Edisi 19 Mei 2011 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 111 3st Year Price: Rp 3.000,-

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Thirty Balinese artists to appear at French Festival 2011

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Thursday, May 19, 2011

PAGE 8

Stars come out to say goodbye to Oprah Winfrey PAGE 12

IBP/File

The entrance of Ngurah Rai International Airport. Expansion project of the Ngurah Rai Airport by the operator, namely PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero), will relocate about 140 houses.

Ngurah Rai Airport expansion project relocates 140 houses Bali Post

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DENPASAR

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JAKARTA

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YOGYAKARTA

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SURABAYA

26 - 37

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MANGUPURA — Expansion project of the Ngurah Rai Airport by the operator, namely PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero), will relocate about 140 houses where 35 units of them are official residences consisting of 6 units owned by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance (9 units), Ministry of Agriculture (8 units), Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency or BMKG (11 units) and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (1 unit).

President Director of PT Angkasa Pura I, Tommy Soetomo, stated the expansion work was very urgent because the growth of passenger traffic at the Ngurah Rai International Airport had now reached 11.1 million passengers per year, whereas the building was designed only to accommodate 8 million passengers per year.

“We will also relocate the property of SDN 4 Tuban primary school.

The expansion is expected to increase the capacity up to 24.6 million passengers per year in 2025,” Tommy said when signing the agreement with several building owners in Kuta.

Continued on page 6

Tourists from Singapore increase 53% Antara

Denpasar – The number of tourists from Singapore visited Bali in the first three months of 2011 was 23,177 people, increased 53% compare to the same period last year which was 15,062 tourists.

The Head of Bali Statistics Department, Gede Suarsa, said “the significant increase make the tourists from Singapore among

the top ten list of the most tourists coming to Bali.” He said that in 2010, the number of tourists from Singapore visited Bali was 97,402 people. The number increased 73% compared to 2009 which was 55,992 tourists.

“Singapore is one of the most potential markets for Bali’s tourism.

There is great hope that the number of tourists from Singapore will increase in the future,” Suarsa said.

He also explained that most of the

tourists from Singapore were entering Bali through Ngurah Rai International Airport and only 8 people were using sea transportation.

Singapore is on the number 8 from the top ten list of the most tourists coming to Bali and it is 3.71% from the total number of foreign tourists visited Bali in the first three months of 2011 which was 624.197 tourists.

The number is increasing for 10% compare to the same period

last year which was 563,847 tourists. From the top ten countries on the list, six countries showed significant improvement while four of them were decreasing.

The countries which are increasing were Australian tourists 28%, Malaysia 45%, England 46%, Russia 25%, and US 32%.

While the countries which are decreasing were China 2%, Japan 19%, Taiwan 15% and South Korea 1%.

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International

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Bali News Playing on Biaung Beach

A primary school boy dies dragged by waves Denpasar (Bali Post)—

IBP/File

Pile of garbage is seen on one of the street in Denpasar.

Trashes separation futile Denpasar (Bali Post)—

A number of double trash cans installed by the Denpasar Sanitation and Landscaping Services (DKP), namely for organic and inorganic waste, are assessed to be not maximal. Considering, the rubbish truck used to transport them has not had adequate facilities. As a result, the separated trashes will probably be re-mixed when transported to landfill site.

Former Deputy Chairman of the Denpasar House, I Ketut Suwandhi, when met in Denpasar on Tuesday (May 17) admitted the program was actually not maximal because the further supporting facilities were not available. Even, the program could be said to have not worked properly.

Suwandhi said the waste management system carried out so far had a lot of weaknesses. As consequence, the efforts to rid the city of trashes could not have been realized maximally, whereas in view of the existing vehicles, they had been sufficient.

When compared to some years ago, the existence of current vehicles was much higher. According to him, the current sanitation management of Denpasar needed to be reviewed. For example, the

sweeping patterns applied should not look futile. “The area of Jalan Veteran, for instance, does not need too many labors. Some people are enough, but the working system must be clear and precise so the area will look cleaner,” explained Suwandhi.

Meanwhile, Division Head of Operational of DKP Denpasar, Anom Sayoga, confirmed if the organic and inorganic waste separation was done manually by each officer because the DKP currently did not have special vehicles that could be used to separate the two types of trashes. “Up to now, there is indeed no vehicle with two compartments like that. But, in the future, we are going to implement such a pattern,” he said.

Anom Sayoga said that up to these days his party had 35 units of

rubbish truck operated daily. As a matter of fact, all vehicles amounted to 44 units. However, because some vehicles had been out of order, then only 35 units could be operated. Among the 35 units, it had included 12 units provided by Bali Provincial Government not long ago. This amount of vehicle was assessed to be inadequate if compared to the volume of trashes in Denpasar. “Denpasar should have76 units of rubbish truck, so no trucks should take two trips when conveying the trashes,” said Anom Sayoga. Meanwhile, the number of employees of DKP reached 1,400 people. Such amount had included sweepers, trash collectors, transportation staff and landscapists. Not only that, some street lighting technicians had been included in that amount. (kmb12)

Dragging of the waves on Biaung Beach, East Denpasar, Tuesday (May 17) morning, caused a death toll. A primary school boy named Diky Mario Ama alias Rio, 8, drowned on the beach. Ironically, when the incident was taking place, absolutely no one knew it. On that account, the victim’s body had been found dead and floating in the ocean. The victim’s body was found by a fisherman who happened to be passing at scene.

Based on information gathered, the victim came to the scene with a friend named Alan Wijaya Darma Saputra, a student of sixth grade at primary school. They departed by a bicycle and arrived at scene at 07:30 a.m. the victim and Alan undressed while running on the beachside. “Their clothes were placed on their shoulders and then they were running,” said one of the residents at scene.

They ran toward the estuary existing in the west of the beach.

Eventually, they played there. The victim Rio chose to learn surfing on the beach. Incidentally, he found a cork and it was then used to play surfing. Meanwhile, Alan decided to play on the beach near the estuary. “Alan admitted he did not know if his friend drowned.

Suddenly, Rio had been unseen in the vicinity of the beach,” the resident said while asking not to publish his name.

Within minutes, Alan did not see the victim. He was so confused while calling out the name of Rio. Not only that, Alan also walked back and forth at scene. Confusion

of Alan was in fact noted by a beach visitor. However, he did not suspect if Alan had difficulty (his friend was missing—Ed). “I saw the boy (Alan—Ed) squatting, getting up and walking to and fro at scene. I did not know why the boy looked confused,” said the beach visitor.

Shortly later, a local fisherman found a suspicious object floating in the ocean. The suspicious object was apparently the victim’s corpse. It was then taken to the shore by the fisherman. At the same time, Alan was still confused and occasionally called out the name of Rio. The discovery of Rio’s body made local residents suspicious of Alan’s behavior.

Thus, Alan was called to ascertain whether it was his friend’s body.

As soon as seeing the body, Alan instantly shocked. Even, his hands were trembling and his fingers cramped. The incident was then reported to East Denpasar Police. A number of officers immediately arrived at scene to conduct an examination. Later, Alan’s stepmother, Anjar Miati, 30, also arrived at scene. When accomplishing the examination, the victim’s body was transported by ambulance.

Meanwhile, Chief of East Denpasar Police AKP I Gusti Nyoman Wintara when asked for his confirmation last Tuesday justified the incident. Drowning of the victim until death was alleged to have been caused by his own negligence. Meanwhile, the body of victim was rushed to Sanglah Hospital for post-mortem examination. (kmb21)

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Bali News

International

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Prohibition of fishing at cruise ship quay ignored Amlapura (Bali Post)—

Playing or fishing on the dock floor of Tanah Ampo cruise ship quay, Manggis, is prohibited by Karangasem Regency Government because construction of the quay has not been totally accomplished and the protruding floor along 150 meters is very dangerous. However, the fishing ban is ignored by residents.

Based on monitoring of Bali Post on Tuesday (May 17), tens and even hundreds of people took advantage of the quay floor protruding into the sea though the stream at Labuhan Hamlet was known to be very hazardous for fishing. Not only fishing hobbyists who were absorbed in lazing for hours while fishing, but many children also liked playing there. Nevertheless, the prohibition sign of fishing at location was ignored by residents.

In reality, the dock floor is very dangerous as it has not been completed yet, while the security wall of the quay has not been made, either. Last year, a man riding a bicycle plunged into the sea from the dock floor. Until now, his fate is unknown because he is never found.

The victim is a resident of Labuhan Hamlet and was a fisherman. Apparently the victim did not realize the danger, so he relaxed riding a bike and apparently did not know the end of the dock floor in front of him. But, he even continued to ride his bike so that he did a free fall into the deep sea.

Hobbyists fishing on the dock floor are not only residents in the vicinity of the quay. But, many of them are from outside Karangasem such as Gianyar and even Denpasar.

Wayan Batu and Hose respectively claimed to be from Batuan, Sukawati and Batubulan. They came from a distant area to the cruise quay just for fishing. Wayan Batu said he heard from friends if location on the quay floor was good

for fishing because it protruded into the sea. These two fishing hobbyists also prepared a variety of equipments from their home.

The result of fishing was some few. A resident of Labuhan said that fishing from the dock floor was difficult to get fish. The fishes had frequently seen fishhook with bait, so they were not interested to grab.

“Maybe, those fishes have been familiar with the surroundings, so they do not want to be deceived to snatch and swallow the bait,” said one of the residents.

Meanwhile, the Head of Karangasem Transportation Services, IBP Swastika, said the dock floor construction had not accomplished yet. Nevertheless, many cruise ship operators had asked about it and when it had been finished they would drop in for setting down tourists.

Admittedly, the length of the dock floor was still an obstacle because it just reached 150 meters, while the large cruise ships operated in the world today were at least 300 meters long. So, the quay floor needed extending 154 meters more. It was said, in the meeting of the national development plan last week in Jakarta, Karangasem Regency Government submitted the constraint. At that time, Chairman of the Karangasem Agency for Regional Development (Bappeda), Wayan Arthadipa, said that Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare, the former Minister of Transportation, Hatta Rajasa, gave a green light that the quay construction mega project would be continued in 2012 through to completion. Budget for the dock floor extension along 154 meters was estimated to reach IDR 200 billion. “The quay project is not dormant because it continues to be built in stages. This year, the project works on the landscape financed by Bali regional budget worth IDR 4.3 billion,” said Swastika. (013)

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Indonesian Cultural and Tourism Minister, Jero Wacik, left, acompanied by the Founder of Gobal Spa, Peter Ellies, center, during the Global Spa Meting (GSS) in Nusa Dua.

IBP/Edi

Spa industry contributes USD 260 trillion Mangupura (Bali Post)—

The development of the spa industry is adequately promising. Estimated, the contribution of this business sector to the world economy has reached approximately USD 260 trillion or IDR 2.2 million trillion. Meanwhile, the spa industry in Indonesia increased up to seven percent every year.

CEO of Spa Finder, Peter Ellis, in the midst of the Global Spa Summit (GSS) Meeting, attended by hundreds of participants from Africa, Europe, America and Asia stated that Indonesia was one of the three countries in Asia that had a sufficiently rapid growth in spa industry under India and China.

“The summit meeting in the event of GSS for Asian Region is held for the first time in Bali. This shows the world’s confidence to Indonesia considered having a great potential in spa industry,” said Peter in Nusa Dua, Tuesday (May 17).

According to him, the Spa industry would continue to grow rapidly in the future and remain promising to drive the world economy. Such an event was the first time in Asia, and Bali was

selected due to the insistence of participants, natural beauty, culture and very famous hospitality.

Co-Chairman of The 2011 Summit, Jeff Matthews, said that spa industry in Indonesia continued to grow, even it was in the region the modern spa business was first developed in Southeast Asian region. Global Spa Summit was an annual international meeting specifically discussing about spa industry and health. A number of 296 participants from 38 countries worldwide attended the meeting.

“It is a special event with a limited invitation attended by the executives and leaders from around the world who have an interest in the industry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik said

that potential of spa in Indonesia was quite large and needed promoting continuously to foreign countries. Spa Summit had a strategic significance and was truly important for the development of spa industry in the world. “This prestigious event can become an international promotion for the spa of Indonesia and Bali,” he observed.

It was said, the current spa industry had grown rapidly and even there was a world trend where people were increasingly aware of the health and spa that were intimately associated with tourism. “Spa is a potential market. Japanese and European people have made spa a part of their lifestyle, especially because it concerns with the health and beauty,” he added. (par)

Disdikpora Guarantee for Clear PSB Antara

IBP/Bud

A man is seen fishing on the edge of the harbor in Tanah Ampo, Karangasem.

DENPASAR - Education, Youth, and Sport Office Denpasar guarantee there is no cheating like “powerful letter” in admission of SMA/SMK in the year of 2011/ 2012. “People should not suspicious because we guarantee there is no cheating,” said the Head of Education, Youth, and Sport Office Denpasar, I Gusti Lanang Jelantik.

Further people can look for

PSB result announcement through the school website. Now they tried to anticipate the cheating action by designing three admission tracks.

Disdikpora Denpasar had designed three tracks of admission. The tracks later fitted with its function.

“The first track is admission based on students evaluation score (NEM). The track is conventional admission,” said him. The second one is academic potential test (TPA) for International School (RSBI) through tight selection.

TPA registration has began on Monday (16/5) and its devotee came from RSBI schools in Denpasar. The last track was non academic admission.

It means the track giving big chance for students who have big potential in sport or art sector.

“We planned to ensure the third track quota as much as 10% from available ration,” said him. Besides the three tracks, he is also keeping space for student’s candidate from other city.

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News

Thursday, May 19, 2011

International

Syrian president: Security forces made mistakes Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT – Syria’s president says the country’s security forces have made mistakes during the uprising against his regime and that thousands of police officers are receiving new training. Assad’s comments were carried by the private Al-Watan daily on Wednesday. They came as a human rights activist said Syrian troops have used heavy machine-guns to bomb a neighborhood in the central city of Homs.

Mustafa Osso said the bombing of Bab Amr district took place early Wednesday.

Syria’s top rights organization has said that the crackdown by Assad has killed more than 850 people since the protests erupted in mid-March.

The latest place to see a harsh crackdown on dissent is the western town of Talkalakh.

Activists say 27 people have been killed there since last week.

Syrian protesters called Tuesday for a one-day nationwide general strike, urging students to skip school and workers to bring commerce to a halt in a new strategy of defiance against government crackdowns that appear to be turning more brutal and bloody.

The strike, planned for Wednesday, marks a shift by opposition forces to strike at President Bashar Assad’s regime from new angles: its economic underpinnings and ability to keep the country running during two months of widening battles.

A sweeping popular acceptance of the strike call would be an embarrassing blow to Assad and show support for the uprising in places, such as central Damascus, where significant protests have yet to take hold and security forces have choked off the few that have taken place.

“It will be a day of punishment for the regime from the free revolutionaries ... Massive protests, no schools, no universities, no stores or restaurants and even no taxis. Nothing,” said a statement posted on the main Facebook page of the Syrian Revolution 2011.

The strike call came as the United States and European Union planned new sanctions against the Syrian leadership. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters that the tighter measures could be imposed in the coming days.

Al Qaeda names Adel as interim chief: report

REUTERS/FBI/Handout/Files

Saif al-Adel Reuters

DUBAI – Al Jazeera television said al Qaeda has appointed a temporary leader and a new head of operations following the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. commandos, citing its own correspondent on Wednesday. It said in a brief news flash the Egyptian militant Saif al-Adel was named interim leader, while Mustafa al-Yemeni, whose nationality it did not give, would direct operations.

U.S. special forces shot dead Al Qaeda leader bin Laden in his

hideout outside the capital of Pakistan earlier this month. U.S. prosecutors say Adel is one of al Qaeda’s leading military commanders and helped plan the bomb attacks against the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998.

They also say he set up al Qaeda training camps in Sudan and Afghanistan in the 1990s. An al Qaeda expert had said on Tuesday that Adel would likely not act as head of the organization.

“This role that he has assumed is not as overall leader, but he is in charge in operational and military terms,” said Noman Benotman, a former bin Laden associate who is now an analyst with Britain’s Quilliam Foundation think tank.

Adel was believed to have fled to Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and was subsequently held under a form of house arrest there, according to some media reports.

Arab media reports said Iranian authorities released him from custody about a year ago, and he then moved back to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Some analysts say Adel may have returned to Iran or Afghanistan in recent weeks.

AP Photo/Bilal Hussein

A Syrian man, foreground, rides his horse as other Syrians in the background carry their belongings across the border, fleeing from violence from the western Syrian village of Talkalakh, in the Wadi Khaled area, about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the LebanonSyria border, north Lebanon, Monday May 16, 2011.

Singapore enters new era as founder Lee steps down Associated Press Writer

SINGAPORE – The surprise resignation of Singapore’s founding father may herald a new, softer approach by the city state’s longruling government in response to growing opposition voices and voters’ desire for a more open society.

But, analysts say, the big question now is whether any substantive changes will be seen following Saturday’s announcement that 87year-old Lee Kuan Yew and his longtime right-hand man, Goh Chok Tong, were stepping down from their Cabinet positions.

“It’s not clear whether policy changes will be merely cosmetic in terms of communication, or whether more meaningful changes in direction are likely,” said Wei Zheng Kit, an analyst with Citigroup in Singapore. At the very least, the government has promised a shift in tone away from Lee’s myway-or-the-highway attitude that has helped make Singapore one of the world’s wealthiest — and most tightly controlled — countries.

His departure after more than five decades comes in the aftermath of a disappointing May 7 election result that represented a major shift for a country where Lee, his son who is now prime minister, and the 69-year-old Goh, are referred to as

“the father, the son and the holy Goh.” Lee became prime minister in 1959 and saw the country through self-rule under the British, a twoyear federation with Malaysia and finally independence in 1965. He remained in office until 1990, overseeing a period of rapid development that turned Singapore from a sleepy port city into to a modern, virtually corruption-free society that remains a darling of foreign

investors.

Goh was prime minister until 2004, when the baton passed to Lee’s son, Hsien Loong. Through it all, though, the elder Lee, who tolerated little criticism, was considered by many Singaporeans to be the real power. His ruling People’s Action Party controlled every seat in parliament until 1981, and, in some elections, opposition parties have failed to even contest a majority of seats.

AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File

FILE - In this April 27, 2011 file photo, Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew waves to supporters as he arrives at an elections nomination center in Singapore.

International

Activities

Thursday, May 19, 2011

5

Grand Kuta Hotel and Residence

Offers Family package Aston IBP

KUTA - As holiday season is coming, Aston at Grand Kuta Hotel and Residence is ready to offer special rate of family packages start from Rp 900.000 net at Deluxe Studio for 3 persons and Rp 1.150.000 net at Premiere Studio for 4 persons.

All packages are include daily buffet breakfast, late check out until 2 pm, free airport transfer, free surf shuttle 5 times a day based on route and schedule, free Wi – Fi in all hotel area, 50% discount for spa treatments at Siloam Spa, 10% discount for food and beverage, 10% discount voucher for Waterbom Bali, 10% discount at AJ Hacket bungy jumping, Rip Curl school of surf and Blue Oasis Diving by showing our room keycard.

Furthermore, other hotel facilities which can enjoy by all guests are 3 (three) swimming pools, lobby lounge, pool bar, internet corner, bicycle rent, tour information at our tour desk, kids corner and Magnolia Café which provide Western, Asian and Indonesian foods. This package is valid from April 1st – December 22nd, 2011 with terms and condition.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event forApril 27 through May 23, 2011 27 Apr Pagerwesi Day Laban Sindu Jiwa Temple Kedewatan Ubud Kehen Temple Bangli Wirabuana Temple Magelang Jawa Tengah Padang Sakti Tangtu Temple Denpasar Timur Jogan Agung Temple Ketewel Sukawati Gadung Pengiasan Temple Dauh Puri Denpasar Pasek Gelgel Temple Buruan Kaja Tabanan Pasek Gobleg Temple Kerambitan tabanan Pasek Gelgel Meliling Temple Tabanan Masceti Selasih Temple Sanding Tampak Siring Paek Gaduh Temple Buduk Dadia Pasek Gelgel Temple Kelabang Moding Merajan Pasek Gelgel Sekalan Marga - Tabanan

8 May Redite Umanis Ukir Sangah Gede Dukuh Segening Temple Tegal Tugu Gianyar

2 May Tilem Jiyestha Bhujangga Waisnawa Gumrih Temple Jembrana

17 May Anggar Kasih Kulantir Penataran Tangkas Temple Sukawati Dalem Lagan Temple Bebalang Bangli Puseh Lembeng Temple Ketewel Sukawati Pasek Gelgel Penulisan Temple Kerambitan Tabanan Gaduh Temple Sading Dalem Gandamayu Temple Klungkung Pura Sanghyang Tegal Temple Banjar Taro Kaja Tegalalang

7 May Tumpek Landep Day Pasek Gelgel Temple Pedungan South of Denpasar Agung Pasek Temple Tangun Titi kaler Tabanan Agung Pasek Silamadeg Temple Selamadeg Tabanan Pasek Tangkas Temple Kediri Tabanan Kerta Temple Banyuning Barat Buleleng Dalem Tenggaling Sengguan Tenggaling Sengguan Singapadu Kawitan Arya Wang Bang Pinatih Pinatih Peguyangan Singaraja Bhujangga Weisnawa Temple Tegalcangkring Jembrana Taman Desa Bubunan Temple Seririt Buleleng Penataran Pande Dalem Batur Jati Banjar Pandean Mengwi Dalem Pingit Temple Br, Taro Kaje Tegalalang Dadia Pasek Gelgel Gobleg Selat Village Sukasada Buleleng Batur Arya Warih Kepaon Cengolo Sudimara Tabanan Ida ratu Pande Temple Besakih - Karangasem Mr. Pasek Toh Jiwa Temple Toh Jiwa Tangungtiti Penataran Pande Kusamba Temple Klungkung Penataran Agung Pinatih Tulikup Temple Banjar Menak Desa Tulikup Gianyar

11 May Buda Wage Ukir Pasar Agung Temple Besakih - Karangasem Pasek Bendesa Pasar Badung Temple Legian Kuta Gede Gunung Agung Dukuh Temple Munggu Badung Hyang Agung Ibuwanasari Temple Tegal Puseh Village Temple Temple Bebalang Village Bangli Dalem Perancak Temple Badung Pasek Bendesa Hyang Selat Temple Kerobokan Badung Kekeran Langit Temple Sading Mengwi

18 May Buda Umanis Kulantir Pasek Tangkas kaler Temple Tabanan Gaduh Benoh Temple Ubung Denpasar 22 May Redite Keliwon Tolu Dalem Alas Harum Temple Kaba-kaba Kediri Tabanan 23 May Soma Umanis Tolu Puseh/Balai Agung Ubung Temple Kupang Penebel Tabanan Kawitan Sakula Gotra Temple Kepuh Kaba-kaba Kediri Tabanan Bhujangga Rsi-Tambak Bayuh Temple Bayuh Paibon Tangkas Kori Agung Temple Ceningan KanginNusa Penida Batu Madeg Temple Besakih - Karangasem Penataran Agung Penatih Temple Banjar Saba Penatih

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 “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land.

Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

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News

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Brazilian takes crown as world’s oldest person Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visits a newsroom of the state-owned Russian broadcasting company in Moscow, Thursday, May 12, 2011.

Medvedev keeps Russia guessing on 2012 election

Ngurah Rai Airport...

Reuters

SKOLKOVO, Russia – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday it was too early to announce whether he will run in next year’s presidential election but promised a decision soon. Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the mentor who steered him into the Kremlin in 2008, have suggested one of them will run for a six-year term as president next March but have kept the nation guessing with less than a year remaining.

“To announce such a decision, formats different from a press conference should be chosen,” Medvedev told a news conference in Skolkovo, an area just outside Moscow which is intended to become a high-technology business hub.

“When I feel like making this announcement, I will make it,” he told an audience of about 800 journalists at his biggest news conference since becoming president. An announcement was “quite close,” he said. A majority of Russians still regard Putin as the country’s paramount leader.

President from 2000-2008, he has sought this month to broaden his political backing before a parliamentary election in December and the March 2012 vote.

SAO PAULO – A 114-yearold Brazilian woman is the world’s oldest living human, Guinness World Records said Wednesday. Maria Gomes Valentim attributes her longevity to eating a daily roll of bread for breakfast along with fruit — though she indulges in the occasional nip of wine.

Guinness said that Valentim, aged 114 years and 313 days, is 48 days older than the world’s former oldest human, Besse Cooper from Monroe, Georgia. Cooper now holds the title of the oldest living North American.

Guinness verified that Valentim was born on July 9, 1896, in Carangola in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, where she has always lived. Known as “Grandma Quita,” Valentim’s family says she has a stubborn streak and has always made a habit of minding her own business.

They also say her own father lived to be 100.

“She says she has lived long because she has always taken care of her own life — and not the life of others,” granddaughter Jane Ribeiro Moraes, 63, told a local newspaper.

Moraes added that Valentim has a great affection for feijoada — Brazil’s national dish, a hearty bean stew with various cuts of salted pork

meat — and chicken empada pastries “with a lot of hot sauce.”

Craig Glenday, editor in chief of Guinness World Records, said Valentim represents an unprecedented feat for Brazil.

“To receive a claim from a woman born during the reign of Queen Victoria — before the Ford Motor Company was formed, or before even George and Ira Gershwin, were born — is remarkable in itself, but for that woman to be Brazilian makes it extra special. Never has a successful claim for longevity emerged from Brazil — until now,” he said.

Guinness said it has received several claims for potential “super centenarians” — but none before were ratified because of a lack of evidence or documentation.

Bound to a wheelchair but mostly in decent health, relatives hope the attention for Valentim might help out her financial situation. They say the woman gets by on Brazil’s minimum pension — $335 a month — and relies on the public health system, as the humble family can’t afford to pay for private health insurance.

Valentim married her husband Joao in 1913, but he died in 1946. They had one son, four grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and five greatgreat grandchildren.

Medvedev, 45, has presented himself as an alternative to the 58year-old former KGB spy and the two men have exchanged public jibes in campaign-like appearances, fuelling speculation that Medvedev is positioning himself to seek a second term. Such talk has also prompted suggestions that Medvedev might dismiss Putin’s government.

Medvedev declined direct comment on this but, in remarks that could be interpreted as a swipe at Putin, said: “No one comes to power forever. People who have such illusions usually end badly.” “As you know, I often criticize the government but I think the government is working as a harmonious organism, and that’s why it wouldn’t be right to

pull individual links out of the chain,” he said.

Medvedev was expected to use the widely televised news conference to show he is not just Putin’s “yes man” and could be a viable candidate for the presidency.”

Skolkovo is at the heart of Medvedev’s plans to diversify Russia’s $1.5 trillion economy away from dependence on the export of natural resources by boosting the share of high-technology products.

Medvedev has used talk of modernization to portray himself as a candidate of change who can offer a more modern view of Russian development than that proposed by Putin, who underlines the need for stability and wariness about foreign influence.

From page 1 According to him, the construction of terminals would spend IDR 1.94 trillion including the road access, substitute buildings, fly over, promenades, aprons, terminals and baggage handling system that would accommodate more passengers than the current capacity.

“We have set up substitute buildings at Mumbul area for the ministries whose buildings are relocated. Ngurah Rai International Airport currently has an area of 265.60 hectares and will be expanded to 288 hectares,” he explained.

It was said, the re-arrangement of Ngurah Rai Airport would also include commercial-nuanced buildings, so that the departure and arrival terminal as well as the exit gate

would be accelerated and enlarged.

Deputy Secretary for Economic Affairs, Vice President of the RI, Tirta Hidayat, said that other than in Bali, the airport expansion would also be carried out in a number of regions such as Soekarno-Hatta, Cengkareng and Banten. “The current capacity of Cengkareng is 23 million passengers per year. We will expand it to 65 million passengers,” he said.

Affirmed, to accommodate 18 million passengers per year in 2013 was required 10 times of the current land’s extent. Due to limited space available, without demolition was impossible to expand. “To that end, the official residence, office and primary school should be relocated and replaced with a new one,” he said. (par)

International

Indonesia Today

Thursday, May 19, 2011

7

Antiterror police nabs suspected Colomadu resident Antara

SOLO - Members of “Densus 88” police antiterror special squad had caught a resident of Serengan, Blulukan village, Colomadu subdistrict, Karanganyar regency, Central Java, Tuesday at 8.30 am.

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

Policemen extricate a car in the middle of a fountain pool of Jakarta’s traffic roundabout landmark Bundaran HI before dawn on May 18, 2011. Police are investigating the accident to find out if the driver was on alcohol or fell asleep at the wheels when he crashed throigh the concrete barrier and landed in the pool in the capital’s famous Welcome Monument.

Indian IT businessmen wish to invest in Surabaya Antara

SURABAYA - An Indian information technology business company is interested in making an investment in Surabaya known to have a big potential in this field.

“The major Indian company whom we have invited to come here today is very interested in capital investment in Surabaya,” Indonesian ambassador to India Andi M Ghalib said here Tuesday.

In a business meeting with a number of Indian businessmen, Surabaya deputy mayor Bambang DH and chairman of the local chamber of commerce and industry (Kadin) Jamhadi said the Indian business entrepreneurs were also responding to the visit of the Surabaya city administration to India some time ago.

“We are happy with the visit of

the Surabaya city administration to India, for which we are ready to work hard and quick in developing this business enterprise,” he said.

In the meantime, the current business meeting was also a follow up on a cooperation agreement between Indonesia and India thanks to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s visit to India to meet the Indian Prime Minister in January 24 to 26, 2011.

“In the visit some 32 MoUs between the two countries had been reached both under business to business (B2B) and government to government (G2G) basis,” he said.

Responding to the Indian businessmen’s interested in developing business in Surabaya, Kadin chairman Jamhadi confirmed that it was a ‘golden opportunity for the city.

“Especially that Surabaya was in

need of assembling plants for electric products, for instance,” he said.

Especially now that Surabaya’s balance of trade with some other countries like China and Australia has been increasingly negative as they had been handling the city only as their market.

“With more assembling plants here, we believe that many vocational graduates in Surabaya could be recruited,” he said.

In addition, he said, the information technology (IT) industry in India had been growing positively, like the well-known Silicon Valley in the US. “Today’s meeting also found out that several other sectors could be developed between India and Surabaya such as cooperation in clean water, power plants, education and trade,” he said.

Indonesian students win international awards as young researchers Antara

JAKARTA - Four Indonesian senior high school students won international awards from the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) during the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2011.

The four students are Yan Freski and Darmadi from Yogyakarta and Andrey Halim and Reyner Jong from Tangerang, Intel Indonesia said in a press statement issued on Tuesday.

Yan Freski and Darmadi received a first place award from CAST and cash prize totaling US$3,000 from the Society for Science & the Public for their research on factors deciding the flow of Opak River to the Indian Ocean, it said.

Meanwhile, Andrey Halim and Reyner Jong received a certificate of honorable mention from the Society of Exploration Geologists for their research on the use of bamboo-based composite as building materials for quake-resistant houses.

The Society for Science & the Public is a non-profit organization which dedicates itself to encouraging public participation in education and scientific researches. The organization for the first time managed ISEF in 1950.

More than 1,500 young researchers and innovators participated in the ISEF 2011. They were chosen from 443 scientific research contests previously held in 65 countries. France, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates are among countries participating for the first time in the fair.

According to Rohmadi (57) of Serengan, Blulukan, Colomadu, his son-in-law with initial J was living with his wife.

But he did not know the whereabouts of J and his wife since Tuesday morning and until 6 pm they still had not returned home.

“I met them Tuesday morning at about 7, but then they went out just like that,” Rohmadi said.

He said his daughter was the third of five siblings, and she got acquanted with him when they attended religious classes. They

tied the knot on April 12 last year.

“His son-in-law was security guard at a factory in Banyuanyar, well-built with sideburns,” he said.

In the meantime, Surakarta police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Setyo Sigit Prabowo confirmed that a bicycle used by the couple had been confiscated in Solo.

In the meantime, spokesman for Central Java police Commissioner Djihartono confirmed that there was a man with initial J caught in Colomadu.

Indonesian housemaid murdered in Singapore Antara

BATAM - The Indonesian embassy in Singapore confirmed the Indonesian woman named Ruliyawati from Kendal, Central Java, was murdered at a high-rise building complex, Block 686B Woodlands Drive 73, Singapore, Monday.

“The dead body is still being subjected to an autopsy. We will facilitate her repatriation to her relatives as soon as possible,” said Emil Harry Dewantara, embassy third secretary for services and protection of residents said Tuesday night.

The embassy, Emil said, had contacted PT Jasa Putra Jaya based in Central Java, which helped the employment of the woman at the Yang Yuan Yu family on the sixth floor of the 15floor complex since July last year.

Blood stains a water tank on the floor leading to the roof of the complex, and some witnesses on the top floor who heard shouts in a heated quarrel in the morning hours, but the exact time of the victim’s death was still being established.

Unconfirmed reports said Ruliyawati was already dead when found in the water tank by

the police at 10 am local time, but another version said she was declared dead at 1 pm local time.

Emil said at 7 am local time her employer was looking for Ruliyawati, and residents at that time were shocked as their tap water had become yellowish.

Some residents found blood stains on the stairs leading to the block’s roof and found the dead victim in the water tank, with a Bangladeshi man standing near the tank, Emil said.

Alerted police personnel arrived at the crime scene at 10 am local time, while in the meantime Singapore police arrested a Bangladeshi man, 27, the murder suspect.

Emil said investigations of the case are fully in the hands of the Singapore police while the Indonesian embassy closely followed the process up to the court.

Some time ago, he said, the victim’s employer had asked the block’s management to move a cleaning service employee of the block of who happened to be a Bangladeshi national.

The man, Emil said, was seen by several residents near the water tank in which Ruliyawati was found. The residential block had eight water tanks.

8

International

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Bali Today Thirty Balinese artists to perform at French Festival 2011 Gianyar (Bali Post)—

At least 30 Balinese artists will take part in a festival event in French in 2011. Performance of Balinese artists from the Putra Yasa Sedana Foundation, Pengaji, Payangan, will represent Indonesia as one of the 22 participating countries in the Folklores Festival in France on July 8 to August 22, 2011.

Chairman of Putra Yasa Sedana Foundation, Dewa Rai Budiasa, said the 30 artists had performed their exercise for almost a year since the invitation was delivered by UNESCO and the International Committee of Folklores Festival in July 2010. Even, in the midst of his visit to Gianyar last Sunday night (May 15), the invitation was delivered in person by the Mayor of Bray Dunes in North France, Cloude Marteel, to the Regent of Gianyar, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati at Puri Saren Ubud.

Balinese artists will take part in the Cultural Parade and workshop activities in eight cities in France and one city in Belgium from July 8 to August 22, 2011. “It is the second time for Bali appointed Ambassador of In-

donesia since 1987,” said Dewa Rai. When welcoming the mayor of Bray Dunes, the Regent of Gianyar expressed his appreciation for having entrusted the Gianyar community to participate in the festival.

Through the festival, he expected to open the horizons of participants on foreign cultures that could eventually strengthen their identity as a Balinese. Additionally, the festival could be a very effective campaign medium for Bali tourism in general and Gianyar tourism in particular.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Bray Dunes hoped that such festival could create a tolerant attitude in looking at the difference from every culture in the world. Even, the difference characterized the richness owned by the world community. (kmb16)

IBP/ist

The tarditional Balinese dancing perfomed by Balinese artists.

Statue of Great Heroes Guarding Denpasar On the way home from providing lectures overseas, Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk of India, dropped in the house of his friend, who is also a king. There, he was entertained in familial atmosphere. In the meantime, they also talked about religion passionately.

His friend asked why the Hindus

worshiped idol like statue. This young monk smiled while asking permission to his friend to borrow the picture of his grandfather on the wall. Having been taken and handed over by a servant, Vivekananda examined and placed it on the carpet. Afterward, Vivekananda politely remarked if his friend would not have the heart to

IBP/Net

Heroes statue near Ngurah Rai Airport roundabout.

touch the photo by the toe of his boots.

Finally, the friend realized his mistake that worshipping a statue or the like would help in conceptualization.

Meanwhile, according to a French linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure, in the language of sign there are the signifying (object) and the signified (concept or reference). In this context, photograph is the object, while grandfather is the reference. God has been universally acknowledged to be the most perfect. To help concentrate the mind on God, the Hindus apply a medium like various kinds of sanctified effigies. Each devotee has different ability to contact Him. Common people may use a medium, while those having higher spiritual knowledge do not need any medium.

Therefore, none is wrong and it is a freedom.

Inspired by puranic or mythological stories, many Hindu artisans in Bali manage to make various kinds of sculpture. When visitors happened to have island excursion, you may encounter many statues such as outside the temple, at the end of each bridge, intersection, hotel’s gardens or even on the pavement on the protocol roads in Denpasar. Sacred stat-

ues are placed in the sanctum representing gods and goddess as well as heavenly creatures, decorative statue installed in commercial premises and the last one is statue to commemorate the great heroes.

Statues depicting the great heroes can be encountered in the regencies pursuant to their respective origin.

One of the great heroes of Bali is I Gusti Ngurah Rai as the name of local international airport. Right in the east of the airport stands still the Statue of Ngurah Rai. He was the commander of Ciung Wanara troops of Bali struggling bitterly against the Dutch colonial for the sake of freedom.

With him, there were some other companions in arms. For instance, I Gusti Ngurah Bagus Sugianyar, his statue is strategically installed in the intersection of Jalan Gatot Subroto and Jalan Cokroaminoto, Ubung. As if he welcomes everyone entering the city from outside Denpasar and outside Bali from the west. Then, Cokorda Agung Tresna—Head of Badung Struggle Headquarters. His statue is installed on the intersection of Jalan Gatot Subroto and Jalan Nangka, right in the east of Sugianyar’s statue. Meanwhile, Ida

Bagus Putu Japa was a member of Pembela Tanah Air (embryo of the Indonesian Military) immortalized with a statue put in the Renon roundabouts.

In the meantime, Puputan Badung Square located right in the heart of Denpasar City also retained statutes of other great heroes. The statues are placed in the northern side of the square. They depict the bitter struggle of the Badung Kingdom against the colonial until their last bloodshed. This heroic incident occurred on September 20, 1906 and now it is celebrated as the Puputan Badung Day. Those statues are intended to show an appreciation over the merits of great heroes of Bali that had dedicated their entire life sincerely for the nation. Similarly, they denote an educational medium to introduce the heroes to younger generation so they get a simple illustration about the heroes living before their time.

Last but not least, they also give good visual impression to the arrangement of urban landscaping and attraction to tourists reflecting one of the artistic treasures owned by Bali. (BTN/punia)

International

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Balinese Culture

Bali Silverwork Business Stays Prospective A number of souvenir craftsmen and silver jewelry in Bali said the prospects of commodity production and marketing stayed quite bright, even the number of tourists visit has not increased significantly. “Perhaps, the number of foreign tourists is not too high, but we are still in production because domestic tourist shows reasonable number,” said Ketut Murtika, a silver jewelry provider at Celuk, Gianyar.

Murtika confessed, up to this day, the silverworks remained prospective in his eyes. Although tourist market

was facing low season but most of their products were absorbed into overseas market since he has established contracts with some buyers there.

According to him, the prospect was still bright enough, but it should be realized with the support of the rich design property. On that account, the production of his silverwork always yielded innovative products. For instance, he combined silver with precious stones and other stone jewels that were no less enchanting. One of the mainstays of his silverwork products is an attractive design at affordable

IBP/Net

A man making silver handicraft.

price. “I design for myself and distinguish it between foreign and domestic market. Domestic consumers generally like simple and small designs, while overseas market likes the opposite ones,” he said.

Within a day, he said, he could make about 50 rings and 20 silver necklaces whose raw materials came from home and foreign country.

Meanwhile, Jayantika, another craftsman whose location is adjacent said there should be a new breakthrough to develop Bali silver markets abroad. “For example, the target market to Europe, the Middle East or other Asian countries. There should be government intervention to make it happen,” he said.

In Asian countries, continued Jayantika, Vietnam and Thailand were big enough silverwork producers. A few buyers have turned to the country. However, the silverworks produced by the countries were not the same as that of Bali silver because according to Jayantika they often used more machines in making the products, while in Bali was mostly handmade.

Therefore, in general the quality of Bali silver was comparable to foreign products. “If competing in the export markets the silver products of Bali will remain competitive,” he concluded. (IBP/Doc)

Gulai Kambing (Spiced Lamb) Ingredients * 1 3/4 lb Lamb, fresh * 2 Onion * 3 Thai chile * Ginger, fresh; 3/4" knob * Lemon grass root, 1/2" knob * 1 Lemon grass, stem * 2 Garlic clove * 8 Macadamia nut * 2 Tomato, ripe * 1/3 c Oil * 1/2 ts Cardamom, ground * 1/2 ts Cumin powder * 1/2 ts Turmeric * 1/4 ts Fennel powder * 1 Cinnamon stick; 2" * 4 Cloves, whole * Salt; to taste * Pepper, black; to taste * 4 c Coconut milk Calories per serving: 553 Fat grams per serving: 26 Directions Cut the lamb into bite-size chunks. Chop the onions, chilies, ginger, lemon root and lemon grass.

Crush the garlic and grind the macadamia nuts.

Skin the tomatoes and cut the flesh into small dice.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, chilies and garlic and saute until the onion becomes translucent.

Then add the lamb, ginger, lemon root, lemon grass and tomato and cook for another three minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spice powders, cinnamon stick and cloves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then lower heat and allow to simmer until the meat is very tender; approximately 45 minutes. Serve immediately with steamed rice. (http://asiarecipe.com)

C.045 ibp

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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Destinations

International

Taman Ayun Temple IBP

Taman Ayun Temple is a Royal Temple of Mengwi Empire and it is located in Mengwi Village, Mengwi sub district, Badung regency and about 18 Km north side of Denpasar town. It is strategically located beside of major roadway between Denpasar to Singaraja. It is set on the land which is surrounded by the big fish pond and look like a drift on the water. It owns the beautiful temple building with multistoried roof and Balinese Architecture. The wide beautiful landscape garden in front courtyard to welcome all visitors who come and visit this temple. It is a beautiful place to visit on your vacation in Bali.

Pursuant to Papyrus Chronicle of the Mengwi (Lontar Babad Mengwi), the temple which is now referred by Taman Ayun Temple that it had been newly sanctified in the year 1634 M and it is named

International Bali Post Classifieds Contact us

with Taman Ahyun Temple. The word of Ahyun is coming from from the root word Hyun meaning a temple is founded in the park (pool with the beautiful garden) which can fulfill the desire. The word Ahyun is then changed into Ayun word. Taman Ayun Temple is one of Hindu Temples in Bali become tourist destination which has been visited by many tourists from local and foreign. This temple is usually visited by tourist once having a set tour to Tanah Lot Temple due to this temple is the same route of the Tanah Lot Temple Tour.

The function of Taman Ayun Temple is a place to pray the god in their manifestation. It is according to the content of Babad Mengwi and the existence of temple building structure, especially the temple that is located in third area (Jeroan).

According to Astadewata, the special God is worshiped in Taman Ayun Temple is the God in manifestation as a Wisnu God which his

palace located in top of Mangu mount. In papyrus of Usana Bali mentioning that one of Dewa Catur Lokapalas carry through its worship is Meru Pucak Pangelengan that is a temple building with 9 multistoried roofs. Pitara God is a holy soul deity of ancestor who is also referred as the other names of Hyang Pitara or Dewa Hyang. Pitara God is obliged to be worshiped by clan heir (Prati Sentana) in the form of temple ceremony which the same meaning as by the ceremony to the god. The worshiping existence to Pitara God in Taman Ayun Temple can be searched and proved by pursuant to the existence of temple building which lay in by consecution in east which is called Paibon that is representing Special Temple. Taman Ayun Temple in capacities or its status as special altar for the King family of Mengwi Palace or as a Merajan Agung from Mengwi King Families specially for the founder of Mengwi Empire that is I Gusti Agung Putu.

... gets maximum benefits with minimum charge Denpasar : +62 361 22-5764 Jakarta : +62 21 535-6271

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

Thursday, May 19, 2011

11

BUSINESS EU president says EU recovery, euro strong Associated Press Writer

SHANGHAI – Ailing European economies are getting their houses in order and the euro remains a trustworthy currency, the European Union’s president said Wednesday, describing the region’s recovery as “not bad at all.”

“Newspaper headlines might sometimes overshadow that the economic recovery in Europe as a whole is on track and even gaining momentum in some member states,” Herman Van Rompuy said in a speech to the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai.

“Our economic fundamentals remain sound,” he said.

While forecast European growth rates of 1.8 percent this year and 2.0 percent in 2012 may appear modest compared with China’s near 10 percent pace, they reflect the maturity and prosperity of the region’s economies.

“It is really not bad at all,” he said.

All 27 EU members are reduc-

ing their fiscal deficits, Van Rompuy said. And although Europe is still muddling through bailouts of Greece and Ireland and working out arrangements to stabilize Portugal, those countries account for only 7 percent of the gross domestic product of the world’s largest combined economy.

“The members of weak economies have to do their homework and have to put their houses in order and that is what they are doing,” Van Rompuy said.

Regardless of the challenges all governments face in bringing their deficits and debts under control, “the euro remains a “very strong currency trusted by investors worldwide,” Van Rompuy said.

He also defended the U.S. dollar, saying that challenges to its dominant role in world finance and trade crop up each time it weakens, but are premature even though the Chinese currency is bound to eventually take on a more important role.

“It is a useless exercise to say we should downplay the role of the dollar.”

During an earlier stop in Beijing and now in Shanghai, Van Rompuy has been urging China to do more to make its economy a level playing field for foreign business, especially in the area of government procurement.

The EU, which has a population of about 500 million, is China’s largest export market,

but European firms have been battered by low-cost Chinese textiles, leatherwear and other goods. Meanwhile, European companies, along with other foreign firms, complain of regulatory barriers hindering their ability to compete freely in China.

Beijing’s currency controls, which help boost Chinese exports, are also an irritant.

China needs to keep moving toward more “appropriate exchange rates,” Van Rompuy said.

“The impact of one’s exchange rate on the global system is bigger to the extent one’s economy grows,” Van Rompuy said, saying progress had been made in the past six months, as China’s yuan was allowed to appreciate from roughly 6.6 to the U.S. dollar to the current level of about 6.5.

In Beijing, Van Rompuy met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao for talks on topics ranging from trade to human rights and copy-

right protection. They also reviewed preparations for a 14th EU-China summit scheduled for the second half of the year. Van Rompuy met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday.

The EU is among foreign governments and rights groups that have expressed concern over the detention of famed avant-garde artist and government critic Ai Weiwei, the highest profile figure so far to be swept up in a Chinese crackdown on political dissent that has seen hundreds of bloggers, academics, lawyers and activists questioned, detained or arrested while others have simply disappeared.

Van Rompuy made only a passing mention to human rights issues in his remarks Wednesday, suggesting to his business school audience that respect for social justice and human rights is essential for stability and sustainable economic development.

Economic data suggests soft patch continues Reuters

WASHINGTON – U.S. factory output slipped for the first time in 10 months in April as a shortage of parts from Japan crimped activity and home building slumped, showing the economy got off to a weak start in the second quarter.

Signs of lackluster economic activity were also evident in declining sales at Wal-Mart Stores, which said its customers were still living from paycheck to paycheck. Home Depot also reported a drop in sales while Hewlett-Packard cut its 2011 profit forecast.

Analysts are cautiously optimistic the economy will regain speed this quarter after growth slowed to a 1.8 percent annual pace in the JanuaryMarch period, but some doubt that growth will pick back up to an annualized rate of 3.0 percent.

“It’s a sluggish start,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “Since the beginning of this year, the recovery seems to have hit a bit of a soft patch, but conditions should improve for the remainder of this year.”

U.S. stocks mostly fell on concerns about the economic recovery. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 68.79 points, or 0.55 percent, to 12,479.58 and the Standard & Poor ’s 500 Index dipped 0.49 of a point, or 0.04 percent, to end at 1,328.98. The Nasdaq Composite,however, inched up 0.90 of a point, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,783.21. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 6/32 in price, its yield moving through resistance at 3.14 percent to stand at 3.13 percent, after earlier falling to 3.10 percent, which was the lowest since early December.

The economic data “added to the market’s sense that the economy is in a slower growth mode,” said Cary Leahey, managing director and senior economist at Decision Economics.

“Whatever rebound is unfolding in the second quarter will fall short of 3.0 percent growth and if growth falls short of 3.0 percent, the Fed will be disappointed and will postpone taking even baby steps toward tightening monetary policy,” he said.

Manufacturing output fell 0.4 percent, breaking nine straight months of gains, as supply disruptions from Japan’s earthquake hit auto production, the Federal

Reserve said.

Overall industrial production was flat, with gains in mining and utilities offsetting the drop in factory output. Excluding cars and parts, manufacturing output rose a sluggish 0.2 percent.

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed groundbreaking for new housing dropped 10.6 percent to an annual rate of 523,000 units as a glut of homes on the market discouraged new projects.

Though March’s housing starts were revised up substantially, it was not enough to soften the blow from last month’s drop.

“The recovery in the housing sector is still wanting and is still a hope more than a reality,” said Anthony Chan, chief economist at JPMorgan Private Wealth Management in New York.

Economists, who had expected starts to rise to a 568,000unit rate, said tornadoes that lashed parts of the country last month were partly to blame for the drop. Starts in the tornadoravaged South slumped to a twoyear low.

Hopes are high that gasoline prices will fall and the nascent labor market recovery will strengthen enough to boost consumer spending and therefore

economic growth.

But Wal-Mart said U.S. sales fell in the February-to-April quarter, adding it continued to see a paycheck cycle, where people stock up around payday and then spend less as money runs out.

Manufacturing has been leading the recovery and economists expect it to bounce back as auto supply disruptions fade.

Housing, however, is a different matter. Construction is being crowded out by an oversupply of homes and in particular foreclosed properties that sell well below their value.

In March, the spread between the prices of new and previously owned houses was about $54,200, indicating used homes are selling well below the cost of construction. A spread of between $20,000 and $30,000 is generally viewed as ideal.

A report on Monday showed that while builders expected a modest improvement in sales during spring, they anticipate market conditions to weaken in the next six months.

Analysts estimate there are between 8 million and 9 million homes on the market, including the so-called shadow inventory — foreclosed properties and those that are about to be repos-

sessed by banks.

“The shadow housing inventory is coming to the market and is hindering the need to really start building more houses,” said Chan.

The weight on the economy will be limited, however, since residential construction only accounts for about 2.2 percent of gross domestic product.

In addition, with the labor market showing signs of life, analysts are guardedly optimistic about a slight improvement as the year progresses. A similar outlook was shared by Home Depot, which raised its profit forecast for the year despite a slow start to the spring selling season.

Groundbreaking last month was depressed by a 24.1 percent tumble in the volatile multi-family homes sector, where starts for buildings with five or more units dropped 28.3 percent. Single-family home construction fell 5.1 percent.

Permits for future home construction dropped 4.0 percent to a 551,000-unit pace last month. They were held down by an 8.8 percent drop in the multi-family segment. Permits to build single-family homes slipped 1.8 percent.

12

Entertainment

Thursday, May 19, 2011

International

Revelations could tarnish Schwarzenegger’s legacy Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political legacy in California already was tenuous. He left the governor’s office after seven years without making good on his central campaign promise to fix the state’s budgeting system, then commuted the manslaughter sentence for the son of a political ally in one of his final official acts, drawing the condemnation of prosecutors and the family of a slain college student.

Now he’s revealed to be the father of an out-of-wedlock child, a secret he kept during two gubernatorial terms. No matter his accomplishments in office, Schwarzenegger may be best remembered as yet another philandering politician who got caught.

The former governor said in a statement early Tuesday that he had fathered the child of a longtime household staff member more than a decade ago, and that the woman continued to work in the family’s Brentwood home until January.

Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, announced earlier this month that they were separating and that Shriver had moved out, although they did not give a reason at the time beyond a reference to difficult transitions.

After leaving office in January, the former Republican governor had for a time been angling for a role as some kind of international political spokesman, perhaps on environmental issues. In April, he appeared at a Washington, D.C., forum on immigration hosted by President Barack Obama, but his grander plans for politics did not appear to be panning out, so Schwarzenegger lately has been trying to relaunch his career as a Hollywood action star.

“It’s over. There’s no political future,” said Patrick Dorinson, a Republican who worked on Schwarzenegger’s 2003 campaign and in his administration early on.

“I’m just disgusted. It’s the only dang bipartisan thing these guys do — cheat on their wives. John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger — tell me the difference.”

AFP PHOTO / Peter Wynn Thompson

Oprah Winfrey (R) stands on stage with Dakota Fanning (C) and Beyonce Knowles (L) during the taping of the third to last Oprah Winfrey Show at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday, May 17, 2011.

Winfrey is wrapping up production of her wildly popular daytime television program after a 25-year run.

Stars come out to say goodbye to Oprah Winfrey Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO – Oprah Winfrey wiped away tears as celebrity after celebrity surprised her during a farewell double-episode taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that will precede her finale. “Thank you is not enough, but thank you,” Winfrey told the crowd of 13,000 gathered at Chicago’s United Center on Tuesday night for “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular.” “For your love and your support, thank you.”

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File

FILE - This file photo taken Oct. 7, 2003, shows former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, as they celebrate his victory in the California gubernatorial recall election in Los Angeles.

The crowd gave Winfrey a standing ovation when she first walked on the stage. Then the stars came out, with Winfrey’s producers making good on their promise of the biggest celebrities of movies, music and television.

Aretha Franklin sang “Amazing Grace.” Tom Hanks acted as host for the evening. Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships during the 1990s, told Winfrey she inspires him. Tom Cruise, famous for his couch jumping on Winfrey’s show,

was there. Jerry Seinfeld wore a tuxedo to give a comedy routine.

And Madonna said she is among the millions of people who are inspired

by Winfrey. “She fights for things she believes in, even if it makes her unpopular,” Madonna said.

Winfrey announced in November 2009 that she would end her popular talk show after 25 years.

Tuesday’s taping will air May 23 and 24, before Winfrey’s final show on May 25. “You always had the power, and that is the message you brought into our lives,” Cruise told Winfrey.

The show highlighted Winfrey’s charity efforts over the years. About 300 Morehouse College scholarship students walked along the United Center aisles as Kristen Chenoweth sang “For Good” from the musical “Wicked.” Grammy winner John Legend was beamed in from a New Orleans school and Winfrey’s book club was lauded for getting millions to read.

Josh Groban and Patti LaBelle sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as Winfrey sat in a white chair onstage.

Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder sang “Isn’t She Lovely” to Winfrey. Wonder followed with his own song, singing to her, “Oprah thank you for using your gifts to uplift so many hearts.”

Simon Cowell made an appearance; Rosie O’Donnell sang a Broadwaystyle song. Winfrey’s longtime partner, Stedman Graham, introduced Franklin after telling Winfrey he loved her and was proud of her.

Philip Roth wins Man Booker International Prize Agence France Presse

SYDNEY – Philip Roth, America’s most decorated living novelist, on Wednesday won the fourth Man Booker International Prize, beating off competition from 12 other authors for the 60,000 pound ($97,500) award.

The prize was first presented in 2005, and is given every two years for a body of work that was written either originally in English or is widely available in English trans-

lation.

The 78-year-old Roth, who could not travel to Sydney to receive the accolade because of back problems, said it was a great honour to be recognised.

“One of the particular pleasures I’ve had as a writer is to have my work read internationally despite all the heartaches of translation that that entails,” the Connecticut-based author said in a statement.

“I hope the prize will bring me to the attention of readers around

the world who are not familiar with my work. This is a great honour and I’m delighted to receive it.” Roth is one of the world’s most prolific writers, and his acerbically humorous studies of Jewish-American identity have won adulation from critics and readers alike.

He is best known for his 1969 novel “Portnoy’s Complaint”, and for his trilogy comprising the Pulitzer Prize-winning “American Pastoral” (1997), “I Married a Communist” (1998) and “The Hu-

man Stain” (2000).

Aged just 26, he won the US National Book Award in 1960 for his first book, “Goodbye, Columbus”, and in 1995 for “Sabbath’s Theater”. He has also won two National Book Critics Circle awards and three PEN/Faulkner awards. In 2001 he was awarded the gold medal for fiction by The American Academy of Arts and Letters. His most recent book, “Nemesis”, was published in 2010.

Science

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Shuttle Endeavour arrives at space station Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Endeavour and its six astronauts showed up at the International Space Station on Wednesday with the most expensive payload ever carried by a shuttle, a $2 billion magnetic device that scientists hope will unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.

AP Photo/NASA

A photo made from NASA video shows the Endeavour docked on the Harmony node of the International Space Station, Wednesday May 18, 2011 on the penultimate voyage of the space shuttle program. It is carrying a particle physics detector for the station.

Malaysia unveils plan to build ‘green economy’ Agence France Presse

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is launching an ambitious plan to build a “green economy” with the help of an advisory council that includes economist Jeffrey Sachs and the UN climate change chief.

The initiative is part of economic reforms instituted by Prime Minister Najib Razak since taking power two years ago, aimed at pushing the Southeast Asian country towards developed-nation status by 2020.

His administration has already promised major infrastructure projects and financial market liberalisation to attract foreign investment and boost growth, but critics say the results have been limited.

Najib on Tuesday convened the first meeting of an eminent 42-member Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council in New York to help the nation achieve ambitions of becoming a science and technology innovation destination.

Malaysia’s vision of a “green economy” would see it moving beyond its status as a manufacturing hub, and establish “low carbon emissions, highly efficient use of resources, and a healthy, well-educated populace.”

“Malaysia’s ambitious goal is to simultaneously reduce poverty and achieve a green economy,” Najib said in a statement from New York.

“We see science and technology innovation as key to achieving that goal, guided by the advice and active support of some of the world’s most distinguished entrepreneurial, scientific and economic experts.”

“These experts will liaise and work actively with key Malaysian agencies and institutions to develop ‘quick wins’ in the palm oil industry, in the creation of a smart city and smart village, and in education.”

As well as Sachs and Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the panel also includes media tycoon Steve Forbes and two Nobel laureates.

Najib said the council would aim to “raise the number of scientifically and technically-trained individuals, entrepreneurs and innovators in our country.”

Malaysia also hopes to develop smart cities and villages, where the Internet is available and resources, such as water and electricity, are managed efficiently through information technology.

The two orbiting crews will attach the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the space station Thursday.

Endeavour — making its final journey and the next-to-last flight of NASA’s shuttle era — docked with the space station as the two vessels soared more than 200 miles above the planet, near Chile.

Commander Mark Kelly steered Endeavour in for the slightly early linkup. He is married to wounded Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who attended the shuttle launch Monday. Giffords was shot in the head Jan. 8 during an assassination attempt that also killed six people and injured 12 others at a political event in Tucson, Ariz.

The space station crew rang the ship’s bell to mark Endeavour’s arrival. It is the 12th and final visit by Endeavour to the space station; after this mission, the baby of NASA’s shuttle fleet will be decommissioned and sent to a museum in Los Angeles. Atlantis will carry out the final shuttle trip in July.

Kelly and his crew will spend nearly two weeks at the space station. Their main job is to install the 7-ton Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an international collaboration representing 16 countries and led by Nobel-winning physicist Samuel Ting of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At the heart of the spectrometer is a 3-foot, doughnut-shaped magnet. The instrument will seek out invisible dark matter as well as antimatter; whether any of this is found or not, the results will help explain what the universe is made of and how it formed.

As soon as the spectrometer is installed, it immediately should begin collecting data. Ting expects to start receiving data within an hour or two.

The AMS will remain anchored to the space station for the rest of its life. The outpost will continue to operate until at least 2020.

Endeavour’s crew also will unload spare parts for the space station and carry out four spacewalks, the first one scheduled for Friday.

Coffee cuts risk of lethal prostate cancer: study Agence France Presse

WASHINGTON – More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a major US study released by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Men who drank six or more cups per day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the most lethal type of prostate cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of forming any type of prostate cancer compared to men who did not drink coffee, it said.

Even just one to three cups per day was linked to a 30 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.

“Few studies have specifically studied the association of coffee intake and the risk of lethal prostate cancer, the form of the disease that is the most critical to prevent,” said Harvard associate professor and senior author Lorelei Mucci.

“Our study is the largest to date to examine whether coffee could lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer,” she said.

The effects were the same whether the coffee was caffeinated

or decaffeinated, leading researchers to believe the lower risk could be linked to the antioxidant and antiinflammatory benefits of coffee.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in US men, but it is not always deadly.

A blood test can detect it early, and the cancer can be graded on what is known as a Gleason score; the higher the score the more likely the cancer is to spread.

There are 16 million survivors of prostate cancer worldwide, and one in six men in the United States will get prostate cancer during their lifetime.

Risk factors are typically linked to Western high-fat diets, heredity, alcohol and exposure to chemicals. The study examined 47,911 US men who reported on how much coffee they drank every four years from 1986 to 2008.

AFP/File/Francois Guillot

More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a major US study released by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

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Sport

International

Manchester City beats Stoke 3-0 in Premier League Associated Press Writer

MANCHESTER, England – Manchester City is on the verge of qualifying for the group phase of nest season’s Champions League after beating Stoke 3-0 Tuesday night, three days after defeating the same opponent in the FA Cup final to end a 35-year title drought.

Carlos Tevez scored in the 14th and 65th minutes to tie Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov for the league lead with 21 goals, and Joleon Lescott scored in the 53rd.

With one game left, Manchester City (20-9-8) has 68 points, one ahead of fourth-place Arsenal (198-10). While third place earns a Champions League first-round berth, fourth place goes to the playoff round.

Also Tuesday, Reading won 3-0 at Cardiff and advanced to the playoff final for a berth in the Premier League next season. Reading plays Swansea at Wembley on May 30.

Tevez

Carlos Tevez is set to stay at Manchester City, according to manager Roberto Mancini. The Argentina striker’s future has been in doubt since he handed in a transfer request earlier in the season. Even after captaining City to victory in last weekend’s FA Cup final against Stoke at Wembley, Tevez suggested he might have to move back to

South America for family reasons.

But Mancini, after seeing Tevez score twice in City’s 3-0 Premier League win over Stoke here on Tuesday, said the forward was happy to stay put. “He has a fiveyear contract and has told us he wants to stay,” said Mancini. “He said that before. He never had any problem.”

Tevez’s double strike left the former Manchester United striker level with current Old Trafford forward Dimitar Berbatov at the top of the Premier League goalscoring table. And upbeat Italian manager Mancini added: “Carlos has scored 20 goals this season. Every time we say Carlos is an important player.

Carlos is Carlos. He is a fantastic striker and a fantastic player for us.

“I think he will stay here next year. He doesn’t have a problem,” he said. “I spoke with him many times in the last 20 days. It is my opinion that Carlos stays here next season. “In December he had a problem. But everyone can change his opinion. “I don’t know what his

representatives think.

“Carlos is an important player here. The feeling for him is good.”

City’s victory saw them leapfrog Arsenal into third place with just one game of the Premier League season left and means that, if they stay there, they will go straight into next term’s Champions League without having to play in the qualifying round.

And Mancini said the prospect of playing in European club football’s leading competition would help persuade the 27-yearold Tevez to stay with north-west side City, bankrolled by their bigspending owners from Abu Dhabi.

“When we play in the Champions League, probably we will have a better squad. We can buy other good players,” Mancini said. “Why should he change? I don’t think this will happen.

“Carlos has scored 20 (league) goals this season. Every time we have said he is an important player.

“He is a fantastic striker and a fantastic player for us.”

Silva, Van Bommel and Roma extend Milan contracts Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES.

Manchester City’s Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez (C) eyes the ball under challenge from Stoke City’s Welsh defender Danny Collins (R) and Stoke City’s Senegalese midfielder Salif Diao (L) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Stoke City at The City of Manchester stadium, Manchester, north-west England on May 17, 2011.

Japan to tell Blatter it is safe venue for football Agence France Presse

ROME – Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva has signed a contract extension at AC Milan that will keep him at the club for another five years. The 26-year-old joined Milan in 2009 from Fluminense in his homeland after previous unsuccessful spells in Europe with Porto and Dynamo Moscow.

Dutch veteran Mark van Bommel and third-choice goalkeeper Flavio Roma also signed extensions keeping them at the club until the end of next season. But former Holland midfielder Clarence Seedorf said he is unsure about his future following his meeting with club bosses.

Seedorf is out of contract with Milan at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to Brazil. He was one of nine players (including Van Bommel and Roma) whose contracts were running out this season with whom Milan have planned meetings to discuss their futures.

“The meeting went well, I don’t know if I’ll stay at Milan but it was a good meeting, very friendly,” said Seedorf. “We’ll get together again next week because we want to finish the season with a win and then talk.

“Even if we don’t continue our

working relationship that will be fine, I’ve always had a good relationship with the club.”

Other veterans including captain Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo are also set to discuss new deals in the coming days.

TOKYO – Japan will seek to reassure Sepp Blatter that it is a safe venue for hosting world football as the FIFA president visits in the wake of a tsunami which sparked the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, Japan’s FA said.

Junji Ogura, head of the Japan Football Association, told local media Tuesday he would try to confirm that the moneyspinning Club World Cup, which FIFA has yet to schedule officially, will be held in Japan in December in spite of the March 11 disaster.

“In his meetings with senior Japanese officials, I hope he will be assured that conditions allow hosting,” Ogura told reporters.

The annual tournament, held in Japan four times before the United Arab Emirates took over hosting duties in 2009, pits the

champion teams from all six continental confederations against one another.

Ogura said Blatter would discuss various aid programmes, including repairing stadiums with earthquake damage and a possible charity match to raise funds for reconstruction across the nation. The JFA was unavailable to confirm Ogura’s comments.

Many foreigners fled Japan after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake unleashed a tsunami which knocked out cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, sparking a nuclear emergency.

The power station has continued to release radioactive material into the environment, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate homes, farms and businesses in a 20-kilometre (12mile) zone around the plant. Officials hope to bring reactors to a stable cold shutdown by January at the latest.

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Nowitzki scores 48 as Mavs top Thunder in Game 1 Associated Press Writer

DALLAS – Facing a long, boring wait for his next playoff game, Dirk Nowitzki did what he normally does. He went to the gym. There were daytime sessions with his Dallas Mavericks teammates, of course, but also return trips at night. Knowing a chance for a return trip to the NBA finals was coming up, Nowitzki wanted to make sure his wide array of shots were as finetuned as ever.

When the Western Conference finals opened Tuesday night, Nowitzki acted as if the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 20,911 fans in the arena were merely there to watch another of his late-night workouts.

Inside, outside and from the foul line, Nowitzki put up a total of 39 shots and missed just three. He scored 48 points, leading the Mavericks to a 121-112 victory and answering any question about whether the long layoff might’ve left his club rusty.

“I really looked for my shot early and was able to get a good rhythm,” said Nowitzki, who also had six rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

“For a shooter, obviously when the first couple go in, that’s even better for the confidence, and I just attacked from there. So, yeah, it was a good game.”

It didn’t matter whether Nowitzki was being covered by someone big or small, one guy or two. He simply made 10 of his first 11 field goals, and 12 of 15 overall.

He was perfect on 24 free throws,

setting an NBA postseason record for most foul shots made without a miss.

His 48 points were the most by anyone this postseason. It was two shy of his most ever in a playoff game, which came in the finale of the 2006 Western Conference finals.

The Thunder better figure out a way to slow him soon, or else Dallas will be headed to the title round again.

“We feel like every year, every new season in the playoffs is a new opportunity for us,” said Nowitzki, still stinging from blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 finals. “We’re just trying to go for it.”

The Mavs have won seven straight playoff games, stretching a franchise record. They’re also 6-0 at home this postseason, and will host Game 2 on Thursday night. But give Oklahoma City some credit.

Two days removed from ending a tough second-round series against Memphis — it went seven games, plus four overtimes — the youngsters were down by 16 points early in the fourth quarter and didn’t give up. They got within five with 3:42

left, and six with 48.5 seconds to play. “We fought back and made it a game,” Thunder star Kevin Durant said. “We’ve just got to keep pushing and stay positive and get ready for Game 2.” Durant scored 40 points, one shy of his most ever in a playoff game, but it wasn’t the same as Nowitzki’s big night.

He made his first six shots, just like the big German did, then made only one of his next seven. By the time Durant regained his touch, the Mavs were way ahead and the Thunder were clawing back. Oklahoma City could’ve used a more efficient performance from Russell Westbrook. He scored 20 points, but 14 came on free throws. He missed 10 of his first 11 shots, and 12 of 15 — the exact opposite of what Nowitzki made. “He was attacking the basket,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “That’s what we want Russell to do.” Their bigger problem was Nowitzki. Six guys tried to guard Nowitzki, and he either shot over them or put them in foul trouble. He made 13 free throws in the third quarter alone.

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals Tuesday, May 17, 2011, in Dallas.

Roddick in doubt for French Open Hopkins set to dethrone Agence France Presse

NICE, France – America’s threetime Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick is a doubt for the French Open after he was forced to withdraw from the ATP tournament in Nice on Tuesday because of a shoulder injury.

The 28-year-old had been hoping to get a much-needed confidence boost after first-round exits on clay at both the Madrid and Rome Masters, but he conceded

defeat and decided he would not be able to play his singles match on Wednesday against Romanian Victor Hanescu.

“I was already injured last week in Rome and I had to withdraw from the men’s doubles final,” said Roddick, whose best performance at Roland Garros was a fourthround showing in 2009.

“I don’t know yet if I will be able to play at Roland Garros and I think that you can’t play a Grand Slam if you’re not 100 percent,” added

Roddick, who is presently ranked 11th in the world.

Roddick said that he did not want to risk aggravating the injury to such an extent that he might miss Wimbledon on his more favoured surface of grass.

“It is painful more when I am hitting backhands and forehands than when I am serving, and there is little bit of tendinitis,” said Roddick. “I want to avoid spending months out injured. It has not been a very good year so far.”

America’s threetime Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick, pictured on May 9, is a doubt for the French Open after he was forced to withdraw from the ATP tournament in Nice on Tuesday because of a shoulder injury.

AFP/File/Alberto Pizzoli

Foreman as oldest champ Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA – Bernard Hopkins clearly has a future as a broadcaster. He’s known as much for his bluster as the decade he spent methodically devouring the middleweight division.

Maybe his future is in full-time boxing promotion. He can sell a fight, give tips to rising stars on healthy eating and frugal saving, and still earn a nice living in the sport he loves. But all of that can wait.

At an age where most athletes are retired, coaching or lining their wallets signing autographs at the local mall, boxing’s golden oldie is one knockout from history. Again.

If the 46-year-old Hopkins defeats WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on Saturday in Montreal, he’ll dethrone George Foreman as the oldest boxer to win a world title.

Hopkins, who boasts the motor skills and drive needed to compete, turned 46 on Jan. 15. Foreman was 45 years, 10 months when he knocked out heavyweight champion Michael Moorer in 1994. Hopkins

will be 46 years, four months and six days old in his rematch with Pascal.

“You’re dealing with the guy that’s not the norm,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins has always been unconventional, and defeating Father Time — alongside Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Roy Jones, Jr., through the years — may be his biggest achievement yet. Hopkins has his blueprint for the next two years set. He plans to convincingly defeat Pascal, then fight three more times and retire as the champion.

Of course, the call is out of the same playbook written by a boxer who promised his mother he’d retire at 40.

Hopkins (51-5-2) has something to prove after a lackluster finish in the first Pascal bout. The Haitianborn Pascal knocked down Hopkins in the first and third rounds; Pascal tagged him with a left in the third to put him on the canvas.

Hopkins rallied, though, and won on the American judge’s scorecard.

Judges from Canada and Belgium ruled for Pascal (26-1-1). The WBC ordered an immediate rematch — in Pascal’s hometown.

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Sport

Brawn: Schumacher will bounce back Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn believes Michael Schumacher will be back on form in the Spanish Grand Prix following a disappointing race in Turkey.

“I am sure the last race wasn’t very joyful, and that is what he was referring to,” said Brawn of Schumacher’s comments after the Istanbul race, where the German finished down in 12th position after contact with Vitaly Petrov.

“When you have a race like that as any driver it is going to knock you back a bit.

“But I think he is pretty resilient and I am optimistic this weekend he will be back where we want him.”

Schumacher said after the Turkish Grand Prix he was not experiencing “big joy” at the moment, but Brawn warned not to read too much into that. “That is definitely taking it too far,” said Brawn when asked if Schumacher’s comments meant he was not enjoying driving in F1.

“I have spoken to him since then.

We had a lot of technical discussions and he was hassling about what we were doing about the car, what is coming along, what im-

provements we have got - so nothing has changed. We are optimistic.”

Brawn also reckons it is small things that Schumacher need to work on to get back to his best form.

“It is just looking at the things that go wrong. They are quite small, and although they are all significant in Turkey until final qualifying he was incredibly strong but then he had some problems.

“So it is that last little bit that he needs to finish off. If he was slow from the beginning then you would be worried, but I am not worried because he is still very quick.”

Rossi impressed with Silverstone VALENTINO Rossi was delighted with his first impression of the Silverstone grand prix track after riding it on a roadgoing Ducati during the launch of the circuit’s new ‘wing’ paddock complex today.

The seven-time MotoGP champion missed last year’s British Grand Prix - the first to be held at Silverstone after the race moved from Donington Park - as he recovered from the broken leg he sustained at Mugello, so this was his first chance to get to grips with the track.

“A very good track. A hard track,” he replied when asked by

AUTOSPORT what he thought of the layout. “I think it will be very technical, because a lot of parts are so fast so the lines are important, but at the same time also two or three parts are very tight and it’s very difficult to find good grip on acceleration. “You have to stay on the edge a lot for long corners, very fast. I like it, it’s very good.”

He said the track was even more of a challenge than it had appeared when he watching Formula 1 races there on television.

“It’s always different when you go on the track. But this place is so difficult,” Rossi said. “The problem is also that in the old section the

tarmac is quite damaged and has a lot of bumps. Like in the last corner, the left and right, and the last corner before the old front straight, and also the first corner is completely blind and very fast, so it’s difficult to understand the line. And the rest before the back straight is great.”

Asked if the track had a single particularly great corner, Rossi cited the Becketts sequence.

“It’s fast but every corner you have to slow down a little bit. So it’s flat, then a little bit less, then a little bit less, a little bit less... You have to slow down and change direction, so it’s difficult,” he said.

AFP PHOTO / DAMIEN MEYER

Italian rider Valentino Rossi rides to finish third of the French motorcycling Grand Prix Moto GP at Le Mans’ circuit, western France on May 15, 2011.

AFP PHOTO POOL PATRICK SEEGER

Formula One Driver Michael Schumacher poses sitting in a driving simulator on May 11, 2011 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. Schumacher made a visit to test some eSafety technologies.