Edisi 12 Januari 2011 | International Bali Post

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

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Domestic tourists may increase by 6.3 percent in 2011 PAGE 8 AP Photo/Kyodo News

In this Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011, photo, people surround a Chinese J-20 stealth plane before its runway test in Chengdu, southwest China. State media are reporting on the appearance online of photos that appear to show a prototype Chinese stealth fighter undergoing testing.

Detective recounts events before Jackson death PAGE 12

Chinese stealth fighter makes first test flight Associated Press Writer

BEIJING – China’s radar-eluding stealth fighter made its first-known test flight Tuesday, marking dramatic progress in the country’s efforts to develop cutting-edge military technologies. The prototype plane dubbed the J-20 flew for about 15 minutes over an airfield in the southwestern city of Chengdu where it was spotted carrying out runway tests last week, Kanwa Asian Defense magazine editor Andrei Chang said.

Photos of the plane in flight and on the ground surrounded by men in civilian clothes and army overcoats were also posted on unofficial Chinese military websites. A J-10 fighter — China’s last homegrown

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jet — flew behind it as a chase plane.

The test flight comes on the second day of a visit to China by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and the normally secretive military made no attempt to hide it or re-

move photos and reports about the J-20 from the Internet. The timing and hands-off approach is apparently intended to send the message that Beijing is responding to calls from the U.S. and others to be more

transparent about its defense modernization and future intentions.

Although likely many years from entering China’s inventory, the J-20 is a potential rival to the U.S. F-22 Raptor, the only stealth fighter currently in service. The U.S. is also employing stealth technology on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, while Russia’s Sukhoi T50’s stealth fighter made its maiden flight last year and is set to enter service in about four years.

Continued on page 6

Thousands flee Brisbane, flash floods kill 9 Agence France Presse

BRISBANE, Australia – Thousands of people fled central Brisbane Tuesday as the panicked city braced for its worst flooding in 120 years, after terrifying flash floods left nine dead and 59 missing nearby. Workers evacuated en masse after the Brisbane River burst its banks and officials said 6,500 properties and the downtown area would be hit in Australia’s third largest city, which was facing its biggest floods since 1893.

“This water is on its way,” said Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell

Newman. “Today is very significant, tomorrow is bad, and Thursday is going to be devastating for the residents and businesses concerned,” he said. The exodus by bus, train and car came a day after flash floods devastated the hillside town of Toowoomba, 125 kilometres (80 miles) west in Australia’s Great Dividing Range, sweeping away houses and uprooting trees. In Brisbane, panic-buying took hold as flood alerts were issued for dozens of suburbs and rescuers air-lifted hundreds of residents from outlying towns.

Continued on page 6

AFP PHOTO / EDDIE SAFARIK

People watch from Kangaroo Point Cliffs an emergency vessel recovering three lost boat pontoons on the Brisbane River after heavy flooding on January 11, 2011.

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International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Bali News

Representative tariff of ground water acquisition in Denpasar Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Determination of the Ground Water Acquisition Value (NPAT) with the lowest range of IDR 570/m3 to IDR 20,520/m3 pursuant to academician is very representative. Magnitude of the value poses a calculation derived from the academic studies, input from the industry and a study on environmental impact.

“Taxation as an instrument of settings should not be burdensome to the community. Based on the study made, the rate of the underground water in Denpasar is a representative tariff,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Udayana University, Prof. Dr. Wayan Ramantha, in Denpasar on Monday (Jan 10).

According to him, the figures on the list of the Denpasar underground water rates did not appear suddenly.

However, the figures were based on analysis of the feasibility function, regulation and protection, especially against the nature. “Taxes should be viewed from three aspects, namely as a setting, protection and feasibility.

These three keys must be considered along with the decision made in accordance with the existing regulations, such as laws and regulations,” he said.

All natural resources, said Ramantha, were managed and regulated by the state (government) for the prosperity of the people. Industry as perpetrator of the economy needed natural resources. Industry required a regulation and good business climate.

“So the setting of natural resources utilization, of course, should not be burdensome to the community,” he said.

Magnitude of NPAT had been regulated in the Mayoral Regulation No. 38/2010 concerning with its principal value. In the regulation was also set

forth about the necessity of industry to equip the pump with a water meter so the calculation of water utilization would be clear and transparent. But, the lower rates stipulated by Denpasar Municipality than that of the province as acknowledged by the Chairman of Commission C, Denpasar House, Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa, did not intend to go up against the policy of the province.

“We did not intend to collide with the provincial policy regarding to the tariff of underground water. In stipulating the rates in Denpasar, we refer to the policy of governor and other analysis by involving academician and the industry,” he said.

Diversity in the underground tariff from what was outlined by the provincial government concerned more with the implementation. Before setting the tariffs of the underground water, Denpasar had performed an analysis by involving the Faculty of Economics, Udayana University and listening to the inputs from the industry and analyzes on the environmental impacts.

“The process of determining these rates lasted long because it involved many parties, starting from the draft, discussion, analysis, verification and approval of the minister,” he said.

According to him, all processes and studies had been performed. Denpasar also set forth specific requirements for

industries using the underground water. His party was ready to explain about the underground water policy of Denpasar Municipality to the Governor.

“We are ready to meet and communicate about the underground water with the executives and provincial legislative. We really have no desire to go up against the provincial government,” he said.

Among the circle of industries, described Arya Wibawa, had to make a water treatment system no later than two years. “It means that we are very committed to the environment such as what is programmed by the governor,” he said.

In the meantime, the Head of Denpasar Revenue Services (Kadispenda), I.B. Subrata, confirmed that decision made by Denpasar had been appropriate with the analysis.

“We do not want to go up against the provincial policy. On the other side, we do not want if the decision will actually destroy the industry in Denpasar. It is indeed a difficult decision, but it must be taken,” he said.

Determination of the Ground Water Acquisition Value (NPAT) in Denpasar was bitterly reacted by Governor of Bali by threatening to annul the regional regulations of the regency/ city going up against the governor’s decision. (par)

Klungkung Council underestimate Agriculture Semarapura (Bali Post) –

All this time Klungkung Council has been saying will make agriculture sector as a first priority in development to increase self-support food supplies. Yet until now it is still contra productive. Turns out the council been switching these productive lands usage to be something unclear seen from how they give permits easily for constructions on it. This was stated by Klungkung House of Representatives member, A.A. Gde Agung Bagus last Monday

(10/1).

According to Bagus, agriculture development is not as like other sectors. In Klungkung 30 percent of its population are still working as farmers, and so agriculture should be a potential to increase self-support, “Klungkung’s policy towards agriculture is still weak and not continued, either intensification or reduction.”

The weak intensification policy was seen from lesser disease and pest management after harvest due to switching land’s usage, “That

should get its attention. Don’t make it contra productive.” If it is for selfsupport then there should be a selective attitude in producing permits which switches land usage, “I don’t see this commitment. Because the fact that now many lands are switched such as in Uma Lemek, Besang, Gelgel, nearby GOR, Penasan, Sengkiding and more.”

To complete the commitment, Bagus suggested a regulation needs to be formed to protect the people’s land especially those on the green zone. One of them being free tax for farmers. (kmb20)

Used Items Carrier Burnt Negara (Bali Post) –

A number of residents and road users around Udayana Street, Negara were shocked by the smoke and fire coming from a motorbike left on the road last Monday (10/1). The motorbike with an extension filled with used items got burnt on its back.

Even Matugi (50) the driver of the bike did not realize it.

Matugi from Pendem, Negara just knew his Yamaha Vega DK 4258 WV was burnt after shouted by residents around Hotel Jimbarwana.

Matugi then brought his bike to the roadside and splashed it with drainage waters. The items received at

Sari Kuning, Melaya were in bits and pieces in the middle of Udayana Street, just in front of Negara Sub District Office.

This incident then became something to watch and a number of used items collected were burnt. The back part of the motorbike also seemed burnt. He admitted that he brought matches and put it where he placed the used items, but nothing exploded just boxes that got burnt, “Maybe because of the exhaust or little fire happened due to being rubbed against it.” Luckily the fire can be taken off soon, “If I was a bit late, it could go up to its petrol place and explode.” (kmb26)

Denpasar Festival

Gajah Mada Street Usage Evaluated Denpasar (Bali Post) –

As a yearly event Denpasar Festival got its people’s appreciation. As the whole four days (28th-31st December) festival has its visits increasing looking from the turnover received either from food, textiles and multi products stands reaching IDR 2 billion. Yet Gajah Mada Street got evaluated, and so it needs an alternative location.

This was stated during the Denpasar Festival evaluation meeting at Praja Utama Room in Denpasar Mayor Office last Monday (10/1). The evaluation involved all components including all agencies in Denpasar Council area. “The high turnover during the festival is a priority but how to involve creative ideas is another,” City Secretary A.A. Ngurah Rai Iswara stated in front of Denpasar Festival committee.

Rai Iswara stated this third time held Festival has increased in its quantity and quality but there were still things need to be fixed or perfected to succeed it for this year’s.

One of them is anticipating Gajah Mada Street usage which has been used for multi products stand. For next year it is most probably to be moved by using Veteran or Kaliasem Street so Gajah Mada traffics will flow also sellers in that street can feel the festival too.

Meanwhile based on written notes stated by I Wayan Geria from Culture Section Expert Group, to make this festival more neat and expressive for stands arrangement it needs a five years blue print so there’s a direction, guide and reference in developing Denpasar Festival that keeps promoting local products.

To avoid a monotone agenda, it needs innovation and comparison to other area’s festivals. And for the opening parade this year, it had good quantity but still quality shortage. To Geria, Denpasar Festival’s purpose is not only for exhibitions and just a yearly event but also to bring up small businesses, socio economy health and to improve the people’s wealth also prosperity. So it needs a monitoring and supervising towards the real development effect from this yearly event that previously was named Gajah Mada Town Festival.

Meanwhile Head of Committee A.A. Putu Suwetja who’s also Denpasar Village Head hoped this evaluation could minimize the shortage of Denpasar Festival in the coming years. Many suggestions received will be a guide and to him this year’s success was due to the City Council’s support also Denpasar residents that actively participated to interact fully during the Festival. (kmb12)

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Bali News

International

The confiscated turtles are sprayed with water by the officer.

Bali Police Department prevent a smuggling of 38 turtles in Karangasem Regency.

IBP/Eka

Turtle Smuggling Failed Two Accused Captured, 38 Green Turtles Confiscated Denpasar (Bali Post) –

Again, Bali Water Police Directorate Troops successfully failed tens of turtles smuggling. At least 38 green turtles managed to be confiscated from the two accused Abdul Kadir (46) from Kampung Kota, Sapeken Village, Sumenep, Madura and I Ketut Laba (43) from Dusun Panjingan, Les Village, Tejakula, Buleleng. The two were captured around Candi Dasa Raya Street, Karangasem last Monday (10/1) early morning.

Head of Bali Police Public Relation Board, Great Police Commissioner Gde Sugianyar, accompanied by Director of Bali Water Police AKBP Bagoes Doeta, explained that these two accused are still intensively investigated and not many statements have been received yet. It is strongly suspected these green turtles will be sold to traders around Denpasar, “According to accused, one turtle can be sold IDR 3 to 5 million.”

The information started from a resident at Sapeken, Madura stating there was a ship carrying tens of turtles to be brought to Bali. AKBP Bagoes Doeta then commanded a number of officers to supervise and not only by patrolling at sea, but also fast attack troops to check on land and traditional or illegal piers.

The patrolling water police couldn’t find that ship and no results from the

checking of East Bali piers so they contacted the fast attack troops who are at land. At last one was found after one witness saw a ship in a traditional pier taking out their goods yet they were turtles.

The turtles were then carried to a yellow truck and so police followed it through the Karangasem-Denpasar route. The truck was then stopped around Candi Dasa Raya Street, Karangasem, “After checked, tens of turtles are in it. Moreover, the driver and a passenger (two accused, red) could not show complete documents.”

The accused were then brought to the Bali Water Police Headquarters to be investigated further. AKBP Doeta stated from the 38 turtles confiscated, five of them had died. These turtles were admitted to be captured at Madura waters. For their acts, the two accused has been stated to violated section 21

paragraph 2 alphabet a and section 40 paragraph 2 of Indonesia Republic Law (UU RI) No.5 Year 1990 on Indonesian Conservation of Natural Resources (KSDA) and its ecosystem also section 4 paragraph 2 of Indonesia Republic Government Regulations (PPRI) No.7 Year 1999, section 56 PPRI No.8 Year 1999, section 55 of the Criminal Code (KUHP). The two accused could get 5 years jail punishment at most.

Sugianyar added to cut this protected animal smuggling network is just by realizing especially to those who buy it to make food. Even though Bali has lots of turtle satay or lawar admirers, if the seller knows this is a protected animal then he or she wouldn’t sell it, “If there are no turtle satay or lawar sellers, then there won’t be any of this smuggling. And so from now, we suggest these sellers not to sell it anymore.” (kmb21)

Sanglah Hospital will soon have MRI The measures to become an international standard hospital have been steadily taken by Sanglah Hospital. It is indicated by the assistance of the Health Department to Sanglah Hospital in the form of supplies and equipment to support the hospital services. One of the assistances is the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Thus, the Director of Human Resources and Education of the Sanglah Hospital, Putro Tri Nugroho, revealed on Monday (Jan 10). “The assistance is expected to arrive this March. It is not in the form of money but equipment,” said Nugie who formerly served as Director of General Affairs and Operations of Sanglah Hospital.

Other than MRI, there is also

equipment assistance used to support the health services in radiology, operating chamber, sterilization center and laundry services.

To support the MRI services, added Nugie, the Sanglah Hospital had established a new radiology building and renovated the old buildings. “MRI is one of the supporting equipments of the radiology department. By such equipment, the internal checkup can be carried out in more detailed, especially for patients with cancer and patient of surgery,” he said. So far, if there were patients requiring an MRI examination in Sanglah Hospital, they were usually referred to Kasih Ibu Hospital.

According to Nugie, there were sufficiently large amount of patients requiring an MRI examination in

Sanglah Hospital so the existence of MRI in Sanglah Hospital could facilitate the health services to patient without having to be referred elsewhere. Although MRI was of high value it did not necessarily mean that the poor could not enjoy it. Nugie said that the MRI services were provided to everyone. “If poor patient indeed requires an MRI examination, of course, there is a policy of financing from the government. So far, the process ran so,” explained Nugie.

MRI and other equipment were estimated to have arrived from the central government around next March. Meanwhile, its operation would be undertaken as soon as possible after arriving in Sanglah Hospital. (san)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

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Many middlemen play roles in Immigration Office Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Middleman practice plays many roles in the process of making passports and immigration documents at the Immigration Office. The element of conspiracy with the insiders or unscrupulous immigration officials has become a commonplace. Unsurprisingly, the cost of a passport making deviates from the official rates posted on the bulletin board or expensive.

Requirement of the RI’s passport application is by filling out the application form or Perdim 11, submitting a copy and original identity card, family card, birth certificate/ diploma/marriage certificates and passports for those who have the old RI’s passports. At least, this process will take four days after the filing of the application form.

Process of the passport arrangement base on the deadline of no later than 4 days is used by middlemen to ensnare their prey by using the minimum time limit specified in the immigration office. Passports can be quickly accomplished if the applicant is willing to spend more money as agreed.

The first class Immigration Office of Denpasar at the beginning of January 2011 announced its tariff changes related to the passport making pursuant to its respective type, such as the 24-page regular passport fee is charged at IDR 105.000, a regular 48-page passport at IDR 225.000, 24-page electronic passport at IDR 405,000, and 48-page electronic passport at IDR 655 000 at no fingerprint fee.

Based on the observation of Bali Post in the first class Immigration Office of Denpasar, a number of passport applicants preferred to use intermediary services with the time-saving reasons. As consequence, they should be willing to spend more money than the official rate.

“The applicants just need to come once and submits the requirements without necessity to fill out an application form. Later on, we will contact them for the taking of photograph and fingerprints,” said one of the middlemen who hung out in the parking lot of the office.

Busy people or those do not have the free time become the targets of the middlemen. By offering negotiable price for the services of applying for the passport, quite a few of people especially employers and officials utilized their ser-

vices. “We are also assisted by the insiders to accelerate the process of making the passport and, of course, it is with a benefit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sugi, one of the dozens of applicants taking advantage of the service felt to have been helped by the existence of intermediary services. “Using the service of middlemen is more quickly than submitting it in person. Aside from being complicated, the lengthy queue also takes a long time. It does not matter to spend at IDR 100,000 if the process could be accelerated,” he said.

The Head of the Denpasar Immigration Office, Hatomi, when met on Monday (Jan 10) did not dismiss the role of middlemen in the process of passports making and other immigration matters. “We’ve called on the applicant for not applying the passport through middlemen services. However, we are unable to restrict or inhibit those taking advantage of such a service because the specified requirements had been met,” he said.

Related to the quick process of the passport making, he explained that it could be carried out without an intermediary service of the middlemen. As long as all requirements had been met and the need of making the passport was very clear. “Conspiracy is not only happening in the immigration, but also almost in all offices. We are unable to prohibit them because the people themselves wishing them to remain exist,” he said.

He affirmed that the party of Immigration Office never tolerated if its officials were convicted to have asked for bribes including the cheating when entering the data of the passport applicant. If sufficient evidence could be found, his party would take firm action by imposing a dismissal and charging with criminal act.

Meanwhile, the Gayus-related cases involving the immigration officials, Hatomi was reluctant to give comment at length. “I have confidence if he passes through the correct procedure he would be unable to do so. Perhaps, there was insider or unscrupulous person taking part in doing so,” he said while adding that in the case Gayus was able to penetrate the fortress of Immigration in Kuala Lumpur, Macao and Singapore. It should become a valuable lesson for the Immigration Office. (par)

4

News

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

International

Biden visits training center for Afghan forces Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan – Vice President Joe Biden visited a military training center in Afghanistan on Tuesday to review the effort to prepare Afghan forces to take over from the U.S.-led coalition by the end of 2014.

AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, right, shares a laugh with U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan, during a press event in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011.

During the visit to the Kabul Military Training Center just outside the capital, Biden was briefed on the program, which is costing $20 billion over 2010 and 2011. The program is also teaching recruits to read and write, as only 11 percent of enlisted personnel and 35 percent of noncommissioned officers in Afghanistan’s army and police are literate.

Biden later traveled to the presidential palace where he was to meet President Hamid Karzai. He was accompanied by the top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, and the U.S. ambassador.

The coalition hopes to train about 300,000 army and police officers by the end of the year. The Afghan

army now has 149,553 personnel and is projected to grow to 171,600 by October, according to NATO figures.

The air force is slated to grow from 4,098 personnel in December to 5,500 by November. The police force is projected to hit 134,000 by October, up from 115,584 by the end of last year.

The U.S.-funded program is paying for training, equipment and infrastructure. The funding for 2010 and 2011 is a large increase over the $20 billion spent between 2003 and 2009.

The U.S. plans to begin withdrawing combat forces from Afghanistan in July but remains concerned that gains made in the nearly decade-long war could be reversible. There are

also questions about the ability of Afghan security forces to take up the fight against a virulent insurgency.

Tensions have surfaced between the Obama administration and an increasingly nationalistic Karzai, whose government is plagued by charges of corruption. U.S. officials have expressed grave concerns about how this is affecting efforts to stabilize and rebuild the country.

Karzai’s relations with U.S. diplomatic officials in Kabul are thought to be testy at best, and he has often complained of international interference in Afghanistan’s political affairs. Last week he told foreign powers to stop meddling in the country’s internal affairs — apparently lashing out at those who say rampant government corruption undermines rebuilding the nation. He was careful not to single out specific issue, but fraud-marred elections have also been a recent target of international criticism.

Bus tours head to Kate Middleton’s country town Associated Press Writer

BUCKLEBURY, England – Kate Middleton’s picturesque country village of Bucklebury is never going to be the same. Starting Sunday, tour company operator Adrian Morton plans to send bus tours to Bucklebury, where Middleton was raised in privileged style some 55 miles (90 kilometers) west of London.

He hopes they will be filled with visitors looking to experience what he dubs “Kate Middleton country,” figuring the home of a likely future queen of England should provide a draw. Americans in particular seem transfixed by the upcoming royal spectacle of Middleton’s April 29 marriage to Prince William at Westminster Abbey in London.

“There seems to be more interest in the States than in our own country,” said Morton, who has long-standing ties to Bucklebury.

“I’ve been contacted by an American tour operator about possible tours. You can see the places where she went to school and where she was christened. And locals are interested too.”

The bus tour idea came from Morton’s twin brother, who lives in the United States and has seen an explosion of public fascination with the royal wedding. Adrian Morton anticipated some local resistance to the plan but claimed that none has surfaced.

“I was thinking we might get some bad press, like ‘What do you

think you’re doing sending great big coaches round our little country roads?’ but I haven’t heard anything negative or positive,” he said. “I imagine from a business point of view the pubs and restaurants will probably cash in on it, but as far as locals are concerned, they might not want the intrusion.” He predicted, however, there’s nothing Bucklebury can do to avoid the changes.

“It’s going to happen. The press is already camped out on their doorstep.

We’re going to be very much in the background,” he said.

Morton may not have asked enough people in this affluent town of 2,000 what they think. The bus tours, which will begin on a small scale but grow as the wedding nears,

are just one reminder of how life in this pastoral village is changing now that Middleton is set to join the world’s most famous — and famously difficult — royal family.

“I wish they’d leave her in peace,” said Sue Fidler, who along with her husband runs the Bladestone Butchery, which features beautifully dressed rabbits and pheasants hanging in the window for sale. “We don’t want it.”

She said the tour operators, like others, are just trying to cash in on the royal wedding without considering the impact on village life. Her husband, Martin Fidler, raised questions about where the buses will park and what the tourists will actually see.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Belmarsh Magistrate’s court in London for his extradition hearing, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011.

Assange due in UK court over Swedish extradition Reuters

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Adrian Morton, the owner of Mortons Travel, poses inside one of his coaches at the company’s offices in Little London, England, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011.

LONDON – WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange is due to appear in a London court Tuesday as lawyers draw the battle lines in his fight to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning about alleged sex crimes. The mainly procedural hearing at the top security Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court, due to start at 1000 GMT, is likely to confirm the date for a full extradition hearing which is expected in early February.

The 39-year-old Australian computer expert, who has infuriated Washington by releasing details of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, has protested his innocence over claims of sexual misconduct against two women. “The hearing Tuesday is to ensure that the real issues in the case are identified and that preparation of

the case is progressing in a timely fashion,” said a spokesman for Britain’s courts service.

It will also decide elements of the legal process, such as which documents the prosecutors and defense lawyers should provide and whether any witnesses should be called up.

British police arrested Assange last month on a European warrant issued by Sweden following allegations made by two WikiLeaks’ volunteers. After spending nine days in jail, he was released on bail on December 16 after his supporters raised a surety of 200,000 pounds ($312,000).

As part of his bail conditions, Assange must stay at a mansion in eastern England, abide by a curfew, report to police daily and wear an electronic tag. Assange has described the curbs on him as “hi-tech house arrest.”

Activities

International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

5

Maya Ubud’s a Spiritual Journey An Enchanting, Healing, Loving Experience IBP

UBUD - Maya Ubud Resort & Spa’s special eight day package: A Spiritual Journey, has been an exceptional experience for its participants.

See what they say about it.

Since the beginning of the year when first introduced, demand for this package has seen a steady increase by those wishing to discover the real essence of the life of the Balinese, and experience their unique culture and spirituality.

The Spiritual Journey package is a unique package that introduces and assists participants to better understand the spiritual aspects of Balinese life and customs, whilst creating a rejuvenating and healing experience for participants. The Spiritual Journey commences with a warm welcome from our caring staff, each one allocated to meet the needs of clients to ensure their stay is a memorable and enlightening one.

Each enlightening day commences

with morning yoga and meditation sessions in a picturesque setting, followed on different days by exploring nearby temples and visiting a traditional Balinese healer (Balian), or even a spiritual consultation and priestly blessing. Another option is to learn with village ladies the art of making traditional temple offerings as our guide carefully explains the meaning of the offerings, which can later be presented during the village temple visit. On another morning clients will be taken for a walk to a traditional village to be greeted by local village people and experience how they start a typical day. Throughout the Spiritual Journey program, the designated resort guide will share with participants various aspects of the philosophy of the Balinese people, which will enlighten and help them better understand the unique practical, cultural and spiritual essence of Balinese life.

Each day is planned to ensure a relaxed pace with plenty of time in between scheduled activities to also en-

joy free time . . . such as relaxing by one of the beautiful pools, taking the free shuttle bus to Ubud market, or simply being spoilt with one of several (all inclusive) spa pampering treatments that awaits you in the legendary riverside Spa at Maya.

Those who have participated in and experienced the Spiritual Journey package write only heartfelt comments following their stay.

“To say that participating in the Spiritual Journey program has been profound is an extreme understatement. In actual fact it is very hard to encapsulate in words the most blessed, healing, and magical, experience that I’ve had. From my day of arrival, I’ve been made to feel very special and this has been very soothing to my soul and healing for my heart… I truly am blessed!” said Ms Mary Rutledge (www.angelsartalchemy.com) at the end of her stay with Maya Ubud early last month, “I believe that this package is too important for people not to know about it,” she continued.

Ms Suzanne Hart of Australia (www.SHE.net.au) summarized her experience and that of her clients by saying; “The Balinese blessing ceremony was another highlight. Wayan our personal resort guide did such a great job of explaining the ceremony and guiding us through it. The ladies loved it!”

Ubud has always had strong spiritual healing elements related to the confluence of the two sacred rivers, the Oos and the Pakusera and an abundance of natural healing plants and herbs that thrive in the area, as well as the numerous balians (natural healers) that practice here, not to mention its ancient temples, revered priests and mystics.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event forJanuary 3 through January 26, 2011 04 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main ritual of twelfth month commanced with temple annyversary celebration of Pura Accompanied by Gambang orchestra at 18.00 pm.

Temple anniversary celebration at Pura Dalem Puri,Pura Ulun Kulkul, Pura Kiduling Kreteg, Pura Benua Kawan,Besakih complex,districk of Rendang,Karangasem regency 05 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main Ceremony held at Pura Jero when the whole temple adherents go praying to the temple in their finest traditional dress while Gambang orchestra cheeras the atmosphere at 17.00 pm.

06 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Last ritual held at Pura Jero ended with procession of Deities back to Subak Pemaksan (the agricultural temple) at 18.00 pm. Followed by special event held for the elderly people of the village.

12 January Temple anniversary celebration at: * Pura Luhur Pucak Padang Dawa, Bangli village,distict of Baturiti, Tabanan Regency * Pura Silayukti,Padangbai village, district of manggis,Karangasem Regency * Pura Air Jeruk,South Beach of Sukawati Village,Gianyar Regency * Pura Dangin Pasar,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regensy

* Pura Desa Lembeng,Ketewel village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Penataran,Batuyang Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Budha Kliwon,Penatih Village, east of denpasar 19 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Ratu Pasek Besakih (the mother temple) complex,distric of Rendang, Karangasem Regency * Pura Dalem Batur Village, distric of kintamani,Bangli regency 22 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Dalem Tarukan,Bebalang village, South oe the town of bangli. * Pura Benua Kangin,Besakih (the mother temple complex)Karngasem Regensy * Pura Dalem,Pemuteran,Jelantik tojan Village,Klungkung regensy * Pura Pucak Sari,Gunung Sari Village,district of Penebel,Tabanan Regency.

26 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Bandesa Mas Kepisah,Pedungan village, south of denpasar * Pura Pasar agung,Kaba-kaba village, district of kediri,Tabanan regency * Pura Dalem Petinget, Kerobokan village, district of kuta,Badung regency * Pura Dalem Pulasari,samprangan village, district of blahbatuh,Gianyar regency * Pura Natih,Banjar kalan,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati,Gianyar regency

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, January 12, 2011

News Chinese...

From page 1

AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.

An Indian woman walks with plastic pots for sale on a cold and foggy morning in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. Cold weather has killed nine homeless people in India bringing the death toll from three weeks of near-freezing temperatures to 116.

Cold wave kills 9 more people in northern India Associated Press Writer

LUCKNOW, India – Cold weather killed nine homeless people in India overnight Tuesday, bringing the death toll from three weeks of frigid winds and near-freezing temperatures to 116.

Police say the worst-hit state is Uttar Pradesh where about 90 people, mostly poor and homeless, have died during the cold spell sweeping northern India.

At least nine more people died overnight, police spokesman Surendra Srivastav said. Ten people have died in neighboring Bihar state, 10 in the Indian capital New Delhi, and six in Jharkhand state since late December.

Dense fog affected railway schedules as more than 30 trains were canceled in Uttar Pradesh.

Almost all flights from the main airport in the state capital

Lucknow were halted.

Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s poorest states and nearly a fifth of its 180 million people are homeless, according to state government statistics.

The state government has arranged for nearly 3,500 bonfires to be lit through the night at major road crossings, railway and bus stations to prevent further deaths from the cold wave. The temperature has

dipped below 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) in parts of Uttar Pradesh. Schools were ordered closed in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar until the weather improves.

Though India is famous for its brutally hot summers, temperatures fall sharply for a few weeks in December and January. Poor people, particularly those living on the streets, are the worst affected.

Man slain on Acapulco highway; 31 dead in 4 days Associated Press Writer

ACAPULCO, Mexico – The body of a murdered man was found Monday on the main highway to Acapulco, bringing to 31 the number of people killed in the Pacific resort city over four days. The unidentified man was shot several times in the head and found under a pedestrian bridge with his shirt pulled over his face, said Fernando Monreal Leyva, director of the investigative police for Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located.

Leyva said federal, state and local police planned to meet Monday with the military to consider ways to beef up security in Acapulco, where 14 decapitated men and two police of-

ficers were among the unusually high body count since Friday evening.

Most of the killings occurred in just a few hours from Friday night to Saturday in non-tourist areas of the city.

But the officers were shot to death in front of tourists on Avenida Costero Miguel Aleman, the hotel-lined thoroughfare that runs along the bay.

Drug violence has increased in southern Guerrero state as factions of the Beltran Leyva cartel began fighting for territory after leader Arturo Beltran Leyva was killed by Mexican marines in December 2009.

Messages left with the 14 decapitated men said they were killed by “El Chapo’s People,” a reference to the Sinaloa cartel headed by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Leyva would not

say whether the notes indicated Sinaloa had joined the fight.

The decapitations were the largest single group found in Mexico in recent years. In 2008, a group of 12 decapitated bodies were piled outside the Yucatan state capital of Merida.

The same year, nine headless men were discovered in Guerrero’s capital, Chilpancingo. Among the other Acapulco victims, six people were shot and stuffed into a taxi, their hands and feet bound.

More than 30,000 people have died in drug violence nationwide since President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown on cartels after taking office in December 2006 by deploying thousands of soldiers and federal police to drug hotspots.

In the photos, China’s twin-engine J-20 appears larger than either the Russian or U.S. fighters, potentially allowing it fly farther and carry heavier weapons.

The J-20 would pose the greatest immediate threat to Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as Chinese territory — to be recovered by force if necessary.

Taiwan’s air force is composed mostly of aging U.S. F-16s and French Mirage jets, and its electronic warning systems would find it difficult to cope with stealth technology.

A Chinese stealth fighter would “seriously undermine the Taiwan air force’s advantages,” said Alexander Huang of Taipei’s Tamkang University.

While a state newspaper reported last week on the plane’s appearance, China’s government and military have yet to

comment officially. People who answered phones at government and Communist Party offices in Chengdu, as well as the plane’s developer — the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group — all refused to comment.

China’s aviation industry — both military and civilian — has made rapid progress in recent years but still relies heavily on imported technology. Propulsion has been a special problem, with Russian engines still powering the J-10 and J-11, a copy of Russia’s Su-27 fighter.

Stealth technology is even more difficult to master because it relies on systems to hide the presence of the plane, while equipping the pilot with enough information to attack an enemy.

Emissions must be hidden and the plane’s fuselage sculpted to avoid detection by radar and infrared sensors.

Thousands...

From page 1 “At our local supermarket queues, all 12 tills were at least 50-60 people deep and all essentials were sold out — perishables and non-perishables,” said Brisbane lawyer Paul Betros, who was sent home when his central office building was evacuated.

“There was no bread, milk, batteries, bottled water, candles. The bakery had sold out of bread and was closing.”

The sudden loss of life in Toowoomba dramatically escalated a rolling flood disaster that has inundated vast swathes of Australia’s northeast and crippled economic life.

The overall death toll now stands at 20 while three-quarters of Queensland state has been declared a disaster zone as a result of the relentless rains.

An emotional Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said more deaths were expected from the flash floods as rescuers, battling heavy rains and washed-away roads, reach cut-off communities.

“We are now in a very frightening experience,” she said.

“Can I appeal to everybody that it’s at times like this that we all need to make an effort to stay calm, to be patient and stick together.” Prime Minister Julia Gillard, dressed in sombre black, called images of the disaster “simply shocking”.

“We have seen very dramatic images of cars tossed around, people on roofs of houses and on the roofs of cars and people

literally hanging on for dear life to trees and to signposts,” she said. TV pictures showed Toowoomba’s streets turned into churning rapids dotted with floating cars, some with people sitting on top, while elsewhere residents were forced onto roofs as waters lapped at awnings.

Four of the dead were children, some of them swept away in cars driven by their mothers.

A man and a younger male died in Murphy’s Creek near Toowoomba, 125 kilometres (80 miles) west of Brisbane in the Great Dividing Range. “Biblical” flooding across the coalmining and farming belt follows weeks of rain blamed on the La Nina weather system, which has also dumped heavy snow on the northern United States.

Federal MP Ian MacFarlane described fearsome scenes in Toowoomba as the flash flood deluged the town before quickly subsiding, leaving scenes of destruction and people dead in their cars. “We’re just seeing building after building, the water rushing in and blowing the windows out,” MacFarlane told Sky News. “Cars that were parked in the car parks were just lifted up and went bobbing down the street.”

Toowoomba mayor Peter Taylor told the Seven Network that the flood struck without warning after two normally placid waterways suddenly overflowed, saying “people had no warning at all”. “It was just unprec

International

Indonesia Today

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

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Gayus: certain quarters threatened his life Antara

FOTO ANTARA/ Reno esnir

Gayus Halomoan Tambunan during his trial at Jakarta Selatan State Court. Tax evasion and corruption defendant Gayus Tambunan said certain quarters had threatened his life and arranged the scenarios of his trips to Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.

President calls for prompt steps to curb food price hikes Antara

JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for prompt steps to deal with the recent food and energy price hikes.

Speaking at a working meeting with regional heads at the Jakarta Convention Center on Monday, the President said the government remained obliged to stabilize food and energy prices.

“Our obligation is to stabilize prices, food prices in particular. And we must continue it,” he said.

In this respect, the head of state said there must no longer be a con-

flict between relevant ministers and regional heads over market operations designed to control food prices.

Under certain circumstances, relevant ministers could also issue fiscal incentives to prevent prices from skyrocketing, he said.

He said efforts must be made to ensure adequate food stocks and increase food production starting this

year.

In addition, the President also asked relevant agencies to make a contingency plan for those affected by the food price hikes.

He said efforts must be made to achieve food self-sufficiency.

“Yesterday the agriculture minister reported that rice stocks in 2011 are estimated to reach over 5 million tons. I told him that the amount is not enough to feed the country`s population of 237 million in which the number of middle-class people continues to increase. Therefore, we need to double the figure,” he said.

JAKARTA - Tax evasion and corruption defendant Gayus Tambunan said certain quarters had threatened his life and arranged the scenarios of his trips to Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.

“This design was very clear. They wanted me to die,” Gayus Tambunan said at a South Jakarta District Court session on his case here Monday.

Previously, Gayus had admitted that he had gone to Bali to watch an international tennis match while he was officially in prison.

But he was not yet prepared to disclose the names of the persons who had set him up in the scenarios of his overseas trips. Gayus promised to reveal the scenarios behind his overseas trips after he had been sentenced.

“I will reveal the scenarios of my foreign trips later,” Gayus said.

Menahwile, a member of the

House of Representatives Commission on legal affairs, Bambang Soesatyo, said Gayus‘s overseas trips seemed to have been engineered to weaken the legal system.

“I believe the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force has indirectly opened the opportunity for certain parties to attack and weaken the legal system,” Bambang said on Monday. Bambang said the motive was clear based on how the task force acted and managed to enable Gayus to leave his cell at the Mobile Brigade Headquarters‘ detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok.

The task force had wanted Gayus to commit another sensational act.

“The furor over Gayus making a trip to Macau (and some other countries) would not have happened if the task force had since November 2010 disclosed the matter and the details of Gayus` activities outside the Brimob detention center,” he said.

KPK asks government to suspend Tomohon mayor Antara

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has asked the government to suspend Tomhohon Mayor Jefferson Rumajar from office on account of his status as a defendant in a corruption case.

“Oh, yes, we have sent a letter to the Home Affairs Minister and the North Sulawesi Governor to suspend the Tomohon mayor immediately because he is a defendant in a corruption case,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi said here Monday.

Jefferson, a Golkar politician, had recently won Tomhon‘s mayoral election and was installed as the North Sulawesi city mayor last

Friday (Jan 7) at a ceremony at the Cipinang State Penitentiary with the KPK‘s prior permission.

The KPK had named him a suspect in a corruption case that allegedly cost the state Rp 19.8 billion in the period 2006-2008.

Johan said the request for Jefferson‘s suspension was mandated by Law No30/2002 on the KPK. Because Jefforson was installed by the North Sulawesi governor in the presence of the home affairs minister, the request for his suspension was addressed to the two state officials, he said.

Jefferson was installed as Tomohon mayor at the Cipinang state penitentiary instead of in Tomohon because he was already being held at the prison.

NGOs consider government not serious

Handling violence against minorities Antara

JAKARTA - The government is not serious in realizing its commitment to solve violence against certain religious or minority group, activists said in a written statement.

The statement was made here on Monday by activists from several NGOs in Indonesia, namely Benny N Furqan of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Siti Maimunah of the Mining Advocacy Network, and Haris Azhar of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

Also Tama Langkun of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Ray Rangkuti of Lingkar Madani Indonesia), Riza Damanik of The People‘s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) and Yudi Latif of the Re-

form Institute. In their written statement announced at a discussion hosted by the Ma‘arif Institute, the activists quoted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono‘s statement last August 17, 2010 that Indonesian laws support pluralism, tolerance and the freedom to embrace a religion.

“However, according to a report made by former Chief of National Police Bambang Hendarso Danuri during a meeting with members of the House of Representatives last August 30, 2010, the number of acts of violence against a certain religious group increased from 40 cases in 2009 to 49 cases in 2010,” Beni N Furqan said.

The activists urged the government to seriously handle and solve the violence cases in accordance with provisions in the 1945 Constitution.

In 2010, there were several cases of violence against certain minority groups, one of which involved a certain mass organization and a religious congregation in Bekasi, West Java province, last September 2010 which caused two people to be injured.

Asiah Lumbuan Toruan (49) and pastor Luspida (40) were attacked by unknown persons on Jalan Pondok Timur Asam, Cikeuting, Mustika Jaya, Bekasi, on September 12, 2010.

Asiah suffered a stab wound to his abdomen while Luspida suffered a bump on her head. After the attack, the two were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Eight people on motorcycles were believed to have attacked the two while they were walking towards the location of a religious service.

FOTO ANTARA/Lucky.R

Seven climbers from the 7 Summits Indonesia team come back from their climbing exhibition on Aconcagua summit as the second highest summits in the world on their target to climb the 7 summits in the world.

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International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Bali Today Ayurvedic medicine

http://myconsciouswhispers.files.wordpress.com

Tourists spending their time at one of the beaches in Bali during their holiday in the island of God. The number of local tourists in 2011 may increase by 6.3 pct, Udayana University’s Economic Faculty Dean Prof Dr Wayan Ramantha said.

Domestic tourists may increase by 6.3 percent in 2011 Antara

DENPASAR - The number of local tourists in 2011 may increase by 6.3 pct, Udayana University’s Economic Faculty Dean Prof Dr Wayan Ramantha said.

“The increase is the result of an increased target of the 2011 national economic growth,” he said here Monday.

He also said that the 2011 economic growth rate will also have an effect on the number of local tourists to Bali.

He said tourism developments are substantially affected by the economic situation. Economic growth will increase business activities including tourism activities.

He also said that economic growth normally will raise the income of the people, which will in turn increase tourism activities.

“Bali is the main destination of tourists in Indonesia, millions of local tourists will come to the island paradise,” Ramantha said.

According to a survey and global documentation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the

number of domestic tourists to Bali accounted for 150 percent of the number of foreign tourists.

If last year the number of foreign tourists reached 2.45 million, the number of domestic tourists in the same year reached more than 3.2 million.

Ramantha added that of this year the central government set a growth of 10 percent, and considering the before mentioned estimate, the number of domestic tourists will reach more than 3.5 million.

When asked about the widespread building of city hotels in Denpasar, Ramantha said the phenomenon is only natural, because it is only natural that Denpasar as administrative center in Bali has adequate tourist and accommodation facilities.

“Denpasar is a city center with many business and government

meetings and activities. This city therefore needs adequate and representative hotels,” he said.

He said that in the past few years Denpasar indeed had many big hotels like the one at Jalan Teuku Umar which became a business center with several three and four star-rated hotels, and domestic tourists chose the hotels for spending their holidays.

“Especially that the room rates in Denpasar are lower than those of similar hotels in the tourist resorts of Kuta and Nusa Dua, Badung regency,” he said.

He added that the hotels in Denpasar have far different characteristics than most hotels in Kuta and Nusa Dua. “Hotels in Denpasar are smaller with few parts. Unlike those in the resorts in Nusa Dua and Ubud with their wide parts and swimming pools,” he said.

HINDU possesses a medical science that has been very renowned from time immemorial, namely Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic medicine refers to the contents of the scripture Ayurveda born thousands of years ago. Ayurvedic scripture denotes a part of Upaweda in the group of Smriti Vedas. However, the Ayurvedic scripture is often confused with Yajur Veda, the scripture containing sacrificial formula that also belongs to Smriti Veda. Yajur Veda itself is a scripture discussing about Yajña or ceremony.

Author of the book Usada Bali (Balinese Traditional Healing), the late Prof. IGN Nala, once said that to help the healing, the Ayurvedic healers usually provided natural herbal medicine having few side effects. Almost all plants existing around us could be eaten, they were medicine. On that account, all plants having efficacy for healing were necessary to be inventoried and developed.

In the meantime, the Dean of Faculty of Health Science, Hindu University of Indonesia (Unhi), I Nyoman Prastika, said that based Taru Premana palm-manuscript there were a number of beneficial herbs having the efficacy to cure diseases. Parts of those plants taken advantage consisted of its leaf, flower, fruit, bark or roots. Each herb had different quality such as cool, warm and mild.

To know whether a particular plant had a cold, warm or mild quality, it could be observed from the color of its flower and flavor. For instance, white, yellow and green flower had warm quality. If their flowers were red and blue, these plants had cool efficacy.

Meanwhile, if the flower was multicolors, they could be ensured to have mild efficacy.

Likewise, if they tasted sweet and sour, its quality might be warm. However, if they tasted bitter and hot, they had cool efficacy. Then, if they were tasteless, they belonged to mild plant.

In herbal medicine system, added Prastika, people would be healthy if they consumed (ahara) nutritious healthy foods regularly, had adequate rest or sleep (nidra), and behaved (vihara) healthy. If the three aspects had been committed well, but it was still found health disturbances, then a herbal treatment (ausadhi) was required.

Preparation method of herbal medicine could be divided into three kinds, namely grinding, spraying and boiled.

Its healing method could be performed by drinking and dropping for internal healing, while the spraying or applying the paste for external use.

Then, what kinds of plant could be used to cure diseases? Prastika said that virtually all edible plants by animals could be eaten by humans. Whether the herbs had medicinal quality, they could be observed from the color of their flowers and flavor as mentioned above.

Similarly, the plants frequently used for spices in the cooking contained drug efficacy.

Red ginger for example, was good to increase warmth of the body as well as to stimulate or maintain immunity.

If red ginger added with the flowers of carambola, bark of tamarind and kalmegh leaves, they could be used to accelerate breathing and relieve cough.

Meanwhile, to break up kidney stones and cure colic, people could also use herbal medicine. Its ingredients consisted of roots of reed, roots of palm tree, root of areca nut tree and added with palm sugar. All materials were thoroughly boiled. Afterward, its decoction water was drunk in the morning and afternoon.

Herbal remedies could also cope with cardiac palpitations. Its ingredients comprised the soy beans, green beans, ginger, cumin, fennel, bidara upas (Merremia mammosa) leaf, coriander and pulasari (Alyxia Stellata). All ingredients should be boiled and then water of its decoction was drunk regularly.

Meanwhile, Balinese traditional healing used several palm-leaf manuscripts as reference. One of them was Lontar Usada Tiwang. This manuscript described about various types of diseases along with their treatments.

Tiwang conveyed numerous symptoms in the form of disorder on the function of organ. There were several types of tiwang presented in the manuscripts such as tiwang utara, tiwang tojos, tiwang wedul, tiwang pemali pepasangan, tiwang wong, and tiwang rajasa.

Prastika added that tiwang pemali pepasangan had symptoms like prickling pain in the chest and on the back.

Being no resistant to the pain, the sufferers often groaned. The disease itself could be treated by means of bark of rauvolfia, temu tis(Curcuma purpurascens), grilled coconut, hazelnut and fennel. It was applied by spraying its paste. (BTN/kmb)

http://www.gingerasia.com

Some ayurvedic inggredients. Hindu possesses a medical science that has been very renowned from time immemorial, namely Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurvedic medicine refers to the contents of the scripture Ayurveda born thousands of years ago.

International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Balinese Culture

Arak berem butha kala’s drink Wherever you are traveling in Bali, it is easy to find the Balinese doing ritual activities.

There are rituals held privately at home or at the family’s holy place, and those held collectively at the Pura (temple) or many other sacred places like the beach, water resources, at the market, rice field and involving the krama (member) of the village or banjar. Gambelan (Balinese traditional music) sound is played incessantly, the smoke of fragrant incense and the sound of the hand bells of Pemangku (Balinese priest) who recites various mantra, makes the situation very merry and full of magical enchantment.

The rituals that are performed by the Balinese are according to the concept of Panca Yadnya (5 kinds of rituals as the shape of honest and straight forward sacred sacrifice) there is Dewa Yadnya, the ritual that is presented to Sang Hyang Widhi with all of His manifestations, Pitra Yadnya the ritual that is dedicated to the pitara (ancestor), Butha Yadnya, a ritual to the Butha kala, Manusa Yadnya, a ritual for human beings, Rsi Yadnya, ritual for the Maha Resi. Those five kinds of rituals are aimed to keep the security and promote a harmonic life between

Bhuwana Agung and Bhuwana Alit (the universe and all it contains).

Many kinds of sesajen (offering) that are dedicated during that ritual are a symbol of sincerity and purity of the Balinese for the gift of prosperity that is given by Sang Hyang Widhi, Gods and Goddess, the ancestor spirit, Maha Resi (Great priest), and still guarding the balance of the universe, the harmony of the power of nature, time and dimension (Butha Kala), and also the harmonic relationship between human beings.

The offering materials consist of solid substances, that is several Balinese cakes (jaja), fruits, meats, cooked rice, flowers, janur (young coconut leaf) and others.

All these materials are arranged to create a beautiful, lovely, and tremendous sesajen (offering).

Whereas the liquid substance contains arak, berem, tuak, cuka, and water. These liquid substances in this offering are called tetabuhan/ tabuh, because the way to dedicate is by menabuhkan (pouring) it to the ground or besides the offering three times.

According to the Balinese faith, this tetabuhan of arak, tuak, berem, and cuka is because they are the favorite drinks of Butha Kala, magic creatures who also guard the safety of the universe. By giving the tribute in the form of their fa-

vorite foods and drinks, those creatures will never disturb the ritual celebration, then they also participate to keep the universe and human life in prosperity.

With the belief of Butha Kala, the mysterious power of nature in its various manifestations, many mysterious stories are spread between people. A lot of places in Bali, whether mountains, rivers, rice fields or a big trees are considered to be sacred because it is believed that magic creatures stay there. The information about the mysterious events, creatures, and places often become a hot story in many mass media that are published in Bali. A lot of Balinese traditional painters pour their ideas on canvas about mysterious creatures with scary faces, and the mystery of the universe is absorbed and transformed into paintings.

The drinks such as tuak, arak, berem, contain alcohol, and if consumed in a large quantities will cause ineberation. But, if just a little bit is taken, it will warm the body. During the rainy season like now, alcoholic drinks can be mixed with tea or coffee. Some say that arak mixed with certain spices or roots, is a strong potion and able to increase sexual desire.

Tetabuhan arak, berem, tuak, and cuka is one of the Balinese offerings dedicated to Butha Kala. (BTN)

Base Jukut (Spice Paste For Vegetables) INGREDIENTS: 175 gr shallots, peeled and chopped 150 gr cloves garlic, peeled & chopped 450 gr laos, peeled and thinly sliced 4 tsp coriander seeds 175 gr fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced 250 gr large red chilies, seeded & chopped 40 gr bird’s-eye chilies 100 gr kencur roots, peeled and chopped 5 tsp dried shrimp paste 150 ml Coconut oil 1 tsp salt 1¼ tsp black pepper ground 4 ea salam leaf, whole 3 ea stalk lemon grass, bruised PREPARATION: 1. Combine all ingredients except salam leafs and Lemon grass, salt and water in food processor and grind coarsely.

2. Place ground ingredients in heavy saucepan, add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for approximately 60 minutes or until water is evaporated and marinade changes to golden color. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

Sticky rice cake with green mung Around before the 1980s, there were many traditional organizations known as sekaa. Most of them abode in agricultural sector. Area of their activities ranged from cultivating the land up to conveying the rice bundles at post-harvest time to granary. They were carried out through mutual assistance among the members of the sekaa. For consumption, they were largely provided with one time meal at midday and once or two times snack with coffee. As accompaniment to the coffee, it was served traditional cakes such as sticky rice cake with green mung.

Ingredients: 100g green mung, 200g white sticky rice, 1 cup of grated coconut and 1 cup of brown sugar sauce.

Method: • Soak the white sticky rice for some 2 hours, while the green mung should be soaked for one night.

• Drain and then mix the green mung thoroughly with the white sticky rice. Steam this batter. Add some water onto the half-cooked rice. If the water has run dry, steam it again until cooked.

• Take out and serve it with the sprinkles of grated coconut and brown sugar. Now it is ready to serve. (BTN/punia) C.045 ibp

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Destinations

International

Enjoy Beautiful Golf Experience IBP

When you visit Bali and love to do golf, you surely can try several golf courses in Bali that give you beautiful golf experience. With the international Bali Golf Course and beautiful of landscape will be your value interest to play the golf that is served in three several gold club in Bali Island.

Here are several golf courses that you should try during your holiday in Bali. Get ready to join the game and served by the professional staff and caddy will complete your lovely holiday in the Paradise Island of Bali. Golf in Bali is a fantastic and exciting golf playing experience in paradise Bali Island.

Nusa Dua Bali Golf and Country Club

Nusa Dua Bali Golf and Country Club, voted ‘One of Asia’s 5 Best Golf Courses’(Fortune Magazine USA) will offer visitors to Bali a truly unique golfing experience due to the fantastic setting of the course.

Golfers will experience three distinct playing environments throughout the 18-hole course. The setting of holes 1 through 9 features creeks, canyons,

and native vegetation filled with tropical birds. The golf course architect team of Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright incorporated small hand-built stone walls to terrace the sides of fairways and tees in order to emulate the rice fields terraces of the Bali countryside. The setting for holes 10 through 16 present the golfer with lush gently sculptured fairways through a mature coconut grove. The coconut palms, some as tall as 100 feet, provide vertical definition to the golf course. The 17th hole plays out to the beautiful blue Indian Ocean and usually into a cool ocean breeze.

The 18th hole plays from the beach back to the clubhouse along side a 16-acre lake.

Nirwana Bali Golf Country Club

Nirwana Bali Golf Country Club is a visual masterpiece of dramatic ocean views and lush Balinese landscapes. Greg Norman has designed it golf course, Nirwana Bali Golf Course offers a spectacular challenge and a unique world-class experience for golfers of all skill levels. The golf course that is designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman with hole 18 th is one of the most photographed and

challenging golf courses in the world.

With three holes running along the cliffs of the Indian Ocean and terraced rice paddies providing unique hazards and this course has been tested the accuracy and consistency of a PGA Professional and still be enjoyable for the average golfer. It is set on the southwest coast of Bali with 45 minutes drive from Bali’s International Airport. Nirwana Bali Golf Club is the centerpiece of the fully integrated Nirwana Bali Resort. You can come and experience the ultimate golf course in Bali or you can join the Nirwana Bali Golf Package.

New Kuta Golf

New Kuta Golf is a new golf course set on the 85 hectares land right on the limestone cliff with stunning view of the Indian Ocean. It is a great golf course with 18 holes located 20 minutes drive from Bali’s International Airport to the southern part of Bali and blessed the magnificent of sunset. New Kuta Golf is designed with four of tees for each of the 18 holes there’s enough variety to ensure a satisfying for all skill levels. The golf course will invite you to experience this championship

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

11

BUSINESS IMF to increase Mexico credit to $72 billion Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund will increase Mexico’s flexible line of credit to a record 72 billion dollars, as it grapples with the continued impact of global recession, officials said.

The IMF said in a statement that its executive board had granted the two-year increase as a successor to a 47-billion-dollar flexible line of credit authorized nearly a year ago.

It would be the biggest flexible line of credit ever awarded by the IMF. But it may never be drawn on.

“As before, the (Mexican) authorities intend to treat the arrangement as precautionary,” said John Lipsky, the board’s acting chairman.

Even so, he said the new line of credit would play “an even stronger role in insuring Mexico against external risks while continuing to support the authorities’ overall macroeconomic strategy.”

Lipsky said Mexico had strong economic fundamentals, good policies and had made major progress over the years toward strengthening public and private

sector balance sheets.

“These strengths have facilitated the maintenance of orderly economic conditions in Mexico, even amidst the substantial external volatility during the global crisis, supported by the authorities’ prompt and well-calibrated policy responses,” he said.

“The arrangement of contingent financing with the IMF through the Flexible Credit Line has helped maintain confidence,” he said.

Lipsky noted that Mexico was experiencing a robust recovery, and said the authorities were taking steps to further bolster its medium term prospects and policies.

“However, important risks to the global economic outlook remain, particularly from pressures on global investor confidence and capital flows, which pose continuing challenges for emerging markets like Mexico,” it said.

When Mexico requested the increase last month, President Felipe Calderon said he wanted to “financially armor” the country’s economy at a time of persistent uncertainty in the world financial markets.

At the time, IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn agreed that the longer duration and greater amount of the new credit line would help support Mexico’s policy strategy and in maintaining external confidence.

The flexible credit line is a new instrument that the IMF created to help countries with strong fundamentals to ward off financial crises.

Two other states besides Mexico have flexible credit lines — Poland (21 billion dollars) and Colombia (3.5 billion dollars).

None of the three have drawn on their credit lines as yet.

China overshoots loan target and more tightening to come Reuters

BEIJING - China overshot its bank loan target in 2010 and finished the year with money growth still running too fast, underscoring the need for more decisive policy tightening to keep inflation in check.

At the same time, a record $199 billion surge in foreign exchange reserves in the fourth quarter pushed China’s stockpile, already the world’s biggest, to $2.85 trillion, highlighting that money streaming in from abroad was complicating policy efforts at home.

Chinese banks issued 7.95 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion) in new loans last year, the central bank said on Tuesday, more than the 7.5 trillion yuan that the government wanted for the full year. The broad M2 measure of money supply grew 19.7 percent, also topping the official target of 17 percent.

“Lending is still excessive and China’s process of monetary normalization has not finished yet,” said Wu Tujin, economist with Guosen Securities in Shenzhen. “That means China will still face high pressure from inflation and asset bubbles.”

More than just an economic issue, high-speed money and credit growth has become a political concern, helping propel Chinese consumer inflation to its fastest in more than two years.

Determined to rein in rising prices,

a source of public discontent, the government declared late last year that it would shift to a tighter monetary policy stance. Some effects of that could be seen in the data for the final month of the year.

Chinese banks extended 481 billion yuan in new loans in December, down from 564 billion yuan in November and the lowest in one year.

But the December figures also showed that the impact of policy tightening thus far has been less severe than the market had expected. The median forecast of economists was for issuance of 380 billion yuan in new loans.

And the 19.7 percent in annual M2 growth was quicker than the 19.5 percent pace in November and far faster than the 18.9 percent increase expected by analysts.

“Lending was still very strong despite constant regulatory efforts to contain the pace. That shows there is robust demand for loans from the real economy,” said Ren Xianfang, economist with IHS Global Insight in Beijing.

“I expect January data will be even higher. That will prompt the Chinese authorities to take pre-emptive steps,” he said.

The People’s Bank of China raised interest rates twice last year and officially increased lenders’ required reserves six times. Economists polled by Reuters expect two

further increases of both interest rates and required reserves in the first half this year.

But the central bank on Tuesday allowed just a mild rise in auctioned bill yields and also mopped up liquidity through open-market operations, signaling that it will keep rates and reserve ratios stable until early February.

In another move to ease the build-up of cash in the economy, China will allow residents of the wealthy coastal city of Wenzhou to invest in select markets overseas, an experiment in liberalizing the tightly controlled capital account.

With Chinese financial markets still under-developed, administrative controls over the volume of bank lending are a centerpiece of the government’s economic policy.

There had been much speculation that Beijing would set a loan target for 2011 lower than last year’s 7.5 trillion yuan, but recent reports in official media have suggested that the government will avoid publicly declaring a clear target.

Instead, China is planning to refine its techniques for keeping a handle on lenders, using regular, bank-specific adjustments of required reserves and perhaps capital adequacy ratios to penalize excessive issuance of credit.

Japan to buy euro zone debt, little relief for euro Reuters

TOKYO - Japan pledged to buy euro zone bonds this month in a show of support for Europe’s struggle with a smouldering debt crisis, but market players doubted the gesture would offer the euro much relief.

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Tokyo was considering buying about 20 percent of euro zone bonds to be jointly issued later this month to raise funds to support Ireland. Japan would use its existing euro reserves to pay for the debt, Noda said.

Japan’s offer comes days after China reaffirmed its commitment to buy Spanish debt and analysts said it reflected both Tokyo’s concern about the impact of the crisis on its export-reliant economy and an effort to reassert itself on the global stage.

“I think it’s appropriate for Japan to purchase a certain amount of bonds to boost confidence in the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) and make a contribution as a major country,” Noda said.

The European Union set up the 440 billion euro fund as a safety net for heavily indebted euro zone nations, but it failed to deter investors from betting on more bailouts.

A finance ministry source told Reuters that Japan would continue to buy bonds issued under the scheme as part of its commitment as a Group of Seven nation to stabilising the world economy and containing the debt crisis. The official declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Tokyo’s pledge also follows reports that the European Central Bank was buying Portuguese bonds on Monday, after speculation that Portugal would soon follow Greece and Ireland in seeking an international bailout pushed the euro to four-month lows.

Japan’s announcement lifted the single currency as far as $1.2992 on trading platform EBS from around $1.2925.

But it pulled back later when

it became clear that Tokyo would use its existing euro reserves to buy the bonds and analysts expected the impact of Japan’s gesture to be short-lived.

“I don’t think these comments change the backdrop for the euro at all,” said Todd Elmer, currency strategist for Citi in Singapore.

“Despite the fact that we’re seeing this groundswell of international support, it doesn’t really change or address the underlying problem and that’s not going to change until the European authorities themselves come up with a more comprehensive solution.”

Analysts said that besides concern that an escalating debt rout in Europe could thwart Japan’s own recovery, Tokyo might also be acting to preserve its standing in global economic diplomacy after Beijing seized the initiative.

China’s declared support for Spain — euro zone’s fourthlargest economy seen most at risk of contagion from Portugal’s troubles — follows Beijing’s pledges last year to buy bonds issued by Greece, the first euro zone nation to need a rescue.

“With China pledging to buy euro zone bonds and its currencybased diplomacy increasingly prominent, Japan appears to be trying to follow suit to secure European support in possible future negotiations, either with the United States or China,” said Yasunari Ueno, chief market economist at Mizuho Securities.

Analysts also say that just like Beijing, at odds with Europe and the United States over its yuan policy, Tokyo could do with some goodwill capital after its market intervention to curb the yen drew fire from its trading partners.

Data released on Tuesday confirmed that Japan spent more than $25 billion to halt the yen’s rise in September out of its reserve stockpile that stood at $1.1 trillion at the end of last year — second only to China’s $2.85 trillion.

As part of its 80 billion euro rescue plan for Ireland agreed in December, the EU intends to launch four or five benchmark bonds this year, aiming for 3 billion to 5 billion euros ($3.9-6.5 billion) for each transaction.

12

Entertainment

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

International

Babies on the way for Marion Cotillard, Owen Wilson Reuters

LOS ANGELES – The post-holiday influx of celebrity baby announcements added some proud new parents on Monday when actress Marion Cotillard was revealed as being pregnant and separately Owen Wilson’s girlfriend was said to be expecting. Oscar winner Marion Cotillard is expecting her first child with boyfriend Guillaume Canet, a representative for the French star told Us Weekly magazine.

Cotillard, 35, won the film industry’s top honor for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in 2007 film “La Vie en Rose,” and more recently she starred in thriller “Inception.” Canet, a French actor and

director, was previously married to actress Diane Kruger.

Meanwhile, actor Owen Wilson and girlfriend Jade Duell, are also having a baby, a representative for the “Little Fockers” told celebrity magazine Entertainment Weekly and others. The never-married Wilson has been dating Duell for over a year. Along with “Little Fockers,” Wilson has voiced roles in animated movies such as “Cars” and he stars in upcoming comedy “Hall Pass.”

In recent weeks, several celebrities have come out with announcements of pregnancies, including David and Victoria Beckham, “Black Swan” film actress Natalie Portman and singer Alanis Morissette.

A fan of late King of Pop Michael Jackson Sean Kang from New York City holds a sign outside the courthouse during the preliminary hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray, charged with involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s shock June 2009 death, in Los Angeles on January 04, 2011.

AFP PHOTO/VALERIE MACON

Detective recounts events before Jackson death AP

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Cast member Marion Cotillard poses at the premiere of “Inception” at the Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California July 13, 2010. The movie opens in the U.S. on July 16.

Simon, Stills, Weir sing on autism film soundtrack Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – What do Norah Jones, Carly Simon, Scarlett Johannson, Ben Harper, Bob Weir, Steven Stills and Vincent Gallo have in common? All have lent their voices to the soundtrack for a documentary about autism, which will be released Tuesday on iTunes.

“Wretches & Jabberers” follows two men with autism as they travel the world, aiming to change attitudes about their condition.

Musician J.Ralph said he signed on to compose the score for the

film, but was so moved by the men’s story that he wrote another 20 songs — a complete soundtrack — and asked some of music’s bestknown artists to give voice to them.

Stills said using the men’s own words “as the foundation of the lyric was what made our song fly.”

“I am extremely proud of our work,” he said, calling the effort a “truly remarkable experience.”

The documentary, directed by Oscar winner Gerardine Wurzburg, will be released in theaters in April in honor of National Autism Awareness Month.

AP Photo/Jeff Christensen, file

FILE - In this June 12, 2010 file photo, Norah Jones performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, desperate for sleep, warned a doctor on the day he died that he would have to cancel his comeback concerts unless he received a dose of “his milk” — the powerful anesthetic propofol, according to testimony from the lead detective in the case against Jackson’s doctor.

As a result, Dr. Conrad Murray yielded and gave the singer a dose of propofol after a night of administering lesser drugs, detective Orlando Martinez said.

Prosecutors said the combination of drugs was lethal and filed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Murray, who has pleaded not guilty.

Martinez, who interviewed Murray two days after Jackson’s death, gave a chilling step-by-step account at Murray’s preliminary hearing, saying the pop star lay dying while Murray administered CPR

but didn’t call 911.

Martinez, who spent nearly three hours interviewing Murray in the presence of his lawyers, said Murray told him he had been giving Jackson doses of propofol six nights a week for two months but was trying to wean him from the drug after becoming afraid his patient was becoming addicted.

The detective said Jackson came home from rehearsal abut 1 a.m. on June 25, 2009, showered and got into bed. Murray said he immediately connected an intravenous tube

to the singer’s leg and began giving him sedatives, according to Martinez. The doctor said that began a night of continuous efforts to get the star to sleep. He told police he gave him the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam intravenously and supplied a valium pill, but nothing seemed to work.

At 3:30 a.m. he said, Jackson fell asleep for about 10 minutes but then was awake again and complaining that if he didn’t get sleep he would have to cancel his much-anticipated “This is It” tour, the detective said.

Murray spoke of feeling pressure to get Jackson to sleep and sometime between 10:40 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. gave him half his usual 50 milligram dose of propofol, Martinez said.

“It was an injection to get him to sleep and a slow drip to keep him sleeping,” the detective said.

Shakira announces split with longtime beau Associated Press Writer

BOGOTA, Colombia – Shakira and her Argentine boyfriend of 11 years say in a note on the Colombian pop star’s website that they have split up. Shakira and Antonio de la Rua say they decided in August to “take time apart” from their romantic relationship but kept the details private until now.

The note posted Monday says the two view their separation as temporary, and adds that de la Rua will continue to oversee Shakira’s business and career interests. He is the son of a former president of Argentina.

A person close to the couple says they are now together in Paris. The person insisted on speaking anonymously, noting the subject’s sensitivity.The 33-year-old Shakira said in various interviews in 2009 that she was ready to have babies.

Colombian singer Shakira (L) and her boyfriend Argentine Antonio de la Rua pet their dog at their farmhouse “La Colorada”, in Jose Ignacio, Maldonado department, 170 km east from Montevideo on December 20, 2009.

AFP PHOTO URUGUAY OUT

Life Style

International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

13

Swine flu survivors developed super flu antibodies Reuters

AP Photo/Gregory Areshian, National Geographic

This undated handout photo provided by National Geographic shows a wine press, behind which an archaeological identification kit is placed, In Armenia.

Earliest known winery found in Armenian cave Agence France Presse

WASHINGTON – The earliest known winery has been uncovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia. A vat to press the grapes, fermentation jars and even a cup and drinking bowl dating to about 6,000 years ago were discovered in the cave complex by an international team of researchers.

While older evidence of wine drinking has been found, this is the earliest example of complete wine production, according to Gregory Areshian of the University of California, Los Angeles, co-director of the excavation. The findings, announced Tuesday by the National Geographic Society, are published in the online edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

“The evidence argues convincingly for a wine-making facility,” said Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory at the Univer-

sity of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, who was not part of the research team. Such large-scale wine production implies that the Eurasian grape had already been domesticated, said McGovern, author of “Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer and Other Alcoholic Beverages.”

The same Armenian area was the site of the discovery of the oldest known leather shoe, dated to about 5,500 years ago. That discovery at the area known as Areni-1 was reported last summer. According to the archeologists, inside the cave

was a shallow basin about 3 feet across that was positioned to drain into a deep vat. The basin could have served as a wine press where people stomped the grapes with their feet, a method Areshian noted was traditional for centuries.

They also found grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes and dozens of dried vines. The seeds were from the same type of grapes — Vitis vinifera vinifera — still used to make wine. The earliest comparable remains were found in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian king Scorpion I, dating to around 5,100 years ago.

Because the wine-making facility was found surrounded by graves, the researchers suggest the wine may have been intended for ceremonial use.

That made sense to McGovern, who noted that wine was the main beverage at funeral feasts and was later used for tomb offerings.

CHICAGO – A study of antibodies from people infected with H1N1 swine flu adds proof that scientists are closing in on a “universal” flu shot that could neutralize many types of flu strains, including H1N1 swine flu and H5N1 bird flu, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said people who were infected in the H1N1 pandemic developed an unusual immune response, making antibodies that could protect them from all the seasonal H1N1 flu strains from the last decade, the deadly “Spanish flu” strain from 1918 and even a strain of the H5N1 avian flu.

“It says that a universal influenza vaccine is really possible,” said Patrick Wilson of the University of Chicago, who worked on the paper published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Many teams are working on a “universal” flu shot that could protect people from all flu strains for decades or even life.

U.S. officials say an effective universal flu vaccine would have enormous ramifications for the control of influenza, which kills

anywhere from 3,300 to 49,000 people in the United States each year. Wilson’s team started making the antibodies in 2009 from nine people who had been infected in the first wave of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic before an H1N1 vaccine had been produced. The hope was to develop a way to protect healthcare personnel.

Working with researchers from Emory University School of Medicine, the team produced 86 antibodies that reacted with the H1N1 virus, and tested them on different flu strains. Of these, five were cross-protective, meaning they could interfere with many strains of flu including the 1918 “Spanish flu” and a strain of H5N1 or avian flu.

Tests of these antibodies in mice showed they were fully protected from an otherwise lethal dose of flu. And some of these cross-protective antibodies were similar in structure to those discovered by other teams as having potential for a universal flu vaccine.

“It demonstrates how to make a single vaccine that could potentially provide permanent immunity to all influenza,” Wilson said in a telephone interview.

REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

A woman receives a H1N1 influenza vaccine shot from a medical staff at a hospital in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok January 11, 2010.

Hubble telescope zeroes in on green blob in space Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The Hubble Space Telescope got its first peek at a mysterious giant green blob in outer space and found that it’s strangely alive. The bizarre glowing blob is giving birth to new stars, some only a couple million years old, in remote areas of the universe where stars don’t normally form.

The blob of gas was first discovered by a Dutch school teacher in

AP Photo/Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute

2007 and is named Hanny’s Voorwerp ( H A N ’ - n e e ’s - F O R ’ - v e h r p ) .

Voorwerp is Dutch for object. NASA released the new Hubble photo Monday at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle.

Parts of the green blob are collapsing and the resulting pressure from that is creating the stars. The stellar nurseries are outside of a normal galaxy, which is usually where stars live.

That makes these “very lonely newborn stars” that are “in the middle

This handout photo provided by NASA, taken April 12, 2010 by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows an unusual, ghostly green blob of gas appears to float near a normal-looking spiral galaxy.

of nowhere,” said Bill Keel, the University of Alabama astronomer who examined the blob. The blob is the size of our own Milky Way galaxy and it is 650 million light years away. Each light year is about 6 trillion miles.

The blob is mostly hydrogen gas swirling from a close encounter of two galaxies and it glows because it is illuminated by a quasar in one of the galaxies. A quasar is a bright object full of energy powered by a black hole.

The blob was discovered by elementary school teacher Hanny van Arkel, who was 24 at the time, as part of a worldwide Galaxy Zoo project where everyday people can look at archived star photographs to catalog

new objects.

Van Arkel said when she first saw the odd object in 2007 it appeared blue and smaller. The Hubble photo provides a clear picture and better explanation for what is happening around the blob. “It actually looked like a blue smudge,” van Arkel told The Associated Press. “Now it looks like dancing frog in the sky because it’s green.” She says she can even see what passes for arms and eyes.

Since van Arkel’s discovery, astronomers have looked for similar gas blobs and found 18 of them. But all of them are about half the size of Hanny’s Voorwerp, Keel said.

14

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Sport

International

Ronaldinho signs for Flamengo Agence France Presse

RIO DE JANEIRO – AC Milan’s out of favour Brazilian star Ronaldinho is to sign for Rio giants Flamengo, after days of negotiations in his native Brazil, the football icon confirmed on his website. The 30-year-old Ronaldinho — part of the Brazil side that won the 2002 World Cup — said Monday he would sign a three-and-a-half year contract with a monthly salary of nearly 900,000 dollars.

The player, full name Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, started profes-

AP Photo/Kin Cheung

South Korea’s Kwak Tae Hwi, left, tackles Bahrain’s Abdulla Al Dakeel, during their AFC Asian Cup group C soccer match at Al Gharafa Stadium, in Doha, Qatar, Monday Jan. 10, 2011.

Cho praises versatile South Korea match-winner Koo Agence France Presse

DOHA – South Korea coach Cho Kwang-Rae lauded the contribution of match-winner Koo Ja-Cheol, after the midfielder’s double earned his side a 2-1 victory over Bahrain in their Asian Cup opener.

Koo excelled in a central role in support of lone striker Ji DongWon in Monday’s game, testing Bahrain goalkeeper Mahmood Mansoor after wriggling into the box mid-way through the first half and giving his side the lead with a deflected shot shortly before half-time.

The 21-year-old Jeju United midfielder tapped home his second in the 52nd minute, reacting sharply after Mansoor had parried a powerful Cha Du-Ri effort, and was substituted to resounding applause later in the game. He was also named the official man of the match, and his coach paid tribute to his versatility.

“Koo Ja-Cheol is very skillful and he can play many different positions, both in central midfield or as an attacking midfielder,” said Cho. “Cha Du-Ri played well at right-back as well, so they will both be under consideration for the Australia game.” Captain Park Ji-Sung, the darling of the national side, said he was pleased to have avoided a slip-up in the

opening game. “Tactically, we were solid and our overall performance was good,” said the Manchester United wide player.

“The first match is always important, at an Asian Cup or a World Cup. The three points makes the rest of the games that much easier for us. It was very important to win.”

The Taeguk Warriors meet Australia on Friday in a game likely to decide which of the two pre-tournament favourites comes out on top in Group C. South Korea will have to do without centre-back Kwak TaeHwi, after he was sent off for fouling Abdulla Al-Dakeel in an incident that led to Faouzi Aaish bringing Bahrain back into the game from the penalty spot in the 85th minute.

Cho, though, feels his squad is deep enough to cover for Kwak’s absence.

“It would have been better to avoid the sending off, but we have three good centre-backs who can cover, so one of those will play against Australia,” said Cho, who took over from Huh Jung-Moo last July after South Korea’s run to the

last 16 at the World Cup in South Africa.

South Korea’s participation in South Africa marked the seventh consecutive time they had qualified for the World Cup finals, but they have not won the Asian Cup since their second triumph at the continental showpiece in 1960. Park said the time was nigh to end the 51-year wait.

“We feel very strongly about it,” he said. “Not just me but everyone on the team feels that way. If we end it here, the younger players can build on it in the future and perform on the world stage.”

Cho revealed that the team were approaching the tournament with a double-pronged objective. “Korea has two big targets: win the Asian Cup and change the generation of players after the World Cup,” said the coach.

“To achieve these two targets in the long term and the short term, I wanted to change our style of play.

“I think the young players did an excellent job. If we have enough time to improve these young players, the future will be bright for us.”

sionally with Gremio aged 18 before moving to Paris SaintGermain, FC Barcelona — with whom he won the 2006 Champions League — and then AC Milan.

Twice named world player of the year, Ronaldinho made it known that he wanted to return to his homeland with hopes of playing for a local side and regaining his place in the national squad for the 2014 World Cup which Brazil are hosting.

Flamengo was able to sign Ronaldinho after Brazilian clubs Gremio and Palmeiras dropped out of the race to acquire him over the weekend.

Messi, Mourinho win FIFA’s end-of-year honours Agence France Presse

ZURICH – Argentinian Lionel Messi won the Ballon D’Or for the second successive year here on Monday beating his more favoured Barcelona team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. The 23-year-old - the first player to win back-toback awards since Marco van Basten in 1988/89 - had been seen as the outsider after a modest World Cup where he failed to score and Argentina went out in the quarter-finals.

Iniesta and Xavi both had outstanding World Cups with the former scoring the only goal in the 1-0 World Cup final victory over Holland. Messi won with 22.65percent of the votes cast, with Iniesta on 17.36percent and Xavi third with 16.48percent.

Inter Milan and Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who was a controversial omission from the short list, came in fourth with 14.48percent. “I was surprised but also happy at the same time,” said

Messi. “I am surprised because the prediction was that either Xavi or Iniesta would win.

“I would like to thank those who voted for me but Xavi and Iniesta equally deserved it because they had a great year and a wonderful World Cup.” Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho was named world coach of the year for securing the treble of Champions League, Serie A title and Italian Cup with Inter Milan last season.

The 47-year-old Portuguese known as the ‘Special One’ edged out Spain’s World Cup winning coach Vicente Del Bosque and Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola, who he is now crossing swords with as Real Madrid boss.

Messi, who said that winning a World Cup would mean more to him than the Ballon D’Or, admitted that he desperately wanted to improve his record with Argentina, with whom he has never won a title. “In 2011, I want to win my first title with the national side,” he said.

AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI

(L-R) Francois Moriniere of French ASO group and owner of French sport daily l’Equipe, Argentina’s Lionel Messi (L) winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or, Brazil’s Marta, winner of the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and FIFA president Sepp Blatter pose on January 10, 2011 at the Kongresshaus during the FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich.

Sport

International

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

15

Cyclist accused in doping probe found dead: reports Agence France Presse

MADRID – Former Spanish mountain bike rider Alberto Leon, one of six people accused last month as part of a probe into sports doping, was found dead in an apparent suicide, reports said Monday. Leon was found hanged at his home at San Lorenzo del Escorial near Madrid, radio Cadena Ser and other media outlets reported.

In December he was accused of public health offences and trafficking in illegal substances as part of a major police investigation into a doping network known as Operation Greyhound. Leon allegedly provided doping products to athletes.

Among the others accused are world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes who was implicated in another

major investigation into doping, the 2006 Operation Puerto which focused on cyclists. Leon was also under investigation as part of that operation. Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich and Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso were among the riders caught up in that Operation Puerto.

The other accused in Operation Greyhound are Dominguez’s coach, Cesar Perez; athlete Alberto Garcia; fitness trainer Manuel Pascua Piqueras and agent Jose Alonso Valero.

Police began their investigation in April 2010 after becoming aware of a group that appeared to be aiding elite athletes who wanted to dope.

Operation Greyhound is the third recent police investigation into doping in Spanish sports after Operation Puerto and Operation Grial, carried out in 2009.

Rose and Boozer lead Bulls past Pistons Associated Press Writer AP Photo/Rick Rycroft

Vera Zvonareva of Russia plays a forehand to Flavia Pennetta of Italy during their match at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011.

Wozniacki, Zvonareva fail in Sydney Agence France Presse

SYDNEY – Top ranked Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva crashed out of the Sydney International on Tuesday leaving them short of match practice ahead of next week’s Australian Open. Denmark’s world number one Wozniacki was knocked out by Slovakia’s 32nd-ranked Dominika Cibulkova, 6-3, 6-3, in one hour 40 minutes and was followed out of the tournament by Russian Zvonareva on a rain-interrupted day.

Second-ranked Zvonareva fell to Italian Flavia Pennetta 7-5 75, leaving US Open champion third-seeded Kim Clijsters the highest ranking seed left in the tournament. Clijsters cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

While Clijsters was contemplating her next match against seventh seed Victoria Azarenka, Wozniacki and Zvonareva were hastily arranging extra practice to make up for their lack of match play heading into Monday’s season-opening Grand Slam. “At the start of the new season you always need to get into the match play,” Wozniacki said.

“I didn’t feel that I was playing great tennis out there. So I definitely now just need to get

some sets going and some training matches, head to Melbourne and get ready. “Last year I had the same start, so hopefully slow start, good finish.”

While Wozniacki and Zvonareva have their problems, it was a much smoother start to the season for Belgian mother Clijsters. “I’m starting my matches well, and I feel that I’m really getting into a groove from the beginning of the match,” she said.

“It’s an important feeling to have, knowing that you can start off well and really kind of build from there.” Clijsters said she feels confident heading into Melbourne after playing two matches in Sydney following her exhibition win over Wozniacki in Thailand.

“I feel good, I feel fit,” she declared. “I think that’s obviously

something that adds a lot to your confidence if you feel good out there, when you have no small problems or you don’t feel that physically you’re struggling with any injury, you feel fine.”

Azarenka eased into the last eight with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Israel’s Shahar Peer. China’s Li Na won her second match of the tournament, accounting for French qualifier Virginie Razzano, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and will next play former French and US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Russian came back from dropping the opening set to beat home favourite and fourth seed Samantha Stosur, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Russian Alisa Kleybanova will take on Cibulkova in the quarters after overcoming Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-4.

CHICAGO – Derrick Rose scored 29 points and Carlos Boozer added 27 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 95-82 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Luol Deng added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who have won seven straight home games.

The Bulls erased Detroit’s 12-point halftime lead midway through the third quarter behind Boozer. He scored nine quick points with his jumper tying it at 61 with 4:54 left in the quarter. Deng’s dunk gave the Bulls a 71-70 lead then Rose took over. He scored the final five points of the period on a three-point play and a 15-footer to give the Bulls a sixpoint lead.

Rose finished the quarter with 11 points. The Bulls guard continued his run in the fourth, scoring on a nifty alley-oop dunk from Ronnie Brewer.

Boozer’s jumper gave the Bulls an 8678 lead with 3:54 left and Brewer’s 3 a minute later put the game away.

Pistons guard Richard Hamilton

played, despite his name circulating in a blockbuster three-team trade centering around Carmelo Anthony. The reported deal would reunite Chauncey Billups and Hamilton in New Jersey along with Anthony.

New Jersey would send rookie power forward Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris and others to Denver in the deal that would get them Anthony, Billups, Hamilton, Shelden Williams and Terrico White, who is injured. The Pistons would receive veteran Troy Murphy and center Johan Petro. Murphy has a nearly $12 million contract that will expire after this season. Hamilton finished with two points off the bench in 21 minutes. He was 0-for-5 from the field. The Pistons controlled most of the first half thanks to a breakout quarter by Austin Daye.

Daye showed off his versatily with his inside out game. He drove the lane for a dunk to give Detroit a 40-31 lead then he made a 3 to give the Pistons a 55-43 lead at the half. Daye scored all 14 of his points in the second quarter, making all six of his shots.

Chicago Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose does a reverse lay up over Detroit Pistons’ Charlie Villanueva during the first half of a NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 in Chicago.

AP Photo/John Smierciak

16

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

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

Sport

Al-Attiyah takes Dakar lead Nasser Al-Attiyah leads this year’s Dakar Rally for the first time after victory on today’s stage moved him ahead of Volkswagen teammate Carlos Sainz. Sainz had led the rally since the opening stage but went into today’s 508km run from Antofagasta to Copiapo the longest of the event so far - just 1m22s ahead of Al-Attiyah.

‘AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Volkswagen’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, from Qatar, and co-driver Timo Gottschalk, from Germany, bottom, and Volkswagen’s driver Carlos Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz, both from Spain during the eighth stage of the 2011 Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011.

Red Bull plays down Vettel-Ferrari talk RED BULL Racing has played down speculation that Sebastian Vettel will be lured to Ferrari in the next few years - insisting the world champion would be ‘stupid’ to go up against Fernando Alonso at Maranello. Vettel’s deal with Red Bull runs until the end of 2012 and his team chiefs have been making moves to try to tie him down for another three years.

But that has not stopped talk that Vettel may be tempted by the prospect of being a part of the historic Ferrari name - and Alonso himself has said he would have no problem racing alongside the German.

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko sees things very differently, however, and reckons Vettel is too ‘smart’ to jump ship just because of a team name. “It is a natural thing that a racing driver dreams of Ferrari, and Ferrari looks at a great driver like Sebastian,” Marko said in an interview with German newspaper Bild. “But just for the legend of Ferrari, Sebastian will not leave us.

“He is smart enough to know that the circumstances would have to be right. He is not going to change as long as Fernando Alonso is still there – otherwise he would be stupid.”

Marko believes Red Bull has all the ingredients it needs to ensure it can keep Vettel for as long as possible.

“We are the world championship

winning team,” he explained. “While we offer Sebastian a package that is better than the others, he is not going to go elsewhere just because of someone’s image.” Marko is also confident Vettel can become the first man since Alonso in 2005-06 to successfully defend a world championship title.

“Last year Sebastian lost 66

points because of mechanical problems,” he said. “These points were virtually all given to Fernando Alonso. If we can overcome those problems and not have bad luck, then we will defend the title. “Then there is Sebastian himself – the world champion. He is a year more mature and is fully back on track.”

IBP/ist

Sebastian Vettel

The Spaniard led again until he ran in trouble in the last 5km, twice getting his Touareg stuck on sand dunes and having to dig out. The delays gave Al-Attiyah his third the stage victory by six and a half minutes and an overall lead of more than five.

“In the last section of dunes we were pushing at a maximum because that was where we had to take the time from Sainz,” Al-Attiyah said.

“I’m quite happy to win the stage, quite happy. “It was a difficult stage because I was opening all the way, but the dunes are my favourite terrain and I was really pushing to the limit. I’m happy to win the stage and take the lead in the general standings.

I can control the race now.”

Sainz still finished the day second but was frustrated by the time lost. “I hope today will have been our worst day on the Dakar,” he said. “At the end we got stuck in the dunes twice and both times we had to get out and dig. Sometimes everything’s fine, other times it’s not as good.

“We’ll just have to keep on going.

We need to attack. On a rally, each stage is long and hard. We’ll see what happens. Obviously, I’ve lost some time, but the rally isn’t over, there are still other stages left.” Giniel de Villiers and Mark Miller completed

a sweep of the first four by Volkswagen, with Nani Roma’s Nissan the best of the rest in fifth.

Meanwhile, BMW’s Stephane Peterhansel’s rally went from bad to worse today. Having lost close to 10 minutes to the leading Volkswagens on each of the last two stages due mainly to punctures, he was struck by overheating problems and lost more than an hour.

Peterhansel had more punctures early in the stage by had to drive the last 100km with caution due to an overheating engine, and has slipped to fourth overall behind de Villiers.

“Just for a change, we got a puncture right at the start - but it was nothing compared to what happened afterwards,” Peterhansel said. “We had a problem with the engine overheating.

We had to make a quick fix on the fan and stop regularly to add water to the radiator.

“Over the last 150km we must have lost an hour and a half. We had three punctures as well today, so we’ve finished without a spare wheel. One more and it would’ve been curtains for us.”

Krzysztof Holowczyc’s BMW also hit trouble, with electrical and then power steering failures. He eventually finished the day in 11th place, more than two hours behind the leaders.