Edisi 16 Maret 2011 | International Bali Post

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Fresh riot by asylum seekers on Australian island

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Thousands of Japanese cancel their travel to Bali PAGE 8

AFP PHOTO/JAMES LAWLER DUGGAN

BAHRAIN, Manama : Bahraini anti-government protesters walk towards makeshift roadblocks in Manama on March 14, 2011, a day after Bahraini police clashed with demonstrators trying to occupy Manama’s banking centre, as protests spread from a peaceful sit-in to the heart of the strategic Gulf state’s business district.

Saudi sends troops, Bahrain Shi’ites call it “war”

De Niro and Penn back Palestinian film at UN PAGE 12

Reuters

MANAMA (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia sent troops into Bahrain on Monday to help calm weeks of protests by the Shi’ite Muslim majority, a move opponents of the Sunni ruling family on the island called a declaration of war.

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Analysts saw the troop movement into Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, as a mark of concern in Saudi Arabia that concessions by the country’s monarchy could inspire the conservative Sunni-ruled kingdom’s own Shi’ite minority.

About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain to protect government facilities, a Saudi official source said, a day after mainly Shi’ite protesters overran police and blocked roads.

“They are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) force that would guard the government installations,” the source said, referring to the six-member bloc that coordinates military and economic policy in the world’s top oil-exporting region.

Bahrain said on Monday it had asked the Gulf troops for support in line with a GCC defense pact.

The United Arab Emirates has said

it would also send 500 police to Bahrain.

Witnesses saw some 150 light armored troop carriers, ambulances, water tankers and jeeps cross into Bahrain via the 25-km (16-mile) causeway and head toward Riffa, a Sunni area that is home to the royal family and military hospital.

Bahrain TV later showed footage it said was of advance units of the joint regional Peninsula Shield forces that had arrived in Bahrain “due to the unfortunate events that are shaking the security of the kingdom and terrorizing citizens and residents.”

It later said a second wave of forces had arrived. Analysts say the largest contingent in a GCC force would come from Saudi Arabia, worried about spillover to Shi’ites in its own Eastern Province, the center of its oil industry.

Continued on page 6

Further probe opened in Berlusconi sex scandal AP

ROME – Italian prosecutors are looking into a newspaper report alleging that two Italians offered cash to a Moroccan official to change the birth certificate of the teenage girl at the center of Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s prostitution scandal.

Berlusconi faces trial on charges he paid for sex with a Moroccan girl nicknamed Ruby, who at the time was a minor. Il Fatto Quotidiano, a leftist newspaper opposed to Berlusconi, said two Italian men traveled to Morocco in February and sought to bribe a registry office employee into changing Ruby’s year of birth from 1992 to 1990.

Berlusconi has denied wrongdoing.

His lawyers have filed a complaint to Rome prosecutors, saying they feared a setup. ANSA reported the prosecutors opened the investigation Monday.

AP – FILE

This March 3, 2011 file photo shows Karima elMahroug, nicknamed Ruby

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International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bali News

After rains, six locations inundated by puddles Bali Post

DENPASAR - Less maximal drainage in Denpasar results in adverse impact when rain flushes the city. It was proven by the rain falling on Monday (Mar 14) that caused several locations to be inundated by much water. However, in harmony with the decline in rainwater discharge, the puddles gradually receded.

The Head of Regional Disaster Emergency Response Agency (BPBD) of Denpasar City, I.B. Udiana, said there were six locations overwhelmed by puddles, namely Padang Asri, Jalan Buana Permai Block I, Ratana Graha Housing, Jalan Buana Raya, Banjar Semer area next to Puri Gang Seratus, as well as SDN 13 and 14 Padangsambian elementary school. These locations were inundated by puddles every rainy season.

Udiana mentioned that flooding occurred last Monday was caused by overflowing water from the river. Due to rainfalls in the upstream region was quite hard, the river water consequently overflowed until in Denpasar area. “The water coming into the Buana Permai Housing was until reaching some homes of local residents. But,

now it can be overcome,” said Udiana.

Over this incident, his party made coordination with relevant agencies, such as the Denpasar Public Works and others. Moreover, some of these locations had become a regular flooding ‘destination.’ In other words, the anticipation made had been good enough. The rain flushing Denpasar last Monday afternoon did not only result in flooding in some places, but also blowing down a number of trees. BPBD of Denpasar City recorded that falling tree incident occurred on Jalan Sulatri, Tembau Penatih, near local bridge and near Kehen Hamlet. Although it did not hamper the traffic flows, the falling tree impinged the cable of PLN. “The officers have been deployed to location to handle the falling tree,” said Udiana. (kmb12)

A number of tourists pray in Besakih Temple Bali Post

AMPLAPURA - In regarding to implementation of Ida Bathara Turun Kabeh (IBTK) ritual whose summit falling on Saturday (Mar 19), a number of tourists from Czech Republic said prayers en masse in the Penataran Agung Temple of Besakih on Monday (Mar 14). The prayers led by one of the female temple priests invoked in order the world could remain safe and peaceful.

Similarly, they appealed so that natural disaster like devastating quake followed by tsunami as happened few days ago in Japan causing hundreds of tolls and thousands missing could subside. Prayer of those Czech citizens was also in relation to see the majesty and beauty of the temple lo-

cated in the western foot of Mount Agung, on the sidelines of bustles of hundreds of devotees and temple priests preparing the IBTK ritual procession.

A temple priest in the Penataran Agung Temple of Besakih, Jero Mangku Kanten, when contacted earlier said that aside from Balinese and domestic devotees, many foreign devotees from various countries also often made their time to say prayers in the greatest temple of Bali. Mangku Kanten also added that other than Europeans, the most frequent tourists saying prayers in Besakih were those from Malaysia, Singapore and India.

“Hundreds of local devotees say prayers every day beyond the regular ceremonies. In addition, there are always foreigners among them,” he said. (013)

http://matanews.com

Three little kids walk in the rice field that located on Bali Island. Bali has an initiative to become a green province and implement the integrated farming system (Simantri).

Spiritual Farming:

From One Green to Some other Greens Advancement of science of technology does not answer all problems encountered by human life. In agriculture, for instance, modern farmers can now have boosted the quantity of production, even in multiple amounts. On the one hand, it’s a great success but on the other hand it still leaves a problem on the decline of environmental and human health quality.

Green revolution occurred between 1943 and 1970s through the implementation of chemical fertilizer and good irrigation system has conjured up the rice production. In short term, it became an efficacious medicine to resolve the famine in tropical countries. Few decades later, it had an impact on the reduction of environmental quality, like pollution in water, land and others. Apart from the impact on the environment, it was also had an impact on human health like the rise of some new cancers.

Realizing these facts, now Bali has an initiative to become a green province and implement the integrated farming system (Simantri).

Hopefully, implementation of the system could realize the Bali Organic plan and consequently minimize the environmental destruction. Green province campaign includes some aspects, namely green culture, green economy and Bali green and clean.

Green culture is intended to change the societal behavior in managing their waste management and environment. Green economy hints that all economic activities should be in the eco-friendly orientation. These two aspects will empty out into the

initiative of Bali Organic.

One of the aspects is applied in the agricultural field. Socialization has been intensified while establishing farmer groups. Through breeding local cows, for instance, farmers are expected to get maximal benefits.

Other than increasing the number of cows, they will be able to take advantage the cow dung and urine for organic fertilizers. In the long run, it will reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Of course, this endeavor will reduce the production cost that should be spent by farmers and at the same time increase the quality of rice as well as improve the environmental quality.

As a matter of fact, simple practice of this concept could have been seen around 1970s. Farmers using cows to cultivate their land could also take advantage of their cow dung. It was spread out onto the rice field and its efficacy could last for at least for two planting seasons. In terraced rice field, it could uniquely be managed by establishing a cowshed in the upper stream. Later on, the collected dry cow dung was channeled to rice field through the water gutter.

However, since being urged by the demand to multiple the rice production, farmers left the method. Introduction of hand tractor and chemical fertilizers gradually replaced the role of cows. The new method was expected to accelerate the land cultivation process. As consequence, cows were only serving as ‘family saving’ for farmers.

Simple eco-friendly pest control actually has been proposed in the

palm-leaf manuscript entitled “Shri Tattwa or Darmaning Pemaculan.” It has been applied by subak community in Bali from generation to generation until today. However, it seems to put more emphasis on the ritual aspect only, while herbal pesticide or other means of the oblation is only applied symbolically. For instance, bird raids are managed by offering two pieces of ketupat sidayu together with oblation and side dish of yellow dragonfly.

Meanwhile, Subash Palekar from India claimed to have developed the vedic-based farming. He has initiated his ‘spiritual farming’ since 1988. In essence he said that God or nature has provided human with everything required to grow plants. So implementing the chemical fertilizers and pesticide means to oppose God and will result in bad impact to human. Cow dung and urine as well as compost are three beneficial ingredients being enough for farming both on irrigated and non-irrigated land. By doing so, he claims it is a ‘zero budget of natural farming’ as in his trilogy book entitled Philosophy of Spiritual Farming.

To sum up, all movements at least refer to the same keywords namely green, natural and eco-friendly concept. They denote milestone of new awareness on modern human to reorientate their food production in quality. This awareness has triggered the orientation in the quality of life and environment. Hopefully, the aspiration of Bali as Green Province and other green concepts could be realized supported by entire community based on their awareness of a better quality life! (BTN/punia)

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Bali News

International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

3

27,000 Hectares Absorbent Soil Changed Function Bali Post

DENPASAR - According to Bali Province Plantation Agency data collection mentioned this Monday (14/3) by the Head, Ir. Gede Sudartha, M.S., higher grounds absorbent soil areas at Buleleng, Bangli and Karangasem has changed its function.

Shockingly the total of it reached 27,000 hectares.

“This has happened since 1980s,” Sudartha explained stating these areas were the catcher, saver and absorber to waters and so water sources in South Buleleng, South Tabanan, Denpasar and Badung preserved well. Yet as it changed function it is also causing higher risk of flood for Buleleng, Tabanan and Karangasem.

Economy growth and pressure has been suspected as the cause.

Before 1980s, higher grounds like Pupuan, Baturiti, Sukasada, Banjar, Petang, Kintamani and Kubu were the most absorbent place in Bali as it’s filled by forests, coffee plantation also dadap, albasia and other absorber plants. After that tens of those changed to flowers, vegetables and many kind of plantation which caused baldness to the land. Based on the data collected, 38,000 hectares of Robusta coffee land has decreased to 22,500 hectares. For

Arabica coffee from 22,500 hectares has gone down to 10,500 hectares.

To tackle so, the Agency will rebuild these lands by preparing seedlings of the absorbent plants and suggest those who own higher ground lands in Buleleng, Bangli and Karangasem to replant these, “These lands were Bali’s backbone, stretching from West to East Bali, Buleleng, Bangli and Karangasem.

Last Year’s budget the Agency has planted Arabica coffee above 2,152 hectares ground. For this year we are planning to do plantation on 1,020 hectares of land.”

He hoped those land owners will keep replanting absorbent plants and if they do want to plant others on the same land, make sure it a tumpang sari (polyculture) system, “If there’s no replanting, then flood, landslide and water difficulties will keep threatening Bali in the next 5 to 10 years.” (kmb13)

566 Gianyar Workers Overseas, None in Japan Bali Post

GIANYAR - The last three years the number of Gianyar workers overseas reached 566 people. From that, none of them are in Japan when actually many Japanese stayed in Gianyar and even married someone from Gianyar.

Last Monday, Head of Workers and Transmigration Agency for Gianyar

Regency, Ketut Suweta SE, MSi, stated there has been no Gianyar workers gone to Japan as confirmed by the Province government as well. Most of them have gone to Europe, America, Istanbul and other countries to work in the tourism sector also none as housekeeper.

Oppositely Japanese workers who work in Gianyar reached 111 people, they worked in tourism industry. (kmb16)

IBP/Eka Adhiyasa

Badung people held a ritual that called Ngaben Tikus on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The ritual was held to honor the spirit of mice even though it’s harming the rice field and human kind.

http://upload.wikimedia.org

People enjoying their time at Sanur beach. Sanur with the beautiful white sandy beaches and the famous Le Mayeur Museum are well known by tourists throughout the world. One of the icons for Bali tourism has been famous since the colonialism era.

Sanur:

Fisherman village transform into tourism destination Sanur with the beautiful white sandy beaches and the famous Le Mayeur Museum are well known by tourists throughout the world. One of the icons for Bali tourism has been famous since the colonialism era. At that time, the Netherlands army landed on Sanur Beach in 1906.

The beach also can be found in very old inscription about Bali’s history and also on an old stone writing of the Kasari Warmadewa King in 917 where now can be seen on the southern part of Blanjong, Sanur.

Then, the small village started to get its name among the foreign artists. In 1930, many foreign artists lived in Sanur, some of them were Katharane and Jack Mershon, dancers and photographer from US, Hans and Rolf Neuhaus who made art gallery in the fishermen village.

However, the most monumental artist ever stayed in Sanur obviously was a painter from Belgium, Andrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres. Then, he married a woman from Banjar Kelandis, Ni Polok and stayed in the village since 1937. The couple was the first to introduce Sanur Beach to the international world as a wonderful tourism destination.

As the time go by, Sanur changed significantly. The transformation happened on the way of lives of the inhabitants and the economics condition of Sanur. Many tourism businesses developed rapidly in the village.

Sanur developed into an icon of tourism village, well known by tourists throughout the world, especially after the establishment of Bali Beach Hotel in 1966. Before the hotel officially opened, the tourists stayed in Bali Hotel in Denpasar.

Sanur, consists of two main village, northern Sanur and western Sanur, as well as Sanur district, is a part of Denpasar Government. In the tradi-

tional division of village, Sanur divided into four areas, Sanur, Intaran, and Penyaringan.

The attraction of Sanur Beach can be seen on the north which is a half circular shape and on the southern part where the beach turns from east to the west. The wave is also not too big and when the tide is low, there is a beautiful view of the colorful coral reefs.

Near the dead moon, the tide usually higher and at that time, the view of Nusa Penida Island across the sea and the beautiful panorama of the southern part of Bali.

Visitor can also enjoy the beauty of the beach by strolling along the coastline. For sport lovers, there is also 6 kilometers of jogging track started on Mertasari Beach through Padanggalak Beach.

In addition to the beach scenery, there is also a beach called Matahari Terbit Beach in Sanur. The name of the beach means sunrise beach and suitable with the name, the visitors can witness beautiful sunrise on the beach.

So if you come to Bali, don’t forget to see the beautiful sunrise on the beach. Sanur has various attractions, the hot sun is suitable for sunbathe and the low tide give an insight of what’s going on underneath the sea.

Before, the beach is not the settlement area for the people. Sanur people were reluctant to build their houses near the beach. However, their daily activates as fishermen made them very close to the beach.

Most of the locals stated that the transformation happened after the establishment of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel. The people who only became fishermen were started to turn to other field of work especially in hotel industry.

Few locals even were accepted to work in the giant hotel. The head of northern Sanur Village, I.B Ketut

Kiana, said “the establishment of Bali Beach Hotel in 1966 opened a new chapter of life for the people of Sanur.”

The tourism accommodation in Sanur actually had been existed since 1965 where a national cruise company opened bungalow on Sindhu Beach, Sanur by the name Sindhu Beach Hotel.

The hotel caught the local by surprise because they were not accustomed by staying near the beach. However, after the development of tourism gave its benefit for the locals in the area, the transformation became even more obvious in Sanur.

The head of Indonesian Tour Guide Association (HPI), I Nyoman Kandia, said that Sanur is still one of the favorite destinations in Bali even after other destination developed in the island.

“The tourism site is beautiful and has great historical value, two main things needed to become famous destination in Bali,” he added. Kandia also said that the supporting facilities for tourism are also very complete in Sanur. In addition to hotels, other tourism businesses also develop in the area such as souvenir and handicrafts shops.

That is also including the entertainment industry which develops along with the tourism business. Nowadays, fishermen seem to be forgotten by the people in Sanur and most of them turn to the tourism industry.

Unfortunately, the development of Sanur in tourism is not being prepared properly. As Michel Picard wrote in his book “Bali, Cultural Tourism and Tourism Culture”, Sanur has no proper plan of development especially in tourism. Michel, who spends the last five years as a researcher in France Science and Research Center (CNRS), stated that the development of tourism facilities in Sanur must be planned better. (dir/ara/iah)

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News

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

International

Japanese ordered indoors in radiation leak crisis AP

SOMA, Japan – High levels of radiation leaked from a crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion Tuesday and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the 4-day-old catastrophe. The government warned 140,000 people nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure.

Tokyo also reported slightly elevated radiation levels, but officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) away.

In a nationally televised statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation has spread from four reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima state, one of the hardest-hit in Friday’s 9.0magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that has killed more than 10,000 people, plunged millions into misery and pummeled the world’s third-largest economy.

Officials just south of Fukushima reported up to 100 times the normal levels of radiation Tuesday morning, Kyodo News agency reported. While those figures are worrying if there is prolonged exposure, they are far from fatal. Kan and other officials warned there is danger of more leaks and told people living within 19 miles (30 kilometers) of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex to stay indoors to avoid exposure that could make people sick.

“Please do not go outside. Please stay indoors. Please close windows and make your homes airtight,” Chief Cabi-

net SecretaryYukio Edano told residents in the danger zone. “Don’t turn on ventilators. Please hang your laundry indoors.”

“These are figures that potentially affect health. There is no mistake about that,” he said.

Weather forecasts for Fukushima were for snow and wind from the northeast Tuesday evening, blowing southwest toward Tokyo, then shifting and blowing west out to sea. That’s important because it shows which direction a possible nuclear cloud might blow.

The nuclear crisis is the worst Japan has faced since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. It is also the first time that such a grave nuclear threat has been raised in the world since a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine exploded in 1986. Some 70,000 people had already been evacuated from a 12mile (20-kilometer) radius from the Dai-ichi complex and about 140,000 remain in the zone for which the new warning was issued.

Workers were striving to stabilize three reactors at the power plant that exploded in the wake of Friday’s quake and tsunami, after losing their ability to cool down and releasing some radiation. A fourth reactor that was shut down caught fire on Tuesday and more radiation was released, Edano said. The fire was put out. Even though the fourth reactor was shut down, the fire there was believed to be the source of the elevated radiation.

AP

FILE.- In this Sept. 28, 2009 file photo, Libya’s President Moammar Gadhafi, left, and Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez

Chavez, allies lead push for Libya mediation AP

CARACAS, Venezuela – As Moammar Gadhafi finds himself increasingly isolated internationally, he still has at least a few friends far away.

AP

The rubble caused by an earthquake and tsunami fill the landscape in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Latin America’s most prominent leftists rallied early to his defense and have stayed there even as former friends, neighbors and countrymen have abandoned the embattled Libyan leader and urged his ouster.

Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega have been foremost in opposing U.S. and NATO military involvement, and in suggesting that reports of atrocities

by Gadhafi’s troops are overblown

or unproven.

“The United States is proposing a war over Libya because they want Libyan oil,” Chavez said Sunday.

He praised the African Union for appointing a commission of leaders to travel to Libya for talks — an effort in line with his own peace proposals.

Chavez’s calls for mediation reflect both his affinity for Gadhafi and his ambition to be a global player, rallying nations against the United States.

But his critics say Chavez has no credibility to promote mediation because he has ignored abuses by Gadhafi’s regime. And his stance is also uncomfortable for some of his allies and political supporters, who side with the uprising and say it’s time for Gadhafi to go.

Latin America’s staunchest leftists long ago embraced Gadhafi as a fellow fighter against global U.S. influence, and they instinctively reject any U.S. intervention almost anywhere.

Both Castro and Chavez have repeatedly suggested the U.S. is stirring up trouble in Libya to grab its oil and say Libyans should settle their own internal conflict.

Wikileaks’ Assange confronts Australian PM AFP

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia denied passing on information about Wikileaks staff to foreign powers after its outspoken founder Julian Assange confronted the country’s prime minister over the claim.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd dismissed Assange’s allegation, which he made directly to Gillard during a live television show late Monday

in which he suggested she be charged with treason.

“I am not aware of seeing any such material myself,” Rudd told public broadcaster ABC on Tuesday.

Assange surprised Gillard as she appeared on a TV question and answer show during which Australians submitted questions by video, by appearing on screen to flail her for allegedly informing on staff of his whistleblower website.

“When will you come clean about

precisely what information you have supplied to foreign powers about Australian citizens working or affiliated with WikiLeaks?” asked Assange, who is under house arrest in Britain. Wearing a dark suit and tie, Assange asked whether Gillard should be charged with “treason” for her government’s alleged actions against Australian citizens.

Gillard denied any knowledge of her government passing data on Wikileaks employees to foreign

powers.

“I honestly don’t know what he is talking about. I don’t know anything about exchanging information about people who work for WikiLeaks. To my knowledge, it hasn’t happened,” she said.

Assange, an Australian, has slammed Gillard and her government for not doing enough to protect him from a US investigation over the leaking of thousands of secret military reports and diplomatic cables to

his whistleblowing website.

The 39-year-old former computer hacker is awaiting a British appeal hearing on whether he can be extradited over allegations of sexual assault against two women after a London court last month ruled he could be sent to Sweden.

But he has said he fears extradition to Sweden would be a precursor to being handed over to US authorities investigating the embarrassing leaks of US diplomatic cables.

International

Activities

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

5

UHA Pays Devotional Service in Mount Raung Temple IBP

In the series of the Panca Wali Krama Penyegjeg Jagat ritual in the Mount Raung Temple at Taro Kaja Customary Village, Ubud, the Ubud Hotels Association (UHA) took part in the activities of devotional services. Dozens of participants consisting of the staff of 37 hotels coalesced into the members of UHA were involved in the activity on Sunday (Feb 25).

“Panca Wali Krama Penyegjeg Jagat whose peak taking place on Buda (Wednesday) Kliwon Ugu (Mar 23), has been prepared since October 7, 2010 with various activities. We are in Ubud should participate by paying devotional services as a form of awareness and participation in maintaining the customary tradition and religion as part of life based on Tri Hita Karana. Similarly, we will continue to develop this in our tourism industry, especially among the members of the UHA,” revealed Duartha as Deputy Chairman of UHA who is also the General Manager of Waka di Ume.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

News ”Midsomer Murders” producer suspended AFP

LONDON (AFP) – The producer of a popular police detective series shown in 204 countries was suspended after claiming the show’s success was down to its allwhite cast.

Brian True-May, co-creator of Midsomer Murders, said the series was the “last bastion of Englishness” which “wouldn’t work” if ethnic minorities were added to the cast.

“We are shocked and appalled at these personal comments by Brian True-May,” a spokesman for ITV, the show’s commissioning broadcaster, said.

“We are in urgent discussions with All3Media, the producer of

Midsomer Murders, who have informed us that they have launched an immediate investigation into the matter and have suspended Mr True-May pending the outcome.”

The quaint police drama, which features John Nettles in the role of detective chief inspector Tom Barnaby, is set in the fictional English county of Midsomer.

True-May made his remarks in this week’s edition of the Radio Times.

“We just don’t have ethnic minorities involved because it wouldn’t be the English village with them,” True-May said.

“It just wouldn’t work. Suddenly we might be in Slough...

We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.”

AFP/File –

Australia’s remote Christmas Island detention centre has been hit by a second night of riots

Fresh riot by asylum seekers on Australian island AFP

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia’s remote Christmas Island detention centre was hit by a second night of riots on Tuesday, with up to 200 asylum seekers destroying closed-circuit television cameras.

AFP/File –

It followed a “significant and serious incident” on Monday when police used tear gas to quell a protest of 300 detainees.

“We saw more protests last night. We saw some damage to property: some buildings were damaged, including by a fire, and some CCTV equipment was damaged last night,” Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said.

The protests followed some 70 people breaking out of the centre, which sits on an Indian Ocean island some 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) northwest of Perth, on Friday, and a further 100 on Saturday.

All have since returned to the site, which houses some 2,539 boat people awaiting the processing of their applications to stay in the

country.

Bowen said tear gas was not used in the latest unrest.

“No. No direct confrontation last night; no need for tear gas or any associated weapons last night,” he said, adding that it was a small minority creating trouble.

“We’ve seen an organised and orchestrated campaign on behalf of a minority of asylum seekers at Christmas Island,” he said.

“In fact, a number of asylum seekers have told Department of Immigration staff that they want nothing to do with this protest, that they have no role in it, and they are in fact quite annoyed and disappointed by what?s happening and what other detainees are doing.”

Bowen denied that officials were losing control of the facility.

“I don’t underplay the seriousness of this event or the difficulties of this event, because it is both serious and difficult and ongoing,” he said.

“But the important thing is that I send the message ... and I send in all instances like this: protest action like this achieves nothing, it does not achieve the desired result.

“In fact, it makes life more difficult for the other asylum seekers and slows processing.”

More than 6,500 refugees — mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka — arrived in Australia last year on boats from Indonesia, crowding centres to capacity and inflaming debate on Canberra’s tough mandatory detention policy.

South Africans decry rapes of lesbians AP

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Rights activists are speaking out against rapes targeting lesbians in South Africa.

A small group of demonstrators rallied outside parliament Monday while their leaders met with govern-

ment representatives. Luleki Sizwe, which means “guide a nation,” a small group of lesbian activists in the townships of Cape Town also gathered petitions online to present to Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.

The organization gathered more than 170,000 signatures around the world on the petition denouncing

rapes of lesbians, sometimes called “corrective rapes.”

Luleki Sizwe founder Ndumie Funda says activists have shown they can mobilize tens of thousands of people around the world.

Now, she says, the question is what government officials “will actually do about it.”

British actors Neil Dudgeon and Fiona Dolman

Saudi...

From page 1 Bahraini opposition groups including the largest Shi’ite party Wefaq said the move was an attack on defenseless citizens.

“We consider the entry of any soldier or military machinery into the Kingdom of Bahrain’s air, sea or land territories a blatant occupation,” they said in a statement.

“This real threat about the entry of Saudi and other Gulf forces into Bahrain to confront the defenseless Bahraini people puts the Bahraini people in real danger and threatens them with an undeclared war by armed troops.”

The White House said the United States did not consider the arrival of Saudi security forces to constitution and invasion. It urged the Bahrain government, however, to exercise restraint in upholding order.

The arrival of the Saudi forces came after mostly Shi’ite

demonstrators overwhelmed Bahraini police on Sunday and blocked the highway to the main financial district in the most violent confrontations since troops killed seven protesters last month.

Those barricades were still up on Monday, with protesters checking cars at the entrance to the Pearl roundabout, the focal point of weeks of protests. On the other side of the same highway, police set up a roadblock preventing any cars moving from the airport toward the financial area.

In areas across Bahrain, vigilantes, some armed with sticks or wearing masks, guarded the entrances to their villages. Sectarian clashes broke out in Madinat Issa, witnesses said.

“We will never leave. This is our country,” said Abdullah, a protester, when asked if Saudi troops would stop them. “Why should we be afraid? We are not afraid in our country.”

International

Indonesia Today

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

7

Indonesia president slams ‘character assassination’ Agence France-Presse

BOGOR - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday said he had been subjected to “character assassination” over leaked US cables that accused him of abuse of power.

Released by whistleblower WikiLeaks and run in Australian newspapers The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday, the secret documents implied that the US embassy in Jakarta had serious doubts about Yudhoyono’s integrity.

“I don’t want to be too reactive and emotional,” Yudhoyono told reporters on the sidelines of an international judicial conference in the West Java town of Bogor.

“I will use my rights to get justice in a democratic manner. Later on, we’ll surely know who is democratic and who isn’t,” he said.

“Also, who impetuously reported and accused and played judge in the mass media, in a diplomacy that has highly discredited the good name of a person, or what can be called character assassination,” he added.

Yudhoyono, a former army general, was elected in 2004 and re-

elected in 2009 on the promise he would combat corruption. Indonesia has protested to Washington over the leak.

According to the newspaper reports, “the cables say Mr Yudhoyono has personally intervened to influence prosecutors and judges to protect corrupt political figures and pressure his adversaries”.

He also used “the Indonesian intelligence service to spy on political rivals and, at least once, a senior minister in his own government”, The Age said.

The cables also said Yudhoyono’s former vice-president Jusuf Kalla had reportedly paid huge amounts of money to gain control of Indonesia’s largest party.

“Believe me, I’ll be accountable for whatever I do, and God willing, I will maintain my integrity as that’s my duty as a leader in this country,” Yudhoyono said.

FOTO ANTARA/Prasetyo Utomo

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) on Monday said he had been subjected to “character assassination” over leaked US cables that accused him of abuse of power.

Indonesia cleric ‘sought to tap into Al-Qaeda brand’ Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA – An Indonesian militant cell adopted the name “AlQaeda in Aceh” to take advantage of the global brand name, a court heard Monday at the trial of firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

The preacher, who faces charges including leading and financing the Aceh group, said that Osama bin Laden’s terror network was an established brand, Bashir’s former key aide Abdul Haris told the South Jakarta district court.

“The group that is well-known in the world for having carried out jihad is Al-Qaeda,” the 46-year-old terror

convict said in his witness testimony, conducted via video link.

“That’s why Abu Bakar Bashir told us that in waging jihad, we should not create a new name for the group but just call it Al-Qaeda — such that jihad will not be disjointed, and (will) be far stronger,” he added.

Bashir could face the death penalty if convicted.

Haris, who was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for contributing funds to Al-Qaeda in Aceh, did not say whether he believed they had direct links with the international terror network.

The militant cell planned Mumbai-style attacks using squads

of suicide gunmen against Westerners. Haris was among several witnesses who asked to testify via video link because of fears for their safety, prompting Bashir and his lawyers to walk out of the courtroom in protest.

“I don’t have any trust in this trial... You just wait, God will curse all of you, as this is all about Islam,” Bashir, 72, said.

Bashir is also an alleged cofounder of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror organisation, which is blamed for multiple attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, mainly Western tourists.

Twenty-one Indonesian sailors in Japan survive tsunami Antara

JAKARTA - Twenty-one Indonesian sailors working on the Japanese vessel Kayomaru survived the powerful earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan recently, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said here on Tuesday. The 21 sailors were Sahadi, Sokhidin, Susmoro, Agus Priyanto, Anwar, Asmoro Bangun Bangit, Nugroho Sandhi, Wasito, Abdul Khalim, Muhamad Akhirudin, Sutono, Kusworo, Muhtar, Nurdiyanto, Zaenal Arifin, Harun Kadi Waru, Haryanto, Hermayan, Sukiri, Beny Khaeroni and Aris Budianto.

As to the fate of four sailors who were reported to have been missing after their ship Kunimaru no 3 was

anchored in a port in Miyagi prefecture (one of the areas impacted by the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami), Tene said there was no news about their whereabouts so far.

“Indonesian Embassy`s staff in Tokyo are still searching for the four sailors and other remaining Indonesians in the impacted areas such as in Miyagi prefecture,” he said adding that recently the embassy`s staff had succeed to evacuate ten more Indonesians from Miyagi to Tokyo.

Earlier, the Indonesian embassy in Tokyo said it had sent two rescue teams to Miyagi and Iwate prefectures on Saturday (March 12). The team had managed to find and relocate 121 Indonesians from Miyagi to Tokyo. About 94 of them were

scheduled to arrive in Jakarta in Tuesday (March 15) afternoon.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Eastern Japan and triggered a major tsunami that swept most of Japan‘s mainland which set off a Tsunami alarm in most of the Pacific region. According to Kyodo News Agency, the earthquake that occurred at 14.46 local time was recorded as the strongest quake after the magnitude 7.9 temblor in 1923 that rocked Tokyo and took 140,000 lives.

The Friday catastrophic earthquake has topped 1,200 casualties according to a police tally while hundreds are still missing after vast amounts of brown water torrent flooded the mainland carrying debris and swept ships from the sea.

Government believes inflation to remain under control Antara

BOGOR - The government believes inflation could be controlled despite the rising world oil prices as a result of political crises in the Middle East, Hatta Rajasa said.

After a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace here on Monday the coordinating minister for economic affairs said the government was confidant the rate of inflation could be controlled because in the past few months there had been deflation as the price of several food commodities tended to decline.

The exchange rate of the rupiah which is strengthening meanwhile is believed to be able to overcome the hike in the price of crude which has surpassed US$100 per barrel, he said.

“With regard to inflation, we saw that the months are months of deflation and it will continue to the months ahead,” he said.

Citing an example he referred to the price of rice which dropped on Monday by Rp100 per liter at the Cipinang main market and also the price of other commodities which also dropped.

He said the government would continue controlling the price of food commodities so that it would not rise due to various challenges.

The government would do a thing prudently to control inflation so that it would not reduce the people‘s buying power,” he said.

Hatta said until now the government had not discussed and decided

to raise the price of subsidized gasoline due to increasing world crude price.

“I still believe we are still able to maintain it because the rupiah is appreciating,” he said.

Finance minister Agus Martowardojo shared his view saying there was no need to be afraid of rising world crude price because the rupiah has continued to appreciate against the US dollar.The chief of the Central Bureau of Statistics, Rusman Heriawan, meanwhile said he agreed with the finance minister that in the past three months inflation had been low due to a grand harvest season.

In the future, he said, inflation is expected to be low and even deflation is expected to happen because the price of several food commodities have dropped. The cabinet meeting on Monday discussed inflation as well as food and energy resilience.

Hatta said on food resilience the ministers had discussed a target of a rice surplus of 10 million tons in 2014 and a minimum reserve at National Logistic Agency Bulog at 1.5 million tons this year. They also discussed paying farmers whose harvest had failed due to extreme weather recently Rp2.6 million per ton per hectare to replay their cost for seeds, fertilizers and work.

Regarding energy they had discussed plans to increase national production of gas and oil, diversify energy sources and accelerate develop power plants to meet the 10,000 Megawatt electrification target.

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International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bali Today Japanese tourists ride bicycle at Mertasari beach. A massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale and tsunami about 4 meters hitting northeastern Japan had significant implication for Bali tourism. The Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) of Bali Chapter recorded that 1,298 room nights should be canceled one day after the disaster.

IBP/Eka Adhiyasa

Thousands of Japanese cancel their travel to Bali Bali Post

DENPASAR - A massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale and tsunami about 4 meters hitting northeastern Japan had significant implication for Bali tourism. The Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) of Bali Chapter recorded that 1,298 room nights should be canceled one day after the disaster.

“The impact of tsunami disaster in Japan is quite influential on the arrival of Japanese tourists in Bali.

From March 12 to 13, there were 38 hotels reporting their room cancellation,” said Secretary General of PHRI Bali, Ferry Markus when contacted on Monday (Mar 14).

He said out of the 38 hotels claiming the cancellation, 20 hotels located in Kuta area, seven hotels in Nusa Dua area, nine hotels in Tuban and two hotels in Jimbaran. The largest number of room cancellation occurred in Kuta area consisting of 1,151 room nights, followed by Tuban (114 room nights), Nusa Dua (31 room nights) and Jimbaran (2 room nights).

Nevertheless, the mega-tsunamis striking the cherry blossom country did not cause a massive exodus of tourists. Movement of foreign tourists after such disaster was still normal. “We see there is no massive exodus until causing extra flights out of the country,” he said.

According to him, PHRI had sent a letter to the entire stakeholders in Japan to convey the sympathy-related disasters causing death tolls of several thousands more.

“We also urge our members to facilitate Japanese guests who find difficulty to come back home,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Bali Tourism Board, Ngurah Wijaya, predicted it could affect the macro

condition of Bali tourism because the number of Japanese tourist visits still occupied the top five in terms of the number of visits. “Possibly, there will be a great number of decreases in Japanese tourist visits after the disaster,” he said.

According to him, the earthquake and tsunami hitting the eastern and northern coast of Japan could affect Japan’s economic conditions. As a result, it could lead to recession in Japan with a broad impact on the economy in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Indeed, the disaster only affected the eastern and northern coastal areas of Japan. Other areas are not too problematic. However, we remain concerned about the number of Japanese tourist visits to Bali,” he said.

The circle of tourism perpetrators hoped that calamities hitting the country would have a very little impact. Bali needed to wait for the Japanese economy turning conducive to carry out promotional measures for restoring their arrival to Bali.

Export of Bali

Bali’s leading export is also estimated to be affected by the earthquake and tsunami striking Japan.

Head of Bali Industry and Trade Services, Gede Darmaja, admitted the potential of Japan in absorbing the local products of Bali ranking second after America among the 104 countries becoming the

export destination.

“Exports of Bali within the next three months are estimated to decline, chiefly for the non-food products such as handicrafts and textile,” he said. He explained that fisheries and food sector dominated the exports of Bali to Japan, other than textiles and handicrafts sector. In the period of 2010, the exports of Bali had increased by 19 percent with the realization reaching USD 95.61 million compared to the period of 2009 reaching USD 80.16 million.

“Japan will be very selective in spending its money. Expenditure will be put priority on the disaster handling and recovery. On that account, other secondary needs will not be a priority,” he said while hoping the impact of the earthquake and tsunami would not too much afflict the export activities of Bali.

The closing operation of Japan Airlines (JAL) to Bali in October 2010 also had an impact on decline in Japanese tourist visits to Bali.

Most Japanese tourists traveling to Bali were through the airport, where every day JAL carried about 400 passengers to Bali. Decline in the visit of tourist from the Sunrise country to Bali was also caused by economic crisis afflicting the country. Nevertheless, so far the arrival of Japanese tourists remained to shore up the level of foreign tourist arrivals to Bali. (par)

Archaeological heritage in Bali Archaeological researches in Bali have found a number of archeological heritages, which belonged to prehistoric and historic remains. Prehistoric remains proved the earliest of the people’s life, started from hunting and food gathering through cultivation up to mastering the advanced technology. Such remains indicated the struggle and the achievement of the people’s life gradually, after adapting and exploring their environment its natural resources for their life, because the nature was still quite dangerous. On the other hands, the remains also demonstrated the relationship of the prehistoric Balinese people to those who lived in Java, Sumatera etc, even to the South-East Asian people.

The most important of the prehistoric live in Bali is the invention of the metallic technology along with the megalithic tradition. During the advance technology the Balinese people have produced several kinds of bronze goods for ritual purpose such as kettledrums and for daily uses as well such as axes etc. Mastering the advance technology, Balinese people have succeeded to develop stone moulds in the village of Manuaba (Gianyar) for casting bronze kettledrum. The humanmask decoration, showed a remarkable similarities to the decorations of the huge kettledrums found in the village of Pejeng not so far of the east of Manuaba, but the stone moulds of Manuaba are small in its size.

It should be noted here that bronze kettledrums were not only found in Bali, but also in Java, and Eastern Indonesian Island. Another bronze moulds made of clay were also found in West Java, but not for producing kettledrums, but for making spearheads, axes, etc. Regarding the humanmask decorations, which were founds on the kettledrums of Pejeng, on the stone moulds of Manuaba and on the number of the sarcophagi found in Bali, was regarded as symbol of the leader’s or the ancestor’s spirits. The people believed that the spirit, who were abode on the top of the mountain or on the inaccessible place have the magic power for protecting the living society.

When Hinduism have spread widely in Indonesia, the people believed to the sacred mountain as the place of the Hindu pantheons and the ancestor’s spirit as well. Based on this conception, then the people built their temples on the mountain area such as as Pura Besakih on the slope of Mount Agung.

Along with the development of the metallic industry, the megalithic tradition increased not only in Bali, but also in Sumatera, Flores etc. Several kinds of megalithic remains were found there namely menhirs, dolmens, menhir statues, stepped pyramids etc. It is a matter of facts that the megalithic tradition have strongly influenced the people’s life and it is not surprising any more that living megalithic tradition could be found until to present day in Nias, Toraja, Bali and Eastern Indonesians Islands. In Bali, the megalithic remains,

exe the sarcophagi are regarded as sacred monuments and functioned for worshipping the Hindu Trinity, the local deities and the ancestor’s spirit (Sutaba 1984).

Researches on the advanced technology and on the megalithic tradition in Bali in particular, have made conclusions that Balinese people have build their social organization headed by the leaders. The well organizations have made favorable conditions for mastering the advance technology. Then the social and cultural development became the solid foundation for facing the new era when Hinduism arrived in Bali (Sutaba, 1930).

Bali have got Hindu-Buddhist influences nearly at the 9 century A.D. as Proved by the finding of clay stuphikas and seals beared Budhis formula, near the village of Pejeng, Gianyar. Then a pillar inscription was rediscovered in Blanjong Sanur (Badung) which mentioned the name of the king Kesari Warmadewa. This inscription was originated from c.10 century A.D. Since this period, Hinduism was spread widely in Bali and went deeply into the life of the Balinese people and then survived until today. Having well developed social organization and cultural life before the arrival of Hinduism, have led the Balinese people successfully modified the new elements in accordance with their characters and became the new one beared Balinese identity.

The well-known king of Bali is a couple royal named king Udayana and his wife Gunapryadharmapati (c.10 century A.D), then succeeded by their families. During the ancient history of Bali, a number of temples were built nearly in the whole island. In these temple several kinds of historical remains were preserved e.g. statues, inscriptions etc. As the follower of Hinduism, Balinese people regard the temples including the remains in them as sacred monuments for worshiping the Hindu pantheons, the local deities and the ancestor’s spirit as well. This religious function was the responsibility of the Balinese people for keeping the monuments in well conditions and the welfare of the living society.

Based on the evidence found in Bali there were thousand temples, which then named Bali as “The Island of Thousand Temples” or “The Island of Paradise”.

Most of the old temples are located in the village between the two rivers called Pakerisan and Petanu namely the village of Bedulu, Pejengand Tampaksiring (Gianyar). It is remarkable that the temples found here originated from different period, e.g. Pura Goa Gajah, Yeh Pulu relief (Bedulu); Pura Kebo Edan, Pura Pusering Jagat, Pura Penataran Sasih, Pura Ukur-ukuran, rock cut temple Kelebutan (Pejeng); rock cut Gunung Kawi, Pura Megening, Pura Tirtha Empul, Pura Pegulingan etc (Tampaksiring). The densities of archaeological remains in Pejeng have led the archeologist to conclude that probably Pejeng wasthe capital of the ancient Balinese Kingdom. (BTN/Doc)

International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Balinese Culture Urutan Celeng

Ni Diah Tantri Mask Legong Clatter of melodious tones produced by a set of pentatonic gamelan instrument as if perfectly coalesced into the splashing water when a dancer moves to the full expression. Character of the dance reveals the charm of sexuality on the female body. It was a performance presented by Genta Sidhi Dance Studio not long ago at Tegal Beringin, Mas Village, Ubud.

The meaningful performing art nicely combined a number of artists from other art studios such as Sarasvati Mahapradnya Ashram of Penyantur Saren Village, Budakeling, Bajra Sandhi Dance Studio, Dwipama Puppet Troupe, Ying Lu Na—a pipe player from China, didgeridoo as well as other traditional instrument players from Bandung .

The dancers showed off their most charming performance, bodily meandering movement on a bamboo raft floating on water whose stage was deliberately designed on a pond. Such performance got enthusiastic appreciation from visitors such as foreign tourists and local communities. It was a special dance called Ni Diah Tantri Mask Legong presented by Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani, a famous dancer graduated from the Indonesia Institute of Arts (ISI) Denpasar.

As a dancer, choreographer, lyricist and director, Dayu Ani as she is familiarly addressed, she was tactical and brave enough to present modern traditional dance.

Ni Diah Tantri Mask Legong uniquely and creatively implemented the basic legong and

(Fried Pork Sausages) OVERVIEW: This is always found in stalls selling roasted whole pig. Be Celeng, better known to visitors to Bali by its Indonesian name, Babi Guling. Not one part of the pig is wasted, and even the skin is deep fried as a crisp garnish. In Bali, this sausage is usually hung in a tree to dry to keep it away from the dogs and chickens.

INGREDIENTS: 600 gr (1¼ lb) boneless pork leg or shoulder cut in 1 cm (1/2in) cubes ½ cup basic spice paste 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, seeds and fibres removed vegetable oil for frying 1 meter (3ft) pork intestine or sausage casings IBP/Doc

Ni Diah Tantri Mask Legong mask genre. Together with her colleagues I Made Tegeh Okta Wahyu Mahery (dance arranger) and I Wayan S. Rumika (gamelan music arranger), she attempted to present the storyline as struggles of sexuality. It highlighted the orientation occurring in a woman, including prisons in men’s body.

In the presentation with duration of an hour, dozens of dancers and gamelan players presented the storyline of Ni Diah Tantri. It was recounted about a prosperous and respected country in the region Jambuwarsa led by a king named Eswaryadala along with the main preacher named Ki Patih Bandeswarya and the courtiers of Patali Kingdom. The king’s instruction is the power. And it is also used by the King Eswaryadala to marry a virgin each day.

His chief minister, Ki Patih Bandeswarya was unable to do much against the orders of the king. Every night, there is a young girl becoming his victim. On knowing the sadness of her father, Ki Patih Bandeswarya, Ni Diah Tantri finally decides and requests in order she can be presented in the hope of changing the circumstances. It is remarkably interesting how Ni Diah Tantri is trying hard to grow and provide an understanding and attitude to the King Eswaryadala as a king. The stories played by animals and visualized attractively by Dwipama Puppet Troupe poses a series of symbols. Meanwhile, Ni Diah Tantri represents a form of greatness and perfection that should be owned by a woman, such as beauty, intelligence, wisdom and contextual strategies. (BTN/015)

PREPARATION: Combine pork meat with basic spice paste, salt, pepper and tamarind paste. Mix well for 5 minutes. Tie one end of pork intestines with string. Insert large round nozzle into pastry piping bag and fill it with the meat mixture. Place open end of intestine over nozzle of piping bag and fill intestine tightly. Tie end with string.

Dry sausage for 8 hours on wire rack in oven at very low heat. Deep fry in oil over medium heat until golden brown.

This dish is traditionally served with lawar (Vegetable Salad made from green beans) or with young jackfruits. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) OVERVIEW: There are about as many different ways of preparing Nasi Goreng in Bali, as there are cooks. The only constant ingredient is rice; everything else is determined by the cook’s taste or the availability of ingredients.

Please be certain to use only cold rice, as warm rice will stick to the wok.

INGREDIENTS: 6 tbsp oil 6 shallots, peeled, halves length wise and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 200 gr (6 ½ oz) chicken meat, sliced 150 gr (5 oz) medium size shrimp, peeled ¼ small white cabbage, shredded 4 eggs, beaten 2 tbsp sambal tomat 700 gr (1 ½ lb) cold cooked rice 2 tsp salt 1 tsp sliced bird’s eye chilies 2 tbsp fried shallot PREPARATION: 1. Heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy fry pan until very hot.

2. Add shallots and garlic and fry for 1 minute until golden yellow.

3. Add chicken and shrimp and fry for 1 minute, and then add cabbage and fry for 1 minute. Add sambal and mix well.

4. Add eggs and continuously stir for 30 seconds before adding rice and salt. Increase to very high heat and fry for 3 more minute, stir continuously.

5. Add chilies, mix well and serve immediately, garnished with fried shallots.

Note: Throughout Bali there are as many different ways of preparing Nasi Goreng as there are ingredients of chef’s. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

C.045 ibp

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Destinations

International

Tirta Gangga Park IBP

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Tirta Gangga is a beautiful park with the huge water fountain and wide pond located at Abang Sub-district, Karangasem Regency in east part of Bali. Tirta Gangga Park is built in the year of 1948 by the Karangasem King of Anak Agung Agung Angluerah Ketut Karangasem. Before this park is found, there is big wellspring found in this area which the local society believe that this water come from the land is holy spring therefore they call this place is Embukan means wellspring. According to the local believe that this wellspring functioning as a bath place for the god and also used as drinking water for the local community from the nearest village.

Therefore this wellspring is sacrificed by local people and keeps the park naturally. The King of Karangasem has got an idea to improve this park into a good looking and nowadays, it becomes one of the famous tourist destinations in east part of Bali.

Tirta Gangga Park is also featured by the wide public pool with the cool

and clean water where it can be used by everyone who visiting this place.

It is situated on the foot Abang Hill with cool temperature in particular night time or morning time. The lush tropical garden are well surround the park and big fish ponds are running away at another ponds to give the impression for every tourist who pay a visit to this beautiful park. Some buildings and other decorations are intentionally made as according to the spirit from Puri Agung Karangasem (Agung Karangasem Palace), so it can be said that between Tirta Gangga Park and Sukasada Park (Taman Sukasada) which is located at Ujung countryside is a union.

Tirta Gangga is strategically located beside of the main strait from Karangasem to Singaraja Town and it is just 20 minutes from the local town or 2 hours and 15 minutes from Denpasar Town. You may also join the exciting tour to the east part of Bali that we call it by Karangasem Tour and you will discover many places of interest in east part of Bali including Tirta Gangga.

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

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

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BUSINESS Japan feeds more money to banks as stocks slump Associated Press Writer

TOKYO – Japan’s central bank pumped billions more into the financial system Tuesday to quell fears that the country’s banks could be overwhelmed by the impact of the massive earthquake and tsunami. Stocks slumped as a nuclear crisis escalated.

Two cash injections totaling 8 trillion yen ($98 billion) came a day after the Bank of Japan fed a record 15 trillion yen ($184 billion) into money markets and eased monetary policy to support the economy in the aftermath of Friday’s 8.9 magnitude quake that has killed thousands.

The injections have helped stabilize currency markets. But stock markets dived for a second day as investors unloaded assets amid escalating worries of a nuclear crisis.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average slid as much as 14 percent after Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned residents near a damaged nuclear power plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan to stay inside or risk getting radiation sickness. By mid afternoon, the index was down about 9 percent.

Radiation is leaking from damaged reactors at the crippled plant in a dramatic escalation of the 4day-old catastrophe. Kan said there is a danger of more leaks and told people living within 19 miles (30 kilometers) of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex to stay indoors.

The Bank of Japan has moved quickly to try to keep financial markets calm. By flooding the banking system with cash, it hopes banks will continue lending money and meet the likely surge in demand for post-earthquake funds.

Analysts say Japan can tap its vast bond market to help pay for reconstruction in the coastal regions shattered by the tsunami that

the quake spawned. But it will add to strains on the national finances.

The country is saddled with massive debt that, at 200 percent of gross domestic product, is the biggest among developed nations.

“Japan will be poorer, for this disaster,” said Peter Morici, a business professor at the University of Maryland. “Rebuilding will run down Japan’s financial wealth.”

Credit Suisse economist Hiromichi Shirakawa and analysts at Barclays Capital estimated the damage at up to 15 trillion yen ($183 billion) — about 3 percent of gross domestic product. Other experts warned the economy will shrink for two straight quarters.

That represents a painful blow for Japan which lost its place as the world’s No. 2 economy to China last year. The Japanese economy has been ailing for two decades, barely managing to eke out weak growth between slowdowns. It is saddled with a massive public debt that, at 200 percent of GDP, is the biggest among industrialized nations.

Morici said the nuclear crisis combined with the twin hit from the quake and tsunami could make Japan more vulnerable than it was in the past.

“The double whammy has the potential to keep the Japanese economy shut down longer and globalization offers Japan’s export customers alternatives they might not have enjoyed a decade or two ago,” he said. “Hyundai and Ford now are good substitutes for

Toyota’s cars, and even more so, Caterpillar tractors made in China can replace Komatsu’s land movers.”

The four most severely affected prefectures (states) in the northeast — Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki — account for about 6 percent of Japan’s economy.

Power supply has failed in the worst affected areas and power rationing may be imposed in other regions. Ports are closed, steel plants have stopped producing, and several major oil refineries have shut down. Getting manufacturing up and working again may be a bigger challenge than in the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake because a larger area is affected.

In the northeastern city of Sendai, the railway station stood deserted. State televisi in footage showed ceilings and walkways collapsed onto the platforms, walls warped and leaning onto the tracks. There was no indication when the station and lines running through could be repaired and operating again.

The northeast is also a major center for car production, with a myriad of parts suppliers and a network of roads and ports for efficient shipments. Toyota Motor Corp said it would suspend manufacturing at its domestic plants through Wednesday — a production loss of 40,000 cars. Other manufacturers including Sony Corp. and Honda Motor Co. were also forced to halt production.

Fed to hold steady despite oil price and ravaged Japan Reuters

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Federal Reserve looks set to hold monetary policy on a steady course Tuesday, even as lofty oil prices and increased uncertainty following a devastating earthquake in Japan raise doubts about the economy’s path.

The worst earthquake on record in Japan, the world’s third largest economy, could have substantial ripple effects on the global recovery. But with the impact unclear as of yet, economists say the best thing for Fed officials to do at the moment may be nothing at all.

Even before the tragedy, U.S. central bankers faced plenty of confusing signals. For one thing, higher energy costs appear to be nudging U.S. inflation expectations higher, the first inklings of an inflationary psychology that the Fed would be loathe to see take hold.

“It’s very tricky because calling out an increase (in expectations) would be a meaningful move in a hawkish direction,” said Andrew Tilton, economist at Goldman Sachs.

At the same time, not acknowledging the recent pick-up seen in both market indicators and consumer surveys might make the Fed appear out of touch, eroding its inflation-fighting credentials.

In a statement due around 2:15 p.m. ET, policymakers are likely to nod to recent improvement in the economy while seeking to avoid any suggestion that they intend to cut short a $600 billion bond-buying program announced in November.

Fed officials will likely do so by beefing up their assessment of economic conditions while emphasizing just how far the central bank remains from its targets for both inflation and employment.

Since the Fed’s last meeting in January, the U.S. economy has continued to show signs of promise. The U.S. unemployment rate has fallen rapidly, down to 8.9 percent in February from 9.8 percent in November.

Still, the pace of hiring suggests further progress will be painfully slow for the 8 million-plus Americans who lost their jobs during the economic slump of 2007-2009.

At the same time, higher gasoline costs have injected a new note of worry among consumers, with a big hit to confidence this month raising concerns about whether a recent spurt in consumer spending can be sustained.

The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter, a respectable performance but one not seen fast enough to restore the job market to full health anytime soon.

Some economists thought growth could near 4 percent this quarter, but have pared back projections, in part because of an unexpected widening in the U.S. trade deficit.

The Fed chopped overnight interest rates down to effectively zero in December 2008 and since then has committed to buying a total of some $2.3 trillion in mortgage and Treasury securities to keep long-term borrowing costs down and support the recovery.

Those plans have proven controversial, with domestic critics arguing the Fed is courting future inflation while officials in emerging markets have accused the central bank of trying to boost U.S. exports by devaluing the dollar.

With the economy strengthening, officials are likely to have a vigorous debate on how best to eventually tighten policy, but analysts expect only minor changes to the Fed’s statement.

Analysts will have to wait until minutes of the meeting are released in early April to get a fuller flavor of the discussions.

US Senators urge action against China on rare earth Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON – Two US S e n a t o r s u rg e d t h e W h i t e House to block Chinese mining projects in the United States and elsewhere until Beijing loosens its grip on the trade in so-called rare earths minerals.

Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Debbie Stabenow said in a statement released by Schumer’s office that they aimed to address China’s “hoarding” of the lucrative metals, which are indispensable in making many high-tech products.

The lawmakers said they

would release a letter to US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to use their powers to thwart Chinese mining projects until Beijing eases curbs on the strategic trade.

The senators said Beijing “has increasingly been reducing the

amount available on the world market, sending costs for industries that rely on REEs skyrocketing” and creating “both an economic and national security problem.”

They urged Geithner to direct US envoys to multilateral banks, including the World Bank, to op-

pose funding for any Chinese financed mining project overseas and Salazar to block any Chinese-funded mining project on US soil.

Schumer and Stabenow were to hold a conference call with reporters on Tuesday to detail their request.

12

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Entertainment

International

Disney torpedoes Zemeckis’ “Yellow Submarine” LOS ANGELES – The Walt Disney Co. has scuttled a planned remake of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” being developed by the producer of its costly bomb “Mars Needs Moms,” sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

“Submarine” was already facing a few rocky reefs before this past weekend, when Robert Zemeckis’ $150 million-budgeted “Mars Needs Moms” opened to just $6.9 million.

There were budget issues, and a key presentation Zemeckis was to have made to the surviving members and heirs of the Beatles kept being pushed back. A December date for the confab was scrapped and never rescheduled.

But sources say the disastrous opening for “Mars” guaranteed that “Submarine” would never set sail at Disney. The producer-director is now free to shop the project to another studio.

Zemeckis, the Oscar-winning director of “Forrest Gump,” generated big headlines in August 2009 when he first set up the remake of the 1968 animated feature based on music by the Beatles. It was revealed a year ago that the Fab Four would be played by Cary

Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell.

The plan was to use 16 Beatles songs in the film, which was to employ motion-capture technology similar to that used in Zemeckis’ “Beowulf,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Mars Needs Moms.”

Zemeckis secured the cooperation of Apple Corps, which controls the rights to the group’s library. (Its movie arm, Apple Films, was one of the companies behind the original picture.)

But in the wake of the box-office disappointment of 2009’s “Christmas Carol,” and with other animated movies pushing the envelope in terms of aesthetics, there were also concerns within Disney about the look of motion capture, especially the way human characters are depicted. (“Creepy” is the word often used.) Those same concerns, insiders say, led to Disney shutting down Zemeckis’ ImageMovers studio in May 2010.

According to sources, Zemeckis left town over the weekend, flying to Montana to regroup. He is said to be eyeing a live-action project to direct. But part of the regrouping process could include finding a new port for “Submarine.”

Steven Soderbergh plans to retire from filmmaking LOS ANGELES – Steven Soderbergh says he’s done with Hollywood.

The Oscar-winning director — whose credits include “Traffic,” “Erin Brockovich” and “Ocean’s Eleven” and its two sequels — said in an interview with “Studio 360’s” Kurt Andersen that after he shoots his next two movies he’s planning to retire from filmmaking.

“When you reach the point where you’re, like, ‘if I have to get into a van to do anther scout I’m just going to shoot myself,’ it’s time to let somebody else who’s still excited about

getting in the van, get in the van,” Soderbergh, 48, he said in the interview that aired Friday on “Studio 360.”

“And so it’s just time. For the last three years, I’ve been turning down everything that comes my way, so you’re not going to have Steven Soderbergh to kick around anymore,” he quipped. Soderbergh said he’s got two more movies to shoot — “Liberace,” starring Damon and Michael Douglas, and “Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” starring George Clooney — and then he’s going to call it quits.

“That’s a great way to sort of step off,” he said.

AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE

A Japanese traveller walks past portraits of South Korean actor Bae Yong-Joon (R), actress Choi Ji-Woo (C) and singer Rain (L) at a shopping district in Seoul on March 15, 2011. South Korean actors and singers popular across Asia rushed to help Japan’s disaster victims, their agencies said, as Seoul issued a national appeal to assist the country’s former colonial power.

IBP/Doc

Robert De Niro and Sean Penn

De Niro and Penn back Palestinian film at UN UNITED NATIONS – Sean Penn and Robert De Niro joined stars who appeared at the UN headquarters for the US premiere of a contested movie on the Middle East conflict that Israel tried to get cancelled.

Penn, De Niro, Josh Brolin and Steve Buscemi on Monday turned out to support award-winning AmericanJewish director Julian Schnabel at the premiere of “Miral,” the story of two Palestinian women after the creation of Israel in 1948. The Israeli mission to the UN had said that showing the movie in the UN General Assembly hall was “clearly a politicized decision” that “shows poor judgment and a lack of even-handedness.”

But UN General Assembly presi-

dent Joseph Deiss of Switzerland turned down the Israeli request to cancel the event. A spokesman said Deiss hoped that showing the film would “contribute” to a settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Schnabel, who was awarded the best director at Cannes in 2007 for “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” praised the UN decision at the start of the film and called his film a “cry for peace.”

The film, with Indian actress Freida Pinto of “Slumdog Million-

aire” fame in the lead role, is based on an autobiographical novel by Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal that traces the Arab-Israeli from a Palestinian perspective. Like Jebreal, the lead character Miral grows up in an orphanage in East Jerusalem set up by a socialite from a wealthy Palestinian family, who one morning in 1948 came across 55 children who escaped a village taken over by radical Jewish militants.

Adapted with the author, Schnabel’s film traces the lives of the two women from the establishment of the orphanage until the Oslo peace accords of 1993.

Rocker Bryan Adams, assistant are expecting a baby LOS ANGELES – Canadian rocker Bryan Adams is about to become a father for the first time at the age of 51, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

The “Summer of ’69" musician is expecting the baby in May with his personal assistant, a long-time employee who helps run his charitable efforts.

“Alicia Grimaldi and I are expecting a baby,” Adams said in a statement. “She helped me start my foundation years ago and it looks like she’ll be running the family now.”

His spokeswoman declined to describe the nature of their personal relationship. Adams maintains strict secrecy about his private life. Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, which broke the news, quoted an unidentified source as saying many of Adams’ friends did not know he was in a relationship.

Grimaldi, a Briton, helped set up the Bryan Adams Foundation in 2004, three years after graduating from Cambridge University, according to Adams’ Web site.

IBP/Doc Adams, famed for such rock songs as “Summer of ’69,” Canadian rocker Bryan Adams (right) is about “Cuts Like a Knife,” and “Everything I Do (I Do It For to become a father for the first time at the age of You),” is in the middle of a U.S. theater tour.

51, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

Science

International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

13

Omega-3s linked to less age-related vision loss Reuters

AFP PHOTO / STEFAN SAUER

Participants in this year’s “Top Model of the World 2011” beauty pageant walk along the pier in the Baltic sea spa town Ahlbeck, on the northern German island Usedom, on March 14, 2011. More than 40 young women take part in the beauty contest Top Model of the World 2011.

19th century nun’s relics to tour Israel Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM – Remains of a revered French nun who died more than 100 years ago have traveled the world, ventured into outer space and been worshipped by hundreds of thousands of Catholics. Now the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux are making their way through the Holy Land.

St. Therese’s remains arrived in Israel on Monday on a flight from Brussels, greeted by the Vatican’s ambassador to Israel, a delegate from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and other Catholic dignitaries.

“This is an event of faith and an event of devotion that aims at helping the people to become better and to live in a better way, in their social life, in their community life, in their spiritual life,” said Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Franco.

After staying three days in Jerusalem, St. Therese’s relics will tour Catholic parishes throughout Israel, allowing devotees to worship in the presence of the saint nicknamed the “Little Flower.”

In the Catholic faith, relics refer

to the bodily remains — bits of bone, hair and blood — of beatified religious figures. Devotees pray publicly to the remains of the venerated to ask for help or spiritual guidance, a tradition that may stem from medieval practices of using imagery and symbolism to communicate biblical messages.

St. Therese is one of only a few Doctors of the Church, a designation granted to distinguished Catholic thinkers. Catholic churches, schools and hospitals all over the world bear her name, and Mother Teresa was named after her.

At a ceremony at Israel’s BenGurion International Airport Monday, about 60 nuns, priests and local Catholics gathered to welcome

the arrival of the saint’s relics, singing and chanting beside a massive banner bearing her likeness. From an unmarked white jet, church officials unloaded the reliquary — a goldadorned wooden box containing the remains.

Israel is the latest stop on a global tour for St. Therese’s relics, which spent more than three months in South Africa last year coinciding with the 2010 World Cup. The relics toured England and Wales in 2009, and before that, St. Therese’s relics were in the Philippines.

The tour also brought the relics to outer space in 2008 when astronaut Ron Garan took her aboard the Discovery space shuttle, the Catholic news service Zenit reported. It’s unlikely the relics from that cosmic voyage are the same ones now in Israel, since the reliquary that arrived Monday would be too large for space travel. Another set is currently in France.

St. Therese was born in France in

1873 and baptized at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, according to the Vatican. At the unusually young age of 14, she sought permission to become a Carmelite nun.

When she was rejected, she approached Pope Leo XIII directly for permission. The Carmelite superior relented and at age 15, St. Therese entered the Carmel of Lisieux, part of a Catholic order founded at Mount Carmel near the modern city of Haifa, Israel.

“She trusted totally in God, like a little child at the breasts of its mother,” said Flavio Caloi, the vicar general of the Carmelite order.

St. Therese’s death at age 24 is believed to have been caused by tuberculosis. She was canonized 28 years later by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

Patriarchal Vicar William Shomali said the Latin Patriarchate waited seven years for the opportunity to host St. Therese’s remains. The relics will be transferred to Spain in May for the next leg of the world tour, Shomali said.

Time Warner Cable launches iPad app with live TV Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Time Warner Cable Inc. is launching an iPad application that plays live TV, becoming the first cable company to do so.

The app will be free to download on Tuesday morning, but it will only work for people who subscribe to both video and Internet service from the New York-based cable company.

Even then, it only works in the home, when the iPad is connected to the company’s cable modem via a Wi-Fi router.

Rob Marcus, the company’s chief operating officer and president, said the app will play 30 ba-

sic cable channels in high definition to start, but that number should expand soon.

“For all intents and purposes ... this enables you to convert any room in a house into a TV room,” Marcus said.

Other major cable companies have iPad apps that play video on demand or act like big remotes.

Comcast Corp., the largest, has promised that its app will play live TV before the end of the year.

Cablevision Systems Corp. has said it will have one even sooner.

Time Warner Cable’s app doesn’t work as a remote control, nor does it give access to video on demand or shows stored on a digi-

tal video recorder in the home.

Marcus said these features will be added later. He also said laptops, smart phones and smart TVs could all eventually get apps, too.

Companies such as Netflix Inc. and Hulu Inc. already have apps that stream movies and TV shows to the iPad, bypassing, in some respects, cable companies. However, the apps don’t show live TV. Some people have started cancelling cable in favor of Internet viewing, but the numbers appear to be small so far.

“Increasingly, customers want more flexibility in the way they view content, whether that’s on different devices or in different rooms of the

house,” Marcus said.

Time Warner Cable has 12.4 million video subscribers, making it the second-largest cable company in the U.S. and the fourth-largest pay-TV company, behind Comcast and satellite companies DirecTV Group Inc. and Dish Network Corp.

A device called the Slingbox, which connects to a cable or satellite set-top box, has for years let pay-TV subscribers watch their TV channels through an Internet connection.

There’s an iPad app that lets them receive the picture on an iPad as well.

The maker of the Slingbox is now Dish Network, which has also built the “slinging” capability into a highend set-top box.

NEW YORK – Women who get lots of omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease affecting millions of older adults in the U.S. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which jibes with earlier research linking fish consumption to slower progression of AMD. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA include salmon, trout, sardines, herring and tuna.

AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or breakdown of light-sensitive cells within the retina itself — both of which can cause serious vision impairment. Some 1.7 million Americans have severe vision loss due to the disease, making it the leading cause of blindness in older adults.

At this point, doctors can halt AMD, but they can’t reverse damage to the retina. So researchers have been busy looking for ways to stave off the disease.

“Other than giving up cigarette smoking or never starting smoking, there are no known ways to prevent AMD,” said William G. Christen of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who worked on the new study, published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Christen and colleagues used data from earlier research called the Women’s Health Study, in which women 45 years and up had filled out extensive diet questionnaires. After 10 years, 235 out of 38,022 women had developed AMD severe enough to damage their vision.

When the researchers looked at all food sources of the important fatty acids, the risk of AMD was 38 percent lower in women with the top one-third DHA intake compared to those with the bottom one-third intake. For those who got a lot of EPA, the risk was 34 percent smaller.

“We also looked at the food intake of (just) fish and the data were consistent there,” said Christen, also of the Harvard Medical School. He pointed out, however, that it is too early to recommend that people start supplementing their diet with fish or with fish oil supplements to stave off eye disease.

That’s because the study was based on observations, not on a real experiment, and so it can’t rule out that women who got lots of omega3s were simply healthier people.

“It supports the need for randomized clinical trials,” said Christen.

“The best advice we have at this point is, don’t smoke.”

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sport

International

Barca star Messi in doubt for Getafe match AFP

MADRID (AFP) – Barcelona’s top scorer Lionel Messi bruised his right knee during a weekend Spanish league match and is in doubt for the club’s match at home against Getafe, the league leaders said Monday.

The 23-year-old Argentinian international hobbled off the pitch unaided at the end of his side’s 11 draw away to Sevilla on Sunday after he clashed with keeper Javi Varas just before halftime.

“Messi suffered a bad knock on his right knee and his availability

for Saturday?s game will depend on his progress during the week,” Barcelona said in a statement.

The World Player of the Year is tied on 27 goals as the top scorer in La Liga with Real Madrid’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona also said that forward Pedro was in “serious doubt” for the match against Getafe because he is suffering from a sports hernia.

The Catalan side are now just five points behind nearest rivals Real Madrid before the two sides go head-to-head next month at the Bernabeu.

AFP/File –

Serie A leaders AC Milan’s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic suspended for Milan derby AFP

ROME (AFP) – Serie A leaders AC Milan’s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was ruled out on Monday of their crucial derby with Inter Milan as he was handed a three match suspension for his red card in last weekend’s match with Bari.

Ibrahimovic will miss the match on April 3 after being sent-off for aiming a karate chop into the ribs of Bari defender Marco Rossi in the 74th minute of the 1-1 draw last Saturday.

Milan - who lead defending champions Inter by five points have appealed the decision and it will be heard on either Thursday or Friday this week, though, most observers feel they have little chance of winning it.

Should the decision be upheld then Milan will have to do without their leading scorer - he has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season - for not only the derby match but also next Saturday’s away to Palermo and against Fiorentina.

AFP/File –

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi

We won’t choke, says Ferguson AFP

MANCHESTER (AFP) – Sir Alex Ferguson believes his Manchester United side can cope with the pressure and demands as they target winning further silverware at Old Trafford this season.

With United fighting on three fronts, Ferguson says his trophy-chasing players have been here before as he issued a rallying cry for the rest of the campaign.

And the veteran Scot believes his side can raise their game as they now have a fullyfit squad at their disposal during the run-in of the season.

“It?s an important time, with us being involved in three tournaments,” said Ferguson.

“But we are experienced enough to do what we?re doing at the moment - taking each

game as it comes.

“We have faced that situation a million times. You have to get on with it. The team needs to step up and perform though, we know that.”

A major boost for the climax of the season is the return from injury of Antonio Valencia.

The Ecuadorian winger?s season looked over after breaking his ankle and dislocating it against Rangers in the Champions League.

But Valencia, who made his return in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Arsenal after seven months out, is back to boost the United squad for the run-in with Ji-Sung Park and Owen Hargreaves not too far behind.

“With Antonio back it?s a fantastic bonus for us. It?s a great step forward considering he?s been out for such a long time,” said Ferguson.

“It?s a great selection poser for me to have. We missed him in the

run-in last season so it?s a great boost.

“Hopefully it will help us, having everyone available.

“But we are getting players back.

Ji-Sung Park is making good progress and Owen Hargreaves has started training.

“It doesn?t matter how many players you have injured in the past, the important thing is to have them available for the run in. If we have that, then it will increase our chances.”

The FA Cup is among the trophies Manchester United are bidding to win after a seven year drought.

It was back in 2004 the last time they lifted the world?s oldest cup competition, and now standing in their way is rivals Manchester City.

With the blue half of Manchester desperate to fill their trophy cabinet amid the revolution at the mega-rich club, it?s only an added incentive for Ferguson?s side to prevail.

“It?s an incredible draw,” said Ferguson.

“You have to expect that as there?s a 1/3 chance. A lot of people thought this would be a better final, but that?s disrespectful to the other teams.

“That?s taken away from us now, it?s a straight forward derby semi-final and it should be a fantastic game.”

Marseille remain in the running to retain the Ligue 1 title, lying in fourth spot as they try and hunt down their championship rivals.

Didier Deschamps? side have won seven out of their last 10 games as they seek to overhaul Lille at the summit of the league.

And the Marseille manager believes his side have the experience to cope with the pressure of trying to retain the crown as the season draws to a close.

“We have picked up in the league and I?m happy with how we are playing,” said Deschamps, who captained

Marseille to the 1993 Champions League trophy.

“I?m content with our form, but everyone knows there is still a lot to play for, what we have to do.

“There?s no doubt there is a long way ahead for us, but we are ready for the final push. My players know the jobs they have to do and are focused.

“We have some big games coming up but many of our players have experienced this before and will be ready.”

Deschamps - who guided Monaco to a surprise place at the 2004 final where they lost to Porto backed France international striker Andre-Pierre Gignac to make an impact after missing the first leg through injury.

“He had a great start to 2011 (scoring five goals in six matches).

He has shown he can score plenty of goals. He doesn?t have to prove anything”

Sport

International

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

15

Nadal cruises, Soderling crashes in Indian Wells AFP

INDIAN WELLS, California (AFP) – Rafael Nadal booked a fourth round spot by steamrolling unseeded Ryan Sweeting and looks primed to go deep in the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event.

World number one Nadal on Monday easily beat Sweeting 63, 6-1 as the two-time winner put any question about his recovery from a left thigh injury to rest.

“In this tournament I have fantastic feelings,” Nadal said.

“Nothing really impressive, but I played solid. You know, I didn’t have big mistakes.

“So I think today the more positive thing is I finished much better than the beginning of the match. To improve during the match is very good news.”

World number four Robin Soderling became another seeded casualty as he suffered a rare loss this season with his fourth defeat in five career meetings against Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (10/8), 6-4.

Nadal, who took time off earlier this year to recover from a left thigh injury, used a variety of precision serves, thundering forehands and crisp volleys to wear Sweeting down in the 68-minute centre court match.

“In general I am happy with my serve, happy with my backhand and my forehand is my best shot,” Nadal said.”

Sweeting committed four double faults and handed Nadal the victory on a platter when the American double faulted on the first match point.

Spaniard Nadal advances to the next round where he will face India’s Somdev Devvarman who beat Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3).

Fourth seed and two-time French Open finalist Soderling lost for just the second time this season which has yielded him 19 victories and an ATP Tour best three titles.

Soderling blamed his loss on a foot injury he suffered in the recent Davis Cup and added he has been battling a virus in recent weeks.

“I lost the match when I decided to go out on court,” Soderling said. “Sitting here after the match I feel like I couldn’t give 100 percent and I feel it was stupid to play.”

Kohlschreiber will play Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina who eased past 20th seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in a third round match.

In other men’s matches, Spain’s Tommy Robredo crushed young American Donald Young 6-0, 64, hard-serving Ivo Karlovic hammered 11 aces in his 6-3, 6-3 win over Gilles Simon of France and Sam Querrey surprised Spanish ninth seed Fernando Verdasco 75, 6-4 in the night match.

On the women’s side, top seed Caroline Wozniacki stepped up her bid to win her first Indian Wells title by snapping a spell of bad luck against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

The 20-year-old Wozniacki, who lost to Martinez Sanchez in their three previous matches, swept past the Spaniard in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 in the California desert.

AFP –

Rafael Nadal from Spain Wozniacki, who needs a strong showing in Indian Wells to hold onto her No. 1 ranking, dispatched Martinez Sanchez in just 71 minutes, winning 85 percent of her second-serve opportunities and saving two break points.

“I had to focus on my own serve,” Wozniacki said. “She has a pretty tricky serve, so once I had broken her, I just needed to keep my serve.

“That sounds very easy, but it’s difficult to do sometimes.

“I had to fight till the last point, because you never know what to expect.”

Wozniacki, Danish-born of Polish parentage, moves on to the fourth round where she will face Russian Alisa Kleybanova who beat 13th seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3, 6-4.

Martinez Sanchez’ prior dominance of Wozniacki dated back to the final of the 2009 Bastad clay court tournament where the Spaniard won 7-5, 6-4.

“In Bastad I played her on my birthday,” Wozniacki said. “I thought she was going to give me a present, but she did not.”

Russian 16th seed Maria Sharapova wasted little time book-

ing her berth in the fourth round by routing France’s Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2 on centre court.

After a slow start in which she lost the first two games, Sharapova hit her stride in the third game and won six straight to take the first set.

“I started like I didn’t have my cup of coffee or something,” Sharapova said.

In other women’s matches, Belarus eighth seed Victoria Azarenka beat Ursula Radwanska of Poland 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 and China’s Peng Shuai defeated qualifier Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Busch knocked out in opening round of NHRA event AP

AP –

This photo released by NHRA shows NASCAR driver Kurt Busch

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch climbed out of his dragster with a huge smile on his face, then got mobbed by crewmembers.

He might as well have been in Victory Lane.

Busch celebrated a narrow defeat in his professional drag-racing debut Sunday, far from the emotions he would have shown had his day ended so early in a NASCAR race.

But Busch was a rookie in his first pro event, facing a seasoned veteran and merely trying to have some fun during NASCAR’s open weekend. So this loss was a big win — for Busch, for the NHRA Gatornationals and for the oftenoverlooked Pro Stock division.

“This was a weekend that I’ll never forget,” Busch said.

Erica Enders edged Busch by half a car length on the quarter-mile drag strip.

Enders, the No. 5 seed, covered the distance in 6.538 seconds. The 12th-seeded Busch crossed the finish line in 6.541

seconds.

Nonetheless, Busch had the fifth-fastest time in the opening round — good enough to beat most of the field. It also turned out to be his best run ever, better than any of his 50 testing passes, better than his four qualifying efforts and better than anyone expected.

“We just came up short,” Busch said.

“It’s three-hundredths of a second, and in this game of drag racing, that’s enough to put you back on the trailer. I feel we can hang our heads high about this. It was a fantastic enjoyment all weekend.”

Had the 2004 Sprint Cup champion been at a NASCAR event Sunday, he would have jumped on his private jet and been home in a few hours. Instead, he stuck around Gainesville Raceway to experience the event. After a brief celebration with his team, Busch returned to the starting line and watched the rest of the competition. He cheered for Enders, the only woman in the 16-driver field, who lost in the second round. Busch spent countless time walking around the paddock area, shaking hands with fans and posing for pictures.

16

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

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

Sport

Stoner from Pedrosa as MotoGP testing ends Casey Stoner leads the last night of testing before the start of the 2011 MotoGP season, Valentino Rossi only 13th.

Impressive Lakers roll past Orlando in 2nd half AP

LOS ANGELES – By the time Kobe Bryant talked himself into a little confidence in his swollen ankle in the second half, Andrew Bynum and the Los Angeles Lakers’ reserves had already taken care of Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

Pau Gasol scored 23 points, Bryant added 16 while playing on a sprained left ankle, and the Lakers roared away in the second half for their 10th win in 11 games, 97-84 Monday night.

Bynum had 10 points, a career high-tying 18 rebounds and four blocks while hounding Howard into nine turnovers — four more than the entire Lakers squad — in another eye-catching low-post game for the Lakers’ young center.

It all added up to a rather easy night of work for Bryant, who decided to play despite seriously rolling his ankle during the third quarter of Saturday’s win at Dallas.

“It was more mental,” said Bryant, who went 7 for 19 and missed eight shots in the first half. “It affected my bounce a little bit just because of the trust factor, just trusting it in the first half. Then at halftime, I just gave it a little pep talk.”

Bryant can afford to be cautious while his Lakers are on their most impressive streak of the season.

Thanks to the Los Angeles reserves’ decisive rally early in the fourth quarter, Bryant had to play just 30 minutes.

Lamar Odom scored 16 points as the two-time defending champions opened a seven-game homestand with another win over an elite team after an early season filled with flops against the NBA’s best. The Lakers (48-20) also drew virtually even with the Dallas Mavericks (47-19) for second place in the Western Conference standings.

“We want to win every game on this home stretch here,” Bynum said. “(Howard) is a great player who’s going to get his numbers, but we started scoring, too.”

Derek Fisher scored 15 points for the Lakers, who have the next three days off before lowly Minnesota

visits on Friday. Los Angeles already had beaten San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta (twice) and Oklahoma City since the break before this stirring second-half effort against the talented Magic, who appear entrenched in fourth place in the East.

Howard had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic, who couldn’t get rolling offensively in the second half of this 2009 NBA finals rematch. The Lakers all remembered last month’s meeting in Orlando, when Howard dominated with 31 points and 13 rebounds while barely missing a shot.

AP

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives on Orlando Magic guard Jason Richardson, left

Honda will start the fifth and final season of 800cc MotoGP racing with its best-ever chance of world championship success for the RC212V, after Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa completed a fearsome pre-season half-a-second clear of the field at the Qatar test.

2010 title runner-up Pedrosa had led Sunday’s opening night at the Losail circuit, which will host round one of this year’s championship next weekend, and looked set to maintain his superiority on Monday - until a late lap from new Repsol Honda team-mate Stoner bumped him from the top.

Stoner, the 2007 world champion for Ducati and winner of the Qatar Grand Prix for three of the past four years (he crashed while leading last year), nipped 0.064sec under Pedrosa’s best with a time of 1min 55.681sec on the 40th of his 46 laps.

“I’m really happy, I didn’t think we would get any laps in tonight judging from the weather earlier in the day, it was a little tough but the wind seemed to settle and the track conditions improved a lot and we got some good test time in tonight,” said Stoner.

“By the look of the lap times everyone seems to have taken a big step forward, but we’re happy with what we’ve achieved again here and we can enter the race weekend with

confidence but at the same time everyone else will be improving their set-up so we can’t relax.

“We found a good rider position which I’m really happy with, having moved my position more towards the rear in Sepang - to try and find more grip, here we can run a more neutral set-up and everything seems to be working well.

“We did some more work on electronics tonight and also on the tyres, but generally worked in preparation for the weekend.”

New Factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies emerged as best of the rest in third (+0.613sec). Then came Gresini Honda’s Marco Simoncelli (+0.752sec), Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso (0.758sec), Pramac Ducati’s Randy de Puniet (+0.764sec) and Factory Yamaha’s reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo (+1.026sec).

That was in terms of best lap time, but the lap-by-lap breakdown once again painted a slightly different picture in terms of race pace.

Looking at the number of sub1min 57sec laps, Stoner recorded 23 (out of 46), compared with 12 (out of 39) for Pedrosa, nine (out of 70) for Simoncelli, eight (out of 45) for Spies, just five (out of 58) for Dovizioso and (out of 48) for Lorenzo, then 3 (out of 67) for de Puniet.