached 12.6 million.

“The data was not obtained through a census. Therefore, this year we will conduct a census of cow and buffalo population in cooperation with the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) to get an accurate data on the number of female, male cattle and so on,” he said.

Suswono appealed the community not to slaughter productive female cattle as it would reduce the population. They should slaughter the female animals that were no longer productive. In fact, up to now 200,000 productive female cattle were slaughtered every year. As consequence, it would become a threat to self-sufficiency in meat. (par)

Arrangement of tourist object in Penelokan Kintamani carried out by government is currently assessed by many circles as a step forward for the Kintamani becoming the icon Bangli tourism over the years. Unfortunately, arrangement of the region is not shored up by readiness of human resources. Especially, the arrogance of development is shown by tourism supporting facilities such as restaurant annexing the scene. Without taking into account the environmental impact, let alone the location was mostly located on steep cliffs.

It was stated by the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Bangli Chapter, I Ketut Putranata, Monday (Mar 7). According to him, the arrangement of the Kintamani tourism condition commenced from Penelokan was very worth appreciating. It became one of commitments to a regional leader in changing the tourism image of Kintamani currently highlighted by tourism

businesspeople and tourists.

Arrangement of the tourist area was expected to be poised with the attitudinal change of the community, especially the people directly getting in touch with tourists. On that account, the development and arrangement of the location driven by government would not be in vain. For instance, the development of tourist object ignoring the safety of tourists as shown by development in the east of Penelokan located on steep location was not in keeping with the effort of government.

Apart from threatening the safety of tourists, it also had bad impact on the tourism sustainability. Tourists visiting the location were not just for purchasing food, but also for purchasing a beautiful panorama. “I do hope the area arrangement made by government will be also poised by adequate improvement of human resources quality. They are very influential in determining the tourism image,” he said. (kmb17)

IBP/ist

One of the hotel in Kintamani area.

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News

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

International

Australian PM Gillard slumps to record poll low Agence France Presse

SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s popularity has plummeted to a record low after she announced plans for a carbon tax, a new opinion poll has shown. The dismal findings come as Gillard is on a high-profile visit to the United States to meet US President Barack Obama and address Congress.

The Newspoll findings show that support for Gillard’s Labor Party has crashed from 36 to 30 percent in the past fortnight — a level not seen since support for Labor hit 31 percent under Paul Keating during the 1993 recession. “In just two weeks, Ms Gillard’s personal support has gone from its best since she became prime minister (50 percent) in June last year to her worst (39 percent),” The Australian newspaper added in publishing the poll.

The survey of 1,202 people found that most (53 percent) opposed the carbon tax while only 42 percent supported Gillard’s plan for the tax, which she plans to replace with a full carbon emissions trading scheme after several years. Australia is the world’s worst per capita polluter.

The conservative opposition, which has claimed Gillard lied about placing the price on carbon, is enjoying more solid support at 45 percent — its highest level since March 2006, the paper said. Speaking from Washington, Gillard refused to comment on the poll but said she knew the carbon reform debate would be “tough” and that

opposition leader Tony Abbott would run a “ferocious scare campaign” on the issue.

“But it’s one that I am determined to win so that we price carbon from the 1st July 2012 and transform our economy into a clean energy economy,” she told reporters on Monday. “Australians, I believe, will come to see that pricing carbon is the right way of dealing with climate change.”

Abbott, whose personal approval rating climbed one percentage point to 39 percent, said Gillard’s emissions trading scheme would force up the cost of living.

“It won’t clean up the environment but it will clean out your wallet,” he said. Climate change has been a thorny issue in Australian politics, with former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s shelving of his emissions trading scheme helping pave the way for Gillard to replace him nine months ago in a party room coup.

Questioned on who was now best to lead the Labor Party, Rudd or Gillard, the Newspoll survey found that more responMark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP dents preferred Rudd, who was leading his Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) receives a piece of the Vietnam Memorial wall from and replacement 44 percent to 37 percent.

Jan C. Scruggs (R) during an event at the Lincoln Memorial on March 7, 2011 in Washington, DC.

UK’s Hague under pressure over botched Libya plan Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO/Leon Neal

British Foreign Minister William Hague addresses delegates at the SWALEC cricket stadium on March 6, 2011, during the Spring Forum at the Welsh Conservative Conference. His speech focused on the the UKs response to the continued political instability in Northern Africa.

LONDON – British Foreign Secretary William Hague came under fire after admitting a “serious misunderstanding” led to the seizing of a special forces team in a bungled mission to contact Libyan rebels. London was left red-faced by the attempt to put diplomats in contact with opposition forces in Benghazi at the weekend.

The team, reportedly made up of six soldiers from the elite Special Air Service (SAS) and two diplomats, flew into Libya by helicopter and made their way to the eastern opposition-held city. But they were rounded up by lightly armed rebels soon after they arrived, reports said.

40 years later, Ali and Frazier still a classic Associated Press Writer

In his hotel room the morning after, Muhammad Ali nursed a swollen jaw as the room service waiter arrived with breakfast and good wishes for the man he called champ. “I’m not the champ,” Ali corrected him. “Joe Frazier is the champ.”

Indeed he was, and if anyone needed a reminder the morning papers provided it with a picture as shocking to Ali’s adoring fans as his defeat the night before. There was Ali glassy-eyed and struggling to get up from the canvas in the 15th round as Frazier walked to a neutral corner more certain than ever

of victory. “There were a couple of knockdowns really,” Frazier said, chuckling at the thought. “They called the first one a slip. But it was the left hook that made him slip.”

It was 40 years ago Tuesday that Ali and Frazier met at Madison Square Garden in a fight so big it was simply referred to as The Fight.

It was Frazier’s heavyweight title that was on the line, but a lot of boxing fans still considered Ali the champion because he was stripped of the title and sent into boxing exile for refusing to be drafted.

Frazier was undefeated and in his prime, a relentless aggressor with a vicious left hook. Ali, in just his third fight since the 3 1/2-year layoff, was

a polarizing figure who was hated by some just as much as he was loved by others.

“A lot of ‘em want me whipped because of the draft,” Ali said before the fight. “A lot of ‘em want me whipped because of religion. A lot of ‘em want me whipped because I’m black ... and for other reasons that I might not even know about.”

They would go on to meet two more times, including the memorable Thrilla in Manilla. But nothing could match the stakes that March night at the Garden, where Frank Sinatra shot pictures at ringside, celebrities jockeyed for prime seats, and almost as many men as women wore full-length fur coats.

The diplomats are believed to have been officers from Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence service. The opposition Labour party seized on the government’s response to the rebellion. “A worrying pattern has emerged in recent days that speaks to a lack of engagement, grip and direction in the government’s response to the Libyan crisis,” Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary told Tuesday’s Guardian.

“Ministers can’t be expected to have all the right answers, but they can be expected to ask all the necessary questions,” he added.

The mission angered Libyan opposition leaders who denied they had asked for any help and by late Sunday

the team had been packed off to Malta on a British naval ship. Hague told parliament that ministers and officials had been in touch with the rebel interim national council formed in Benghazi, who had “welcomed the idea of a British diplomatic mission to Libya”.

The minister said he had authorised the dispatch of a small team, accompanied by “protection” because such engagement was “vitally important” to understanding the situation on the ground. “They were withdrawn yesterday after a serious misunderstanding about their role leading to their temporary detention,” Hague said. “This situation was resolved and they were able to meet council president Mr Abdel Jalil.

International

Activities

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Aerowisata Sanur Beach Hotel Bali appoints new General Manager AEROWISATA Hotel Sanur Beach Bali is pleased to announce the appointment of Francis Dehnhardt as new General Manager.

Brought up and educated in Europe & USA, born in Geneva and is half German & Indonesian makes Francis a truly international Hotelier. He speaks English, Indonesian & German and has a strong understanding of Dutch, French and some Mandarin.

Francis joins the resort with more then 20 years experience in the hospitality industry, with hotels & resorts in Bali, Jakarta, Batam, Bintan, Uzbekistan, among other cities, of which 17 years was in senior management. Most recently as Resort Manager of Bintan Lagoon Resort – Bintan.

Aerowisata Hotel Sanur Beach Bali is located right on the sandy beach of Sanur and is surrounded by 7 hectares of tropical lush gardens, featuring 428 rooms, suites and villas, 2 large pools and a great selection of restaurants and bars.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for March 8 through March 19, 2011 8 March Anggar Kasih Perangbakat Bukit Buluh Gunaksa - Klungkung Tirta Sudamala Bebalang - Bangli Paibon Pasek Bendesa Sangsit - sawan Buleleng Pasek Gelgel Pangi Dawan - Klungkung Gunung Tengsong Lombok - NTB Dalem Benawah Benawah - Gianyar Dalem Bitra Bitra - Gianyar Dalem Banyuning Banyuning Timur Buleleng Dalem Pauman Batan Getas Titih Denpasar Tengah Padang Tegalalang - Gianyar Merajan Pasek Gelgel Desa Sande - Pupuan Tabanan Kawitan Tangkas Kori Agung Desa Adat Pagan Denpasar Hyangaluh/Jenggala Besakih - Gianyar Merajan Pasek Lurah Tutuan Gunaksa Klungkung Merajan Pasek Gelgel SelulungSelulung Merajan Pasek Subrata Medahan Merajan Pasek Munggu Munggu Pura Tengkulak Tulikup - Gianyar Penataran Badung Ogang Village Sidemen Karangasem 9 March Buda Umanis Perangbakat Puri Agung Dalem Tarukan Tarukan Pejeng Tampak Siring-Gianyar Rambut Siwi Jembrana Batu Bolong Canggu - Kuta Pasek Marga Klaci Klaci - Tabanan Agung Pasek Dauh Waru Jembrana Ratu Pasek Sangsit Sawan - Buleleng Pasek Tangkas Darma Reyanggede Tabanan Banyuning Village Temple Banyuning Buleleng Srijon Tabanan Pasek Gelgel Lebah Pangkung Petemon

Tirta Anom Padang Sigi Sading - Tampak Siring Dadi Agung Pasek Bendesa Dukuh Manuaba Tegalalang Pedarmaan Batursari Ngilis Jegu Penebel Tabanan Puncak Mundi Nusa Penida 19 March Purnama Kedasa Odalan Betara Turun Kabeh Besakih Karangasem Ngusaba in Bukit Jati Temple Bangli Batur Kalanganyar Bangli Masceti Pejeng Aji Tegalalang - Gianyar Dalem Tangsub Sukawati - Gianyar Penambangan Badung Denpasar City Ngusaba in Lempuyab Madia Temple Karangasem Ngusaba in Batur Temple Bangli Village Temple Singakerta Ubud Pasek Gelgel Tagtag Kukuh Marga Tabanan Gaduh Ketapian Sumerta Denpasar Pasek Bendesa Batur Tuak Ilang Tabanan Pasek Agung Tagtag Kelod Peguyangan Denpasar Agung Pasek Bendesa Tonja Tonja - Denpasar Pasek Gelgel Angsri Baturiti - Tabanan Pasek Gelgel Bale Agung Subamia Beraban Dukuh Sari Belatung Bengkel Timpag Kerambitan Pusat Dukuh Sari Belatung Rendang Karangasem Pita Maha Palangkaraya Kalteng Canda Peraba Komplek Polri Jelambar Jakarta Barat Agung Jagat Natha Denpasar Pemerajan Agung Puri Petak Gianyar Dadia Agung Tangkas Kori Agung Abiansemal Badung

Balinese Temple Ceremony EVERY Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

News Taliban...

From page 1 Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said militants detonated the bomb by remote control and that the target was the Inter-Services Intelligence, a powerful agency that plays a major role in Pakistan’s fight against Islamist militants. He said the attack was revenge for the shooting of militant commander Omar Kundi in Faisalabad last year by security forces.

Islamist militants seeking to overthrow the government have bombed hundreds of police, army, commercial and civilian targets in Pakistan over the past three years. ISI offices in the Punjabi cities of Multan and Lahore have been attacked, as well as in the northwest city of Peshawar.

Tuesday’s bombing apparently caused secondary explosions at the fuel station, adding to the destruction, Faisalabad police chief Aftab Cheema said. Pakistani TV footage showed piles of bricks and chunks of twisted metal from cars strewn across the neighbor-

hood. Rescue workers struggled to pull victims out of the rubble.

Cheema said 20 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded.

“This was a terrorist activity,” he said. Faisalabad, 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Islamabad, is home to Pakistan’s textile industry.

Militants have never staged a major attack there, but extremist groups have deep roots and are believed to be growing in strength. The region is home to extremist networks that were once nurtured by the state to fight in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The U.S. has pushed Pakistan to crack down on Islamist extremist groups in its borders, saying they threaten not only Western troops engaged in the Afghan war effort but also the stability of Pakistan itself. The army has launched offensives in the northwest, but questions remain over whether the state has fully severed ties with extremist networks, especially those primarily fighting in Afghanistan.

Police...

AFP PHOTO/Luis Acosta

Marcos Carmona Hernandez aka “El Cabrito” (C) - alleged leader of the Oxaca state Zetas drug trafficking gang - is presented to the press in Mexico City on March 7, 2011. Carmona Hernandez confessed to having ordered and participated in the kidnapping and killing of several people.

Convoy ambush kills 7 Mexican police, 1 prisoner Associated Press Writer

CULIACAN, Mexico – Gunmen swarmed a convoy transporting two prisoners in northern Mexico, shredding three police vehicles with bullets and killing seven officers and one inmate, prosecutors said Monday. Six officers and the second inmate were wounded.

Attackers traveling in about 20 vehicles caught the police convoy in a crossfire Sunday near the city of Guasave, Sinaloa state Attorney General Marco Antonio Higuera said. “The patrol vehicles were destroyed. It was practically a massacre,” Higuera said. “Initial reports indicate there were 1,200 shell casings at the scene.”

The three state police patrol vehicles were traveling to the state capital of Culiacan when they came under fire from attackers who apparently lay in wait on a highway. Higuera said the officers fought off a first attack but were later caught in concentrated fire from a larger number of vehicles.

Federal police, meanwhile, said a newly captured leader of the Zetas drug cartel revealed it has a

non-aggression pact with three other gangs — the Juarez, Beltran Leyva and Arellano Felix organizations. While the four gangs are not known recently to have been fighting major turf wars with each other, it was the first mention of a formal truce between them.

The alleged Zetas leader, Marcos Carmona Hernandez, was arrested Monday in the southern state of Oaxaca, said Ramon Pequeno, the federal police anti-narcotics chief.

Hernandez, 29, allegedly took over command of Zetas operations in Oaxaca after the Jan. 17 arrest of his reputed predecessor, Flavio Mendez Santiago. Pequeno said Hernandez is suspected of several kidnappings and murders and allegedly had the collaboration of corrupt state and municipal police.

Pequeno said Hernandez revealed

the non-aggression pact to police, the latest insight into Mexico’s drug underworld of shifting alliances.

The agreement, however, appeared to be confirmation of reality more than a game-changer. The four gangs in the pact have a common enemy: the powerful Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s mostwanted drug lords. Jorge Chabat, a Mexican expert on the drug trade, said the pact would be difficult to corroborate but was not surprising.

“It’s normal that the cartels seek at certain times to ally themselves because it would be irrational to fight against everybody,” he said. Pequeno did not say when the gangs reportedly agreed to their truce.

From page 1 Three new policing units will be implemented after Carnival in communities where territory has already been won back by law enforcement.

A federal program modeled on Rio’s will later be expanded to other states, the national head of public safety, Regina Miki, said in February after touring two areas in which permanent police posts and increased services had driven out visibly armed drug dealers. She called the program “an example for the country.”

The presence of permanent posts in slums has also made the Carnival safer for Rio residents far from the slums and for the nearly 1 million visitors who poured into the city for the celebration. The contingent of officers in the streets was reduced by 1,000 this year, according to Rio police, because of the security brought by UPPs in slums near the Sambadrome, where the two-day Carnival parades are held.

City residents are showing their approval of police work by making the elite police unit’s black outfit one of this year’s best-selling costumes. The manager at the traditional Turuna costume shop, Rodrigo Herculano, said the police takeover of the Alemao complex of slums made the cop get-ups fly off the rack. “It has been a big fetish among women, to get dressed up as police officers,” he said. “The men have been dressing as inmates.” Bands from posh neighborhoods are

also integrating with longavoided hillside slums, including them in their parade itinerary.

An Ipanema-based street band, “Friendship is Almost Love,” paraded into the neighboring slum of Cantagalo after 27 years of staying away. Another group, “Dear, I’ll be Right Back,” brought their samba beat back to the shantytown of Chapeu Mangueira after a long absence.

“What we want to highlight here is the integration of the city and the overcoming of our problems,” said the group’s president, Jorge Sapia.

In Copacabana’s Ladeira dos Tabajaras shantytown, officers belonging to the UPP offered to join the percussion section of the community’s band, “Poke Her and She’ll Jump,” but were turned down, said the unit’s commander, Renato Senna. “Their playing wasn’t really in the same style,” he said. “But there is a real spirit of working together, and you can see that this Carnival.”

Some of these roaming parades originating in the shantytowns themselves are saluting their police officers in the best Carnival spirit — by gently poking fun.

This year’s theme song for the street band from Santa Marta, where the first police takeover was implemented two years ago, starts off complaining, “Don’t add any pepper, I’ve got enough spice,” in a reference to the pepper spray carried by officers. But it then goes on to say, “I just want to be happy in Santa Marta.”

International

Indonesia Today

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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RI advised to adopt green economic policies Antara

FOTO ANTARA/Rosa Panggabean

THe view of tall buildings on Jakarta. Indonesia should adopt green economic policies to ensure the sustainability of its economic growth, an international meeting on green economics here concluded.

Momentum for president to trim coalition: observer Antara

JAKARTA - A political observer of Charta Politika, Yunarto Wijaya, said now was the correct momentum for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reduce the number of parties in the government coalition so that his administration would run effectively.

“The large size of the coalition has proven to be ineffective and put shackles on the government so that the administration over the past one and a half years was not effective as it was shackled by the interest of political parties,” Yunarto said here on Monday.

Yunarto said he hoped Yudhoyono would use the momentum to down size the cabinet posture so that it would become more professional by including elements

which were free from interests that shackle the cabinet.

He said the change in the composition of the coalition by excluding those considered to have violated their commitment and include others in the cabinet would not have a significant impact on the government‘s performance.

“Letting one party go but asking another one to come in to replace it to maintain the coalition strength is only a mirage,” he said.

He said that by asking other political parties like the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and Gerindra (the Greater Indonesia Movement Party) to replace the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) the president would face difficulties in giving incentives to a loyal party or in taking ministers from the professional circle.

“The president has the logic that if A is excluded from the coalition B must be included in the alliance to maintain strenth.But this will automatically reduce the room for him to provide reward for loyal parties or to take ministers from professionals to support his government,” he said.

JAKARTA - Indonesia should adopt green economic policies to ensure the sustainability of its economic growth, an international meeting on green economics here concluded. The meeting discussed green economics and how to promote and build awareness of the concept through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia member countries.

The discussion was organized jointly by The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), Japan and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), according to a United Nations Information Center release Monday.

The experts at the meeting agreed that Indonesia should apply green

economic projects as an important means to influence their economic activities, like economic growth, industrialization pattern and regional economic cooperation and integration in South-east and East Asia.

The meeting‘s participants also discussed how enterprises and governments in both South-East and East Asia countries need to reorganize the development of their industrial sectors‘ competitiveness.

They also noted that development of the green economic concept should be preceded by interaction among the officers and citizens. Green economics was believed to have an effect on energy efficiency, efficient resource utilization, industrial upgrading and diversification as well as development of regional markets.

Those benefits from the green economy were aimed at narrowing supply and demand conditions of the development gap in the region.

Foreign aircraft held for illegally entering RI territory Antara

JAKARTA - The Indonesian military (TNI) has again held a foreign commercial plane, a Boeing 737, for trespassing Indonesian airspace.

The country‘s Air Force spokesman, Rear Marshal Bambang Samoedro, said to ANTARA seeking confirmation of the incident here on Monday that the plane was caught on the radar passing through the country‘s air territory illegally at around 12.00 hours on Monday.

“The plane was then forced to land escorted by two Sukhoi fighters at the Sultan Hasanuddin air base in Makassar (South Sulawesi) for further investigation,” he said.

Bambang said based upon initial investigation the plane serves

the route between Dili (East Timor) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). “The number of its passengers is still being confirmed as well as its reason for passing through the Indonesian territory,” he said.

The TNI before held a Malaysian plane BAE 146-200 for entering the country‘s air territory without a permit.

The aircraft that carried 81 people on board including the crew departed from Dili, East Timor and landed illegally at Juanda airport in Surabaya, East Java, at 12.45 hours.

Bambang said the permit for a foreign plane to fly through the country‘s territory is issued by TNI‘s intelligence agency BAIS who is still coordinating with the foreign ministry for the immediate issue of permits for the planes.

Australian Minister to Visit Indonesia Antara

JAKARTA - Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, will visit Indonesia this week for his first overseas trip to talk on agriculture, trade and food security.

A media release from Australian embassy on its official website said the visit would include meetings with key Indonesian political, agriculture, forestry and marine representatives.

“Indonesia is an important trading partner for Australia, and our fourth largest agricultural market,” Minister Ludwig said.

In 2010, Australia exported $2

billion worth of agricultural products to Indonesia.

“Indonesia is our largest wheat, live cattle and potato market, and a major market for sugar and dairy,” he said.

Minister Ludwig will meet with Indonesian Agriculture Minister Suswono, the Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad while in Jakarta.

The Minister will be canvassing issues of mutual interest including food security, market access for boxed beef and live cattle, illegal logging and fishing and the Emerging Infectious Diseases program.

Later in the week, Minister

Ludwig will travel to Bali to co-chair a session at a Ministerial Conference hosted by Indonesia to coincide with the Fourth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Members of the Treaty have developed a benefit sharing fund which invests in high-impact projects addressing food security, adaptation to climate change and agricultural biodiversity.

Australia contributed $1 million to this fund in 2010.

According to the Australian embassy media release, Minister Ludwig would leave the country for Indonesia on Tuesday morning.

FOTO ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf

President of Philippine Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III meets Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. This is a first visit to Jakarta for Phillipine President after his election last year.

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International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Bali Today Turtles Conservation Center become tourism attraction Antara

Denpasar – The Turtle Conservation Center which is located in Serangan Island, Denpasar is one of the tourism attractions in the area. Wayan Raga, the owner of the land where the center is located, said “currently, there are 20 up to 30 foreign tourists visited the center.”

He said that the Bali Bombing incident in 2002 had affected the number of tourists visited the sanctuary for turtle. In the conservation center, the tourists can observe and interact with the turtles. There are 6 months turtles and up to 85 years old.

Raga explained that the visit to the center is free of charge because it is not allowed by the regulation to receive payment for the visitors of a sanctuary. However, the visitors can donate their money to a special box.

The donation will be used to by the food for the turtles.

“The cost is very expensive. Every day at least 300,000 rupiah is needed only to feed the turtles. The small turtles are given scrimps while the older one is given sea weed,” he added. The smaller turtles must

be separated with the older one because they can be eaten.

The turtle conservation center was established in 2970 and it is 9.5 acres wide and has 4.5 acres of sea water pool.

The Head of Conservation Division in Bali Conservation Department (BKSDA), Sumarsono, said that the department must cooperate with private sector to handle the turtles because there is no fund from the government.

“For that reason, we cooperate with Wayan Raga. Everything that happen to turtles in the center must be reported to the government such as the one that died, released to the sea, or being use in rituals,” he added. The turtles that can be used for ceremony is at least one year and approved by the authorities.

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Penyu conservation at Serangan Island.

Three Indigenous Wisdoms in Human-Animal Relation Nature is so kind to its dwellers, namely plants, animal and human. It has provided all things or sustenance required for the survival around the

clock. All require the presence of one another. However, human being is the most determining elements among the three because he is the only creature be-

stowed with the capability of thinking.

One of the basic principles in Hinduism is the belief in the soul. All creatures are brought to life by vital energy

Tokobagus launched its TV commercial IBP

DENPASAR – Being success on its online site, Tokobagus.com launched its TV commercial on March 7, 2011. The concepts of Tokobagus.com advertisement were adapted from its member experience on selling their products. ‘’This is a concept of how we can promote this online sites by taking the experience of its members,” said Director of Tokobagus.com Remco Lupker.

He also explained that in these ads, audiences can watch the experiences on tokobagus.com members. Luckily people can learn on how to sell or find products in this online site. ‘’We try to describe how people can do the transaction and use tokobagus.com by using the experience that came from our members,” stated Lupker.

This ad was divided into four versions that have common themes, doing buying and selling via online site. To keep the ad

Courtesy of Tokobagus.com

Remco Lupker, Director of Tokobagus.com (right) watching the tv commercial of tokobagus.com. ‘’This ad also have education more interesting, every version conmission. We try to educate people sists of different problems.

Using simple tagline ‘’Tokobagus, on how to use online site for sellJual Beli Bagus”, Lupker hopes that ing and buying products because people will be easy to memorize nowadays many people using this tokobagus.com so the mission to edu- method to doing business,” added cate and improve brand awareness Director of Tokobagus.com Arnold Sebastian. (kmb18) can be achieved.

or soul (atman). It represents the fragment of God (Brahman). Since material body bonds them, they could not identify their pure self. Human being endowed with power, words and mind has dominant role in maintaining the relations. He considers God dwells inside all creatures. On that account, he respects them all as equal creation.

Animal particularly cattle, for instance, has helped human being in living their life. Cow has provided him with the power to plough his soil in the rice field or garden, milk for children and adult, and its dung for fertilizing the soil. Meanwhile, other cattle give human some eggs or fleshes.

As a means of thanksgiving, Hindu devotees in Bali celebrate a day in 210 days as special ceremony to their cattle.

It is called Tumpek Kandang falling on Saturday Kliwon Wuku Uye. The upcoming one will fall on 6 June. On that day, the Hindus in Bali will celebrate it by presenting some oblations showing a deep gratitude for being given with the energy assistance, healthy drink or delicious food. The same respect is given to cultivated plants that are honored through Tumpek Pengatag or Bubuh (Saturday Kliwon Wariga) and human itself has birthday (otonan) celebrated once in 210 days on the same day as his birth, not birthdate (on the same date). From the morning, girls or household mothers will be busy preparing everything for the ritual. It would be a great chance if you could see the

Balinese perform the procession.

Since human being has a mind, there is an opportunity for him to get reunion with God because he can think and learn about God. This denotes another belief of Hinduism, namely moksha. Meanwhile, animal and plant do not have this opportunity. However, human being can provide help for this purpose in order the soul of animal and plant can reach higher level in their next life.

Dharma Caruban manuscript describes the correct way to slaughter animals and to take plants for the use of rituals. Before slaughtering them, they are given particular mantra in the hope they could reach higher level of life in the next reincarnation. This treatment is equally given to any plants, fish (ekapada), fowl (dwipada) and fourlegged animals (catur pada).

Regarding to this human-animal relation, there is another manuscript, namely Darmaning Pemaculan or Shri Tattwa, describing about spiritual farming-related activities, ranging from how to build different sizes of dam, land cultivation and plant’s disease eradication to rituals held in each phase of the activity. In handling plant’s disease, local farmers remain to say prayers in order God or His manifestation keeps the animal properly, not disturb the plants. As the compensation for the animals, devotees will present proper food (lelabaan).

Otherwise, the farmers will set up trap or natural poison. (BTN/punia)

International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Balinese Culture

Tanah Lot visited by 6,100 tourists every day For those who visited Bali already, must have heard or even coma to Tanah Lot. The number of tourists visited the main tourism attraction in Tabanan Regency keep increasing from time to time.

In 2010, the number of tourists came to Tanah Lot was 2.145 million people. There is great hope that this year, the number of tourists will increase at least 15%. The outstanding view and the sacred atmosphere of Tanah Lot Temple could hypnotize every visitor.

The magical value and the beautiful scenery made Tanah Lot as the main destination for tourists in Tabanan area. The tourism site has total area of 203 hectares and equipped with many facilities to support tourism.

There are 271 art shops, 16 toilets, 4 restaurants, a hotel and 4 information centers. Around 476 sellers are also available in the area as well as security officer who always ready to assist the visitors.

Every day, Tanah Lot is visited by over 6,100 domestic and foreign tourists. The number of tourists visited the tourism site keep increasing and in average, it is up to 15%. The Operational Man-

ager of Tanah Lot, Made Sujana, said “more than 6,100 tourists come to Tanah Lot every day.”

Based on the data, most of the tourists are domestic tourists which are up to 63.1% and the rest or 39.9% are foreigners. The data in January 2011 also shows that the number of tourists visited Tanah Lot was 189,615 tourists or 6,116 tourists a day. The number increase 15% compare to the previous year.

The increasing number of visitors is because the promotion and efforts done by the management of the tourism site.

According to Sujana, the main attraction in Tanah Lot is Tanah Lot Temple itself. The magnificent temple lay in the middle of Indonesian Ocean. It is able to attract the tourist to come to the temple.

However, the increasing number of visitors makes the management worried on the capacity of Tanah Lot. “The number of tourists come to Tanah Lot is way above the ideal number which is around 1.7 million through 2 million visitor a year. Now, the number of visitors are more than 2.1 million a year,” Sujana said.

He added “if the number of visitors is already too high, we

will try to reduce them by limiting the tourists entering the temple.” The limitation must be done in order to conserve Tanah Lot. The management is worry that the overcrowded tourists will damage the beautiful temple and also could disturb each other. On regular day, the average visitor is over 6,000 people and it could be a couple more than that on holiday.

“During high season such as New Year, the number of tourists visited Tanah Lot could up to 24,000 people a day,” Sujana said.

With that number, many problems will occur in the tourism site such as parking space and the comfort of the guests. Sujana stated that the management doesn’t want to chase the highest number of visitors and ignoring the facilities. “Tanah Lot must become the interesting and comfortable tourism destination in Bali, He added.

Few weeks ago, the management asked for the adjustment of the entrance fee to Tanah Lot to the government. Currently, the entrance ticket price is around 5,000 rupiah through 10,000 rupiah while other tourism sites in Tabanan apply the fee of 15,000 rupiah. (wid/iah)

Ikan Bali (Bali Fish)

Ingredients 1 Fish, about 650-900g dressed Weight. Preferably sea bass or Mackerel 1 t Salt Oil, for deep frying 2 T Margarine or oil 2 sm Onions, sliced 1 t Sambal Oelek 1/2 t Laos 1/2 t Lemon grass 3 T Tamarind juice Pinch of ground ginger 1 t Brown sugar 1 T Sweet soy sauce Directions Cut fish into serving portions and rub salt all over.

Feep-fry and drain on absorbent paper.

Heat oil and saute sliced onions until lightly brown.

Add sambal oelek, laos, lemon grass, tamarind juice, ginger, brown sugar and soy sauce. Heat thoroughly.

Place fried fish in deep serving dish and pour sauce over it. Serve with rice. (http://asiarecipe.com)

Kare Ikan (Fish Curry)

Ingredients 1 1/2 Lb, cleaned weight fish 6 Shallots or 1 lg Onion 2 Cloves garlic 2 ts Ground coriander 1 ts Ground ginger 1/2 ts Powdered lemon grass or 1 Blade fresh, lemon grass 1 ts Chilli powder 1 Salam leaf or bay-leaf 1/2 ts Turmeric 1/2 c Tamarind water 1 c Of thick santen (coconut -milk) 2 tb Vegetable oil Salt sl Cucumber Mint Directions It is better to select a white fish with firm flesh, such as haddock, angler-fish, swordfish or dogfish. In Australia the various fish known as whiting would be a good choice. Americans might like to use snappers.

Whatever fish is used, it can be cut into small cubes or slices before frying. Heat a little oil in a heavy fryingpan, and carefully brown the fish in it. Meanwhile, in another frying-pan, fry the chopped shallots (or onion) and garlic until tender. Stir in the chilli, ginger, turmeric, coriander, lemon grass, salam, salt and tamarind water.

Let this mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then put in the fish. Cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add the santen and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with very thin slices of cucumber and chopped mint. (Alternatively, put the cucumber and mint into the kare itself for the last 2 minutes of cooking.) Incidentally, the same kare can be made with prawns. There is no need to fry the prawns separately; but fry them in the mixture of onion, etcetera for a few minutes before you put in the tamarind water. Makes 4 servings. (http://asiarecipe.com)

C.045 ibp

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Destinations

International

Candidasa Bali IBP

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Candidasa is located in hilly bank, beside of the main road between Semarapura towns with Amlapura (Karangasem). It is situated about 50 km to east way from Denpasar town or 1.5 hours from Bali’s International Airport.

In the center of Candidasa there is a pool which is wide enough, and from that place we can enjoy the beautiful view of the Lombok Strait. Candidasa own beautiful beach with the black sand along the coastal and the magnificence view of the ocean.

Now Candidasa is one of the famous tourist places in east part of Bali. In this place, we can find many hotels, villas, resorts and other accommodations which have been built to accommodate the visitor to pay a visit and enjoy the holiday in this beautiful area. Restaurant and art shop to sell the souvenir are also completing this area as a resort area in the tranquility of Bali.

From Denpasar town, Candi Dasa is easily reached through the highway alongside the coastal edge and about 1 hour from Denpasar town. It is recognized with the tourist place in east part of Bali and own the fascination of the beautiful beach, thrive coconut trees, tropical atmosphere and peaceful. It is an ideal place for relaxation and refresh during your vacation in Bali.

Candidasa Beach owns the calm wave and peaceful atmosphere that suitable for holiday in far from town bustle. Beside of that, many others places of interest can be visited around Candidasa like Tenganan Village, Goa Lawah (Bat Cave), Kusamba Beach and others. Candi Dasa has a lot of visited by many tourists because it is the second favorite resort area after Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua or Ubud.

Jl. Kepundung 67 A, e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id Jl. Palmerah Barat 21 F

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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BUSINESS Car-buying fuels increase in consumer borrowing Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Consumers borrowed more in January to purchase new cars but were once again frugal with their credit cards, offering a mixed sign of their confidence in the economy.

Borrowing rose 2.5 percent, or by $5 billion, the Federal Reserve said Monday. It was the fourth consecutive monthly gain and it increased total consumer debt to $2.41 trillion.

Strong car sales drove the increase.

The category that includes auto loans rose 6.9 percent.

But credit card debt fell 6.4 percent in January — the 28th decline in 29 months — to lowest level since September 2004. Americans had increased their use of plastic in December for the first time since the financial crisis. But they cut back the following month, even though a Social Security tax cut is giving most households an extra $1,000 to 2,000 this year.

“People are still pretty cautious about using their credit cards,” said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor’s in New York. “We are coming out of a deep recession in which a lot of people got caught with too much

debt.”

Consumer debt is 0.7 percent above a three-year low hit in September. It is 6.6 percent below the peak hit in July 2008.

Analysts are predicting that consumers will borrow more in the months ahead, responding to the strengthening economy, a brighter outlook for jobs and the tax cut. But they said the increases will likely be gradual.

Michael Gapen, senior U.S. economist at Barclays Capital, said he expects consumer spending to grow as much as 3.5 percent in 2011, about double last year’s gain.

“The passage of the tax package in December and the on-going improvement in labor market conditions will mean households will have more disposable income, which will help consumption,” Gapen said.

The government reported Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 8.9

percent in February, the first time it has been below 9 percent in nearly two years. Households began borrowing less and saving more as they struggled to cope with the deep 2007-2009 recession. People trimmed their spending when the unemployment rate began to rise.

The rise in auto loans marked the sixth consecutive month that this category has increased, reflecting a rebound in auto sales.

Even if economists’ forecasts are accurate and borrowing does increase this year, analysts are not predicting that consumers will increase debt the way they had during the housing boom.

During that time, households felt wealthier because of soaring home values. But when home prices fell, they cut back on borrowing. And the trend accelerated after job losses mounted and many people struggled to get their debt under control.

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The McDonald’s at 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan. Sandwich maker Subway has stolen the fast food crown from long-time holder McDonald’s, claiming more stores worldwide for the first time Monday.

Subway steams past McDonald’s in store race Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON – Sandwich maker Subway has stolen the fast food crown from long-time holder McDonald’s, claiming more stores worldwide for the first time Monday.

On January 1, Subway had 33,749 stores across the globe, spokesperson Les Winograd said, surpassing McDonald’s reported 32,737 outlets.

“We overcame them at some point in 2010. One year ago, we were slightly behind,” Winograd told AFP. The company said some of its success was due to its private ownership.

Subway was founded in 1965 and is not listed on the stock exchange.

“That is our choice, and the reason

for that is that it enables us to focus on the product, the quality, the restaurants and not on the other things associated with a public company, like financial statements,” said Winograd.

McDonald’s, born in 1955 in a Chicago suburb, has dominated the fast-food market for most of its existence, becoming an icon of capitalism and a mainstay of the US stock market.

Today it is seemingly omnipresent on streets from Madrid to Los Angeles and the company is valued at around $80 billion. McDonald’s spokeswoman Heidi Barker played down the news.

“We remain focused on listening to and serving our customers, and are committed to being better, not just bigger,” she said.

Moody’s downgrade tips Greece closer to brink Reuters

ATHENS/LONDON – Moody’s slashed Greece’s credit rating by three notches on Monday due to an increased default risk, raising the specter that the distressed euro zone sovereign may have to restructure its debt, perhaps before 2013.

The move increased pressure on euro zone leaders to ease repayment terms on bailout loans to Athens, just as Germany and its allies seem to have turned their backs on more radical steps to help it reduce its debt through bond purchases or buy-backs.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Greek debt to B1 from Ba1 — lower than Egypt — and said it may cut further, drawing an indignant protest from the Greek Finance Ministry.

“The likelihood of a default or distressed exchange has risen since its last downgrade of the Greek government debt rating in June 2010,” Moody’s said in a statement.

The downgrade sent a ripple of anxiety around credit markets, raising the price of insuring Greek, Portuguese and Spanish debt against default and the risk premium on holding Greek bonds rather than benchmark German bunds.

Portuguese government bond yields hit a euro lifetime high of 7.65 percent, heightening pressure on Lisbon to seek an EU/IMF bailout in the wake of Greece and Ireland.

Ahead of a euro zone summit on Friday, European Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn made the case for reducing interest rates paid

by Athens and Dublin on euro zone rescue loans and extending the maturities to enable them to achieve debt sustainability.

Moody’s cited risks to Greece’s fiscal consolidation program from a revenue shortfall and difficulties in reforming healthcare and stateowned companies.

Greece signed a 110 billion euros ($154 billion) rescue package with the EU and IMF last May to avoid default in exchange for draconian austerity measures which it has be-

gun to implement. But many see the repayment terms as too onerous.

“The sheer magnitude of the task becomes ever more apparent,” said Sarah Carlson, Moody’s lead analyst on Greece.

Even if it fulfills the entire threeyear adjustment program, its debt is projected to reach 158 percent of gross domestic product in 2013, a level widely seen as unsustainable.

“There is a risk that conditions attached to any kind of continuing support after 2013 could take solvency criteria into account that the country may not be able to satisfy, and therefore could result in a restructuring of existing debt,” Carlson told Reuters.

The European Central Bank, which has intervened repeatedly since last May to calm bond markets by buying euro zone peripheral sovereign debt, said it made no purchases last week in the run up to Friday’s euro zone summit.

Moody’s was the first of the three major ratings agencies to classify Greek debt as “highly speculative.”

The Greek Finance Ministry said it had ignored progress in implement-

ing its fiscal consolidation plan, including an improvement in revenue collection.

“Decisions such as Moody’s today can initiate damaging self-fulfilling prophecies,” it said.

However, some analysts said the bond market was already pricing in a managed Greek default.

“This is not going to be the last downgrade for Greece,” said Christoph Weil, an economist at Commerzbank. “The market has already discounted that Greece will need to restructure its debt so the rating agencies are just running behind the market.”

On Friday, euro zone leaders will discuss measures to enforce stricter budget discipline, boost economic competitiveness and strengthen the bloc’s financial rescue fund in an attempt to draw a line under the debt crisis.

Rehn said there was a case for lowering the interest rate on both Greek and Irish loans and giving them longer to repay.

“The issue now and tomorrow is debt sustainability, and therefore I

can see that there is a case to reduce the interest rates paid by Greece and Ireland,” he told reporters.

“In that context, it is important that we also look at loan maturities so that we can go beyond the hump of 2014 and 2015 and that also contributes to debt sustainability.”

Germany, the EU’s reluctant paymaster, has hinted it may agree to extending the maturity of Greek loans to seven years, like Ireland’s, and possibly ease the interest rate slightly.

But Berlin’s ruling center-right coalition parties and the Bundesbank have strongly opposed any purchase of distressed sovereign bonds by the euro zone rescue fund and any lending to Greece to buy back its own debt on the market at a discount.

Moody’s said it was concerned by the lack of certainty about the nature of financial support that will be available to Greece after 2013, and its implications for bondholders, although its central scenario remains that bondholders will not bear losses.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Entertainment

Dido talks about becoming a mother, new album Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Dido doesn’t know the sex of her baby, but she’s not going wait until her due date to find out. “I’m too curious,” the British singer-songwriter said in a recent interview. “It’s enough of a surprise on the day.” Dido is due to have her first child this summer. It’s already been a big year: She was nominated for an Academy Award for best song for co-writing “If I Rise” from the movie “127 Hours,” and is finishing up a new album.

“I’m nearly done,” she said last month about her upcoming album.

“Music will just start coming out as this year goes on.” Dido, perhaps best known stateside for the song “Thank You,” which was sampled by Eminem for “Stan,” said her new record brings her back to her electronic roots. She’s once again working with her brother, Rollo Armstrong, as well as other producers.

“It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable record,” she said. “It’s a real mix and in a funny sort of way, it’s a mix of everything, some sort of big electronic extravaganza. It’s much more electronic than the last record.”

“Safe Trip Home,” which was released in 2008, was Dido’s last studio album. She’s more eager to perform in front of fans with her new album. “... I didn’t want to tour that record for a really long time, partly because it was a really dark record and stuff, whereas this record, apart from anything, there’s a lot of really fun stuff on this record,” the 39-year-old said.

Of course, before Dido goes on the road, she’ll be dealing with her first priority: her new baby. She didn’t perform at the Oscars because of her pregnancy, and after the baby is born, she plans to take time off. But for the moment, she’s enjoying the “very exciting” time in her life.

“There’s a real calmness about it which I think is really nice. Your decisions are sort of made for you,” she said, laughing. “You just have this priority that is unchangeable and I think that’s a great calmness that comes from that.”

AP Photo/Arista Records

In this undated image released by Arista Records, musician Dido is shown.

International

Charlie Sheen sacked from hit TV series

AFP/Getty Images/File/Riccardo S. Savi

Charlie Sheen (pictured here in 2010) has been sacked from the hit TV series “Two and a Half Men” after slamming its producers in outbursts described as evidence of the troubled actor’s “self-inflicted disintegration.”

Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES – Charlie Sheen has been sacked from the hit TV series “Two and a Half Men” after slamming its producers in outbursts described as evidence of the troubled actor’s “self-inflicted disintegration.” Warner Brothers said it was forced into the move by the 45-yearold’s “dangerously self-destructive conduct,” according to a 10-page letter from Warners’ lawyers which said Sheen appeared very ill.

“After careful consideration, Warner Bros. Television has terminated Charlie Sheen’s services on ‘Two and a Half Men’ effective immediately,” the studio said in a terse one-line statement. The show — in which Sheen plays a hedonistic bachelor — had already been canceled for the rest of the season following Sheen’s repeated verbal attack on its producer, Chuck Lorre, two weeks ago.

Sheen drew accusations of antiSemitism after referring to Lorre by the Hebrew translation of his name, but persisted with a series of rambling TV interviews last week, prompting his spokesman to quit.

The star also started his own Twitter feed which immediately became an Internet sensation, and over the

weekend launched a live-streamed online talk show, dubbed “Sheen?s Korner.”

But a letter from Warner Brothers lawyers at the firm Munger, Tolles and Olson, published Monday by celebrity website TMZ said: “Let us state the obvious: (Sheen) has been engaged in dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill. “For months before the suspension of production, Mr. Sheen’s erratic behavior escalated while his condition deteriorated. His declining condition undermined the production in numerous and significant ways. “Now, the entire world knows Mr. Sheen’s condition from his alarming outbursts over just the last few weeks,” it said, lamenting “the public spectacle of his self-in-

flicted disintegration.”

Sheen, who has threatened to sue for up to $2 million dollars an episode he would miss out on, welcomed the announcement in typically colorful language. “This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales.

It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge,” he said according to TMZ, using the ironic name he has given to his home outside Los Angeles.

“Now I can take all of the bazillions... again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension,” he added, apparently referring to Lorre. The lawyers’ letter listed various incidents involving the notorious wildman actor, including in New York hotel in October, and a marathon party at his Los Angeles home in late January which left him hospitalized.

Justifying Sheen’s dismissal specifically, they said there was a clause in his contract allowing them to fire anyone who commits “a felony offense involving moral turpitude.”

Globetrotters: not your average basketball cases Agence France Prese

FAIRFAX, Virginia – Eighty-five years after starting life in a Chicago ballroom where business was slow, the Harlem Globetrotters are still innovators in the game of basketball and the world of showbiz.

The team that made former pope John Paul II an honorary member, helped to develop the slam dunk — when a player leaps into the air and slams the ball into the net — and performs skits on the court is due to kick off its 51st tour of Europe with a game in Frankfurt, Germany on March 18.

From there, the players, their

mascot Globie, his big brother and a back-up crew of entertainers who number some of the best break-dancers ever to grace a basketball court, will visit 42 European cities in two months, including 10 in France, nine in Britain and eight in Italy. Also on the cards is a week’s visit to the United Arab Emirates in April.

Players like Herb “Flight Time” Lang — whose nickname was given to him by a Globetrotters’ boss who said he must earn frequent flyer miles every time he jumps in the air — will treat fans to familiar Globetrotters’ routines like the behind-the-back pass and three-man weave. But they’ll also introduce a new feature in basketball,

the four-point shot, taken 35 feet (10.67 meters) from the basket.

The Globetrotters score around 35 percent of the time from the fourpoint mark, according to Lang, who pointed out that many US college and professional, NBA teams have a similar shooting average from the three-point spot, which is 12 feet closer to the basket.

During a stop in Fairfax on the Globetrotters’ tour of the United States and Canada in early March, “Dizzy” Grant shot two four-pointers in a row, helping to carry his team to yet another win over the Globetrotters’ perennial rivals, the Washington Generals.

AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM

Sarge Johnson of the Harlem Globetrotters does a flip during a game against the Washington Generals at the Verizon Center in Washington on March 5, 2011.

Science

International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

13

Elephants are quick learners, offer helping hand Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Elephants quickly learn to lend each other a helping hand — ah, make that a helping trunk. In a series of tests, the giant mammals learned to cooperate to solve a problem, researchers report in Monday’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

AP Photo/Joshua M. Plotnik

In this image provided by Joshua M. Plotnik, elephants participate in a test involving food rewards that are placed on a platform on the ground connected to a rope.

Elephants are socially complex, explained lead researcher Joshua M. Plotnik. “They help others in distress,” he said. “They seem in some ways emotionally attached to each other, so you would expect there would be some level of cooperation.” However, he added, “I was surprised how quickly they learned.”

The elephants caught on as quickly as chimpanzees, elevating themselves to such heady company as great apes, dolphins and crows, according to Plotnik, of the department of experimental psychology at England’s Cambridge University.

The tests, conducted in Thailand, involved food rewards placed on a platform on the ground connected to a rope.

The elephants were behind a fence. To get the food, the elephants had to pull the two ends of the rope at the same time to drag the platform under the fence. Pull only one end and all you get is rope. Six pairs of elephants were tested 40 times over two days and every pair figured it out, succeeding on at least eight of the

last 10 trials.

Then the scientists tried releasing the elephants into the test area separately, up to 45 seconds apart. The elephants quickly learned to wait for their partners, with a success rate of between 88 and 97 percent for various pairs on the second day. However, one young elephant had what the researchers termed an “unconventional” solution to the problem.

As Plotnik and co-authors explained, the elephant firmly put one foot on the end of her rope, “forcing her partner to do all the work to retrieve the table.”

In another experiment, the researchers left only one end of the rope within reach of the elephants, with the other end coiled on the table. The elephants didn’t bother to pull the rope, seeming to recognize that it wouldn’t work if their partner couldn’t pull the other end. It is hard to draw a line between learning and understanding, the researchers concluded, but the elephants did engage in cooperative behavior and paid attention to their partner.

Chinese in stew over California shark fin threat Agence France Presse

SAN FRANCISCO – Chefs in San Francisco’s Chinatown are sharpening their knives to defend the right to serve shark fin soup, a staple in high-end Chinese restaurants in the city. Two local assemblymen have proposed a law to ban the transport and sale of shark fins in California, which would essentially outlaw the high-end Chinese delicacy often served on special occasions.

Environmentalists and others argue that the fin trade encourages shark-finning — a practice in which fishermen cut the fins off of live sharks and throw the rest of the animal overboard. Scientists blame the

practice for a worldwide collapse in shark populations.

But Chinese-American market and restaurant owners here have joined forces with fishermen and seafood processors to argue that the proposed ban is discriminatory. “The ban is insensitive because aside from the Asian market, there is no other market for shark,” said San Francisco shark fin processor Michael Kwong.

Kwong buys his fins from domestic boats that bring sharks in whole, and believes a blanket ban would unfairly target processors like him who derive fins from sustainable sources. Federal law already prohibits bringing sharks on shore without fins attached, but a

loophole allows imports from countries that permit finning.

California state Senator Leland Yee has called the bill just the latest in a string of attacks on Asian cuisine. He compares it to recent attempts to outlaw frog and turtle consumption, Korean rice cakes, live markets, and the production of Asian rice noodles.

“Rather than launch just another attack on Asian American culture, the proponents of the ban on shark fin soup should work with us to strengthen conservation efforts,” Yee said. In bustling Chinatown, shark fin soup can be found on the menu of most upscale restaurants. Dried fins can be purchased at most herb shops for $150 to $600 a pound.

AFP/File/Aman Rahman

Dead sharks are piled up in East Javanese port of Banyuwangi where many of the fins will be exported to Singapore and China. This large scale commercial exploitation of sharks has led to a drastic decline in shark populations globally.

Can’t sleep? Turn off cell phones, game consoles after sundown, survey says THE more often you use “interactive” electronics like cell phones or video games right before bed, the more likely it is you’ll miss out on deep, restful sleep, a new survey claims. I know the feeling.

The new study from the Washington, D.C.-based National Sleep Foundation isn’t the first to claim that the use of “light-emitting” devices like TVs and iPads just before turning in can disrupt sleep patterns.

Researchers say that such “artificial light exposure” at night may make you more alert before you hit the hay, making it tougher to get enough shut-eye.

But it does add a new wrinkle to the discussion: namely, that “inter-

active” gear like video games, cell phones, and laptops are more likely to mess with a good night’s sleep than “passive” gadgets like television sets.

The survey found that just about all of us (or 95 percent of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64, give or take) feast our eyes on a TV screen, a laptop, a cell phone, or some other type of gadget at least “a few” nights a week within an hour of bedtime.

But the National Sleep Foundation researchers say they found more and more people—particularly so-called Generation Y’ers (20- to 30-somethings) and Generation Z’ers (20somethings and younger)—using “interactive” gadgets like cell phones and

laptop right before bed.

And while watching Leno or Letterman before drifting off isn’t the best recipe for a good night’s sleep, sending one last test message on your phone or blowing away a final bad guy on your Xbox 360 is an even worse idea sleep-wise, according to the study.

The evidence? Turns out that 16 percent of Gen Y’ers and 22 percent of Z’ers—who, apparently, are far more likely to play a video game or send a text message before bedtime—complain that they’re not getting enough restful sleep, compared to 11 percent of Generation X’ers and 9 percent of baby boomers. Or so the study says.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Sport

International

Bayern Munich coach to leave at end of season Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

Tottenham Hotspurs’ Jermain Defoe (R) celebrates scoring with teammates Luka Modric (L) and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (2nd R) against Wolverhampton Wanderers’ during the Premiership football match at Molineux in Wolverhampton on March 6, 2011. The game ended 3-3.

London duo look to earn Champions League spurs Agence France Presse

PARIS – The unlikely setting of North London could by Thursday morning have two Champions League quarter-finalists while the once dominant force in the competition Italy could have lost two of its three representatives after the first batch of Last 16 second leg matches this week.

Arsenal and Spurs go into Tuesday and Wednesday’s clashes with Barcelona and AC Milan holding a 2-1 and 1-0 advantage respectively and a real chance of two sides who have no European Cup/Champions League trophies to their name of eliminating two teams with 10.

Milan’s fellow Serie A side AS Roma also face a tough task on Tuesday in qualifying as they visit Ukrainian league leaders Shakhtar Donetsk trailing 3-2 and bidding to become the first away side to win a European match in the forbidding environs of the mining region since Sporting Lisbon in October 2008.

Should both Italian sides go out it would leave only holders Inter Milan in the competition and they go to Bayern Munich next week needing to overcome a 1-0 deficit.

Also against both Roma and Inter’s prospects of reaching the last eight is that only one side has previously

overcome a home loss in the first leg of the post group stage matches to reach the next round since the Champions League replaced the European Cup - Ajax defeating Panathinaikos in the 1995/96 semi-finals.

The week’s other match sees German Cup finalists Schalke 04 host Spanish outfit Valencia with a slight advantage having drawn the away leg 1-1.

Arsenal go into the match at the Nou Camp on the back of a disappointing last week with a devastating late loss to Birmingham in the League Cup final and a 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland - though their Premier League title apsirations remain very much alive after Manchester United lost to Liverpool on Sunday. The Gunners too are likely to be without the injured influential pair of Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas though promising young English midfielder Jack Wilshere has said he is ready to play despite taking a knock to his ankle in

the Sunderland match.

Spurs are in totally uncharted territory having never before competed in the modern era Champions League but have thus far been one of the best sides to watch and will be boosted by the return of their much-coveted Welsh attacking midfielder Gareth Bale.

Bale returned to action as a replacement in the thrilling 3-3 away draw with Wolves on Sunday and manager Harry Redknapp is likely to start him on one flank with England international Aaron Lennon perhaps on the other after he impressed against Wolves. “He (Bale) looked alright didn’t he,” said Redknapp.

“I would have no problem with him starting.” Milan will be without combative midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who was suspended anyway because of picking up a booking in the first leg but exacerbated his punishment by headbutting Spurs assistant manager Joe Jordan after the match.

BERLIN – Bayern Munich said Monday that coach Louis van Gaal is to leave at the end of the season, one year early, after three defeats in a row and qualification for the Champions League on a knifeedge. “The reason for the contract being annulled is differing views on the club’s strategic direction,” the Bundesliga club said in a statement.

The German giants, who are accustomed to winning, are fifth in the Bundesliga and seven points adrift of the second place that would guarantee Champions League football next season. By their standards this is a poor season.

“Of course we know, looking at the Bundesliga table, that it will be very hard to qualify for the Champions League next season, but we are going to give it our all,” chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Monday. Following successful spells at Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam, Van Gaal was recruited from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2009 after Bayern dumped Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann following a string of poor results.

After the Hanover game, Rummenigge said the defeat and the manner of the loss had been for him the “low point” of the whole season. The paper reported earlier Monday that Van Gaal had been

given a three-game stay of execution — two Bundesliga games and next Tuesday’s Champions League round-of-16 second leg clash with Inter Milan.

If they don’t win these games, and Bayern fail to qualify for the Champions League - the final of which will be at Bayern’s Munich ground in 2012 — the Dutchman could be shown the door even sooner, Bild said. Bayern Munich said only that Van Gaal had agreed that all efforts would go towards meeting certain “minimum targets” this season. Possible successors touted in the German press include Turkey coach and former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink, former Ajax, Hamburg and Tottenham boss Martin Jol and a return to Munich for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jupp Heynckes. Bild said negotiations had already been opened with the first two of these options, as well as with Matthias Sammer, currently director of sport at the German Football Federation.

With a characteristic lack of modesty and an undertone of spite, Van Gaal himself said in late 2010 that his were not easy shoes to fill.

“There are not many who have my experience and track record,” he said. “(Manchester United’s Sir Alex) Ferguson, Mourinho and (England boss Fabio) Capello maybe, but they need to be able to speak German and Capello still can’t speak English.”

Chelsea plays down Premier League title chances Agence France Presse

BLACKPOOL, England – Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti did his best to pour cold water on the idea his side are back in the Premier League title race after Monday’s 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Blackpool. Goals from captain John Terry and a double from Frank Lampard - the first a penalty - helped Chelsea to a win against the hard working home side, who pulled a late consolation goal back through Jason Puncheon.

The win closes the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to nine points with a game in hand but the Stamford Bridge manager is uninterested in any talk of retaining the title.

“We have to prepare the next game and go game by game,” he said. “It is too far to think we can fight for the title, it is better for us to go game by game - that makes it easier for us. “It was a good per-

formance and an important result.

“Salomon Kalou helped us a lot and played very well. Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba played well overall, they were dangerous and I think they played a good game.” Contrary to Ancelotti’s opinion, Torres and Drogba appeared on different wavelengths for vast parts of this contest yet the Chelsea manager has faith that Torres can soon start to justify his £50million price tag.

“It is important that he works for the team and he is doing that,” he said. “He will improve and score.

I think that they played well as a good combination. We are happy with his performance and he will score. It is not a problem.”

Lampard too preferred to downplay title talk. “I don’t know if we’ve been given a second chance in the title race,” said Lampard, whose absence through injury this season has affected Chelsea’s form.

Sport

International

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

15

Conley, Allen lead Grizzlies past Thunder 107-101 Associated Press Writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Mike Conley and Tony Allen each scored 20 points, and Marc Gasol added 18 as the Memphis Grizzlies withstood a second-half rally and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-101 on Monday night. Zach Randolph added 17 points for Memphis, including four free throws in the closing seconds, as the Grizzlies maintained their hold on the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Russell Westbrook had 27 points and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Kevin Durant finished with 23 points, while James Harden scored 16. Oklahoma City was 6 of 12 from outside the arc after halftime, but never could overtake Memphis, which led by as many as 17 in the third quarter.

Both teams shot 52 percent in the game, but Memphis benefited from 12 Oklahoma City turnovers, including three in the fourth quarter, as the Thunder kept threatening Memphis’ lead.

The closest the Thunder could get was 93-92 on Westbrook’s threepoint play with 4:18 left. Baskets by Randolph and then Sam Young created the buffer Memphis needed.

The game was close through much

of the first half with six ties and eight lead changes. The Thunder never led by more than two points, while Memphis got it to 10 with under a minute to play in the half on Mayo’s 3-pointer.

Mayo’s layup off the Thunders sixth turnover in the half gave Memphis a 58-46 lead entering the dressing room, the Grizzlies ending the half on a 15-5 rally. Gasol had 12 points for Memphis, while Conley scored 10 points and had already handed out seven assists. He ended the night with nine.

Westbrook scored 13 points for Oklahoma City, while Harden had 10, missing only one of his five shots in the half. Durant was struggling from the floor, hitting only three of his nine shots in the half for eight points.

Memphis continued to extend the

lead through the first part of the third period as the advantage reached 17, but Durant started heating up.

Two consecutive 3-pointers put a dent in Memphis’ lead. Westbrook’s 3-pointer with the shot-clock running down, then a layup pulled the deficit to single-digits at 75-67. By the time the quarter ended, Durant had scored nine points in the period, Oklahoma City closed the quarter on a 16-6 run, and Memphis’ lead was cut to 79-73.

The rally rolled into the fourth quarter, as the Thunder continued to be successful from outside the arc.

After missing all six 3-pointers in the first half, the Thunder hit six of their first seven after the break.

That helped Oklahoma City pull within two on several occasions. But Memphis was able to hold off the Thunder down the stretch.

AP Photo/ Mark Weber

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket by Memphis Grizzlies’ Mike Conley, left, and Marc Gasol, back, of Spain during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, March 7, 2011.

FIFA lift Fernandez suspension: Israeli federation Agence France Presse

JERUSALEM – FIFA have officially lifted all restrictions against

Israel national coach Luis Fernandez who was suspended from all football activity by them last month, the Israeli football fed-

IBP/afp

Luis Fernandez

eration announced on Monday.

“FIFA have officially announced that all the restrictions concerning the Israel coach have been lifted,” a statement on the federation’s website read.

Fernandez said simply: “Now we can all move forward.” The 51year-old Spanish-born former French international was suspended by world football’s governing body on February 20 because of an outstanding judgement made against him in 2009 relating to a debt at Qatari team Al-Rayyan he had coached in 2005.

Fernandez insisted last week that he had resolved the legal issues that had led to his suspension. “Since FIFA did not agree to give me further time, I have had to fix the problem to prevent a suspension,” Fernandez told AFP. Fernandez has not had much success since taking over the Israeli national team last March, racking up just one win in European qualifying, over Malta.

Fernandez, who played 60 times for France and was a member of the side that won the 1984 European Championship title, coached Paris Saint Germain to the 1996 Cup Winners Cup, and was also in charge of Spanish sides Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol.

Cyclist Henderson wins Paris-Nice second stage Agence France Presse

AMILLY, France – New Zealand’s Greg Henderson of the Sky team won a sprint finish on Monday to take the second stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race. Belgian Thomas de Gendt of Vacansoleil holds the leader’s jellow jersey after the 199km run from Montfortl’Amaury, west of Paris, to Amilly in central France.

Henderson, already winner of the first sprint last year, clocked 5hr 00min 56sec to finish just ahead of Australia’s Matthew Goss and Russia’s Denis Galimzyanov. “It was a very fast sprint at the end of a very tiring and nervy day,” said Henderson.

“Thankfully I could count on Geraint Thomas, he has this ca-

pacity to spark the sprint. It was a long sprint but feeling victory within my grasp gave me wings.”

And Henderson added that he was next bidding to take the overall leader’s jersey as he bids to earn a place on the Tour de France team.

“The next stage? I’m going to try and go after the yellow jersey,” said Henderson, who is four seconds behind de Gendt in the overall standings. “My objective is the Tour de France, I’m hoping to race it this year unlike last year. We have an impressive team so it’s hard to win a place.”

The race was hit by several falls, notably to Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Australia’s Heinrich Haussler, which were not serious. France climber David Moncoutie was forced out of the race with a knee injury.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Sport

Alonso: I’m in F1 to win, not to make friends Double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has responded to recent slights against his character by asserting that he is in the sport ‘not to make friends but to achieve many titles’ – as he concedes that he is so happy at Ferrari that he even takes pleasure in ‘finishing 23rd’.

Following the allegation in Tom Bowers’ new book No Angel: The Secret Life Of Bernie Ecclestone that ahead of the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso asked McLaren-Mercedes team principal Ron Dennis to sabotage team-mate and bitter arch-rival Lewis Hamilton’s car in a desperate bid to boost his own title hopes at the expense of the Briton’s , Scuderia Toro Rosso ace Jaime Alguersuari stressed that he and his countryman, who he has previously described as ‘very cold’, are emphatically ‘not friends’. Alonso, though, insists that’s fine by him, as he is not in F1 to form lasting personal bonds.

“I’m not racing to make friends but to achieve many titles,” the 29year-old – seemingly never far from controversy – told Spanish sports daily Marca. “Let’s see if I win enough to be remembered. If not, I will still retire very happy, proud of the experience.”

Alonso went on to reflect upon his time at Ferrari to-date, revealing that ‘I expected a team of legend and magic and it has been a pleasant surprise, even better than I expected’ and assuring that ‘I am in no hurry

to [leave] here...I even enjoy finishing second, eighth and 23rd’.

The Spaniard tempered that a touch, however, by confessing that he does have some misgivings with the way in which F1 has transformed itself over the past few decades from a pure gladiatorial sport into a billion-pound global business.

“It’s not just racing,” he acknowledged. “F1 is also very much business and other interests. It’s not a competition, pure and simple.

Cars are not equal, the rules are not equal for all – but we know this and accept it because this is perhaps some of the charm of F1.”

Reminiscing further, Alonso rated the 2009 Renault R29 ‘the worst’ car he has ever driven in the top flight since making his grand prix debut a decade ago – and the Enstone-based outfit’s 2004 and 2005 models the best. “There was the war with the Bridgestone and Michelin tyres that made us a couple of seconds faster, already with 900 horsepower,” he recalled.

“Even with the inferior aerodynamics that we had six years ago compared to today, in Cheste (Valencia) we were doing 1m08s, compared to

1m14s now – six seconds different.

Those cars are hard to beat.”

The 26-time grand prix-winner also admitted that he had the opportunity to join Prost Grand Prix rather than Minardi back in 2001 – with the carrot of a potential Ferrari test drive in the pipeline for afterwards – but he explained that the lack of assurances there contrasted with the prospect of promotion to Renault via his relationship with Flavio Briatore convinced him to take the Faenza route.

Looking ahead, finally, Alonso mused that F1 drivers’ ‘greatest sacrifice’ is to ‘dedicate our first 30 or 40 years exclusively’ to racing, and whilst ‘it will be hard to leave F1 one day because I’ve been driving all my life’, he suggested that instead of eyeing a future team management role on the pit wall, he is more likely in retirement to look after the interests of a talented young driver or work with race driver education at his own kart circuit in Asturias – or even simply just enjoy himself.

“Today I would say no, because what I like is to drive,” he replied, when asked about the team management possibility. “I think I will prefer to spend the weekends having fun in a kart rather than doing some other job.”

LCR Honda, Elias launch 2011 campaign LCR Honda has become the latest team to launch its 2011 MotoGP World Championship challenger less than two weeks before the season gets underway in Qatar. Launched in the glamorous surroundings of Venice Casino, LCR took the wraps off the bike to once again reveal its distinctive Playboy-backed black and white livery.

Toni Elias, the first man to win the Moto2 World Championship, will front the one-rider team this season, the Spaniard embarking on his sixth season in the top flight.

“I flew here from Barcelona with my mum and my dad and we were all surprised because the party was unique! Venice is a wonderful city and the event was incredible. I could feel the affection of the Team guests and I was very happy because I met them for the first time.

“I must thank Lucio and the team staff for their efforts because this party was a real success. On the stage I joked with Lucio about our past challenges when he was a 125cc rider and now he is my Boss!

“We are leaving for Qatar in a couple of days and I hope to return all this trust to Lucio, his Team and all the fans. It won’t be easy but I am very stubborn (Lucio knows my temper!) and the premier class al-

ready gave me several successes that’s why I am very confident.”

The final pre-season test at Losail will take place on 13th and 14th of March, ahead of the opening round at the same circuit a week later.