Edisi 17 Februari 2011 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 49 3rd Year Price: Rp 3.000,-

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e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

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Liz Taylor improving after heart scare: publicist PAGE 12

A garbage container is set on fire as Iranian protesters stage an anti-government demonstration, under the pretext of rallies supporting Arab uprisings, in Tehran on February 14, 2011.

AFP PHOTO/STR

Iran warns of action as opposition remains defiant Agence France Presse TEHRAN – Iran said Wednesday it is planning to take action against opposition leaders after MPs demanded they be executed, as the two former regime pillars defiantly launched fresh anti-government tirades. Clashes meanwhile erupted between regime backers and “apparent” supporters of the opposition at a funeral attended by thousands in Tehran of a student killed in anti-government protests of Monday, state television reported.

WEATHER FORECAST

Iran’s prosecutor general Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie warned that action would be taken against opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi

Karroubi, who reject the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and who had called for Monday’s demonstration which turned deadly.

“The heads of seditions are the

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NEW YORK – Top CBS foreign correspondent Lara Logan suffered a “brutal” sexual assault at the hands of a mob in Egypt while covering the downfall of president Hosni Mubarak, the network said Tuesday. “She and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration.

It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into a frenzy,” CBS said in a statement.

“In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suf-

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people who should be punished for their criminal acts and God willing actions in this regard are being taken,” Mohseni Ejeie said, according to Fars news agency. “People

have given them their punishment, but people also have a legitimate right to demand (punishment) from the judiciary which we hope we would be able to fulfill.”

Mohseni Ejeie said several people were arrested during Monday’s protests but some were immediately released, adding that some more arrests were expected.

“In general the anti-revolution current is behind these events.

Continued on page 6

US reporter was sexually assaulted in Egypt: CBS fered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.”

The incident took place on Cairo’s central Tahrir Square last Friday, the day Mubarak stepped down, CBS said. Logan was flown to the United States the next day. “She is currently in the hospital recovering,” the statement said.

South African-born Logan has covered the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, becoming one of the US media’s most recognizable war correspondents. She became CBS News chief foreign correspondent in 2006.

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Lara Logan

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International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bali News 2011, Bali visited by tens of cruise ships Denpasar (Bali Post)—

In 2011, Bali will be visited by dozens of cruise ships transporting thousands of tourists. General Manager of Pelabuhan Indonesia III Benoa, Iwan Sabatini, stated that not less than 28 cruises with a length of 200 to 300 meters will anchor in Benoa.

“In 2010, there were 27 units of cruise ship berthing in the harbor. Each ship transports around a thousand to two thousand of tourists. In keeping with the improving world economy, this year we expect it can reach 28 units,” he said.

According to him, the long-term plan of Pelindo would establish a cruise center specially intended for cruise ship to berth. It was based on the consideration that cruise harbor could not put together with the passenger harbor.

“We will also resume a gradual dredging, including the dredging up to minus 9 or minus 10 to facilitate the cruise ship to berth,” he said.

According to him, PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III of Benoa Branch, gained an increased profit from the previous IDR 4 billion in 2009 to IDR 9 billion in 2010. “The increased revenue reaching 100 percent was obtained from the tourism sector because of an increasing number of cruise ships berthing in Benoa Harbor,” he said.

He explained, other than pursuing the revenue, PT Pelindo would also continue to work to improve the infrastructure in the harbor area. There was a greater opportunity to get income in the largest sea port in Bali. Not just from container ships and fishing vessels, the revenue was also obtained from the cruise ships.

Previously, Regional Vice President of International Royal Caribbean Cruises, Rama Rebbapragada, said a number of international cruise ship companies offered package tours to Indonesia, especially Bali. “In our cruise programs, we offer the tourist destination of Indonesia, where Bali serves as the primary destination. When offering the package tours to Bali, there was an increase in reservation from tourists,” he said.

According to him, Bali was a magnet for tourists because it was rich in tourist attractions. Evidently, it showed a significant increase in the ticket reservation for a single cruise ship. In response to the increasing reservation, his party had to prepare it more maturely, as well as the assessments to find out some ports in Indonesia to berth, where one of them was in Bali.

Related to the existence of pier in Bali, Rama said it required an adequate infrastructure. On that account, it would enable larger cruise ships to berth in the future. (par)

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A large cruise ship is seen on the picture.

Hampered by document of cooperation agreement

Operation of Trans Sarbagita delayed again Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Target of Bali Provincial Government setting the operation of Trans Sarbagita mass transportation commenced in February 2011, in fact, cannot be realized. This means, the transportation project serving the region of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan has been delayed for the umpteenth time. Right now, the delayed operation of Trans Sarbagita is hampered by unsigned agreement document between the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia and Bali Provincial and Regency/City Government in Bali. Thus, the Head of Bali Transportation, Communication and Information Services, I Made Santha, told Bali Post on Tuesday (Feb 15).

According to Santha, non-existence of document on the cooperation agreement caused 18 units of bus assistance provided by central government could not be submitted to the provincial government of Bali. As planned earlier, the 18 buses handed over after the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Transportation and the government of Bali Province and Regency/ City would serve the Trans Sarbagita project in early January 2011. Apparently, according to the results of the Central Inspectorate audits, the delivery of 18 units of bus assistance was not enough by MoU document only. However, the document should be accompanied by a cooperation agreement in which explicitly set forth detailed duties and obligations of each party bound in the cooperation. “It is the

obstacle why the Trans Sarbagita cannot be operated up to these days,” he said.

Santha also added that initial draft of the cooperation agreement document had been discussed by Ministry of Transportation with the government of Bali Province and regencies/city in Bali on February 8, 2011.

Furthermore, the initial draft would be discussed more profoundly by the government of Bali Province and Regency/City in Bali on the upcoming February 21, 2011. If the draft had been approved in the regional level, it could be resumed with further discussion with the central government. “If all components involved in the cooperation reach an agreement, the document of cooperation agreement would be signed along with the delivery of bus assistance from the central government.

Considering the process is long

enough, we have not dared to make sure when Trans Sarbagita project will commence its operations. Obviously, all components of government had unanimous commitment to realize the project as soon as possible,” Santha affirmed.

Santha then added that the bus conferred by the central government for Trans Sarbagita came to 18 units with a capacity of 60 passengers. In details, it would hold 40 for sitting passengers and 20 standing passengers. It was said, the provincial government of Bali had set up everything related to the operation of the transport service initiated as an alternative to resolve the traffic congestion in Bali. “Bali Provincial Government has set up bus stops, terminals and pathways including the governing body of Trans Sarbagita. We are just waiting for the delivery of bus assistance,” he said. (kmb13)

10 percent death in Sanglah Hospital caused by traffic accidents Traffic accidents case, in fact, has been listed as one of the biggest causes of death in Sanglah Hospital in 2011. Based on the data from January to mid-February, it was recorded around 475 corpses in the morgue of Sanglah Hospital. Out of the 475 bodies, 45 of them or about 10 percent died of traffic accidents. Thus, the Head of Medical Forensic Installation of Sanglah Hospital, Dudut Rustyadi, revealed.

In more details, Dudut presented that in January the victims of traffic accident amounted to 32 people, while in February reached 13 people. “Some victims had got medical treatment before they died, while others died on the way to hospital so they directly delivered to the morgue,” said Dudut.

Among the victims who died due to traffic accidents, some did not have a clear identity. Therefore, they were given status as Mr. X or Mrs. X for months. “For the case without identity, we usually look for the presence of their family first. If there is no claim of family after three months, then in appropriate with the standard operation procedures (SOP) the corpse will be put in the list of cremation,” explained Dudut.

Not all death cases in Sanglah Hospital were specified related to their cause. Dudut admitted his party found difficulties in the Medical Forensic Installation of Sanglah Hospital. “It is rather difficult to record the body and the cause of death. This is due to the lack of administrative personnel

who serves in the installation,” he said.

Currently, there were 13 employees assigned to the Medical Forensic Installation, consisting of 4 physicians and nine staff. “The active doctor only comes to three because another is taking a study scholarship. Meanwhile, the nine staff should be divided into two work shifts, namely morning and night,” he added.

Shortcoming of personnel working in the Forensic Medical Installation, explained Dudut, was caused by lacking of interest of the community to get involved in the job. “There is too dreadful perception in the community. But, the interest of specialist physician in forensic has shown a reasonable increase,” he said. (kmb24)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti z Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subagiadnya, Subrata, Suentra, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto. z Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi. z Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Bali News

International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

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Ogoh-Ogoh in Capital Jakarta Part of Tourism Calendar Jakarta (Bali Post) –

Jakarta Capital City Governor, Fauzi Bowo, has assured that the ogoh-ogoh (paper mashed effigy decorated and painted symbolizing characters of demons or heroes in order to protect Bali from evil during Nyepi New Year day) parade that will happen in Jakarta this coming Nyepi eve will be in the tourism calendar event for the capital city, “All this time those who wants to see what Nyepi is like has to go to Bali, but from this year they can see it in National Monument (Monas).” Bowo stated during welcoming National Nyepi Day committee in Jakarta last Monday (14/2).

Bowo, who’s nickname Foke, made sure that this ogoh-ogoh parade is not only a part of Hindu Religion rituals but also making it a momentum and alternative tourist object in Jakarta itself, “This activity will be a culture tourism event.”

This is very appreciating the

creativity of the Hindus in creating symbols of Butakala (demons) and became an interesting event to see. For that Foke hoped there will be individuals or sponsorship in supporting the ogoh-ogoh construction so it is more attractive esthetically, “For sponsorship, I

Special Team Caught Seven Petrol Station Robbers Denpasar (Bali Post) -

The special team formed by Head of Bali Police Inspector General Drs. Hadiatmoko has successfully caught seven Petrol Station robbers. Before, the team led by First Head of Bali Police Criminal Research Directorate Great Adjunct Police Commissioner Beny Arjanto has successfully captured YS at Lumajang, East Java last Friday (11/2).

As the capture of YS then developed six other initials EK, SN, AN, PL, EN and SU which then also captured in a different place. Ironically two of these Petrol Station robbers are Mobile Brigade with status First Inspector (EN and SU, red).

According to a source in Bali Police last Tuesday (15/2) the investigators are still deepening this case. Since the group was caught, investigator just got its top of its cake of statements. It is said they used a Kijang Rover car and before they do their acts they meet at Padanggalak, Denpasar.

In doing their act a number of them has their own role such as PL as driver

or vehicle controller and it is said PL is EN’s in-law, ‘’First Inspector EN first married a woman from Aceh. She then died and married with PL’s sister.”

On the robbery results, the source did not want that to be published although they spend it in many things such as every day cash, partying, paying debts and buying new items. For that investigators are having difficulties in finding the evidences, “Also the Kijang Rover car.”

The investigation is still ongoing and it’s still unknown if there are more robbers. For sure these seven robbers are being held now and AN is held at Denpasar Tourism Police, “This Wednesday (16/2) the case will be discussed. So for more ask it then (Wednesday-red).”

As told before, there were three robbery cases took place at Petrol Stations in Sibang, Kedewatan and Udayana, Jimbaran that shook whole Bali. Many sides took attention of it as it happens next to another one. Moreover the loss reached tens to millions of rupiah. (kmb21)

Joiner Tube Machine Took Casualty Tabanan, DenPost

The explosion of a joiner tube in a garage owned by Made Windia (48) at Banjar Tinungan, Apuan Village, Baturiti caused a casualty Komang Respati (36) living at Banjar Jelantik Kelod, Apuan Village, Baturiti last Monday (14/2). Besides that, it also destroyed the roof top and windows of the garage.

According to a statment from Windia to Baturiti Police, the incident happened at 11.10 am and victim is a customer who orders an iron joint for lamp. While waiting all of a sudden the the joint tube machine stuck so it was repaied.

Not knowingly the tube exploded and victim who was sitting

on the waiting area fell with burning wounds on his right part neck and left elbow. Meanwhile Windia and his son Rusma Adi were safe.

Respati left wife Ni Luh Desi Ana and a son Gede Girama Esa who sits on first grade elementary school. The incident is still ongoing investigated and the location wrapped in police lines. Head of Baturiti Police Adjunct Police Commissioner Gusti Putu Sudara last Tuesday (15/2) stated in this case is still investigating Windia as accused and blamed to have violated Criminal Code section 359 on his ignorance of causing someone died, “The garage owner has been stated as accused and we will hold him to be further legal process.” (121)

will make the supporting letter, I will make it.”

Connecting to strengthen the issue lately Foke hoped the Hindus will strengthen its belief and increase solidarity and togetherness with others. The manifestation of this can be realized through having

an event such as ogoh-ogoh parade.

Meanwhile Head of National Dharma Santi Nyepi Day Caka Year 1933 Committee, Erlangga Mantik, reported that this year’s Nyepi is at 5th March 2011 meanwhile for the peak of the celebration nationally will be at Cilangkap 20th March 2011 which will be attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In celebrating it there will be social activities such as blood donors held by Indonesia Hindu Dharma Women Society (WHDI), Abdi Dharma Jagadhita Foundation and Indonesia Red Cross

Jakarta. Other activities will be held at the Wantilan in Pura Aditya Jaya, Rawamangun which is a free medication and social help to Rawamangun local residents.

The same social activity will be held in Cilincing 13th February and in Jalambar 20th February to around 500 people around it. Essential giving away and other helps will be given to residents around Gunung Bromo. The ogoh-ogoh parade will happen the day before Nyepi around Monas involving 15 banjar around Jakarta also arts from Tionghoa, Betawi and other residents. (son)

Western Bali Forest

Used As Farm Field, Flood Happens Regularly The forests in Jembrana have caused some attentions as even though the laws have forbid the people to go in and out to plant (pengawenan) or breed animals. This became a normal situation causing every protecting forest being invaded also having flood coming every time there’s rain.

The condition on the east of the regency which is Pekutatan Sub district was the most damaged. A nearest Bali Post source stated that the Pengeragoan people did not agree with this pengawenan and sometimes there are blocking areas for politic commodity like regional public elections. “This has been going on for years and rooting, we shout at them but ignored. Actually the people under them are worried with the affects of it,” the source also Pengeragoan resident stated.

The residents there did not agree with the many irrigations (subak) not being watered in as the forests above it has gone bold. The protecting forests were then used as planting area for co-

coa and coffee even though these planters do have their own gardens, “Our own self help waters from above goes to Bading Kayu areal and we’re afraid it’s going to be stopped.”

Non Govermental Organisation Forkot, IB Haryanto stated that the situation has seemed normal and hard to control. Even though there has been a KPH West Bali formed by Bali Governor yet it only covers Tabanan and Buleleng as apparently there are not much workers for security. To Haryanto government has to come to location and don’t just talk wit no action, “Don’t just sat it, Province government has to control this by budgeting for forest security as well.” He explained that there has been no operating patroli car and if there is it can’t be used no more.

Besides that to freshen the organisation it needs a rolling duty as the posts are no longer used properly instead it’s used for a hanging out place.

What’s more between pengawen and

securities they know each other, “Fix the inside first, do a rolling so they don’t know each other.”

Haryanto stated that Jembrana has two tourism potentials which are industry and flood tourism. It is worrying to see floods everywhere as forests are dissapearing.

Besides that lwgal action hasn’t been done enough when it’s clearly stated on Law No 41 year 1999 on forest illegal logging gets heavy punishment,”There’s always a room to ease it up, as more likely they are given two years punishment from the five years it should’ve been. Fines that should be billions of rupiah was not applied. There’s no clear action.” He is very sad that the officers who know the laws stayed in this illegal side as illegal logging is done by Police individuals, “The Forestry Law has to be applied starting from this little Regency so it stops them from doing it. How will they stop if the invasion results are more than the pinishment.” (olo)

IBP/ist

The forest which is located on the wetsren part of Bali.

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News

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Another cyclone bruises weather-weary Australia Associated Press Writer

DARWIN, Australia – A cyclone struck a glancing blow on Australia’s main northern city Wednesday, two weeks after a much stronger storm devastated another part of the weather-weary country.

Cyclone Carlos knocked down trees and power lines and caused limited flooding as it passed by the city of Darwin with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 80 mph (130 kph). Schools, the airport and government buildings were closed, but officials said evacuations were not needed.

Emergency services rescued several people from cars that stalled in floodwaters. One man was hospitalized after being injured by a falling tree, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The storm passed as close as 2 miles (3 kilometers) to the city but stayed offshore. The Bureau of Meteorology warned it could circle back toward the city Thursday but that the cyclone’s path was proving erratic.

Residents were warned to stay off the streets because of the blustery winds. Police went door-todoor in several low-lying coastal suburbs telling people their properties could be inundated by extra-high tides. People stocked up on bottled water and food and

queued at filling stations for fuel.

Police Commissioner John McRoberts said people should prepare for rough weather but that there was no need for people to evacuate. “I certainly recommend preparedness, but not panic and there is a very significant difference,” he told reporters.

Darwin is the unofficial capital of Australia’s tropical “Top End,” a vast, sparsely-populated zone that stretches for thousands of miles (kilometers) and that experiences some half-dozen cyclones a year.

Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city and killed 71 people at Christmas in 1974, in one of the country’s worst natural disasters. A much sturdier city was rebuilt under a stricter building code. Cyclone Yasi, a category 5 storm that officials said was Australia’s largest in a century, crashed ashore in northeastern Queensland state on Feb. 3, smashing scores of houses in coastal communities but causing no deaths.

Yasi came on top of Australia’s worst flooding in decades, which destroyed 35,000 homes, inundated the country’s third largest city, Brisbane, and killed 35 people. The government estimated last week its bill for roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged by the Queensland flooding before Yasi was at least $5.6 billion.

AFP PHOTO / Paul CROCK

This overview shows boats previously moored in the Hinchenbrook Marina lying smashed after catastrophic winds and storm surge caused by Cyclone Yasi in Cardwell on February 3, 2011.

International

Bahrain square becomes new center for Arab anger Associated Press Writer

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Thousands of protesters took over a main square in Bahrain’s capital Tuesday — carting in tents and raising banners — in a bold attempt to copy Egypt’s uprising and force high-level changes in one of Washington’s key allies in the Gulf.

The move by demonstrators capped two days of clashes across the tiny island kingdom that left at least two people dead, parliament in limbo by an opposition boycott and the king making a rare address on national television to offer condolences for the bloodshed.

Security forces — apparently under orders to hold back — watched from the sidelines as protesters chanted slogans mocking the nation’s ruling sheiks and called for sweeping political reforms and an end to monarchy’s grip on key decisions and government posts.

The unrest in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, adds another layer to Washington’s worries in the region. In Yemen, police and government supporters battled nearly 3,000 marchers calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a fifth straight day of violence.

Yemen is seen as a critical partner in the U.S. fight against a network inspired by al-Qaida. The Pentagon plans to boost its training of Yemen’s counterterrorism forces to expand the push against the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula faction, which has been linked to attacks including the attempted airliner bombing in December 2009 and the failed mail bomb plot involving cargo planes last summer.

Saleh has been holding talks with Yemen’s powerful tribes, which can

AP Photo/Hasan Jamali

Demonstrators chant and wave Bahraini flags and shoes near the Pearl Monument on a main square in Manama, Bahrain, Tuesday Feb. 15, 2011.

either tip the balance against him or give him enough strength to possibly ride out the crisis.

The political mutinies in the Arab world show the wide reach of the calls for change spurred by the toppling of old-guard regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.

In Jordan, hundreds of Bedouin tribesmen blocked roads to demand the government return lands they once owned. Saudi activists are seeking to form a political party in a rare challenge to the near-absolute power of the proWestern monarchy.

At least 3 dead, 7 wounded in central Nigeria Associated Press Writer

JOS, Nigeria – Nigeria’s military says at least three people were killed after violence erupted in a market in a central region beset by religious and ethnic killings.

Brigadier Hassan Umaru told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the violence began when a policeman was stabbed to death at about noon Tuesday in a small

market in the city of Jos. He says he saw two corpses of stabbing and lynching victims in the market, and that seven people were wounded. Nigerian Muslims observed the birthday anniversary of Islam’s prophet Mohammed on Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch says at least 1,000 people were killed in Jos in 2010 and another 200 more have died since Dec. 24. Violence there cuts across religious lines, but has roots in political, economic and ethnic strife.

Two foreign fire fighters look at the burst oil pipelines belonging to the corporation at the Altas Cove in Lagos, destroyed with dynamite by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) in July 2009.

AFP/File/Pius Utomi Ekpei

Activities

International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

5

Kuta Station Hotel & Spa:

Strategic Location with Multifunctional Lifestyle Facilities IBP

KUTA - Kuta area develops and has an interest in the economic activities so it requires the provision of hotel accommodation capable of serving them carefully. The market is remarkably competitive and every hotel offers affordable rates and services that are virtually the same.

“The difference lies in our commitment of converting promise into reality with the presence of Kuta Station Hotel & Spa. The advantage of our hotel is the strategic location and no other hotels in Kuta offer the more complete lifestyle facilities, both for travelers and business professionals entailing a hotel with multifunctional facilities,” said Ariestra Prasetio, General Manager of the latest 3-star hotel under the Paradiso Group .

Concept of the Kuta Station Hotel & Spa had been specially designed to become a 3-star hotel serving a growing tourism business in the oasis of Kuta tourist resort, including for the circle of the government, private companies and the MICE both for domestic and foreign markets. Located right in the heart of Kuta and Bali’s busiest tourist destination, it is just 50 meters from the amazing white sandy Kuta Beach and very close to Kuta Square shopping center. Of course, it is within easy reach to all major attractions in the area of Kuta.

This comfortable hotel has 132 rooms consist-

ing of Superior, Deluxe and Family room with standard amenities including a large swimming pool that stretches throughout the hotel grounds, kids pool, playground, meeting room, pool bar, Railway Bar & Restaurant, restaurant with the open air concept graced with nightly live music entertainment, Jalanidi Spa, Gym, Paradiso Bowling & Billiard and Dee Jay Club.

Ariestra, having a wealth of experience for more than 18 years in the hotel industry in the regions across Indonesia and various international hotel chains and companies, added that Paradiso Hotel Group entered the Indonesian market in 1996 and had become a leading hospitality management company in Bali with the rapid growth of business network.

Paradiso Hotel Group currently operates the Kuta Paradiso Hotel, Legian Paradiso Hotel, Seminyak Paradiso Hotel and its parent company also operates a shopping complex named Kuta Center and Kuta Square as well as several other properties. With the existing track of record, it is evident that the Paradiso Hotel Group has a definite future vision —to be recognized as the best hotel management company in Indonesia. And it is evidenced by the opening (Soft Opening) of Kuta Station Hotel & Spa on Friday (Nov 26).

The event was attended by the hotel owner, Shellia Karjadi and President Director of Paradiso Hotel Group, Rudi Chandra.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for February 1 through March 2, 2011 1 February AnggarKasih Tambir Dalem Puri Temple in Batuan - Sukawati Dalem Kediri Silakarang in Silakarang Singapadu - Gianyar Dalem Temple in Sukawati Village - Gianyar Dalem Temple in Singakerta Village - Ubud Gianyar Dalem Lemben in Ketewel - Sukawati Gianyar Paibon Pasek Tangkas in Peliatan - Ubud Puseh ngukuhin in Keramas - Gianyar Pemerajan Agung Ki Telabah in Tuakilang Tabanan Karang Buncing in Blahbatuh - Gianyar Dalem Bubunan in Seririt - Buleleng Desa Badung Temple in Denpasar Merajan Pasek Gelgel Gobleg in Turupinghe Banjar - Buleleng Luwur Pedengenan Bedha in Bongan Tabanan Merajan Dukuh Sebudi in Keramas - Gianyar Merajan Pasek Ngukuhin in Keramas - Gianyar Pucak Payongan in Kedewatan - Ubud Gianyar Tanah Kilap “ Griya Anyar” in Suwung Kawuh - Denpasar Selatan Selukat Temple in Keramas - Blahbatuh Gianyar Dalem Tampuagan in tembuku - Bangli Dalem Waturenggong in Desa Taro - Gianyar Dalem Bentuyung in Ubud - Gianyar Puseh Temple in Ubud - Gianyar Dalem Temple Peliatan Ubud - Gianyar 2 February Buda Umanis Tambir, Tilem Kawulu Sari Bankar Titih Kapal - Badung Ulun Kulkul (Aci Sarin Tahun) Besakih Karangasem Dalem Yang Taluh Sidemen Karangasem

Dalem Kangin Sidemen - Karangasem.

16 February Buda Keliwon Matal Puseh & Desa Temple Sukawati Village - Gianyar Merajan Agung Batuyang - batubulan Pasek Gelgel Bebetin Sawan - Buleleng Maspahit Temple Sesetan - South Denpasar Pasek Bendesa Manik Mas Dukuh Kendran Tegalalang Panti Pasek Gaduh Sesetan - South Denpasar Merajan Pasek Kubayan Wangaya Gede Pedarman Arya Kanuruhan Besakih Karangasem 17 February Purnama Kesanga Penataran sasih Temple Pejeng - Gianyar Bukit Mentik Gunung Lebah Batur Village Kintamani - bangli 26 February Tumpek Kandang Day Puseh Temple Gianyar City Luhur Dalem Sagening Kediri - Tabanan Merajan Pasek Gelge Tegal Gede - Badung 2 March Buda Wage Menail Dalem Tarukan LinggihCemenggaon Sukawati Gianyar Pasek Dangke Bambang - Bangli Penataran Dalem Ketut Pejeng Pejeng Kaja Gianyar Puseh Menakaji Peninjoan - Bangli Merajan Agung Blangsinga Blahbatuh - Gianyar Kawitan Gusti Agung Blangsinga Blahbatuh Gianyar Kawitan Gusti Celuk Celuk - Sukawati - Gianyar Baler Sada Temple Banjar Pemebatan, Kapal Mengwi

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.

6

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Guantanamo prisoner admits aiding al-Qaida in deal Associated Press Writer

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Sudanese prisoner at Guantanamo Bay pleaded guilty Tuesday to two warcrimes charges, accepting a deal with military prosecutors that will spare him the possibility of life in prison if convicted at trial.

Noor Uthman Mohammed entered guilty pleas to one count of providing material support of terrorism and one count of conspiracy in a hearing before a military judge at the U.S. base in Cuba, said Navy Capt. David Iglesias, a spokesman for the U.S. Office of Military Commissions.

The military had said Noor, as he told the judge he would like to be called, had helped to run an al-Qaida training camp where three of the hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks trained. He faced up to life in prison if convicted, Iglesias said. The terms of his plea deal have not been released.

A military jury is expected to begin deliberating on a sentence this week but under commission rules Noor cannot receive a sentence greater than whatever has been set under the still-sealed plea deal.

Arabic broadcaster Al Arabiya, citing an anonymous source, reported that

Noor, who is believed to be in his 40s, will serve no more than three years at Guantanamo and has agreed to testify against other prisoners, including Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian and alleged facilitator for al-Qaida who was subjected to harsh interrogation in a special anti-terror program authorized by former U.S. President George W. Bush.

This is the fourth plea bargain by a Guantanamo prisoner and the third since President Barack Obama took office and pledged to close the detention center where the U.S. still holds about 170 men.

Laura Pitter, a counterterrorism adviser at Human Rights Watch who is in Guantanamo this week to observe the proceedings, said Noor appeared eager to get the proceedings over. He has already been held for nearly nine years and had to give up a number of rights, including the right to challenge the conditions of his confinement in the future, as part of his plea. “There was enormous pressure on Noor to accept this,” Pitter said in an e-mail from the base.

U.S. military prosecutors have said several dozen of the men at Guantanamo could be charged in the war crimes tribunals but with Noor’s plea there are no active cases. In addition to the four plea bargains, two detainees have been convicted at trial.

Iran...

From page 1 Unfortunately, some have fallen in traps of America,” he said. Iranian officials accuse the United States, Britain and Israel of influencing the opposition movement.

Thousands of anti-government protesters took to streets of Tehran Monday and clashed with riot-police in which two people were killed — including the student buried on Wednesday — and several wounded, officials and opposition websites say. Among the wounded were nine members of the security forces, one of whom was seriously hurt.

The protest, initially held under the pretext of showing solidarity with Arab uprisings, were the first anti-government demonstration since February 11, 2010 when similar agitation was crushed by security forces and militiamen. But Karroubi and Mousavi came out fighting on Wednesday, issuing statements slamming the authorities and praising demonstrators, after lawmakers the previous day demanded they be executed for their role in Monday’s protests.

Karroubi said in a statement posted on his website Sahamnews.org, he was ready to “pay any price.” “I declare that I am not afraid of any kind of threat and as a soldier of this great nation for the past almost 50 years, I am ready to pay any price,” he said.

“I am warning that before it is too late, take out the buds from your ears and listen to the voice of the people.

Forcing violence and opposing peoples’ wishes will last only for a certain time,” the cleric said.

In a separate statement on his own

website Kaleme.com, Mousavi criticised the authorities and praised the protesters for Monday’s rally. “The glorious rally on 25th Bahman (February 14) is a great achievement for the great people of a great nation and for the Green Movement,” Mousavi said, referring to the opposition movement and its supporters who took to streets on Monday.

Tension sparked by Monday’s protests continued to ripple on Wednesday when according to reports regime backers clashed with opposition supporters at Wednesday’s funeral. “Students and people participating in the funeral of martyr Sane’e Zhale in Tehran Fine Arts University are clashing with a few apparently from the sedition movement,” the state television website said.

Zhale, a Sunni Kurd, became the centre of a dispute Wednesday, with regime-backers insisting he was member of the volunteer Islamist Basij militia, while the opposition said he came from their ranks. “This university student (Zhale) was shot around Enghelab Square by small arms fire.

He was a student of fine arts and defender of the regime,” said state news agency IRNA. Opposition website Rahesabz.net said Zhale was “pro-Mousavi and a member of the Green Movement,” referring to the opposition movement.

“His family was under pressure to say he is Basiji and pro-government,” the website said.

Sajjad Rezai, a student activist at the fine arts university, said Basiji militiamen who came in “tens of buses .... sought to provoke students Wednesday but failed,” Kaleme.com said.

News

Berlusconi to stand trial for underage sex Associated Press Writer

ROME – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will go on trial in April over allegations that he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex and used his status to spring her from police custody, a judge ruled. Judge Cristina Di Censo scheduled the first hearing for April 6, in a move that brings longrunning allegations about the 74-year-old premier’s scandalous private life to a head and severely dents his hold on power.

Following the announcement, the prime minister’s camp reiterated its claims that Berlusconi was the victim of a witch hunt by his political opponents. “We didn’t expect anything else,” his lawyers said.

Berlusconi, whose bedroom antics sparked a nationwide protest by Italian women on the weekend, will be tried by three female judges, prompting the popular magazine Famiglia Cristiana to quip the premier has met his “nemesis.”

In nearly two decades in politics, the billionaire tycoon has been dogged by a long list of investigations — he faces two corruption trials later this year — but it is the sex scandals that have caused most outrage. In the trial, the prime minister will have to answer allegations that he paid for sex in his sprawling luxury mansion outside Milan with an erotic nightclub dancer called “Ruby the Heart Stealer,” who was 17 at the time.

He is also accused of persuading police to release Ruby after she was arrested for alleged theft and hand her over to another alluring young woman, Nicole Minetti — his former dental hygienist, now a senior regional official. Berlusconi’s

defence claim he did not abuse his power because he mistakenly believed Ruby to be the niece of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and had been dutifully helping a fellow leader avoid diplomatic fallout.

Prosecutors allege he was in fact trying to keep his secret liaison with the young Moroccan out of the public eye. Berlusconi faces three years in prison if found guilty of paying a minor for sex, and from six to 12 years for abuse of power.

But a lawyer close to the case said Berlusconi’s defence will try to cast doubt on whether the court in Milan should be handling the case at all.

Berlusconi could also seek a vote in parliament to strengthen his position and argue that his office prevents him from attending hearings.

Even if convicted, the prime minister is unlikely to ever serve time in prison since sentencing guidelines in Italy are lenient for over-70s.

Berlusconi has denied ever paying for sex, let alone with Ruby, whose real name is Karima El Mahroug and who only turned 18 in November 2010.

While using the services of prostitutes is not a crime in Italy, paying for sex with a girl under the age of 18 is illegal. Italy’s Justice Minister

Angelino Alfano said the prime minister was “presumed innocent” until proven guilty and should not resign.

“The left-wing, beaten in the elections and in parliament, is trying to use justice” against Berlusconi, said Daniele Capezzone, spokesman for Berlusconi’s ruling People of Freedom party. “They won’t succeed,” he added. But Franco Pavoncello, a professor of political science at Rome’s John Cabot University, said Tuesday’s legal move “not only weakens him, but also weakens the willingness of his allies to follow him. “If we’re not in the final act of this government, we’re at least in the penultimate one,” he said. It is not the first time the premier has been mired in a sex scandal. In May 2009, Berlusconi was accused of frequenting another 17-year old, Noemi Letizia, who called him “papi”, provoking his wife to file for divorce.

The public slanging match between Berlusconi, the opposition and magistrates over the allegations has caused alarm among business leaders and unions, who said the government should be concentrating on Italy’s real problems.

AFP PHOTO / FILES/ FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/GIUSEPPE ARESU

(FILES) This combo image made of two recent file pictures shows Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (L) at Villa Madama in Rome and Moroccan Karima El Mahroug, nicknamed Ruby the Heartstealer in a nightclub.

International

Indonesia Today

Thursday, February 17, 2011

7

“Maulid Nabi” Momentum to Build Social Order Antara

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

Thousands of Indonesians arrive for mass prayers at the National Monument park in Jakarta to mark the birth of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, on February 15, 2011.

BANDA ACEH - “Maulid Nabi” or Prophet Muhammad`s birthday is a good momentum to build order in social life and a just and prosperous nation. “The apostle of Allah SAW (God The Most Holy) gave us a good example to build a fairer social order and more prosperous nation,” Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said at a function to observe Muhammad`s birthday at Baiturrahman grand mosque here on Monday night.

In his written address read out by Aceh provincial government secretary Teuku Setia Budi, the governor said the the social and national order built by the prophet also highly respected social justice, deliberation and consensus.

“The prophet also respected rights and humanitarian values, the supremacy of law enforcement, and togetherness to maintain social harmony,” Governor Irwandi Yusuf said in his statement.

According to him, such an order from the prophet has inspired Aceh government to build the

westernmost province in Indonesia to more civilized in the future.

He said the justice shown by the prophet could also be felt by the weak and marginalized community.

“Therefore the ongoing development in Aceh province should be of great advantage to those weak and marginalized community. In addition we have to give our special attention to orphans, helpless elderly people, disabled and poor community,” he said.

While in Jakarta on Tuesday the prophet‘ birthday was observed in a mass religious gathering attended by President Susilo BambangYudhoyono.

Started at 9 am, the big religious gathering at the National Monument south square was attended by hundreds of thousands of people for joint prayers for the state and nation.

Besides President Yudhoyono and a number of state officials, noted cleric of Langitan, KH Abdullah Faqih, also attended the mass gathering. Tuesday, February 15, 2011 is an official holiday in Indonesia for the celebration of Prophet Muhammad‘s birthday which is also called Maulid Nabi.

US NGO defends RI palm oil industry Antara

JAKARTA - An American non-governmental organization (NGO) has come out in defense of Indonesia‘s palm oil industry, saying it contributes to the country‘s and world‘s economic growth and food security.

World Growth, a pro-development NGO, in a report issued in New York on Tuesday, said efforts to restrict land conversion by environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO) and international institutions “risk undermining economic growth in Indonesia and global food security.”

The report assesses the palm oil industry, addresses the benefits and challenges facing the industry, and

examines the role the industry has played in Indonesia‘s economic growth and development.

World Growth Chairman, and former Ambassador to and Chairman of the GATT (the predecessor to the World Trade Organization), Alan Oxley, said in a statement: “There has been a sustained effort to limit the ability of developing countries to expand agriculture. It is driven

by the wrong headed belief that freezing production of palm oil and other commodities enhances sustainability.

The call is for measures which restrict and control trade and production of vital food stuffs. These are advanced

by NGOs, some Western governments, international agencies, and even multinational corporations. It will just stall food production and undermine strategies to reduce poverty.”

Taking Indonesia as an example, he said the palm oil industry supports directly and indirectly nearly 20 million Indonesians and produces exports worth over $US6.5 billion. Millions more in Indonesia and through-

Garuda director receives Orient Aviation award HONGKONG - Garuda Indonesia President Emirsyah Satar has received an Orient Aviation Person of The Year 2010 award for his success in enabling the national flag carrier to make profit in the past three years.

“This is a form of appreciation to Garuda`s working team under the

leadership of Emirsyah, from Orient Aviation, an official magazine of AAPA (Association of Asia Pacific Airlines) comprising 17 large airlines in the region,” Garuda Communication Head Pujobroto said prior to a conferment ceremony here on Tuesday.

He said Garuda posted a net profit of Rp600 billion in 2007. The figure rose to Rp811 billion in 2008 and further moved up to Rp1 trillion in 2009.

Garuda is currently operating 87 planes to serve 38 domestic and 19 international destinations.

Police name five suspects in religious clash Antara

SERANG - Banten police have named five suspects in the recent clash in Cikeusik which left three Ahmadiyah sect members dead, a spokesman said.

“We are now questioning the suspects in the Cikeusik incident round the clock,” Banten Police Chief Brig Gen Putut Eko Bayu Seno, said here

Tuesday.

But two of the suspects were now still at large while the three others had been identified by their initials as Uj, Ke, Kn, Knh, he said.

The number of suspects is likely to increase as the police had by now examined a total of 64 witnesses.”We continue to pursue the suspects still on the run,” Putut said.

He said the situation and condi-

tions in and around the place where the clash occurred at Kampung Oeudeuy, Umbulan village, Cikeusik subdistrict, Pandegllang district, were relatively secure and normal.

Still the police had not yet pulled out their personnel from the area.”We continue to guard the area as we still need to do some further examinations and investigations there,” Putu said.

out the world will benefit from future development of oil palm plantations. With the world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, and palm oil a food staple, the Indonesian palm oil industry should not be limited but encouraged to expand.

“Nevertheless, NGOs continue to engage in smear campaigns against the industry, with misleading information about environmental impacts and efforts to obstruct development.

Their ideological opposition to economic growth is dangerous for the poor and hungry,” Oxley said.

“Even the World Bank, which acknowledges that agriculture develop-

ment is three times more effective for achieving economic growth than any other sector, is weighing a policy to restrict financial support for expansion of palm oil in direct contravention of its anti-poverty mandate.

“Expansion of palm oil production will increase growth and reduce poverty in Indonesia and enhance global food security,” he said.

World Growth is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization established to expand the research, information, advocacy, and other resources to improve the economic conditions and living standards in developing and transitional countries.

Another plane slids off runway in Pekanbaru Antara

PEKANBARU - Another Lion Air plane slid off the runway while landing at Sultan Syarif Kasim II airport on Tuesday evening.

The ill-fated plane which came in from Medan, North Sumatra, lay across at the end of the runway‘s overrun area with three of its wheels off the runway, an Antara journalist observed. Nobody was injured in the accident which occurred at 05.45 p.m.

According to the result of a preliminary investigation, the plane with flight number JT 0295 had the accident because of bad weather.

The accident forced the management of the airport to close the airport until the plane was removed from the

runway. At least four flights were postponed because of the accident.

“Until now it is still unclear how long the flight will be postponed,” would-be passenger Fery said.

On Monday, a Lion Air plane which came in from Jakarta also skidded off the runway while landing at the airport. The airport‘s duty manager, Ibnu Hasan, said on Tuesday, none of the 212 passengers was injured in Monday‘s accident, but one of them, a middle-aged woman, fainted during the evacuation.

A team of the National Committee on Transportation Safety (KNKT) was expected to arrive in Pekanbaru on Tuesday to investigate the accident involving the Lion Air plane which skidded at the airport the day before.

8

International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bali Today Karangasem sends 21 workers to Japan Antara

DENPASAR - Twenty-one workers from Karangasem regency, Bali, had been sent to Japan following an apprenticeship in livestock breeding and horticulture under the management of the Tsukuba cooperatives society of Hibaraki province in Japan.

“They will be following practical training for three years and it was hoped that upon their return they would practice their skills in Karangasem,” head of the Karangasem regency manpower agency I Gusti Nyoman Arya Sulang said here Sunday.

He said that the 21 workers, who prior to leaving had been given special training and skills, were the third batch with the first sent in 2008.

Thus, the latest batch will

bring the number of all the workers of Karangasem regency sent to Japan to 78, because the two first and second batches comprised a total of 57 workers.

“They had passed the selection conducted by the companies which will be using them while in Japan,” Arya Sulang said.

He said that the departure of the Indonesian workers to Japan was also made with the approval of the Manpower Ministry.

“While in Japan they are entitled to very liberal wages, besides free living quarters, and some other facilities,” he said.

After three years in Japan, under the contract they will return to Bali in the hope to develop and promote self-sufficiency in their own business opportunities using the wages that they received in Japan.

50 percent of advertising industries in Bali illegal Denpasar (Bali Post)—

The development of Bali tourism sector helps boost the advertising industry. However, 50 percent of them are controlled by foreign enterprises that have not had permit or license. Evidently, the advertising expenditure in Bali during 2010 did not exceed 1 percent of the total national advertising expenditure amounted to IDR 65 trillion.

The matter was revealed by Bali Regional Chief Executive (Pengda) of the Indonesia Advertising Agency Association (PPPI), Roy Guritno Wicaksono, in Denpasar, Tuesday (Feb 15). He said that advertising industry in Bali was being embroiled in a problem because a large number of unlicensed or freelance foreign advertising businesses were in operation in Bali. Such a condition was shored up by the hotel industry and privately-managed companies preferring to freelancers.

“A part of advertising industries are even taken by freelancers who have not had a license. We estimate the ratio of local market share of the advertising company to freelancers is almost balanced, namely 60:40,” he said.

According to him, the hotel or villa managed by foreign management company or owners preferred to use foreign freelancers. The arising problem was in fact many of them did not comply with the existing rules. Armed with a laptop and some staff they provided services to clients by not following the local rules.

“We think they do not pay taxes either because they are freelancers.

Maybe the advertisers are more

comfortable with the fellow foreigners, too,” he said.

Wicaksono urged the government to oversee those illegal foreign workers so the state would not be harmed financially and local creative businesses could flourish well. “The potential of advertising in Bali remains open widely because the real estate business stays passionate, entertainment continues to grow and tourism growth increases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of Darmawan & Associates, Yoke Darmawan, invited local advertising practitioners to increase the capacity and competence in order to improve the competitiveness. “Advertising is not merely a matter of design, but also about the content, market expectations and a mature process,” he said.

Explained, the local design was not inferior, but when dealing with the scheduling of many jobs some requirements were violated, so many clients preferred to deal with foreigners who were always on time. The accuracy of taste also became a consideration of clients where most property owners in Bali were foreigners, too.

“Control against illegal advertising companies is urgent to commit, but we should also improve the capability to compete against foreigners,” he said while pointing out the working procedures of foreign advertising practitioners who worked in details, punctually and prepared effective copywriting with the right target as well as understood well about what client really wanted. “This is one of their strengths in attracting clients, both foreign and local clients in Bali,” he added. (par)

Bulan Pejeng: Prehistoric bronze drum “Bulan Pejeng” in fact is a large bronze drum (nekara) of prehistoric from Bronze Age that were developed around 2000 years ago or in the beginning of century. This cultural heritage is one of the sacred article, kept in Penataran Sasih Temple in Pejeng Village, Gianyar and is located in the main street of Tampaksiring-Kintamani so no difficulty to visit it. According to popular folktale in society, “Bulan Pejeng” is the “moon” which fell down in Pejeng Village long time ago, making the village was always bright on day and night so the thieves could not do their jobs. Therefore, the “moon” was urinated so did not shine anymore until these days. The name of Penataran Sasih Temple means “the place of the moon” Temple (moon=sasih) and might relate to the story of the “moon” fell from the sky previously. Another story told of this Pejeng nekara as the ear-plug of Kebo Iwa, a powerful legendary figure who was able to carve Goa Gajah, steep bank temple of Gunung Kawi, etc.

The Pejeng nekara has been introduced internationally by G.E. Rumphius, an expert in Biology through his book Amboinsche Rariteitkamer, published in 1705. Although he never been to Bali, but he had succeeded for using the information from Hendrik Leydekereker’s. In fact, this nekara is a giant nekara with large size in every detail as in height of 186.5 m and a diameter of 1.60 m for its hit zone. Around the archeological experts, this nekara is also called as nekara with head, because it has four pairs of mask decoration with bulgedout eyes, long-coned nose, and the ears wearing earrings made from coins. The decoration of the mask is not only functioned as esthetic-decorative, but more for magical symbolism for the ancestors’ symbol of magic power which bring prosperity and protect the family or the society from any danger. Another decoration which has the magical symbolism is the decoration of octagonal star on the hit zone, border design, feather, and so on.

“Bulan Pejeng” is a masterpiece work of technology and metallurgy that reached its peak on Bronze Age. This cultural heritage is a significant mixture between modern and complicated metal technology and art creativity which full magical symbolism values as can be seen from its shape and patterns. All of it is the proof of a local Balinese wisdom in its spectacular work about 2000 years ago, far before India reached Bali. The dynamism of Balinese wisdom at that time also was proved by finding five stone moulds in Manuaba Village, Gianyar for making smaller nekara from Pejeng nekara. This fact has proved enough that Balinese people had succeeded in developing local metal industry. Clay mould for making arrow head also has been found in West Java. In addition, Balinese people had produced a stone nekara which is kept in a temple in Carangsari Village (Badung), is now another success of Balinese wisdom. The other bronze nekara in Pacung, Ularan (Buleleng), Ban (Karangasem), Manikliyu (Bangli), Peguyangan (Badung) is a proof that local metal industry in Bali reached its top.

According to the results of archeological research can be known that at Bronze Age, megalithic tradition was also developed around the world. The archeological experts have a notion that Bali was inhabited by megalithic society who lived by farming, stayed in organized village, and ruled by a wellrespected figure. The society had mastered the technology and metallurgy art and the life which was more advance required the capability and mastery in specific parts in the society. In the next progression, social-functional groups

emerged and developed such as leader group, carpentry and blacksmith group who have special ability, spiritual group who organize and perform any ritual, and the society who has no special ability who work for other groups. At that time, in the society was grown the belief to the ancestors or the leaders who live at the top of a mountain or a hill and they had magical power that could protect the people from any danger. This belief really influenced daily life and to this very day still appears in the life of Indonesian. (BTN)

IBP/Doc

Bulan Pejeng

International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Balinese Culture

Balinese women declare Iwag-peace Antara

DENPASAR - Hundreds of Balinese women declared an “Indonesian Women`s Association for Global Peace (IWAG-Peace)” in the Bajra Sandi monument area here on Monday night.

“The declaration of IWAGPeace was intended to neutralize violent conflicts in the name of religion in various areas across the country,” event coordinator Putu Sri Puji Astuti said here on Tuesday.

She said the declaration of IWAG-Peace in Bali was one of four similar events, organized simultaneously in four Indonesian cities namely Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta in conjunction with Valentine‘s Day. Putu Sri Puji Astuti expressed optimism that women in a conflict would be able to muffle the problem, and therefore the IWAG-Peace would continue to continue to promote peace.

Therefore, she expressed hope that the government would also act decisively to resolve conflicts that occur and to prevent them from becoming serious and complicated problems.

Putu Sri pointed out that if the government failed to neutralize emerging conflicts, the IWAGPeace would unhesitatingly bring them to the United Nations.

“If the government fails to

solve emerging problems, the Indonesian women will rise to bring the problem to the international community,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bali branch Interreligious Harmony Forum (FKAUB) spokesman Ida Bagus Wiana was of the opinion that the religious conflicts at several areas in Indonesia recently were motivated by certain interests.

He said the violent conflicts in the name of religion were due to

a weak state with its sick-soul people, poverty issue, and low education quality.

Therefore he expressed hope that the conflicts in the name of religion could immediately be solved in a peaceful and dignified manner.

Ida Bagus said the women from various religious background, professions, ethnicities and races were united to declare IWAG-Peace in Denpasar to raise the women‘s voices for peace.

Cooked Vegetables with Grated Coconut (Urap) Ingredients * 8 oz fresh green beans * 8 oz bean sprouts * 4 carrots * 1 can bamboo shoots * ½ small cabbage * 1 cup fresh grated coconut * 1 small onion, finely chopped * ½ tsp. chilli sauce (sambal ulek) * 1 tsp. salt * 2 Tbs. lime juice * ½ tsp. dried shrimp paste (terasi) FOTO ANTARA/Nyoman Budhiana

Craftsman is finishing his Ogoh-ogoh or giant puppeteers for the Nyepi celebration. Since a month before the celebration, craftsmen receive order around 300 masks and tens of Ogohogoh to be sent to another area in Indonesia and Europe.

Directions Wash bean sprouts, pinching of any brown tail. Pour boiling water over bean sprouts, then rinse under cold water tap. Drain well.

String beans and cut diagonally or bite-size lengths and cook in lightly salted water until just tender. Beans should still be crisp to bite.

Scrub carrot and cut into thin strips, cook until tender.

Drain well.

Slice cabbage, discard the center stem. Blanch in boiling salted water for a minute or two, until tender but not limp. Drain and refresh with cold water.

Cut bamboo shoots into strips the same size as the beans.

Place fresh grated coconut into a bowl, add onion, chili sauce, salt, lime juice and the shrimp paste which has been grilled for a few minutes, or heated in a dry frying pan. Mix thoroughly together.

Sprinkle this grated coconut mixture over vegetables, reserving some to garnish the dish when served.

Put vegetables in a steamer and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Put the steamed vegetables to a serving dish/platter and sprinkle with reserved grated coconut mixture. Use as an accompaniment to a meal, or as a salad by itself. (http://asiarecipe.com)

C.045 ibp

9

10

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Destinations

International

Bali Museum IBP

Strategically located in Major Wisnu Street in Denpasar Bali and it is find it due to the location is in the heart town. In the north side there are glorious temple of Jagatnatha, meanwhile in front of it the Puputan Badung (Badung Courtyard) and four face statue (Catur Muka Statue) are located.

The development of Bali Museum is begun by the existence of initiative how to vitally the heritage of Balinese culture and taking care of, preserve and maintaining. The initiative is based on the existence of feeling to worry, that there is symptom a kind of culture erosion, so that the cultural heritage become totally disappeared, lose, what omit only photograph and documentations.

Bali Museum save the Balinese culture heritage, emerge the founding plan a museum which afterward becomes the Bali Museum: * The early planning of Bali Museum founding was Governmental functionary of Dutch, Bali King, Society Prominent, all artists like: WFJ Kroon (assistant of Dutch Resident), Curt Grundler (a Germany Architect), I Gusti Alit Ngurah (Bestuurder Penegara Badung), I Gusti Bagus Jelantik (King of Karangasem), I Gusti Ketut Djelantik (King of Buleleng), King of Tabanan, and all artists like I Gusti Ketut Kandel, I Gusti Ketut Rai. The Planning is happened in year 1910 with the elementary concept Bali Museum building structure that was solidarity of the structure

between temple building (Sanctum) and Palace (Keraton). * After agreed on the concept of the museum building structure, hence founded a mains building which deflect finished in year 1925. Because of the ancient object collection which had been collected is not yet adequate and then during 7 years (1925-1932), the mains building stood functioned for the exhibition purpose. All meritorious experts in checking object taken as collection of Bali Museum for example: DR.W.F. Stutterheim, G.I. Graider, G.M. Hendrikss, DR.R. Goris, and artist of Walter Spies * Bali Museum in the beginning is handled by an institution that is called Bali Museum Institution and opened officially on 8 December 1932 with the name of Bali Museum * The management hereinafter by institution of Bali Museum has been reverted to Government of Indonesia since 5 January 1966.

The object collections which are kept in Bali Museum can be classified become the prehistoric object collection like: the Grave Petrify (sarkopag), the object collection coming from history era like: stupika clay containing superstitious formula Ye Te, the bronze statues (Hindu and Budha statues) and ethnography object collection like Keris, Endek Cloth, and religious ceremony equipments (Sangku, Cecepan and Sidakarya mask).

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

11

BUSINESS Japan and India sign free trade pact Associated Press

TOKYO – Japan and India signed a free trade agreement Wednesday amid a push by Japan to revive its weak economy by lowering barriers to trade and deepening its economic ties with the fast-growing nations of emerging Asia.

The economic partnership agreement, signed by Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma Wednesday, will slash tariffs on goods from DVD players to shrimp and lumber, and introduces measures to promote investment and deal with intellectual property rights.

Forging this kind of pact is increasingly a priority for Japan, which sees itself falling behind regional rival South Korea in the area of free trade agreements. With Japan’s population shrinking and its economic stuck in a two-decade slump, Prime Minister Naoto Kan has declared that Japan needs to “open up” to revive its prospects.

Sharma called the agreement “historic and significant,” highlight-

ing how emerging economies such as India and China are reshaping the global economy.

Despite both being big economies, Japan and India have limited trade, totaling 1.267 trillion yen, or about $15 billion, in 2010 — just 1 percent of Japan’s global trade. By comparison, Japan’s annual trade with China exceeds 26.4 trillion yen, or $317 billion.

Sharma told Maehara he hoped the pact would double trade volume between the nations within 3-4 years, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The pact still needs ratification by Japan’s parliament to come into force, but India does not require the approval of its legislative body.

Under the agreement, Japan will within 10 years remove tariffs on 97

percent of Indian imports, with India eliminating tariffs on 90 percent of goods imported from Japan.

Japan will allow greater market access on most products in the industrial sector, as well as agricultural products such as curry, tea leaves, lumber and shrimp.

India in turn will cut tariffs on Japanese imports ranging from car mufflers and steel sheets to DVD players and video cameras, as well as peaches, strawberries and Japanese yams.

The two countries also agreed to enter negotiations over allowing into Japan nurses and other certified careworkers from India, aiming to conclude talks within two years after the economic partnership agreement becomes effective.

Kan’s government is considering whether to join a broad free trade zone that nine Pacific Rim countries, including the U.S. and Australia, are negotiating called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Tokyo plans to announce a decision on that in June.

AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma (L) delivers a speech while Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara listens after signing the documents on a free trade pact at the foreign ministry in Tokyo on February 16, 2011.

Banks ‘had to know’ Daihatsu to launch budget of fraud, Madoff says car in Southeast Asia Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON – Wall Street fraudster Bernard Madoff told The New York Times in a prison interview that unidentified banks and hedge funds were somehow “complicit” in his massive Ponzi scheme.

“They had to know,” Madoff said in story posted on the newspaper’s website late Tuesday.

“But the attitude was sort of ‘If you’re doing something wrong, we don’t want to know.’”

Madoff, who touted himself as one of New York’s most successful money managers, was arrested in late 2008 and sentenced in June 2009 to 150 years in prison.

His victims, including charities, major banks, Hollywood moguls and savvy financial players, handed him tens of billions of dollars over more than two decades.

Madoff’s right hand man, Frank DiPascali, and his accountant, David Friehling, have since pleaded guilty in an investigation that has yet to fully unravel the crime or compensate the approximately 16,000 direct victims.

Even the amount of money stolen remains elusive: Madoff originally claimed to have been managing $65 billion, but in October, the courtappointed liquidator said the real bottom line was $21.2 billion in cash losses.

Times journalist Diana Henriques interviewed Madoff in a visitor room at the federal prison in Butner, North Carolina.

The interview and earlier email correspondence with Madoff were conducted as part of her research for an upcoming book on the scandal. “The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust” is scheduled to be published this spring.

The Times said the Madoff interview was the

first for publication since his 2008 arrest.

Banks and hedge funds who did business with Madoff had “willful blindness,” he said.

He was surprised to learn about emails and other messages bankers exchanged before the collapse of his scheme. Some of those emails are coming to light through lawsuits.

“I’m reading more now about how suspicious they were than I ever realized at the time,” Madoff said.

He did not indicate that any specific bank or hedge fund knew about his Ponzi scheme, which ran 16 years. Instead, he said, they failed to conduct proper scrutiny.

US prosecutors have not accused the major banks or hedge funds that did business with Madoff of knowingly investing in his scheme.

Meanwhile, the trustee charged with recouping assets for victims sued British banking giant HSBC and related entities in December, seeking at least $9 billion.

Trustee Irving Picard accused the firms of enabling Madoff’s scheme by creating, marketing and supporting “an international network of a dozen feeder funds based in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America.”

HSBC said it was defending itself “vigorously” against the claims filed in US federal bankruptcy court in New York.

Also in December, Picard said he was seeking $6.4 billion from JPMorgan Chase for supporting the scam and he has filed a suit against Swiss bank UBS seeking $2 billion in damages for its alleged part in the fraud.

And a lawsuit unsealed this month claims owners of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets ignored repeated signs and clear warnings that Madoff was operating a fraud scheme.

TOKYO – Japanese automaker Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, will begin manufacturing a low-priced compact car in Indonesia in 2013 for sale in Southeast Asian nations, a business daily said Wednesday.

Tapping its expertise in minicars, Daihatsu plans to develop a fuel-efficient vehicle in Indonesia and supply 70 percent of the output to be sold under the Toyota brand, the Nikkei daily said without citing sources.

To sell for up to 900,000 yen ($10,750) — the cheapest Toyota car in the global market, the new vehicle will be a little smaller than the Etios,

a strategic small sedan that Toyota launched in India late last year, it said.

Daihatsu, which already has a factory in Jakarta capable of assembling 280,000 vehicles a year, plans to spend 20 billion yen to build a new plant, which will have an initial annual capacity of 100,000 units, the paper said.

Toyota and Daihatsu are the first and second best-selling automakers in Indonesia, controlling 53 percent of the market between them, the Nikkei said.

Daihatsu announced last month that it would pull out of the European market within two years because of the strong yen cutting profits.

AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN

Prices of food items and other household goods are posted outside a supermaket in Beijing as customers enter and exit on February 16, 2011. Rising food prices have pushed about 44 million people into poverty in developing countries since last June, the World Bank warned on February 15, as food costs continuing rising to near 2008 levels when price spikes in food and oil had devastating impacts on the poor.

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Entertainment

International

Liz Taylor improving after heart scare: publicist Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES – Hollywood film legend Elizabeth Taylor is “comfortable” and improving steadily after she was admitted to hospital for a heart scare last week, her spokeswoman said. The 78-year-old actress was hospitalized at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, suffering from “symptoms caused by congestive heart failure, an ongoing condition,” her publicist announced on Friday.

In an update Tuesday, spokeswoman Sally Morrison said the star “has been comfortable over the past few days in Cedars-Sinai.” “Since being admitted there has been steady improvement in her condition, and over the weekend she has had visits from family and close friends,” Morrison added.

“Her medical team is gratified by her progress to date, and it is hoped and expected that this will continue over the next few days. For now, she will remain under their care in the hospital for continued monitoring.”

Taylor’s health has been the subject of intense speculation in recent years. In 1997, she underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed

and she appeared on US television in 2006 to deny rumors she had Alzheimer’s disease.

In July 2008, she was hospitalized in Los Angeles but her spokesman denied reports that she was close to death and had been placed on life support. In 2009, she underwent heart surgery to repair a “leaky valve,” tweeting afterwards: “It’s like having a brand new ticker.” Her publicist said Taylor was receiving the best medical treatment possible.

“Friends and fans around the world should be reassured that Elizabeth Taylor is in good hands and receiving the best possible care from her skilled and dedicated doctors and nurses,” she said.

File photo of Hollywood film legend Elizabeth Taylor, who is “comfortable” and improving steadily after she was admitted to hospital for a heart scare last week, her spokeswoman said.

AFP/Getty Images/File/Frederick M. Brown

Rapper Tinie Tempah is big winner at Brit Awards Agence France Presse

LONDON – Rapper Tinie Tempah has confirmed his rise to the top of the British music industry by winning two Brit Awards at London’s O2 Arena. The London hip-hop star, who scored two number-one hits in 2010 with singles “Pass Out” and “Written in the Stars” collected Best British Breakthrough Act and Best British Single at the biggest night of the UK’s pop calendar.

The singer promised he would toast his success in true pop-star style. “I’m going to get really messed up and everyone here is invited,” he said after the ceremony late on Tuesday. “We are going to get really wrecked.” The 22-year-old missed out on the most prestigious award of the night, Best British Album, which went to folk-quartet Mumford & Sons for their record “Sigh No More.”

“This is very bizarre, very strange. Thank you very much indeed. We are very honoured, very humbled,” lead singer Marcus Mumford said. Tinie Tempah — real name Patrick Okogwu — also lost out in the Best Male Artist category, which was topped by hiphop and R&B artist Plan B, also known as Strickland Banks. Canadian group Arcade Fire also won two prizes, claiming the Best International Band and Best International Album awards.

The indie collective paid tribute to English artists New Order, The Clash and David Bowie during their acceptance speech. Recently reformed five-piece outfit and Brit veterans Take That opened up the show with a live performance before walking away with the award for Best British Group, 18 years after winning their first Brit award.

Robbie Williams, who rejoined the band in July last year, confirmed he would not be joining Tinie Tempah in a post-show blowout. “I can’t wait to get back to the flat, hug the wife and have a cup of tea and biscuits,” the singer said.

The ceremony was punctuated by other live perfor-

mances from Barbadian superstar Rihanna, British soul singer Adele, the triumphant Mumford & Sons and indie collective Arcade Fire. Folk’s resurgence was recognised in the Best Female category, where Laura Marling, girlfriend of Marcus Mumford, was victorious.

There was further Canadian success when teenage phenomenon Justin Bieber was awarded the Best International Breakthrough Act prize. The Brits ceremony has a reputation for controversy and pop-star debauchery, but the assembled divas and rockers were on their best behaviour Tuesday.

Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae announce joint tour Reuters

NEW YORK – Following their show-stopping performance at the Grammy Awards, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae will team up for a North American co-headlining tour.

The retro-pop singer and R&B songstress will embark on the joint trek, dubbed Hooligans in Wondaland, in May and June, with British singer/ rapper Plan B set to open on select dates. Before they kick off their road trip together, both artists will kick off their own European runs in the coming weeks — Mars’ will begin in Berlin, Germany on March. 3, while Monae will start her run in Brussels, Belgium on February 20.

Tour dates and venues for the

Wondaland tour have yet to be announced. Mars, Monae, and Atlanta rapper B.o.B earned a standing ovation for their Grammy performance, in which Mars played a doo-wop riff on his former Hot 100 chart-topper “Grenade” and Monae crowd-surfed while singing “Cold War.” Mars also walked away with the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance trophy for “Just the Way You Are,” the first single from his debut album “Doo-Wops and Hooligans.”

Mars is currently in Los Angeles shooting a video for his next “DooWops” single, “The Lazy Song,” and will stay in the city for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, where he’ll perform at the Pregame Show on Sunday.

Bruno Mars performs at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

AP Photo/Joel Ryan

Tinie Tempah reacts after receiving the award for British Single on stage at the Brit Awards 2011 at The O2 Arena in London, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Science

International

Carnivorous Plant Snaps Shut With 600 Gs A carnivorous plant that lives in bogs worldwide traps its prey in less than a millisecond, more than 100 times faster than a Venus flytrap can manage, a new study finds. The study is the first to capture a high-speed recording of the plant’s traps snapping shut.

Utricularia, a genus of rootless carnivorous plants, is better known by its common name, bladderwort. There are more than 200 species worldwide, living in fresh water and saturated soils. To survive without roots, bladderworts trap and digest tiny organisms, including protozoa and tiny crustaceans. They do so with small bladder-like traps that line their stems.

The super-fast motion of bladderwort traps (which are a few millimeters in size) is too quick to be seen with the naked eye. So Philippe Marmottant of the Universite Grenoble in France and his colleagues made high-speed recordings of bladderworts snapping up crustaceans just a few millimeters long.

“We wanted to know how fast the trap was,” Marmottant told LiveScience. “There were several estimations, but no certitude, because highspeed recordings were not available.”

Expert trappers

The cameras recorded up to 10,000 frames per second, enough to give the researchers enough resolution to slow the film down and analyze how the bladderworts trap their prey.

The traps closed more quickly than the traps on any other carnivorous plant, the researchers reported Feb. 15 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. On average, the traps snapped shut in about half a millisecond. In comparison, Marmottant said, the Venus flytrap reacts to its prey in 100 milliseconds.

“Because the suction is so fast, with accelerations of up to 600 G [600 times the force of gravity], it is very difficult for any living animal to escape such a trap,” Marmottant said.

(For comparison, an astronaut feels about3.5 Gs during a space-shuttle liftoff; and a mere 8 Gs will cause most people to black out.)

The tiny traps generate all this energy by spring-loading themselves. First, glands in the

traps pump out water. That means the air inside of the traps is at a much lower pressure than the surrounding water. The door of the trap bulges out, much like the shape of a contact lens. When prey triggers tiny hairs on the outside of the door, the trap leaves begin to collapse inward, crumpling until – bam! – the door opens and water and prey rush in.

If nothing triggers the traps, Marmottant said, they start spontaneously firing after a few hours. The spontaneous firing may bring in phytoplankton or other microscopic plants that wouldn’t otherwise become a bladderwort meal. “Such plants give extra food to the trap, that is thus vegetarian, or omnivorous if you like,” Marmottant said.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

13

Scottish deerhound wins Westminster “best in show” Reuters

NEW YORK – A lanky Scottish deerhound known as Hickory triumphed over a fox terrier and a Portuguese water dog on Tuesday to win Best in Show at the 135th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, the first of its breed and only the fifth hound to take the top prize.

Hickory, a gray and white fiveyear-old bitch formally known as Ch Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, was a “perfect example” of the breed who exhibited “great showmanship,” said Paolo Dondina, of Monterchi, Italy, who judged the Best in Show round before a cheering capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Dondina, who admitted “I’m a hound person,” said choosing the deerhound as top dog in the prestigious competition with some 2,600 entrants from 49 U.S. states “is my dream. ... I’m in the heavens.” It was the first time a deerhound had ever won Westminster.

“She’s in an elite group of one,” said owner Cecilia Dove.

Handler Angela Lloyd said after the win “Hickory ... showed tonight like she’s never showed before.” The 85-pounder described

by Lloyd as “very docile and gentle” was a clear crowd favorite among the seven best-in-show finalists, along with a bearded collie and a Pekingese.

Lloyd noted, however, that the breed is also known for its “often stubborn nature. They do things their own way.” Hickory beat out a wrinkly Chinese shar pei, a black cocker spaniel, a Fox terrier and a Portuguese water dog, a breed that came to national prominence when President Barack Obama’s family chose one to live in the White House.

After last year’s winner Sadie, a black Scottish terrier, Hickory’s victory came as a surprise. Las Vegas oddsmakers had put the Scottish deerhound’s odds of winning at 60-to-one.

Terriers, either Fox, wire-haired or Scottish, have dominated the competition with an astounding 45 Westminster wins, nearly half the total. Best-in-show prizes have been awarded 103 times over the years. Now, with 16 best-in-shows under her belt, Hickory is retiring from the show ring, Lloyd said, adding “I’m going to miss the nose nudge in the middle of the night” after Hickory goes to live with one of her owners in Flint Hill, Virginia.

Scottish deerhound Hickory poses for photographers with his handler Angela Lloyd, right, and judge Paolo Dondina after Hickory won best in show during the 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Hearing loss in elderly linked to dementia: study Agence France Presse

AFP/File/Jean-Philippe Ksiazek

An Alzheimers patient at a psychiatric hospital. Elderly people with hearing loss have a greater chance of developing dementia, a risk that increases as their deafness worsens, according to a new report said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON – Elderly people with hearing loss have a greater chance of developing dementia, a risk that increases as their deafness worsens, according to a new report said Tuesday. The research studied 639 individuals between the ages of 36 and 90 without dementia, who were given cognitive and hearing testing between 1990 and 1994.

The test subjects were followed for the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through May 2008, according to the study published in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, a publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Of the participants, 125 had mild hearing loss (25 to 40 decibels), 53 had moderate hearing loss (41 to 70

decibels) and six had severe hearing loss (more than 70 decibels).

During a follow-up midway through the study, after about 12 years of research, 58 individuals were diagnosed with dementia, including 37 who had Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that the risk of dementia was higher among those with hearing loss of greater than 25 decibels, with further increases in risk observed among those with moderate or severe hearing loss as compared with mild hearing loss.

“Hearing loss may be causally related to dementia, possibly through exhaustion of cognitive reserve, social isolation, environmental deafferentation (elimination of sensory nerve fibers) or a combination of these pathways,” wrote the researchers, who are affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

“With the increasing number of people with hearing loss, research into the mechanistic pathways linking hearing loss with dementia and the potential of rehabilitative strategies to moderate this association are critically needed.”

The researchers said that by the year 2050, an estimated 100 million people or nearly one in 85 individuals worldwide will be affected by dementia, according to background information in the article.

Interventions that could delay the onset of dementia by even one year could lead to a more than 10 percent decrease in the prevalence of dementia in 2050, the authors wrote, but added that at present, “unfortunately, there are no known interventions that currently have such effectiveness.”

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Sport

Thursday, February 17, 2011

International

Crouch stuns Milan as Spurs take Champions lead Agence France Presse

MILAN, Italy – Tottenham’s dream European adventure continued at the San Siro on Tuesday night as Peter Crouch grabbed the only goal in a 1-0 victory over AC Milan. Despite playing without the injured Gareth Bale, the hat-trick hero when Spurs last played in this stadium in a 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan, Spurs put in a controlled and professional performance that belied their relative inexperience on this stage.

Crouch struck 10 minutes from time on a lightning counter attack in a half otherwise dominated by the hosts. It puts the English side in a strong position ahead of the second leg at what will surely be a white hot White Hart Lane in three weeks time.

“What a performance from us. We stood tall to a man, Sandro, Steven Pienaar, Michael Dawson, Heurelho Gomes... I could go on,” said Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. “I said to the lads, too, at half time to get it to Aaron Lennon whenever we could because he tore the left-back apart all night and his role in the goal was fantastic. It’s a great night for the fans and a great night for Tottenham.”

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said his side hadn’t got going early enough. “In the first half we were too afraid to go forward, it was difficult to play in suich tight spaces and we made many mistakes,” he said. “That allowed Tottenham to win the ball and counter. In the second half we changed but our efforts weren’t enough.”

Given that Tottenham are playing in their first season in the Champions League under its current format and Milan are seven-time kings of Europe, it was surprisingly the visitors who settled quickest.

They opened up their hosts after just five minutes with a fine move as a long cross from Vedran Corluka found Crouch, who controlled the ball on his chest but then slipped at the crucial moment and was crowded by Gennaro Gattuso before firing off a rushed shot.

On 11 minutes another great move from Spurs saw Corluka put Aaron Lennon in behind Luca Antonini but Christian Abbiati dived out to punch his cross off Crouch’s head. More good work from Spurs ended with Rafael van der Vaart scuffing a

shot from 20 yards. Abbiati had to come off with a head injury and was taken to hospital, to be replaced

by Marco Amelia. Milan’s only chance of note was a Zlatan Ibrahimovic free-kick that didn’t trouble Heurelho Gomes.Just before half-time Van der Vaart tried his luck from distance but Amelia tipped it over the bar. And just after the restart he beat the goalkeeper with a clever chip that sailed just wide of the post. Milan finally threatened on 50 minutes as Gattuso stood the ball up and Mario Yepes met it with a bullet header that Gomes saved brilliantly with one hand.

Mathieu Flamini was then very lucky to stay on the field for a horror two-footed lunge with studs showing on Corluka, receiving only a yellow card.

Corluka had to be replaced with Jonathan Woodgate.

On the hour Gomes then made another point blank save from a Yepes header. Milan were bossing the game by this stage and Flamini had a shot charged down that looked headed goalwards. Spurs then hit Milan with a rapier counter-attack as substitute Luca Modric sent Lennon scampering away and he skinned Yepes, who tried in vain to bring him down, before squaring for Crouch to slot into an unguarded net.

Michael Dawson threw himself in front of a Robinho effort as Milan made an injury time rally.

And Ibrahimovic had the ball in the net with an acrobatic volley that was disallowed for a marginal offside. The game ended with ugly scenes as Gattuso appeared to aim a headbutt at Spurs assistant manager and former Milan player Joe Jordan, igniting a scuffle involving several players and staff. “They lost their heads at the end there - they were rattled for sure - and I guess that’s a good sign,” added Redknapp. “I know who I’d pick between Joe Jordan and Gennaro Gattuso anyway... Joe all night long. All night long.”

AP Photo Daniele Badolato, LaPresse

AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta, bottom, challenges for the ball with Tottenham Hotspur forward Peter Crouch during a Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur at the San Siro stadium in Milan , Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.

Leonardo backs under fire Eto’o Agence France Presse

IBP/ist

Samuel Eto’o

ROME – Inter Milan coach Leonardo has leapt to the defence of striker Samuel Eto’o after the Cameroon captain was heavily criticised in some quarters for his performance against Juventus.

Eto’o missed a sitter from five yards, hitting the bar with an open goal to aim at while also completely missing an attempted volley as Inter rallied late on in Sunday’s Serie A clash.

They lost the game 1-0, Eto’o’s misses proving costly as they slipped to eight points behind leaders AC Milan. Inter can close that gap to five if they win away to Fiorentina on Wednesday, in a match that was postponed in December due to the nerazzurri’s participation at the Club World Cup.

“It takes a brave man to criticise Eto’o, he’s scored 27 goals,” said Leonardo. “It can happen that in one second he doesn’t find the right space or contact but talking about an Eto’o problem that doesn’t exist, I can’t believe someone can get knocked down for something like that.

“It seems to me as if it’s an attack against Inter, as if they (the critics) were waiting for us to lose a game.” Leonardo also insisted that the title race was not over because of that defeat. “Everything is still open, non-one can claim to have won,” he added.

“We’re playing well and we’re the best team in the world. I can’t get involved in these dramas, either accept me as I am or leave me alone.” And an angry Leonardo hit out at the brickbats. “Often people

exagerate, I’m asking for a bit of coherence. I defend the team, talking about me won’t change much,” he said.

“It makes me angry to hear people talk about this team as they have been, there’s no (Diego) Milito issue or Eto’o issue or an issue with anyone, I can’t accept this. “I don’t intend to hide a problem, we struggled also against Palermo but look at the numbers.

“I would sign on the dotted line for seven wins in our next nine matches, I’d like to see where we will be and where the others will be.”

Leonardo has won seven league games and lost just two since taking over at Inter, while also winning a pair of cup matches. But the defeat against an otherwise struggling Juventus has seen the critics emerged from the woodwork.

Sport

International

Thursday, February 17, 2011

15

Wade’s 41 push Heat past Pacers Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Dwyane Wade tied a franchise record for most points in a first half with 31, and finished with 41 overall to help the Miami Heat defeat the Indiana Pacers 110-103 on Tuesday night. Wade also finished with 12 rebounds for the Heat, who bounced back from a loss to Boston on Sunday.

AFP/Getty Images/File/Al Bello

American top seed Andy Roddick (pictured) advanced to the second round of the $1.32 million ATP-WTA Memphis tournament with a three-set victory over Richard Berankis on Tuesday.

Roddick advances at Memphis tennis Agence France Presse

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – American top seed Andy Roddick advanced to the second round of the $1.32 million ATP-WTA Memphis tournament with a three-set victory over Richard Berankis.

Roddick had to rally from behind after dropping the opening set to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 over the unseeded Lithuanian in the 91-minute match on the indoor hardcourts. Roddick’s American teammate Mardy Fish also won his opening match by beating Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 7-5.

Fish missed last week’s event in San Jose, California, due to a thyroid condition. “I felt a lot better today than I did Friday,” Fish said. “So that’s a good sign. Obviously, the goal is to try to get to 100 percent. To be honest, I’ve felt better each day.”

Fish is trying to recapture some of the magic he had last year when he won two tournaments and reached a career high ranking of 16 in the world. Czech Radek Stepanek and Croatian Ivan Dodig also advanced with victories over a pair of Germans.

Dodig rallied to beat Rainer Schuettler 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and Stepanek cruised past Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-2. Dodig is fresh of his first ATP Tour title achieved a couple of weeks ago in Croatia. In second-round matches on the women’s side, seventh seeded Renata Voracova was ousted by Ksenia Pervak 61, 6-1. Magdalena Rybarikova beat Anne Keothavong, a Memphis semi-finalist the previous two years.

LeBron James scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and Chris Bosh added 22 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which has won eight of nine. Roy Hibbert scored 18 points and Tyler Hansbrough added 16 for the Pacers. Indiana has won seven of nine under interim coach Frank Vogel, with both losses coming against the Heat.

Miami led by 24 points in the first half, then lost the lead before regaining it for good in the fourth quarter.

James threw the ball off the backboard, caught it with one hand and dunked to give Miami a 93-91 lead with six minutes to play. James converted a basket in close over the 7-foot-2 Hibbert, then scored on a tip-in to push Miami’s lead to 9994, and the Heat led the rest of the way.

Wade dominated Mike Dunleavy for 16 points in the first 5:05 of the game. When Vogel finally switched the matchup and brought in rookie Paul George, Wade splashed a jumper in George’s face seconds after he entered. Wade finished the period with 22 points, the most he has scored in a quarter this season.

One of his baskets was a jumper from behind the backboard.

Miami led 41-19 at the end of the quarter. It was the most points the Heat have scored in a quarter and their highest point differential in a quarter this season.

The Pacers went to their bench and flipped the script. Led by Hansbrough, the Pacers shot 64 percent in the second quarter. Indiana outscored the Heat 35-17 in the pe-

riod and trailed 58-54 at halftime.

Miami led 64-58 when George made a 3-pointer. Collison stole the inbounds pass, and Danny Granger made a 3-pointer to tie it with 8:33 left in the third quarter. The Pacers took a 73-68 lead when George made three free throws after getting

fouled on a 3-pointer with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

Miami regained the lead with a 6-0 run, and the advantage seesawed through the rest of the quarter.

Hansbrough hit a mid-range jumper as time expired in the third quarter to give the Pacers an 83-82 lead.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images/AFP

Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat shoots the ball during the NBA game against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse on February 15, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Heat won 110-103.

UCI chief wants Contador case resolved before Tour Agence France Presse

MUSCAT – World cycling chief Pat McQuaid insisted Wednesday that he wants a definitive decision on the doping case of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador before the start of the Tour de France next July. Spain’s cycling federation (RFEC) on Tuesday cleared the three-time Tour de France champion of knowingly using a banned substance in a dramatic U-turn that means he can ride in this year’s race.

The 28-year-old’s future had hung in the balance after testing positive for minute traces of the banned substance clenbuterol during last July’s Tour de France. Contador had repeatedly denied knowingly taking any banned substances, blaming the result on a steak he says was contaminated with

traces of the muscle-building drug.

And International Cycling Union (UCI) president McQuaid said he would wait to study the complete file before deciding whether to appeal the RFEC decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “At the UCI we don’t know the case sufficiently. We received a 25-page summary yesterday (Tuesday) and are waiting to receive the complete file to study it and to really see what is behind this affair,” said McQuaid at the Tour of Oman cycling race.“That will be done in conjunction with the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) even if the decision to appeal or not will be taken by the UCI. We’ll have 30 days from the time we receive the file.”

While McQuaid said he had “not specially” been surprised by the decision he had been shocked by politicans

becoming involved with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero stating last week “there is no legal reason to sanction Contador”. “Nothing surprises me any more...” said McQuaid. “On the other hand I’m disappointed by the political pressure in Spain. That doesn’t help with a calm investigation.“I don’t understand why politicans have to meddle in sport which has its own disciplinary procedures. Having said that I don’t blame the Spanish cycling federation which did its job investigating in a serious manner.”He added: “I hope that the affair will be definitively closed before the start of the next Tour de France. I work tirelessly to ensure the credibility of cycling by doing the maximun for riders who respect the rules. All the rules.”

16

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Sport

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

Mercedes GP team’s German driver Nico Rosberg drives as he takes part in a training session at Jerez racetrack, on February 13, 2011.

AFP PHOTO / JORGE GUERRERO

Brawn relaxed about Mercedes form Ross Brawn insists he is comfortable with the way Mercedes GP’s preparations for the new season are going - despite questions being raised about the form of the new W02. Although Michael Schumacher topped the times on the second day of last week’s Jerez test, the new Mercedes GP car has appeared to be struggling to match the long-run pace and consistency of rivals like Red Bull Racing and Ferrari.

The team is hoping, however, that a major aerodynamic upgrade scheduled for the Bahrain Grand Prix will help lift its form – and Brawn himself believes it has done the right thing in focusing only on reliability for now.

“We made a deliberate decision towards the end of last year to have a very ‘plain’ car for the first tests and a significant upgrade for the first race in Bahrain,” he said in an inter-

view published on Mercedes GP’s official website. “With the Pirelli tyres, and the return of KERS, we wanted to make sure that our new car was ready for the first test and this was certainly the correct decision.

“The final features for the Bahrain upgrade were confirmed recently and we are comfortable with the performance step that these developments will bring.

“Our current package includes some compromises, and we know that there is more performance to come from the car. Of course, we don’t know where the other teams are, and what they have planned in terms of development. No one will have the full picture until the racing starts in Bahrain.” When asked about specific issues that the team needs to address, Brawn said: “Reliability

Dani Pedrosa: Rossi is Rossi DANI Pedrosa says Valentino Rossi can never be discounted as a title contender, despite the somewhat inauspicious start to the seventime MotoGP world champion’s career as a Ducati rider. Rossi finished the first pre-season test of 2011 in a modest 11th position overall, while Pedrosa – together with Honda stablmates Casey Stoner and Marco Simoncelli – have been amongst the main pace setters.

Despite this, Pedrosa is refusing to eliminate Rossi from the equation of title challenger, maintaining the Italian has the ability to turn things around in time for the start of the new season.

“The great unknown quantity will perhaps be Rossi,” he said in his latest blog. “It’s his first year with Ducati and in Malaysia he wasn’t amongst the fastest riders.

But Rossi is Rossi, and you can never rely on anything. Even when he’s in last place on the Saturday he still has the capacity to surprise.”

Additionally, Pedrosa is wary of reigning champions Yamaha, pointing out that Jorge Lorenzo and Ben

Spies continue to display the most convincing race pace.

“Right now the Honda RC212V seems to be functioning well. We’ll see what happens when we get to the first GP of the year, because everything could change there. You never know, but at the moment everything

points towards a tough World Championship.

“The Yamaha continues to have a good rhythm lap upon lap.

Lorenzo, as the defending Champion, is a rival to beat, and Spies had a great season in 2010 and will certainly be better this year.”

is our main challenge at the moment.

“Although we have completed the third highest mileage of any team with our new car (a total of 2310km), our level of reliability is not where it needs to be yet.

“It’s the normal pre-season process really, checking the components, ensuring that everything works together, with the added challenge of KERS and the new tyres.

We have experienced our share of teething problems with the MGP W02 but we have solutions in the pipeline to resolve them.”

Brawn has also denied that Schumacher’s time-topping lap in

Jerez last week was a glory run – although conceded that the car had not been fully fuelled.

“There is little point to wasting precious track time on low-fuel ‘glory’ runs when there is far more important work to complete,” he explained.

“As Michael pointed out in Jerez, it was not a particularly low-fuel run, and we are keeping our heads down and concentrating on our own programme. Only each team knows the truth about its performance during the pre-season period, and knowing all the facts, I am satisfied with our progress over the first two tests.”