Edisi 20 September 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 178 2st Year

Big waves pound Bermuda as Hurricane Igor nears PAGE 6

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Thousands of unlicensed tourist transports operating in Bali PAGE 8

Lindsay Lohan fails drug test, faces jail again PAGE 12

AFP PHOTO/KHALIL AL-MURSHIDI

Iraqi security and fire fighters secure the scene following a car bomb in the residential district of Mansur in the west of the capital Baghdad, on September 18, 2010, one of two near-simultaneous car bombs that rocked the city killing some 18 people and wounding 100 others.

Twin car bombs kill 21 in Baghdad Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD – A pair of car bombs tore through two different neighborhoods in Baghdad on Sunday morning, killing 21 people and wounding dozens of others, Iraqi officials said.

The nearly simultaneous blasts broke what has been a period of relative calm since the end of the holy month of Ramadan nearly two

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weeks ago and underlined the challenges in protecting Iraq’s capital.

Twelve people were killed when a car bomb exploded in

western Baghdad’s affluent Mansour neighborhood near a mobile phone office, said Army Brig.

Gen. Ali Fathal who is responsible for the west of the city.

He said 10 people were also wounded in the attack. It was not clear if the offices of AsiaCell were the target. Minutes later another car bomb exploded in Kazimiyah

neighborhood’s Adan square in the northern sector of the city, killing at least nine and wounding 38 others, police and hospital sources said.

Two policemen were killed in the blast. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Thousands of Thai ‘Red Shirts’ mark 2006 coup, May crackdown Agence France Presse

BANGKOK - Thousands of Thai anti-government “Red Shirts” massed Sunday to mark four years since a coup ousted their hero Thaksin Shinawatra and to commemorate those slain in a May crackdown on their protests.

In their biggest show of strength in Bangkok since their rallies in April and May, during which 91 people were killed, police said about 5,000 Red Shirts gathered in the city’s commercial centre, closely monitored by security forces.

Thousands were also seen by AFP marching through northern Chiang Mai city — the former stronghold of fugitive former premier Thaksin, toppled from power in 2006 — with some waving banners calling for the dissolution of parliament.

The mainly poor and working class Reds largely support Thaksin for his populist policies when in power, and their April and May rallies demanded snap elections, accusing the current government of being elitist and undemocratic.

Continued on page 6

AFP PHOTO/Christophe ARCHAMBAULT

Thai anti-government “Red Shirt” protesters gather at Ratchaprasong intersection, the focus of their two-month rally from March to May 2010 during which 91 people were killed and nearly 1,900 were injured, in downtown Bangkok on September 19, 2010.

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International

Monday, September 20, 2010

Bali News Anticipate Rabies

Hundreds of Dogs Eliminated in Bungkulan Singaraja (Bali Post) –

To anticipate the spreading rabies virus in Bungkulan Village, Sawan Sub district, hundreds of stray dogs have been eliminated last Friday (17/9). Workers from Faming and Husbandry Agency helped by village officials did not have difficulties to do it as residents have understood and gave in their dogs to be eliminated.

Head of Bungkulan Village, Ketut Kusuma Ardana said in the village there are around 3000 dogs where each family has one or more. Since the spreading rabies case happened the village and the agency has done socialization, elimination and vaccination. In the first and second elimination, they only succeed in eliminating tens of them as residents still don’t realize how dangerous rabies is. Yet since it’s told there has been a resident died of rabies, the people

started to realize and gave in.

More over there are some residents that have killed their own dogs using simpler tools. The residents support was proved with the hundreds of dogs can be eliminated in Bungkulan by the workers, “By its understanding we gave to the residents now they are willingly to have their dogs destroyed so in this third elimination there has been 100 dogs we destroy and still continuing.”

Meanwhile Head of Animal

Health from the agency, Drh. Nyoman Surya Temaja, mentioned from 148 villages there are in Buleleng it is noted 56 of them are rabies positive.

Dogs that are successfully eliminated until 15th September 2010 are as much as 12.929 dogs while it is estimated the dogs population in Buleleng is 97.748 dogs, “it is still a small percentage of dogs eliminated and it is caused by those residents who were not willing to have their dogs destroyed.” (kmb15)

Civil Data Found 500 New Comers Denpasar (Bali Post) –

The crowded residents in Denpasar have definitely been added again. As since this year’s Eid Al Fitri the number of new comers have increased such as what’s seen in Ubung Terminal for four days from last Tuesday (14/9) there has been around 1.619 people coming to Denpasar and 500 of them are new faces who will become Denpasar residents.

From the data by Denpasar City Civil Data and Demography Agency, since the first day after Eid Al Fitri, on Tuesday (14/9) managed to note 386 comers, then on Wednesday (15/ 9) 514 comers, Thursday (16/9) 284 comers and last day Friday (17/9) 269

comers.

Head of Denpasar City Demography Mobilisation Board, Pande Made Artatika, met on Friday (17/9) mentioned from those 1.619 people noted, most of them has jobs and living place in Denpasar. Sadly there are still those that don’t have ID in Denpasar.

For those who are new faces are totaled up to 512 people. Those new comers have a purpose to try out find jobs in Denpasar.

Artatika said these comers will be on data and are obligated to find a Temporary Resident Identity Card (Kipem) in where they live later, “From the first data we had most of those comers were laborer from

East Java.”

It is hoped institutes involve will make them the Kipem as stated at Mayor Rules 610 year 2002 where it said to find Kipem it will cost IDR 50 Thousand for those from outside Denpasar City but still in Bali and IDR 100 Thousand for those from outside the Bali province, “We hope there are no individuals that will use these comers to find their own profits.”

Meanwhile Head of the agency, I Nyoman Gede Narendra, admitted there will be no limitation to comers in Denpasar. The agency only can ask those residents to just complete themselves with necessary identities from where they live. (kmb12)

”Ngenteg Linggih” in Pura Bukit Sari Tabanan (Bali Post) –

Purnama Sasih Kapat (Fourth Full Moon) on this coming Thursday (23/ 9) will be the peak of Ngenteg Linggih lan Mupuk Pedagingan ceremony at Pura (temple) Luhur Bukit Sari, Apuan, Tabanan. This huge ceremony is done remembering 30 years ago been done also to welcome Ratu Gede.

The ceremony leader, I Made Ribek joined by the Pura’s priest Wayan Singer, the Yadnya leader Wayan Sarwa Eddy and Committee Secretary Made Cendoarsa explained last Friday (17/9) the ceremonies been starting since Wednesday (8/9) by mapakeling nyanggra karya, pegalang sasih, continued with nanceb wewangunan yadnya last Thursday (9/9) and negtegang manik galih last Sunday (12/9).

On Sunday (19/9) it is continued with ngulap ngambe tetangunan yadnya and penangian Sesuhunan Luhur Bukit Sari. The next day on Monday (20/9) Ida Ratu Alit Penenjoan, Tapakan Ratu Gede Baru and Tapakan Ratu Gede Penarungan will come. Then Mapepada lan mendak Betara Tirtha Gana, Melaspas, Mupuk Pedagingan lan Memben Karya ceremonies on Wednesday (22/9). These ceremonies will be led by Priest Ida Pedanda

Made Mas Dwija Putra from Griya Taman Sari Baturiti. The peak ll be on Sunday (23/9) beginning with ritual procession to the river, then piodalan Ngenteg Linggih and Mecatur Rehab which will be led by the same priest. Then on Sunday (26/ 9) there will be a closing ceremony which is Ida Batara masineb by Nyegara Gunung to Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, nyenuk, ngereremkin, ngeluar lan ngeluwur then masineb.

According to the Selayang Pandang Pura Bukit Sari book, it was told this Pura was visited by the Ratu Ngurah Sakti from Majapahit after coming to Pura Luhur Pucak Padang Dawa and Pura Bakungan. In this pura, Ratu Ngurah Sakti did a yoga then continued the journey to Pura Penenjoan and Pura Luhur Natar Sari. That is why in this pura there is a shrine for Pura Pucak Padang Dawa and another for the Ida Batara in Pura Dalem Peed. It is because before Ida Ngurah Sakti going to holy places in Bali, Ida did yoga, fasting, and meditation in Pura Dalem Peed. When doing yoga in the Pura Bukit Sari area, there was a blessing from Ida Sang Hyang Widhi which is fertile water used for the world’s prosperity. There were lots of them and is imagined like a mountain or a hill so then it’s called Bukit Sari. (08)

In A Week, Sanglah Hospital Sail Indonesia Candidates Visits Buleleng Produced 14 Cubics of Compos Denpasar (Bali Post) –

Again Singaraja (Bali Post) –

As much as 106 yachts, candidates of Sail Indonesia or this year tend to be called Sail Banda, will harbor in Lovina Beach, Singaraja. Around 400 tourists on those yachts are hoped to give a positive effect towards North Bali tourism development.

In Lovina last Friday (17/9) there have been tens of yachts starting to harbor when actually the tourists are scheduled from Wednesday (22/9) until Saturday (25/9) to visit Buleleng. Yet because there are loads, tourists can’t wait to see Buleleng. A number of tourism workers and resi-

dents in Lovina are also ready to welcome Sail Indonesia candidates.

Head of Buleleng Culture and Tourism Agency, Putu Tastra Wijaya, have said those who candidates that came earlier proved that they want to stay longer in Buleleng before continuing their sea journey to other destinations stated.

While in Buleleng, tourists will be entertained by different art performances like angklung (bamboo made musical instrument), rindik, joget bungbung, wayang kulit (traditional puppets) performance, and sapi grumbungan. Tourists will also

follow a tour around North Bali such as to Anyar Market, Gedong Kertya, Buleleng Museum, Tamblingan Lake and Village, also Banjar Village’s Hot Spring.

According to Tastra this has been the fourth time Sail Indonesia came over and it is hoped to give positive effect to the tourism and economy development in Buleleng. More over it is predicted that every tourist will spend around USD 50 every day and if it’s timed with the number of days visited here it will total up to IDR 5 Billion which will be an income to those workers and residents who worked for tourism services. (kmb15)

To the Green Hospital destination, one of the steps taken by Sanglah Hospital is recycling rubbishes. With 1000 visits per day, it can be imagined how much rubbishes produced inorganic or organic forms. Not yet those medical rubbishes produced by the hospital itself. At least in a day the hospital collected 146 kg organic medical rubbish, 283 kg inorganic medical rubbish, 680 non-medic inorganic rubbish, and 122 kg nonmedic organic rubbish. Those inorganic and organic medical rubbishes are destroyed using incinerator and those non-medic inorganic rubbishes are collected to be placed in End Rubbish Place (TPA). But for the non-medic or-

ganic rubbishes are being recycled by equipment the hospital has which produced it to become compos. And in one week, it produced 14 cubic of compos.

The hospital’s General and Operational Director, drg. Triputro Nugroho, last Wednesday (15/9) said that not all non medic organic can be a compos as it has to be chosen from those that are still fresh like banana leaves of food wrappers, fallen leaves from trees around the hospital until offerings. These were then brought to the compos production equipment located next to the Corpse Room. The rubbishes were then thrown in and the cutting machine will then produce it to the two cubic meter sized box, “We have seven boxes. (kmb24)

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

Bali News

International

Due to violent abrasion, Jasri Village moves its Dalem Temple Jasri Customary Villagers, Karangasem, were forced to move their Dalem Temple further ashore. The removal including the melaspas and ngenteg linggih ceremony along with other related processions had been accomplished not long ago.

They removed the temple located in the northwest of the village because its building had continued to be crushed by abrasion since dozens of years ago. As a result, other than causing the foundation of the building almost to collapse due to the brunt of abrasion and ferocious waves, it was also difficult for villagers to enter into the temple. Previously, its entrance gates faced to the beach. When organizing a ceremony, they should pass through sea water, especially during the water tided up. Furthermore, according to a number of local prominent figures, their graveyard area had been crushed by abrasion, too.

Violent abrasion has threatens approximately 40 percent of the coastal areas in Karangasem or along more than 30 km.

Meanwhile, the length of coast owned by Karangasem is 87 km. Similarly, severe coastal erosion has also ensued along the Candidasa tourist coastal area stretching from Buitan, Mendira to Candidasa.

A legislator of Karangasem House from Tenganan, Manggis, Nyoman Sadra, estimated the land on the Candidasa coast had already eroded along 100 meters. As a result, residents at the coastal area along the Mendira, Sengkidu and Manggis Beach that previously had a shrine in the area should removed the shrine onto the coastal safeguard concrete crib.

Along the coastal area next to Jasri, namely Prasi coast, also experiences severe abrasion.

Dozens of palm trees have fallen, and now the bases of those coconut trees can be found in the ocean. They can be seen when the tide is low. Similar abrasion also happens to the Ujung tourist resort namely from Ujung up to Seraya Beach. In the West Seraya Beach, dozens of household heads originally settled on the beach as fishermen were forced to leave. Residents removed their wooden house together away from the shore. They anticipated any natural disasters occurred at night like storms and huge sea waves. Last year, their house collapsed as hit by similar storms and huge tidal waves.

Due to the loss of sandy beaches, hundreds of fishermen along the East Seraya Beach to the beach of Bunutan Village, Abang subdistrict, have had a conflict with the land owner few years ago. Fishermen were difficult to find a place to park their traditional boat because the beach was steep as crushed by abrasion. When fishermen wanted to use the land, the owner objected. Moreover, the price of land along that tourism beach area had soared because land brokers and investors from outside the region both foreign and from Java continued to chase the lands.

Last year, few demonstrations exploded or complaints of fisherman were delivered to Karangasem House. Fishermen had the House

mediated or found a solution so they could obtain a parking location for their traditional boat or jukung. Catching fish had become their daily bread and butter. In the meantime, few cases on land seizure, including the one related to the parking lot of traditional boats, had been resolved by Amlapura District Court. ?If’ we park the boats on the beach, our only one boat may disappear as washed away by sea waves, or may be destroyed as slammed by sea waves onto the beach stones.

Incidents on fishermen losing their boats because of getting washed away or destroyed by sea waves have occurred more than 10 times with sufficiently many losses,? said Wayan Matal, a fisherman from Seraya.

Rehabilitation project

Regent of Karangasem, I Wayan Geredeg, in Karangasem, last Friday (Sep 17), said that Karangasem Regency Government had made a proposal to get rehabilitation assistance for the crushed coast damaged by the abrasion.

To get the assistance from central government was very important because Karangasem Regency Government had very limited budgets, so it was impossible to finance such expensive coastal reclamation. Moreover, the coastal rehabilitation had to be performed completely, and it posed an international responsibility. Allegedly, the coastal erosion happened due to the impact of rising surface of sea water triggered by global warming phenomenon and caused the melting of perennial ice at the poles of the earth that had to be overcome by the international community.

Geredeg said Karangasem already got the assistance of coastal reclamation project worth more than IDR 24 billion last year. With the funds, reclamation had been undertaken on the beach in front of the Candidasa Police Station along approximately 100 meters. The same project had also been carried out on the Jasri Beach and Ujung Beach respectively along 100 meters. The projects were deliberately given priority to beaches undergoing severe abrasion and functioned as public beach to support the Candidasa tourist attraction. Meanwhile, Ujung and Jasri Beach were functioned as public places. On both beaches, community of their respective customary village (desa pakraman) took advantage of the beach for Melasti procession (deva yaj?a) or nganyut (pitri yaj?a).

Geredeg recognized that many beaches could not have been rehabilitated after the abrasion natural disaster. In the meantime, his party already submitted a proposal and expected that Government of Japan could help with the assistance worth IDR 500 billion.

Based on the research made by a team from Japan recently, at least it could help amounting to IDR 50 billion. (bud)

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Governor has traders in airport area expelled They can be exploited by terrorists Renon (DenPost)-

Governor of Bali Made Mangku Pastika remained to complain about the existence of traders at sterile area of Ngurah Rai airport.

Governor had sent a letter to the Minister of Transportation in order the traders were moved out.

“If I were a terrorist, it would be very easy for me to enter the area. Since there is a merchant doing business inside, having entered one will be easy to buy a cutter. Then, it can be used to sabotage a plane and divert it wherever he likes to fly to,” Pastika said in a meeting with the tourism components in Jaya Sabha, last Thursday (Sep 16) night.

According to Governor, such condition was truly unsafe. “I have sent a letter to Minister of Transportation to remove the traders to another place,” said Pastika. In the meeting, various inputs were also delivered by tourism components, including about the hotel development. Secretary of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Bali Chapter, Perry Markus, explained that hotel in south Bali had already been saturated. The parameter exposed was the rate of tourist visit to Bali increased.

However, in reality the hotel occupancy was stagnant. Of the 56 thousand hotel rooms in

southern Bali, namely Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar, their occupancy rate never rose. It remained in a stagnant position. “In fact, the number of tourist visiting Bali progressively increased. This phenomenon indicates that many tourists are absorbed into villas or rented expatriate?s homes,” he said.

In response to this condition, there should be courage to review the construction of hotels in southern Bali. Governor Pastika directly asked whether the construction of hotels in southern Bali should be stopped. Then, such a question was directly justified. There should be courage of government to divert the development of tourist accommodation to east, north and west Bali.

The suggestion was addressed positively by Pastika. Governor agreed if the condition in southern Bali had been already saturated, building of the hotels should be diverted to north, east and west Bali. It was also intended for the distribution of development. “If it is the real condition, kindly review it. It poses the task of colleagues in tourism component to perform the study. I agree if hotel development in southern Bali should be stopped. If government does it, it will need a budget. It is better if my colleagues of tourism component doing the task,” he said. (106)

Capture illicit trash waster

Subdistrict Head of West Denpasar gives reward Denpasar (Bali Post)-

After the illicit laystalls had been intensively highlighted, the Subdistrict Head of West Denpasar, I Made Mudra, continued to buzz the illicit laystalls in his territory. This breakthrough was made as the last action in his services as subdistrict head because he would immediately fill the new position as Head of Denpasar Cultural Services. Concrete measure had been done to clean the locations used as illicit laystall along Jalan Mahendradata by involving community leaders such I.B. Kompyang who is also a member of the Commission D of Denpasar House, community figures at Pemecutan Village, Padangsambian Kelod Village and entire hamlet heads, last Friday (Sep 17).

Mudra said that the cleaning up was accidentally committed to target the laystalls along the protocol roads by using heavy equipment. “Last week, we cleaned up the illicit laystalls along Jalan Malboro and provided direct supervision to the places cleaned. Now, we continue to target some protocol roads,” said Mudra.

According to him, it was a real action to motivate the public so they could participate in creating the Denpasar clean and green. His party then

oversaw those illegal laystalls that had been cleaned and enclosed with a bamboo fence. For this purpose, Mudra claimed to have ordered the hamlet heads to continuously monitor the places. The handling of waste problem was not only the responsibility of government, but it was also a shared responsibility. On that account, other than carrying out cleaning up to illicit laystalls, Mudra also motivated the society by providing a reward for whoever could capture the illicit trash waster. “To motivate the community and get them involved in the environmental sanitation, we will provide cash amounting to IDR 100 thousand for people who can capture an illicit trash waster,” said Mudra.

Mudra also expressed that such an action denoted a policy with the hope that in the upcoming December 2010, West Denpasar would be free from illicit trash wasters.

Meanwhile, a Pemecutan community leader who is also a legislator in Denpasar House, IB Kompyang Wiranata said the cleaning up to illicit laystalls constituted a form of common concern and the movement should be done regularly. “I am sure people will be intrigued to see us when we continue to perform the clean up action,” said I.B. Kompyang Wiranata. (kmb12)

IBP/Eka

Garbage is put carelessly but the people. It make the environment very dirty.

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News

Monday, September 20, 2010

International

Obama, ASEAN to call for peaceful end to sea spats Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines – President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders will call for the peaceful settlement of South China Sea territorial disputes and urge claimants not to resort to force, according to a draft communique.

Washington upped the ante in July, when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a regional security forum in Vietnam that the peaceful resolution of the disputes over the Spratly and Paracel groups of islands was an American national interest.

The United States was concerned the conflicts could hamper access to one of the world’s busiest commercial sea lanes. Beijing angrily reacted by saying Washington was interfering in an Asian regional issue.

Obama will meet leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Friday to discuss ways to bolster their alliance and discuss economic cooperation and security issues, including the South China Sea disputes.

Obama and the ASEAN leaders will issue a joint statement where Washington has proposed text to reaffirm the importance of freedom of navigation, regional stability, respect for international law and unimpeded commerce in the South China Sea, according to a draft of the statement seen Sunday by The Associated Press.

The statement will oppose the “use or threat of force by any claimant attempting to enforce disputed claims in the South China Sea.” All the leaders will reaffirm their backing of a 2002 ASEAN-China declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea, which calls on claimants not to take steps that could foment violence and spark new tension. They will encourage claimants to agree on a stronger code of conduct.

China claims all of the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines have also laid territorial claims. Aside from rich fishing areas, the region is believed to have huge oil and natural gas deposits.

The contested islands straddle busy sea lanes that are a crucial conduit for oil and other resources fueling China’s fast-expanding economy.

In a recent preparatory meeting in Washington ahead of the summit, Assistant State Secretary Kurt Campbell and National Security Council Senior Director for Asia Jeffrey Bader told ASEAN ambas-

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

President Barack Obama speaks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc.’s Annual Legislative Conference Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Washington Convention Center, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, in Washington.

sadors that Clinton’s statement in Hanoi was already earning dividends, with China “clearly moved back to a more collaborative approach,” according to confidential report obtained by The AP. The U.S. officials were quoted

in the report as saying that in a recent meeting in China, both sides discussed how claimants were expected to behave in the disputed region. They assured Chinese officials that Clinton’s remarks in Hanoi did not seek to single out China but was

addressed to all claimant countries.

Clinton’s statement in July came after Beijing told visiting Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg in March the South China Sea was now considered one of China’s “core interests,” alongside Taiwan and Tibet.

Afghans praised for voting in shadow of violence Agence France Presse

KABUL – Afghanistan’s Western supporters praised Afghans Sunday for their courage in voting in a parliamentary poll overshadowed by Taliban threats on a day NATO said was as violent as last year’s election.

NATO said that 18 Afghans were killed on Saturday as the country voted for its second parliament since the 2001 US-led invasion ousted the

Taliban, though more than 3.5 million Afghans took part in the election.

Insurgents fired rockets in several cities and set off bombs at a polling station and beside a convoy carrying the governor of Kandahar, the Taliban’s southern stronghold, but officials said several more attacks were foiled.

Stressing that it was not a final figure, Fazil Ahmad Manawi, the country’s senior election official,

AFP PHOTO/ MANAN VATSYAYANA

Afghan election workers move ballot boxes to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) warehouse in Kabul on September 19, 2010.

Afghanistan’s western supporters praised Afghans for their courage in voting in a parliamentary poll overshadowed by Taliban threats on a day NATO said was as violent as last year’s election.

said that 3,642,444 votes had been cast at 4,632 polling centres, according to preliminary data. “This makes 40 percent of the maximum number of voters,” he said.

The United States congratulated Afghanistan on conducting its first “fully Afghan-led parliamentary elections... under extremely difficult circumstances”. “As expected, the Taliban made their best efforts to disrupt this important day through violence and intimidation, but the Afghan people who voted defied them,” a statement released by the US embassy in Kabul said.

“Protected by competent and brave Afghan National Security Forces, the voters demonstrated their courage, choosing to take ownership of their future and shape their government.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also praised voters for their “courage and determination,” according to a UN statement.

Ban’s statement was echoed by the European Union, which said “these elections constitute an important and visible sign of Afghan sovereignty, and underline the will of the Afghan people to shape the future of their country”.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen lauded Afghanistan’s citizens for braving Taliban violence. “I congratulate the Afghan

people today on the parliamentary elections, despite the violence carried out by those attempting to deny the people’s most basic democratic right,” he said in a statement.

NATO figures provided to AFP showed a total of 485 violent incidents on Saturday, compared to 479 on August 20 last year, the day of the presidential election.

The Electoral Complaints Commission said it had received complaints of delayed poll station opening, intimidation, ineligible voters, misuse of registration cards, proxy voting, poor ink quality and shortages of ballot papers.

Among those who complained was the election monitoring group the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), which said that voting had been affected by insecurity, violence and irregularities including ballot stuffing.

“Taking these problems into account, FEFA has serious concerns about the quality of the elections,” the monitoring group said.

FEFA said that counting began soon after polls closed at 4:00 pm (1130 GMT) Saturday, but in a haphazard fashion. “While counting was under way shortly after the closing of polls in some areas, in others it was postponed until the next day,” FEFA said.

Preliminary results are expected on Wednesday, with final certified results due on October 31. Karzai — whose own re-election last year was mired in massive fraud and recorded a turnout of 33 percent — had called on people to vote to take their country “forward to a better future”.

The United States and NATO have almost 150,000 troops in the country fighting to bring an end to the long war, now dragging towards its tenth year.

ISAF’s commander, US General David Petraeus, commended the role played by the Afghan national security forces, who were supported by ISAF troops in providing security for the election.

“The voice of Afghanistan’s future does not belong to the violent extremists and terror networks. It belongs to the people,” Petraeus said.

More than 2,500 candidates contested 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga.

Among them, 406 women were vying for 68 seats reserved for them under legislation designed to better their rights.

Final turnout among the 9.2-million-strong electorate will be key.

Experts said violence, expectations of fraud, vested interests and a voting process that favours the status quo would knock numbers.

Hotel Activities

International

Monday, September 20, 2010

5

Aston International Announces Partnership with myroombid.com IBP

JAKARTA - Today Aston International announced that the group entered into a preferred relationship with myroombid.com. myroombid.com is an exciting new accommodation booking web site which allows travelers to deal directly with hotels and make an offer for a room, at a rate they can afford. Both the hotels and traveler get 3 chances to negotiate a suitable rate through the web site, and on agreement a 10% deposit is automatically processed and the room is confirmed.

Marketing Manager for myroombid Gil Avenaim says “This is not EBay for hotels - you are not bidding against other travelers for the room. You deal directly with the hotel, the traveler can offer what they can afford, and the hotel can then either accept or pass on the offer based on their current occupancy. It’s a win / win for everyone!”

Aston’s VP Sales and Marketing, Norbert Vas added “myroombid is based on a brand

new idea and was just launched a few weeks ago in Bali and Sydney.

Our e commerce division has after careful analysis come to the conclusion that this new way of making hotel reservations answers to a true customer need and will therefore become very popular. We have to live up to our reputation as trend setters in Indonesia’s hotel industry and as such fully endorse myroombid.com and are thrilled to be the first hotel group in Indonesia that invites travelers for direct negotiations via the internet”.

Aston entered the Indonesian market in the late nineties and has an underlying portfolio consisting of 38 properties including hotels, condotels, resorts, serviced apartments and boutique villa resorts, of which 28 are operational and 10 under development due to open between now and 2011.

Aston properties currently operate under the 5 star Grand Aston, 4 star Aston, 3 star Aston City and Quest and 2 star favehotel brands but the company is also developing luxury villa resorts under the Royal Kamuela and Kamuela labels as

well as an eclectic selection of non standardized and unique boutique properties.

With a proven track record of success, Aston has a very definitive vision of the future - to be universally

recognized as the preferred hospitality management company in Asia Pacific.

Temple Ceremony Calendar of Event (Sep 3- 23 2010) 4 h – “Tumpek Wayang”, day devoted to “Sanghyang Iswara”, the lord of puppeteers, when blessing ceremony is given to shadow – puppet play sets for proper function and magical power.

Temple Festival at: - Pr.aspahit, Jembrana.

- Pr. Panti Gelgel, Ds. Pangembungan, Sesetan, Badung.

- Pedharman Dalem Sri Aji Kresna Kepakisan, Besakih.

- Pedharman Dalem Sukawati, Besaih.

- Pedharman Kaba-Kaba , Besakih.

- Pedharman Dalem Bakas, Besakih.

- Pr. Pedharman Mengwi, Besakih.

- Pr. Penataran Giri Purwa, Ds. Kutarejo, Tegal Dalimo, Banyuwangi.

5th _ Temple Festival at: - Pr. Maospahit, Ds. Gerenceng Denpasar.

8th _ Temple Festival at: - Pr. Ulun Kulkul, Besakih.

- Pr. Melanting, Ds. Camenggaon, Sukawati.

- Pr. Penataran Agung, Teluk Padang, Karangasem.

- Pr. Pasek Gelgel, Ds. Pangembungan, Bongkasa, abiansemal.

- Pr. Pasek Bandesa, Ds. Riyang Gede, Penebel Tabanan.

- Pr. Pasek Banjar Jawa, Buleleng.

- Pr. Gaduhan Jagat, Ds. Singakerta, Ubud.

- Pr. Masceti Tengah, Ds. Mancawarna, Tampaksiring.

- Pr. Penataran Batulepang, Ds. Kamasan, Klungkung.

- Pr. Paibon Pasek Gobleg, Ds. Kedonganan, Kuta - Pr. Pasek Gelgel, Ds. Songan, Batur,

Kintamani.

- Pr. Pasanggerahan Agung, Ds. Bebandem, Karangasem.

- Pr. Penataran Dalem Peed, Nusa Penida.

- Mr.Pasek Perateka, Ds. Pekandelan, Sidemen, Karangasem.

- Mr.Pasek Perateka Taman Sari, Sukasada.

- Pr. Kawitan Jero Wenayu, Ds. Wenayu, Bedulu, Gianyar.

- Pr. Jati, Ubud.

- Pr. Gua, Besakih.

10th _ Temple Festival at: - Merajan Geriya Kebon – Tabanan.

- Pr. Candi Gora, Ds. Tianyar, Karangasem.

14th _ Temple Festival at: - Pr. Puseh Jagat Dalem Dukut, Nusa Penida.

- Pr. Dalem, Ds. Batuyang, Batubulan.

- Pr. Pasek Magending, Kediri, Tabanan.

- Pr. Pasek Undagi, Ds. Timpag, Kerambitan, Tabanan.

- Pr. Desa + Pura Pucak, Br. Taman Bedulu, Gianyar.

- Mr.Pasek Tangkas Kori Agung, Ds. Sulahan.

- Mr.Pasek Padang Rata, Ds. Padang, Karangasem.

- Pr. Telaga Sakti/Dalem Tarukan, Ds. Ambengan, Nusa Penida.

- Pr. Dalem, Ds. Padangan, Pupuan, Tabanan.

- Pr. Yogha, Br. Teba Jero, Kaba-Kaba, Kediri Tabanan.

- Pr. Dalem Purwa, Br. Kawan, Bangli.

15th _ Temple Festival at: - Pr. Agung Pasek Gelgel, Ds. Sibang Kaja, abiansemal.

- Pr. Dalem Samprangan, Gianyar.

- Pr. Ds. Galiran, Bhakti Seraga, Buleleng.

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

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

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

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

6

News

Monday, September 20, 2010

US-born panda gives birth to her 8th cub in China Associated Press Writer

AP –

Waves crash onto the beach at John Smith’s Bay

Big waves pound Bermuda as Hurricane Igor nears Associated Press Writer

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Big waves are pounding Bermuda’s beaches while islanders rush to board up windows, fill sandbags and stock up on water, food and other supplies before Hurricane Igor’s expected arrival late Sunday.

In Mexico, people are cleaning up from flooding and wind damage caused by the now dissipated Hurricane Karl. Officials said Saturday that at least seven people were killed after the storm came ashore the previous day.

Igor weakened slightly overnight and was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kph).

Tropical storm-force winds were forecast to start battering the Atlantic island overnight.

With the storm expected to pass over or very close to Bermuda late Sunday or early Monday, officials warned that its pounding rains and driving winds could be deadly.

“This storm will be a long and punishing one,” Public Safety Minister David Burch said. “The poten-

tial for injury and physical damage is great.”

High surf kicked up by the storm already swept two people out to sea in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, far to the south. Waves of 12 to 15 feet (4 to 5 meters) began roaring onto Bermuda’s beaches Saturday afternoon, smashing into breakwaters and splashing some hours.

Quadruple amputee swims across English Channel Associated Press Writer

PARIS – A Frenchman whose arms and legs were amputated swam across the English Channel this weekend using leg prostheses that have flippers attached.

Philippe Croizon, 42, had expected the tough crossing to take up to 24 hours — and instead, he finished in only 13 and a half.

“I did it, I’m happy, I’m so happy, I can’t believe it, it’s crazy,” he told France-Info radio, sounding giddy on arrival late Saturday.

Three dolphins joined him for a while.

“We took that as a sign of good luck,” the swimmer’s father, Gerard Croizon, told The Associated Press.

Philippe Croizon set off from Folkestone on the British side of the English Channel and arrived near the French town of Wissant. At the narrowest point, the crossing is about 21 miles (34 kilometers).

Croizon’s specially designed leg protheses, which end in flippers, al-

low him to propel himself through the water. His truncated upper arms go through the motions of the crawl, and he breathes through a snorkel.

The swimmer lost his arms and legs after suffering an electric shock in 1994 as he stood on a ladder ad-

justing his television antenna, which touched a power line.

Croizon made headlines in 2007 for parachuting from an airplane.

He wrote a book about his experiences called “J’ai decide de vivre” (I decided to live.)

A picture released by Jeremy Croizon, the son of French amputee and swimmer Philippe Croizon, shows his father before he starts from British coast near Folkestone, on September 18, 2010, to reach late on September 18, the French coast near Wissant. The Frenchman Philippe Croizon, who lost all his limbs in an electrical accident, succeeds his attempt to swim the English Channel, a challenge he has been preparing for two years.

AFP PHOTO HO

BEIJING – An American-born panda gave birth to her eighth cub in southwest China, a rare accomplishment for the endangered species known for being poor breeders.

Hua Mei gave birth to a male cub at 3 a.m. on Friday at the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday. The cub weighed 5.7 ounces at birth.

This brings the number of panda births at the Wolong center to 16 this year, equal to last year’s total, the report said. Hua Mei — whose name means ChinaAmerica — was the first giant panda cub born in the United States in 1999, at the San Diego Zoo, after a decade of failed breeding attempts. She returned to China in 2003 and now has eight cubs, including three sets of twins.

Panda females have only three days a year in which they can conceive — one reason their species is endangered. Some males never succeed at natural breeding, so artificial insemination has become common practice when breeding captive pandas.

AP –

In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 17, 2010, panda Hua Mei hugs her newly-born panda baby Pandas are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate. Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. The fertility of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts say.

Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in Sichuan province. An additional 290 are in captive breeding programs worldwide.

Thousands of Thai ‘Red Shirts...

From page 1 Those protests paralysed parts of Bangkok, while deadly street clashes with the security forces injured nearly 1,900, ending with a bloody army crackdown on May 19 and an angry campaign of arson by militant protesters.

On Sunday, army-led command centres closely monitored events in both cities, but by early evening there was no sign of further violence as protesters began to disperse in the capital, where several thousand police had been deployed. However the afternoon’s red-clad activities disrupted traffic in central Bangkok, defying a state of emergency currently in place across the city and six other provinces, which bans political rallies of more than five people.

After tying red ribbons around the Ratchaprasong intersection — the focus of their two-month rally — protesters released 10,000 red balloons and lit candles in remembrance of those who died or were injured during the crackdown.

“I came here in memory of my dead Red friends who fought with us during the protest,” said a 68year-old retired demonstrator who gave only his first name, Sunai.

“The Red Shirts will never die,” he added. Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption,

called on his followers via Twitter to avoid further violence ahead of the double anniversary.

“I want everyone to look to the future. I want to see the healing of people who suffered from the conflict. I want to see people forgive each other,” he said, adding that he was currently in Lebanon.

The controversial former premier remains hugely divisive in Thailand despite his self-imposed exile. While popular with the Red Shirts, he is detested by the royalist Yellow Shirts, who are backed by the Bangkok-based elites.

The Yellows’ 2006 rallies helped trigger the coup that toppled Thaksin, whom they accuse of being corrupt, dictatorial and a threat to Thailand’s widely revered monarchy.

He fled Thailand in 2008 before he was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail, and Thai courts have issued a series of warrants for the ex-premier on charges including terrorism — an accusation linked to the Red Shirt protests.

Though none has been convicted, 19 senior Red Shirts are currently in jail in Thailand, also on terrorism charges relating to the unrest, while others thought to have played key roles in the protests remain on the run.

Indonesia Today

International

Monday, September 20, 2010

7

Corruption threatens Indonesia’s economic rise: IMF Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - The International Monetary Fund warned Friday Indonesia must make fighting corruption a priority if it wants to build on its progress as one of the world’s best-performing economies.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy expanded 4.5 percent in 2009, the third fastest in the Group of 20, and is poised for accelerated growth in the years ahead, the IMF said in an annual report.

But it said foreign investors who are needed to fund Indonesia’s expansion into a regional powerhouse would be cautious until more is done to fight rampant corruption and improve the rule of law.

“A decisive and successful response, as well as a decade of sound policies and structural reform, helped Indonesia recover quickly from the 2008 global crisis,” the report said.

“However, lingering concerns over weak enforcement of the rule of law, transparency, and governance issues weigh on market perceptions.

Addressing these weaknesses should be a priority.”

The IMF praised Indonesia’s “remarkable achievements” over the past decade, as it transformed from the Suharto dictatorship into a flourishing democracy and recovered from near-bankruptcy in the 19981999 Asian financial crisis.

Indonesia was forced into a 43billion-dollar bailout from the IMF

in 1998, and only exited supervision by the Washington-based organisation in 2003.

But the Fund said Indonesia “still faces challenges to preserve financial stability and develop its financial system”, especially in areas such as supervision and the development of the non-bank sector.

“Market participants view Indonesia as a country with great potential, supported by a large consumer base and rich in natural resources,” the report said.

“Yet, Indonesian securities continue to trade at a discount relative to regional peers and many wealthy Indonesian individuals still prefer to place their savings offshore.”

As if to prove the point, 26 politicians were banned from leaving the country Friday amid investigations into graft related to the election of a central bank deputy governor in 2004.

The Fund’s mission chief for Indonesia, Thomas Rumbaugh, told reporters the corruption fight was a “big objective the government has set for itself” and there had been improvement in terms of removing obstacles to investment.

“Recently we have seen some interest from multinationals moving

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

Latest trading results are displayed on an electronic board outside Jakarta’s Stock Exchange buidling seen at left on September 17, 2010.

into Indonesia ... but investors will be watching closely and what happens in this area will say a lot,” he told reporters.

Foreign direct investment in the archipelago of 240 million people — the fourth biggest country in the world by population — soared 53 percent on-year to 35.6 trillion rupiah in the April-June period, official figures show.

The local stock market has leapt

more than 30 percent this year to precrisis levels thanks to strong offshore interest in emerging markets.

A survey of business leaders from 523 companies by UK Trade and Investment and the Economist Intelligence Unit, published this week, put Indonesia fourth behind China, Vietnam and India as a destination for investment capital over the next two years.

But the country’s economic trans-

Indonesian companies cash in on boom times Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - State-owned Garuda Airlines and Krakatau Steel are among a clutch of Indonesian firms planning public offerings as investors clamour to gain a foothold in Southeast Asia’s emerging giant.

Foreigners have been pouring money into the region’s biggest economy, which was largely unaffected by the global financial crisis due to strong domestic demand and limited reliance on wobbly Western export markets.

The Jakarta Composite Index has soared threefold from its low in October 2008, hitting historic highs last week as the country’s improving prospects continued to attract foreign capital, dealers said.

“Stable economic and political conditions in Indonesia continue to be attractive to international investors,” Sucorinvest Central Gani analyst Gifar Indra Sakti told AFP. The World Economic Forum’s 2010-11 Global Competitiveness Index rankings, released this month, showed Indonesia as the third biggest mover, up 10 notches to 44th place.

A survey of business leaders from 523 companies by UK Trade and Investment and the Economist Intelligence Unit, published last week, put Indonesia fourth behind China, Vietnam and India as a destination for investment capital over the next two years.

“As (Asia’s) third-fastest growing economy, with huge upside potential for our markets, Indonesia is one of those exciting growth stories and our companies are increasingly receiving wider access to financing,” Indonesia Coordinating Investment Board chief Gita Wirjawan said.

Foreign direct investment in the archipelago of 240 mil-

lion people — the fourth biggest country in the world by population — soared 53 percent on-year to 35.6 trillion rupiah (four billion dollars) in the April-June period, official figures show.

But analysts said concerns about corruption and the rule of law made equities — rather than direct investments in plant and infrastructure — a more attractive entry point.

Around 20 local companies will have raised more than five billion dollars on the sharemarket by the end of the year if current plans come to fruition. Many say they want to pay off debt and cash up for expansion.

Fourth-ranked lender Bank Negara Indonesia is targeting 10 trillion rupiah in a December rights issue, while another state-owned bank, PT Bank Mandiri, is marketing a 14-trillion-rupiah issue in the same month.

Indofood Sukses Makmur is expecting to raise about 700 million dollars from offering 20 percent of its subsidiary PT Indofood CBP in October.

State-owned Krakatau Steel, the country’s biggest steel producer, aims to list in November.

“Hopefully we can get fresh funds up to 600 million dollars. We plan to use the funds to expand our business and modernise our machinery,” Krakatau president director Fazwar Bujang said.

Another state-owned enterprise, flag carrier Garuda, wants to raise around 300 million dollars to strengthen its capital structure and help fund six new Airbus A330-200 aircraft valued at 1.15 billion dollars.

The airline — which was on an EU safety blacklist from 2007 to 2009 — has announced aggressive expansion plans, codenamed “Quantum Leap”, running through to 2014.

formation masks glaring social inequalities reflected in indicators such as maternal mortality, which at 228 per 100,000 is considerably higher than its neighbours.

A recent “strategic assessment” of Indonesia’s prospects for growth and democratic governance by the Harvard Kennedy School found it was “losing ground” to China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Indonesian maid tortured, raped in Malaysia Antara

KUALA LUMPUR - An Indonesian housemaid is currently being treated in a hospital in Malaysia after being raped and tortured by her employer.

The police in Pulau Penang, Malaysia, have arrested her employer, ANTARA learned here on Saturday.

Georgetown police chief Gan Kong Meng said the maid, Wifa Indah (26) from East Java, told police she had been hit in the head, hands and legs by a buckle leaving her with serious injuries, according to Malaysian news agency Bernama.

He said she had also said she had been raped many times by her male employer.

She is now still being treated at a hospital in Pulau Penang.

Traces of wounds caused by hot water were seen on her back.

According to the results of a hospital examination, she had wounds on her genitals, presumably inflicted by acts of sexual violence.

The police arrested her male and female employers who live at Jelutong Apartment on Friday.

After working for four months, her employer had only paid her RM30 (Rp75,000) and later dumped her on the road side at Taman Cenderawasih, Nibong Tebal. She had languished there for 12 hours before a passerby took her to the closest police station.

8

Internationa

Monday, September 20, 2010

Bali Today Thousands of unlicensed tourist transports operating in Bali Bali Post

DENPASAR - Thousands of unlicensed tourist transports remain to operate in Bali. Meanwhile, the Bali Tourist Transport Union (Pawiba) annunciated that a lot of illegal vehicles operating in Bali belonged to villas and hotels. ‘’There are many unlicensed rental cars belonging to entrepreneurs of villas and hotels in Bali. If seen from the number of villas estimated to reach 1,600 units and each unit of villa has two cars, so it is estimated there will be 3,200 units of unlicensed tourist vehicles,” said Chairman of Pawiba Bali, Bagus Soediana in Denpasar, last Friday (Sep 17).

According to Soediana, the vehicles of villa or hotel, often served tourist transfer from the airport to hotel and vice versa, and included in conveying tourists to some tourist destinations. ‘’This condition considerably harmed the entrepreneurs of officially licensed tourist transport.

These unlicensed tourist carriers offered cheaper rates because they had no official permission as tourist transport in Bali,” he said.

Soediana strongly deplored the practice of such unlicensed tourist vehicles operated by villas and hotels without complying with the prevailing government’s rules. Pursuant to the Ministerial Decree Number KM 35/2003, of course the operational vehicles of villas and hotels conveying tourists were obliged to have the operational per-

mit of tourist transport. ‘’We expect that government could quickly find out the solution and discipline the unlicensed tourist transports operated in hotels and villas across Bali,” he said. Soediana also revealed the existence of a bribing tradition to personnel on duty at each border point before entering into a tourist attraction. ‘’Likewise, this bribing tradition has become a burden for us. In every document inspection, the personnel even did not pay attention to the complete document of vehicles stipulated, but they instead accentuated the submission of money of coffee charges or bribes. Unavoidably, it also triggered the mushrooming of unlicensed tourist transports on the roads. In reality, without any permit they can still operate,” he added.

In response to these conditions, Bali Transportation Services would promptly impose strict punishment to unlicensed tourist transports and rental vehicles. Results of a survey conducted by the Transportation Services showed an adequately staggering data. It was recorded 70 percent of the existing tourist transports and rental vehicles were unlicensed. Allegedly, the number of such unli-

censed tourist transports reached more than 8,631 units. ‘’Two months ago, we made data collection on tourist transports and rental vehicles. It was obtained that 70 percent of the tourist transports and rental vehicles were unlicensed. Today, the number of rental vehicles in Bali consists of 2,500 units. Meanwhile, the number of licensed tourist transports reached 1,200 units only,” said the Head of Bali Transportation Services, Made Santha.

Bali Provincial Government has done enough counseling and socialization. Even, in the upcoming year 2011, it will become the year of law enforcement. There will be no excuse for any violations against the regional regulations (Perda). ‘’Mr. Governor has instructed all ranks to conduct law enforcement. In the second semester of 2010, we will set to take action in combination with coaching. No more negotiations for offenders particularly the unlicensed rental vehicles. These measures are meant to enforce the rules and arrangement of the transportation services in Bali,” said Santha. (par)

http://lh6.ggpht.com

In the background the photo shows tourists want to try traditional mode of transportation in Bali calls Dokar. Thousands of unlicensed tourist transports remain to operate in Bali. Meanwhile, the Bali Tourist Transport Union (Pawiba) annunciated that a lot of illegal vehicles operating in Bali belonged to villas and hotels.

http://arsahandicraft.files.wordpress.com

The photo shows products of spa as one of potential products of Bali that exported to various countries. Bali enjoyed a strong growth of exports in the first semester this year with a value of 320 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 21 percent compared to the same period of last year.

Bali enjoys a strong export growth Antara

DENPASAR - Bali enjoyed a strong growth of exports in the first semester this year with a value of 320 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 21 percent compared to the same period of last year.

“Handicraft products from our light industry are still strongly sought after in the export market,” Putu Bagiada, head of the Bali industry and trade office said Friday. He was referring to the substantial growth in exports of Bali’s light industries to the better economic climate in Europe and the U.S. Exports of various kinds of handicraft items in the January-July period, he added, were valued at 139 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 26 percent from the 110 million U.S. dollars during the same period of last year. The positive tendency in Bali’s export performance during the first semester of 2010 also occurred in the export of garments, canned fish and plastic items reaching 112.5 million U.S. dollars, a 25 percent hike compared to the 89.8 million U.S. dollars during the January-July 2009 period.

A rather weak growth in exports occurred in fresh marine products, such as tuna, valued at 65.5 million U.S. dollars during the period, a slight increase of 4.8 percent from 62.5 million U.S. dollars last year.

Exports of agricultural products, especially vanilla and the renowned Balinese coffee, reached 592,600 U.S. dollars, an increase of 24.2 percent compared to 447,000 U.S. dollars.

Exports from Bali are expected to grow further in the second semester in few of the positive economic

situation in world major export markets, Bagiada said.

Bali’s exports to Portugal Bali’s non-oil/gas exports to Portugal in the first seven months of 2010 reached US$1.1 million.

Putu Bagiada said foreign trade of small industrial products, handicraft goods, and farm products increased by 23 percent, while the foreign exchange income in 2009 reached only US$897,000.

Portugal is one of the potential markets of Bali, which is a tourism destination in Indonesia. Through tourism, many handicraft goods were purchased by the foreign tourists, he said.

He said that the number of European tourists to Bali had been increasing, including businessmen.

And they bought a great deal of souvenirs and handicraft items.

The garments made by Balinese female craftspeople with local cultural design were also exported to Portugal.

Moreover some handicraft goods made of silver, including earrings, brooches, stuffed birds and butterflies, as well as flowers were also exported to Portugal.

The exporters of various handicraft goods from Mas Ubud village, Nyoman Sudana said the Balinese handicraft products had also been exported to Portugal and some other countries.

He said that antique handicraft items from Bali had been exported to London, Germany, and Italy.

Cooperation between the Indonesian and Portuguese governments to strengthen the cooperation opened up opportunities for Bali to export its products.

al

Monday, September 20, 2010

Balinese Culture 19 countries take part in Buleleng Sail Indonesia Antara

SINGARAJA - Nineteen countries with 106 yachts will take part in Sail Indonesia 2010 at Bina Ria, a tourist resort in Lovina, Singaraja, Bali, from September 22 to 25.

The countries taking part in Sail Indonesia in northern Bali include the United States, New Zealand, Australia, France, Austria, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands, with a total of 250 participants and also as tourists.

Head of the Buleleng culture and tourism agency Drs. Putu Tastra Wijaya said Sail Indonesia will not only promote tourism in Bali, especially the tourist potentials in Buleleng, but also raise the number of foreign and local tourists to North Bali.

Sail Indonesia will be held by the Marine and Fishery Affairs Ministry

in cooperation with the Cinta Bahari Indonesia Foundation and with the support of the local administration.

Tastra Wijaya said Sail Indonesia a three months annual sailing rally will promote Indonesia as a destination of marine tourism.

In Buleleng regency, this year’s event will be the fourth as host of eight such international events; Tastra said he felt proud that Lovina had been chosen for the Sail Indonesia event.

All the participants had been seen off in Darwin on July 24 then saling to Australia and Asia, and enter Indonesia through Banda and Kupang to Batam, Rote Ndao regency, Sabu, East Sumba, Southwest Sumba, and BauBau, and eventually meet in Lovina, Buleleng.

Buleleng known for its peaceful Lovina beach is a meeting place of the

participants passing by way of the western and eastern lanes.

Bina Ria in Lovina has become a focus of Sail Indonesia, head of the Bulelang culture and tourism agency said, as it has become very popular to the participants because of its beautiful tourist objects, very kind people and the complete facilities meeting the needs of the participants.

Right now 8 small boats from a number of countries had arrived in Bina Ria beach taking part in Sail Indonesia organized by the international sail rally which had been held several times since 2003 In four days, the foreign guests will be entertained with art and cultural performances like “joged bumbung”, “sapi gerumbungan”, angklung traditional art, and “rindik”, shadow puppet, a colosal show, and Bali cooking course.

West Denpasar wages war on littering Antara

DENPASAR - The West Denpasar sub district administration promises to pay Rp100,000 to anyone who spots and catches another person throwing or spilling garbage at random, a spokesman said.

“We have adopted this policy to teach the public to care for cleanliness in their neighborhoods,” West Denpasar Subdistrict chief I Made Mudra said here Friday.

Speaking to reporters while leading a cleaning up operation against illegal garbage dumps, he said firm actions would be taken against people who knowingly or unknow-

ingly littered residential areas.

The aim was to make Denpasar free from illegal garbage dumps by the end of 2010.

“We will personally supervise cleaning up operations and patrol the main streets. This is a real action to motivate people to create a clean and green Denpasar,” he said.

Illegal garbage disposal sites were cleaned up and then sealed with bamboo, Mudra said, adding that he had ordered village chiefs in is jurisdiction to watch over the closed sites.

“Garbage handling is not merely the responsibility of the administration, but also of the public in general. Therefore, I want to motivate the public by promising a

reward for those who spot and catch people littering in the area,” he said.

The member of D commission of the Denpasar Regional Legislative Assembly, IB Kompyang Wiranata said the cleaning-up action was a representation of public concern and should be conducted frequently.

“I am certain that the public will be more aware if we keep doing the cleaning-up action,” he said.

Made Sutarka, the chief of Padangsambilan Kelod village, said he conducted cleaning-up operations in his neighborhood frequently and suggested that other village chiefs familiarize people in their respective villages with the anti-garbage program.

Jukut Kakul (Snail Soup)

OVERVIEW: The French are not the only ones to have a liking for snails. The Balinese gather snails in the rice fields. But you can use the canned variety. Cucumber, zucchini or any other summer squash can be used instead of green papaya.

INGREDIENTS: 200 gr unripe green papaya 1 liter chicken stock ½ cup spice paste for seafood 1 stalk lemon grass bruised 2 salam leaves 1 tbsp oil 48 canned snails, washed and drained 1 tsp salt Freshly ground black pepper Fried shallots to garnish PREPARATION: Peel the papaya, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then cut it lengthwise in 4 or 6 slices. Cut crosswise into slices about 0.5 cm thick.

Combine stock, spice paste, lemon grass, salam leaves and oil in a large pot. Bring to boil, and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add papayas and simmer until almost tender. Add the snails and continue cooking until the papaya softens.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fried shallots.

Helpful hint: If you do not care for snails. You can substitute 12 dried black Chinese mushroom. Washed and soaked I warm water for 20minutes. Add them together with the papaya to ensure they will be tender by the time the papaya is cooked. (www.baliguide.com/ balifood)

Cram Cam

(Clear Chicken Soup With Shallots) OVERVIEW: This dish is traditionally prepared after a cockfight, when the winner receives the loosing chicken as a reward.

INGREDIENTS: 1 tsp coconut oil ½ cup chicken spice paste 400 gr boneless chicken, skin removed and minced 1 liter chicken stock 1 salam leaf 1 stalk lemon grass, bruised 1 tsp crushed black pepper salt to tast 2 tbsp fried shallots

C.045 ibp

PREPARATION: Heat oil in heavy soup pot. Add spice paste and saute until fragrant. Add minced chicken and continue to sauté until meat is evenly colored. Add stock and all remaining ingredients and simmer for five minutes. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

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10

Monday, September 20, 2010

Destinations

International

Painting Museum IBP

http://images.travelpod.com

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Museum is an interesting place to see many things depending on what it displays. In Bali you can find many painting museum because except famous with natural beauty, Bali also famous with its cultural activities, such as painting and sculpture.

The famous and often visited by tourists that holidaying in Bali is painting museum that located about 200 meters from Puri Saren / Ubud Palace and it is dissociated by dell, climb a piece of wide plain with beautiful view call Puri Lukisan.

It is situated in calm and peaceful area of Ubud Bali so that this place is an ideal place for who wish to see and enjoy result of art from all big actor like I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Ida Bagus Nyana, Anak Agung Gde Sobrat, I Gusti Made Deblog, Rudof Bonnet, Walter Spies and more.

This museum is opened in the year 1956 by minister of Education and Culture, Mr. Moh. Yamin. This museum is consisted of three special buildings in U-shape. In the middle of this museum is the courtyard and fishpond with the beautiful lotus flower.

The building no 1 is a place for a permanent exhibition of puppets dressy or puppets style painting. This building is collecting the painting from I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and the clarification about the existence of Pita Maha Organization. The Building no. 2 is also a place for permanent exhibition or still from masterpiece result of all artist of Balinese modern dressy style. The Building no.3 is for a temporary exhibition.

There is only one museum is exist in Ubud Village that is Puri Lukisan Museum, but Ubud sub district area until the year of 2003 is built with 4 new painting museums those are: Puri Lukisan Museum, Neka Museum, Arma Museum and Rudana Museum.

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

Monday, September 20, 2010

11

BUSINESS Gold strikes record high close to 1,300 dollars an ounce Agence France-Presse

LONDON - Gold prices struck record highs close to 1,300 dollars this week as investors sought alternatives to the dollar amid heightened fears about the fragile state of the US economic recovery.

Gold prices hit an all-time peak of 1,282.97 dollars an ounce on Friday as the dollar waned on mounting expectations that the Federal Reserve will pump more money into the flagging US economy.

Sister metal silver meanwhile struck the highest levels for two and a half years, at 20.99 dollars an ounce, on the back of gold’s record run higher.

“Gold is making a new high and stocks are rallying because the markets think the Fed will print more money before the end of this year just to ensure that the US economy remains on an even keel,” said analyst Neil MacKinnon at VTB Capital.

“The risk for investors is that the US economy does actually fall into a ‘double-dip’ (recession) and not the ‘soft landing scenario’ which the markets are currently discounting,” he told AFP.

“Traditionally we see investors flocking to gold in times of market troubles, but this relationship is out the window this week as inflation concerns, expectations for further quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve and technical triggers have driven” up the metal, said analysts at the trading group Spead Co. Gold this week broke June’s record of 1,265 dollars an ounce.

Metals consultancy GFMS expects gold to top 1,300 dollars before the end of 2010.

London-based GFMS on Tuesday said demand from investors had been the prime driver of the gold price’s rally during the first half of the year.

“Gold certainly lived up to its reputation as a safe haven in troubled times,” GFMS chairman Philip Klapwijk said in the group’s latest annual survey of the precious metal.

“Just look at the explosion in

investor interest that followed the sovereign debt crisis unfurling in Europe,” he added.

The EU on Monday warned that fears of a resurgent eurozone debt crisis were likely to stunt European economic growth prospects this year.

Analysts meanwhile said that the US economy remained fragile despite a drop in the number of people claiming jobless benefits in the world’s biggest economy.

By late Friday on the London Bullion Market, gold had jumped to 1,274.00 dollars an ounce from 1,246.50 dollars a week earlier.

Silver grew to 20.85 dollars an ounce from 19.90 dollars.

On the London Platinum and Palladium Market, platinum rallied to 1,618 dollars an ounce from 1,545 dollars.

Palladium advanced to 547 dollars an ounce from 518 dollars.

Economists cautious over African ‘miracle’ Agence France-Presse

PARIS - With strong growth, a reduction in poverty and foreign investment, a number of recent studies have highlighted the African “economic miracle,” but economists suggest the picture is more complicated.

Since the start of the decade, the world’s poorest continent has witnessed an economic boom. After a brief slowdown during the global economic crisis, growth this year is set to approach a steady five percent continent-wide.

“Africa’s growth acceleration resulted from more than a resource boom,” consultancy firm McKinsey & Company said in a report published on Tuesday which analysed the continent’s “likely staying power.”

Jim O’Neill, the chief economist at Goldman Sachs, suggested in an article in the Financial Times last month that South Africa, along with Nigeria and Egypt, could by 2050 join the BRIC group — Brazil, Russia, India and China — of emerging economic powerhouses.

Economic developmen is also boosting some of Africa’s smaller economies.

“The absence of raw materials

has not stopped countries like Mali and Burkina Faso from recording good growth rates,” said Senegalese economist Abdoulaye Diagne.

But for Bongani Motsa, an economist at South Africa’s Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies institute, exports of natural resources remain the principal engine for African growth, which means it is fragile.

Furthermore, rosy long-term predictions rest on the continent turning the page on a history of conflict, political instability, health epidemics and rampant corruption.

“Those obstacles are far from being removed,” said Motsa.

“The lack of good governance remains total,” said Léonard Wantchekon of the Benin-based Institute for Empirical Research in Political Economy.

In addition to economic growth, the question of development remains a critical one. Two recent studies have shown that poverty and inequality were being reduced.

“The conventional wisdom that Africa is not reducing poverty is wrong,” said Maxim Pinkovsky and Xavier Sala-iMartin, US academics who wrote one of the studies.

The economic growth supports the development of the middle class, said Alwyn Young of the London School of Economics in a second study.

“The real household consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is growing around 3.3 percent per year,” Young said, saying this was higher than official statistics suggested.

According to Motsa: “African growth is not as sustainable as sometimes said.” Recent food, economic and financial crises have already caused a return of inequalities and evaporation of the middle class.

Local governments lack strategies to achieve sustainable growth, with the absence of human capital the main handicap.

Problems such as poor infrastucture are “a real bottleneck on development,” said Wantchekon.

In addition, poverty remains massive and the reduction has not yet been significant, said Diagne.

“In oil-producing countries like (Democratic Republic of) Congo and Gabon, growth has tended to profit just a tiny part of the population and thus increase inequality,” he said.

GRAFIK: GOLD.AI

Fed expected to wait and see as economy convalesces Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - Glimmers of a revived economic recovery are expected to give the US Federal Reserve some breathing space when its top committee meets Tuesday, avoiding a renewed battle inside the central bank.

Members of the Fed’s policymaking panel will gather for the last time before November’s midterm elections, with the economic outlook transformed since their last meeting from apocalyptic to vaguely promising.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is expected anchor the fragile recovery by promising to leave interest rates at historic lows and keep stimulus spending at current levels.

But with the economic picture brightening it is expected to hold off from dramatic increases in spending designed to speed up growth.

“We see the improved data as buying time for the Fed to sit on the sidelines at the September FOMC meeting,” said Michael Gapen of Barclays Capital.

The US economy, after months of languishing in the doldrums, has regained some momentum since the Fed meet at the end of June, when members expressed concern about a “sluggish” economic recovery.

In July and August private firms continued to add jobs, albeit at pace that was too slow to offset the loss of

tens of thousands of Census taking jobs.

A rapidly narrowing trade deficit and recovering consumer prices have also pointed to a tempered, if tepid, recovery.

Most economists now expect the economy to grow faster in July, August and September than the previous three months.

That could help avoid a showdown at the Fed over the need for more stimulus.

At recent meetings Fed members have tussled over how and when to restart even modest crisis measures, which some fear would send the wrong signal to financial markets and forestall a return to normal monetary policy.

While “all but one member” agreed on the need to reinvest crisis spending that had expired, minutes showed deep divisions about the impact these measures would have.

Any move to increase stimulus spending would likely deepen divisions, especially if the case for action was not clear cut.

Given this many analysts believe a shift in policy will not now come until the Fed’s November or December meetings, and will be contingent on signs that the economy is in deep distress.

“We believe the bar for further stimulus includes some combination of below-trend growth in real GDP (gross domestic product), a worsening labor market, and heightened deflation probabilities,” said Gapen.

12

Entertainment

Monday, September 20, 2010

International

Lindsay Lohan fails drug test, faces jail again Agence France Presse AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA

Dilma Rousseff (L), former Chief of Staff and presidential candidate for the ruling Workers Party (PT) and Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro share a breakfast during a private meeting at a hotel in Campinas, some 75km north of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 18, 2010.

Benicio del Toro meets Brazil presidential candidate Agence France Presse

CAMPINAS - Actor Benicio del Toro lent a touch of Hollywood glamour Saturday to the campaign of Brazil’s ruling party candidate in presidential elections, Dilma Rousseff. The two had a brief discussion over breakfast in a hotel in the northern of Sao Paulo suburb of Campinas.

Rousseff, the candidate of Presidente Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s leftwing Workers Party, told reporters the two spoke about “cinema, the importance of Latin America.”

Del Toro, whose leftist sympathies led him to play Che Guevara in an acclaimed role, declined to speak to the media about his show

of support to Rousseff. “Why not?”, the Puerto Rican actor replied when AFP asked him the reasons of this meeting with Rousseff Rousseff, Lula’s 62-year-old former cabinet chief, has vowed to continue her boss’s policies. Her campaign has benefited enormously from Lula’s participation, with the outgoing president successfully leveraging his massive popularity.

The surveys suggest Rousseff had more than 50 percent support among voters — enough to win the October 3 election outright without a runoff. Lula himself is required to step down at the end of the year, having served the maximum two consecutive terms permitted under Brazil’s constitution.

British star arrested after scuffle at LA airport Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES – British comedian-turned Hollywood star Russell Brand was arrested after allegedly attacking a photographer at Los Angeles airport, police said. Brand was arriving with his fiancee singer Katy Perry when the altercation erupted Friday, amid a scrum of photographers and cameramen jostling to take pictures of the star couple.

The photographer who was allegedly struck made a citizen’s arrest of the star, before airport police arrived and detained him.

“About 1:50 pm today, Los An-

geles Airport Police responded to Terminal 5 to a report of a battery involving a celebrity and a commercial photographer,” said a statement by the airport police force.

“The victim involved placed the suspect (Russell Brand) under private person’s arrest. Airport police took the suspect into custody for Penal Code Section 242 — battery,” it added.

He was taken to a nearby police station to be booked, the statement added. Some two hours later he was released on 20,000 dollars bail. A court hearing was scheduled for October 15, although it was unclear if Brand will have to appear personally.

Video footage of the incident on the TMZ celebrity news agency website showed Brand and Perry being surrounded by a scrum of photographers and cameramen.

Brand — wearing a black T-shirt saying “God, come on give me a break” — pushed one of them away and later has a verbal altercation with the same photographer.

The hirsute star achieved infamy in Britain when he and fellow celebrity DJ Jonathan Ross were sanctioned by the BBC after making a lurid prank on-air phone call to veteran actor, Andrew Sachs.

LOS ANGELES - Troubled US starlet Lindsay Lohan admitted Friday she failed a drugs test, meaning she may be ordered back to jail a month after she was freed on bail. The 24-year-old stressed that drug addition was a disease which she hopes to overcome, but acknowledged that she was a “work in progress.”

“Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test ,” she said on her Twitter feed, apparently confirming reports on the TMZ celebrity news website and People Magazine online which said she failed the test last week.

The failure would be a breach of her bail conditions, which could require her to return to jail for 30 days, the news outlets said. Lohan said she was prepared to appear in court if required next week.

“This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I’m prepared to face the consequences” she wrote on the microblogging site. “Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn’t go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it.”

And she added:”I am so thankful for the support of my fans, loved ones and immediate family, who understand that i am trying hard, and taking positive steps .. but also that I am a work in progress, just as anyone else.

“I am keeping my faith, and I am hopeful....Thank you all!!!” she wrote.

AP Photo/ Los Angeles Times, Al Seib, pool

FILE - In this July 20, 2010 file photo, Lindsay Lohan listens during a court hearing in Beverly Hills, Calif.

DA: Paris Hilton to avoid felony in Vegas arrest Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS – Paris Hilton has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors stemming from her arrest last month at a Las Vegas resort, a Nevada prosecutor said. Under the terms of a plea deal worked out with prosecutors, the celebrity heiress will serve a year of probation and avoid a felony conviction, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said Friday.

A plea agreement obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Hilton will plead guilty to drug possession and obstructing an officer.

She must complete a drug abuse program, pay a $2,000 fine and serve 200 hours of community service.

Hilton, 29, was arrested Aug. 26 inside the Wynn resort, after police say a small plastic bag containing 0.8 grams of cocaine fell out of her Chanel purse as she reached for a tube of lip balm in front of a police lieutenant.

Roger and defense attorney David Chesnoff confirmed the details of the plea deal reported by the Review-Journal. The original felony cocaine possession charge would not have resulted in any jail time. Roger

said he wanted to obtain a pledge from the hotel heiress to stay out of trouble, and said the plea deal accomplished that goal.

“If she is arrested for anything besides a minor traffic violation she will spend a year in jail,” Roger said.

“There will be no discussion. The court will have no discretion.”

Chesnoff said the agreement does not call for Hilton to be assigned a probation officer, meaning she can’t break any laws but won’t have anyone to report to or check in with.

“Ms. Hilton understands the seriousness of the situation and appreciates the chance she is being given,” Chesnoff told The Associated Press.

“She has to stay out of trouble.”

Hilton initially told police the purse and cocaine were not hers, but claimed some items in the bag, including rolling papers, $1,300 in cash and several credit cards. She was questioned by police after her boyfriend, Las Vegas nightclub mogul Cy Waits, 34, failed field sobriety tests given by a motorcycle officer.

The couple was stopped in a black Cadillac Escalade after the officer smelled a “vapor trail” of marijuana smoke. Hilton was banned from two

Wynn resorts on the Las Vegas Strip after the arrest, and her boyfriend was dismissed as a nightclub partner.

Hilton briefly faced a marijuana charge in July after a FIFA World Cup match in South Africa, but the case was dropped when a woman who was with her pleaded guilty to possessing the drug. Hilton is scheduled to appear at 7:30 a.m. Monday before Judge Joe M. Bonaventure, Chesnoff said.

Paris Hilton

Life Style

International

This photo taken on March 18, 2010 shows visitors riding on the “Battlestar Galactica rollercoaster” at Universal Studios Singapore theme park during its opening day in Singapore. Just six months after opening its gates in March, 2010, Universal Studios Singapore has already welcomed more than one million visitors, and other countries in Asia are building even bigger theme parks.

AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Growing Asian middle class fuels theme park boom Agence France Presse

SINGAPORE - When Singapore first announced it was building a Universal Studios theme park, sceptics wondered if the complex would draw enough crowds to be commercially viable. But just six months after opening, Universal Studios Singapore has already welcomed more than one million visitors, and other countries in Asia are building even bigger theme parks.

Asia has become the new frontier for large-scale outdoor entertainment complexes thanks to growing affluence in large emerging economies like China, India and Indonesia, and cheaper air travel.

“The industry is moving to Asia,” said Christian Aaen, Asian regional director of research firm AECOM Economics, which specialises in entertainment and leisure industry analysis. “With key fundamentals in place such as the growing middle class and incomes in Asia as well

as demand for entertainment and leisure time, this is the perfect product for tourism and economic development,” he told AFP. Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea, the Universal Studios park in Osaka and South Korea’s homegrown Everland ranked among the world’s top 10 theme parks in terms of visitors last year, according to industry consultancy Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).

Encouraged by Asia’s promise, Universal Studios signed a deal in

January to build its largest theme park in the world in South Korea at a cost of around 2.67 billion dollars.

When completed in 2014, the resort will be bigger than Universal Studios’ four other parks in Hollywood, Florida, Osaka and Singapore combined.

Disneyland has not fared well in Hong Kong — with a 70 million Hong Kong dollar (nine million US) loss last year, according to the South China Morning Post — but it is going ahead with a new franchise in Shanghai, with construction expected to start in November.

Denmark’s Legoland is setting up its first Asian branch in Malaysia’s Johore state close to Singapore, hiring builders to use the famous little plastic bricks to replicate national and state landmarks.

Monday, September 20, 2010

13

US face transplant patient promotes organ donation Associated Press Writer

CLEVELAND – There is an initial shock upon first glance at Connie Culp, the woman who received the nation’s first face transplant nearly two years ago. She taps her way through the hospital waiting room, feeling along the floor with a cane and smiling hesitantly at a visitor, even though she can only make out shadows and shapes.

Her face is wide and squarejawed. It is altogether too large for her diminutive frame, and therein lies the jolt of surprise: Up close, it’s clear that this face does not belong to that body.

Her nose is long and straight. Her skin is cream-colored and smooth.

She’s wearing a soft gray shirt with a rhinestone brooch pinned to the collar. Ever since her husband shot her in the face in 2004, Culp doesn’t concern herself with what other people think of her appearance.

“It don’t matter what you look like, somebody’s gonna find fault with you,” she says, waving a hand dismissively. “Either the way you talk or something, you know?

Nobody’s perfect.”

Life is on the upswing for Culp, 47, who underwent her final surgery in July. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic, Culp discussed her plans to become an advocate for organ donation. It was the choice of one anonymous donor that spared her from a life of eating and breathing through a tube, she says.

“My whole family had a hard time even coming around me because of the way I looked,” she says. “We’re closer than ever now.”

She stops, looking uncomfortable.

“I mean, I hate to say that about my family. But it’s hard.”

The most recent surgery — essentially a face-lift — removed the flaps of skin that hung from her cheeks and chin, which weighed down her face and caused frequent headaches. The result, to her delight, is a face that’s much thinner and more shapely. She can smile more easily now. She can feel the lips of her 3-year-old grandson when he kisses her on the cheek.

And she recently ate a steak for the first time in years.

AP Photo/Jason Miller

Connie Culp, who underwent the first face transplant surgery in the U.S. talks with the Associated Press at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010 in Cleveland. The woman who had the nation’s first face transplant is asking Ohioans to register as organ donors.

Review: How the iPad won over a skeptic Associated Press Writer

REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

An Apple iPad is displayed during an iPad launch event at the Apple retail store in San Francisco, California in this April 3, 2010 file photo.

NEW YORK – At first glance, the iPad looked like a heavy, overgrown iPod Touch. After just a few months of use, however, this iPad skeptic realized that it’s so much more — it’s one of those devices I’ve always needed.

Those don’t come around very often.

Most things get less interesting the more examples you see of them.

If you’ve never seen a computer before, the first one is a revelation, but each successive model gets less and less remarkable.

Apple Inc.’s iPad is the other way around. It looks more impressive in light of what’s come before it. I’ve seen many tablet computers of different stripes since 2002, when Microsoft introduced Windows XP Tablet Edition. The quality has var-

ied, but they’ve all been failures, even the recent ones. They’re a Stonehenge’s worth of near-useless slabs. The iPad finally fulfills the promise of the tablet computer when it came out in April.

It cuts the mouse and keyboard out of the equation, giving us a straight, tactile connection. While the iPad builds on the iPhone, it feels like a bigger achievement. The first iPhone was a great phone, driven by far-thinking new ideas. But other people had made good phones before. Before the iPad, no one had made a good tablet computer. Even Apple failed with its first attempt, the Newton, back in the 90s.

When I first got my hands on an iPad for a review, I played games on it for about a month. My favorite strategy game, “Battle for Wesnoth,” was written for the PC, but actually works better on the iPad, thanks to the im-

mediacy of the touch interface.

Several other games conspired to suck away my productivity, so it took me a while to realize that the iPad actually fulfills a long-time tablet vision as well: It’s like a sheet of paper, electronified. That’s what made me plunk down $499 for one of my own once I was done with the borrowed review unit.

I knew I was waiting for a device that could replace printouts, magazines, newspapers and books in my life. At first, I didn’t think the iPad was it, because it’s too heavy to hold comfortably in one hand. In particular, I need one hand free to steady myself on the New York subway.

Better, I thought, to wait for a smaller device, something with a screen that measures 5 to 7 inches diagonally instead of the iPad’s 9.7 inches.

14

Monday, September 20, 2010

Sport

International

Fortune shines on Ronaldo as Real go top Agence France Presse

MADRID - Cristiano Ronaldo scored a fortunate first goal of the season with his deflected 75th minute free-kick proving the winner in a 2-1 win at promoted Real Sociedad as Real Madrid moved to the top of La Liga for the first time under Jose Mourinho.

Ronaldo saw his free-kick take a huge deflection off teammate Pepe and loop in 15 minutes from time and the world’s most expensive player seemed embarrassed to celebrate the winning goal which handed Mourinho his first away win.

Argentine international winger Angel di Maria — a 25-millioneuro summer signing from Benfica — scored a memorable first Real goal on 51 minutes only for veteran Raul Tamudo to equalise as Real conceded their first goal under Mourinho.

However, Ronaldo had the final say with his freak goal and Madrid rode their luck to go top — a point ahead of Atletico Madrid and Valencia who have played one game less.

Despite the win, Mourinho was far from happy throwing his water bottle in the dug-out late on. “It was great to get my first goal and the points in a tough match against a very good team,” said di Maria. “Now we’ll see what Atletico (Madrid) do against Barcelona.”

Champions Barcelona are four points behind Real and travel to league leaders Atletico on Sunday. It was Sociedad’s first defeat of the season but the league newcomers tested Real to the limit in a sensational atmosphere at the Anoeta stadium and were denied a late equaliser at 2-2 by goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Mourinho made just one change from the side that convincingly beat Ajax 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday with Sergio Ramos replacing Alvaro Arbeloa.

It was a special game for Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso who began his career at hometown club Sociedad and was part of the Sociedad side that finished league runners-up to Real in 2003. Real started on the front foot but it was Sociedad who had the best chances with French midfielder Antoine Griezmann guilty of two glaring misses.

In the fifth minute Xabi Prieto found Griezmann unmarked in the penalty area but he headed over the crossbar to the relief of Casillas.

Sociedad continued to attack and on 25 minutes everyone was celebrating — in particular

Sociedad coach Martin Lasarte — the opening goal only to realise that Griezmann had shot just wide. The Frenchman was one-on-one with Casillas but contrived to shoot wide and let Madrid off the hook again.

Real had long distance efforts from Ronaldo, di Maria and Alonso to show for their attacks but then needed a last ditch intervention from Ricardo Carvalho to stop the hosts from scoring on 31 minutes.

Real were lucky to be level at half-time after Sociedad’s missed chances, yet, Mourinho refused to change things for the second half and di Maria shot the visitors ahead on 51 minutes curling in with his weaker right foot for his first Real goal.

Sociedad showed real character to equalise 10 minutes later with Real failing to defend a fizzing cross and Tamudo was on

hand to slot in the leveller.

However, Ronaldo’s deflected free-kick 15 minutes from time sealed a fortunate win with Casillas pulling off a late save from the hapless Griezmann. Earlier Danish coach Michael Laudrup enjoyed his first win in charge of Real Mallorca as the islanders recorded a 2-0 home victory over Osasuna.

Mallorca scored their first goal of the season with a Chori Castro penalty on 25 minutes and a first club goal from Dutch midfielder Jonathan de Guzman helping former Barcelona and Real Madrid star player Laudrup to his maiden league win. “I can say the same thing as (Jose) Mourinho and that is that my teams play better in the second season,” explained Laudrup. “It will come with time, however, before it does we have to take the points and this is an important victory.”

AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

AC Milan’s forward Filippo Inzaghi celebrates after scoring against Catania during their Serie A football match at San Siro Stadium in Milan on September 18, 2010.

Inzaghi strikes to save Milan Agence France Presse

ROME – Filippo Inzaghi scored his 123rd AC Milan goal to rescue a point in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Catania at the San Siro on Saturday. After opening their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over French side Auxerre in midweek, Milan started without injured Brazilians Alexandre Pato and Robinho.

They fell behind to a 30-metre screamer from Ciro Capuano just before the half-hour mark after the Catania midfielder had collected a clearance from Andrea Pirlo.

Milan levelled just on the stroke of half-time when Ronaldinho setup 27-year-old Inzaghi to side-foot home from six yards. It gave the striker his 123rd goal in Milan’s colours, just one behind the club record of 124 held by Dutchman Marco van Basten.

The result put Milan into fourth place, two points behind leaders

Chievo. “We ought to win these games on home turf, but there’s a long way to go yet,” said Ronaldinho. “It is always difficult when an opponent defends en masse. It could’ve been a good opportunity to win, but the important thing is to carry on working well.

“Now we’ve got to start winning with a certain level of consistency.”

Fiorentina lost for the second successive time when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Lazio, a defeat which sent them to 17th place in Serie A. Fiorentina could even find themselves rock-bottom if AS Roma, Bologna and Udinese secure points this weekend. The match started well for Fiorentina when 19-yearold Adem Ljalic opened the scoring with a 19th-minute penalty.

But Lazio levelled through Argentine Cristian Ledesma in the 32nd minute before Czech international Libor Kozak scored the winner after 67 minutes.

Spanish league results Espanyol 1 (Callejon 47) Almeria 0 Real Mallorca 2 (Castro 25-pen, de Guzman 90) Osasuna 0 Sporting Gijon 2 (de las Cuevas 12, Sangoy 23) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Gurpegui 28, Llorente 58) Real Sociedad 1 (Tamudo 61) Real Madrid 2 (di Maria 51, Ronaldo 75) Italian league results Fiorentina 1 (Ljajic 19-pen) Lazio 2 (Ledesma 32, Kozak 67) AC Milan 1 (F. Inzaghi 45) Catania 1 (Capuano 27) English Premier League results

Stoke City 1 (Jones 48) West Ham 1 (Parker 32) Aston Villa 1 (Ashley Young 13) Bolton 1 (Davies 35) Blackburn 1 (Samba 30) Fulham 1 (Dempsey 56) (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal , left, is tackled

by Real Sociedad’s Imanol Agirretxe during their Spanish La Liga soccer match at Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian, northern Spain Saturday Sept. 18, 2010.

Everton 0 Newcastle 1 (Ben Arfa 45) Tottenham 3 (Van der Vaart 77-pen, Pavlyuchenko 87, Hutton 90) Wolves 1 (Fletcher 45) West Brom 3 (Dann o.g. 51, Odemwingie 59, Olsson 69) Birmingham 1 (Jerome 15) Sunderland 1 (Bent 90) Arsenal 1 (Fabregas 13)

Sport

International

boxing match in

Injured Hewitt misses crucial Davis Cup tie

Los Angeles,

Agence France Presse

Saturday, Sept. 18,

CAIRNS, Australia Australia’s campaign for promotion to the Davis Cup World Group was dealt a critical blow Sunday, with top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt forced out with a hand injury, before rain halted the tie.

Hewitt, world number 36 and Australia’s most successful Davis Cup player, was due to meet Belgium’s Olivier Rochus in Cairns Sunday but had to stand down, officials said.

“Lleyton Hewitt was forced to withdraw from his reverse singles match against Belgian number one Olivier Rochus due to a right hand injury,” Cup officials said.

Australia lead Belgium 2-1 after Hewitt and Paul Hanley won Saturday’s doubles. World number

Sergio Mora, right, hits Sugar Shane Mosley during the 10th round of a

2010. The fight ended in a draw.

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Mosley and Mora fight to a draw Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES - Shane Mosley and fellow American Sergio Mora fought to a 12-round draw in a 154-pound non-title fight on Saturday. The 39-year-old Mosley had hoped to earn another big-money fight after his lopsided loss to Floyd Mayweather four months ago, while Mora (22-12) was trying to re-establish himself as an elite fighter.

The fight turned into a defensive battle and both fighters were booed by the Staples Center crowd. Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) was the aggressor but had trouble landing punches because of Mora’s defensive tactics.

The former 154-pound titleholder consistently stayed out of trouble and grabbed onto Mosley to stop the action which only aggravated the crowd who wanted to see more exchanges in the centre of the ring.

Mosley started the match as the aggressor over the first five rounds before Mora began to counter. Mora

battled back in rounds six and seven before Mosley took control again.

“We both fought hard,” Mosley said. “It was good fight, a good decision.” One judge had Mosley winning, 116-112, another saw it Mora winning, 115-113, and the third judge called it a 114-114 draw. The crowd booed the decision.

Mora, who held the 154-pound title two years ago, claims he went easy on Mosley because he thought he was winning the fight down the stretch. “I should’ve listened to my corner,” Mora said. “They were tell-

Monday, September 20, 2010

15

126 Peter Luczak was 4-4 in the first set with Rochus, ranked 79th, but only 51 minutes’ play was possible on Sunday due to heavy showers.

“Should it go down to the wire, Carsten Ball may find himself playing Steve Darcis, who was unable to compete on Friday and Saturday due to a shoulder injury,” officials said. Ball lost his opening match to Rochus in straight sets. The two countries are yet to decide who will play the fifth rubber.

Australia, who have won the Davis Cup 28 times, are keen to win their way back into the elite grouping of 16 for the first time since they were dumped out of it by Belgium in 2007 — an event in which Rochus was instrumental. Play will resume at 10:00 am (0000 GMT) on Monday.

ing me that it was a close fight. I thought I was winning, so I didn’t fight as hard because I have respect for Shane. I didn’t want to hurt him.”

Mosley had an edge in the CompuBox punchstats, landing 161 of 522 punches to 93 of 508 for Mora.

The undercard of a promotion celebrating Mexican Independence featured Mexican sensation Saul “Canelo” Alvarez taking on Argentinian Carlos Baldomir. Alvarez had a spectacular third-round knockout of veteran Baldomir.

Maradona due in China for charity lunch with fans: organiser Agence France Presse

BEIJING - Football legend Diego Maradona is due in China in November for a charity tour

that will see him lunch with fans and sing in a concert, the organiser said Sunday. Maradona, who was dismissed as Argentina’s national team coach in July, will

AFP PHOTO/TELAM

The former coach of Argentina’s national football team, football legend Diego Maradona (L) meets with UNASUR’s (South American Nations Union) general secretary and former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner at the presidential residence in Olivos, Buenos Aires, on September 17, 2010.

travel to China with 11 players to raise money for a Chinese Red Cross Foundation project aimed at helping poor people who suffer from cancer.

“He will participate in a series of charity events including playing no less than 20 minutes in two football games,” Wang Ling, head of Guojin Yihui (Beijing) International Culture Company, which is planning the trip, told AFP. “Maradona sings very well and we are organising a concert for him in China,” he added. The football legend will also have lunch with the highest bidder of an auction due to take place before his arrival on November 3, Wang said.

According to the foundation’s website, the meal will last two hours and the winner will be able to bring six friends. Maradona and the players, whose names have not yet been revealed, will stay in China for 10 days on a trip that will also take in Liaoning province in the northeast and Anhui in the east.

(AP Photo/Brian Cassey)

Australian Lleyton Hewitt makes a shot during the doubles match of the the Davis Cup World Group play-off against Belgium’s Olivier Rochus and Ruben Bemelmans in Cairns Australia Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. The Davis Cup tie continues over three days.

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Monday, September 20, 2010

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

Sport

Iannone dominates Aragon Moto2 Aragon - Andrea Iannone crushed the opposition to record a dominant victory in the Moto2 support race at Aragon. The Fimmco Speed Up rider screamed into an immediate lead from pole position and never looked back. He displayed blistering pace to streak away from the opposition and win by six seconds.

The Italian lapped consistently below his pole position time from yesterday’s qualifying session, and led by over 10 seconds at one point, before throttling back over the final two laps.

Spaniard Julian Simon rode superbly to win the battle for second place. Simone Corsi fought him early on before slipping back, while Iannone’s Hungarian team-mate Gabor Talmacsi shadowed the pair in the first half of the race, before moving into third and then mounting a late but unsuccessful challenge for second.

As Simon claimed his third suc-

cessive second place finish, Talmacsi celebrated his maiden Moto2 podium from the race that replaced his abortive home round on the MotoGP calendar.

Aside from the dominant Iannone, the ride of the race came from runaway championship leader Toni Elias. The ex-MotoGP race winner crashed in qualifying yesterday and wound up 12th on the grid. He survived a hit during a midfield melee that eliminated several riders at the start, before moving steadily though from 14th to fourth. Elias was closing on Talmacsi at the end but ran out of time.

JiR rider Corsi held on for fifth, ahead of impressive Frenchman Jules Cluzel, who rounded out the top six. Corsi’s San Marinese teammate Alex de Angelis ran inside the top six at one stage, but crashed out on the seventh lap of 21.

Yesterday’s star of qualifying Scott Redding, who narrowly missed out on pole to Iannone, struggled in today’s race. The youngest rider in the field at 17 made a bad start and fell out of the top six on the opening lap, before finishing a subdued eighth, behind Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter.

Alonso confident ahead of Singapore Agence France Presse

LONDON - Fernando Alonso started his Ferrari career with a stunning maiden victory in his opening race in Bahrain in March and he hopes to complete his debut season with another win - and the drivers’ world title - when the F1 circus returns to the Gulf in November.

That is for the final race of the year at Abu Dhabi the fifth of five ‘flyaway’ races outside Europe in the next two months during which one of the sport’s closest and most dramatic title tussles will be decided.

Spaniard Alonso, 29, wants to win his third world title in his opening year with the Italian team and, after a bold victory on home soil at Monza in last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, the final race of the year in Europe, he is convinced he and Ferrari have the potential to do it.

He believes Ferrari’s recent point-scoring record in the last four Grands Prix proves they are now genuine contenders with a car that can compete on all kinds of circuit. “Despite failing to score in Belgium, where the accident on the first lap weighed heavily like a stone, Ferrari and I have scored more points than anyone else

AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Spain’s Fernando Alonso steers his Ferrari on his way to win the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept 12, 2010.

in these last four races,” he said this week.

“That makes us even more confident and the fact these results came on tracks with very different characteristics to one another confirms for me that our car is pretty versatile.”

Since his controversial victory at the German Grand Prix at the end of July, Alonso and his Ferrari teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa have out-scored all rivals to consolidate themselves in third place in both the drivers and the constructors’ championships.

“I knew it would be tough, but I have kept my belief all through this recent time. When I arrived at the Ferrari factory at Maranello on Sunday, a week before the race, I was confident that we could reignite our championship chances. “Now, a few days after that really happy moment at Monza, we can claim to have made a good step forward - a big step.

“Things did not go well at Spa-Francorchamps, so, it was hard to say beforehand what we might really be capable of. “However, we knew that, as long as we did our best, we would be in with a chance and that’s how things turned out. Now our aim must be to try and do the same in the final five races of the championship.”

Alonso added that he was personally very impressed by the superb performance of his pit crew during the Italian race - and the support he had from the entire team.

So, he said, he went out of his way to thank them all after the race and made a special visit to the factory at Maranello earlier this week. “I was able to personally thank everyone at the Gestione Sportiva, when they all gathered in the logistics building.

“It was nice to lift the winner’s trophy again in front of the people who had made the victory possible, starting with the guys who did the pit-stop!”

That stop, in 3.4 seconds, was the key to Alonso’s triumph ahead of defending champion Briton Jenson Button of McLaren. The Englishman’s stop took 4.2 seconds and that slight advantage gave Alonso the edge and the momentum for victory.

“I think we have a strong team, a great car now and a great spirit,” he said. “We can do the job if we are calm and consistent in the last five races.”

Italian Fimmco Speed Up team Andrea Iannone celebrates after winning the Aragon Grand Prix at Motorland’s racetrack in Alcaniz, on September 19, 2010. AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN