Edisi 23 Mei 2012 | International Bali Post

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Sport

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Di Montezemolo says the championship is now in Ferrari’s hands

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes the Italian squad’s fate in the championship is now in its own hands after the step forward it took in the Spanish Grand Prix.

The updates introduced for the Barcelona race seemed to pay off for the Italian squad, with Fernando Alonso fighting for victory and finishing second to Williams driver Pastor Maldonado.

The result means Alonso is now tied in the lead of the championship after the first five races of the season. Thanks to the form shown in Spain, di Montezemolo is optimistic winning this year’s titles is exclusively up to his team now.

The Italian also said that Alonso’s

team-mate Felipe Massa “must” achieve strong results in order to help his team following a poor start to the campaign.

“The championship is very open and so far, there has not been one dominant force,” wrote di Montezemolo in a letter to his staff.

“A series of circumstances and the work done here to improve the car, as well as Alonso’s great ability, has led to us leading the championship after five rounds.

“We must capitalise on that, with each one of us giving our very best at home and at the race track, including Massa, who must bring home the results we expect from him.

“I know from Domenicali, with whom I am in constant contact, how

World's tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, opens

hard all of you are working. Of this I am sure, also because winning the championship depends only and exclusively on ourselves: on our ability, our creativity, our determination and our desire to show that we are the best.”

“I had no traction out of the corners, especially in first and second gear, and I wasn’t able to advance,” Pedrosa explained. “We made a few changes to the configuration of the bike after warm up hoping to improve it a bit, in the end it was other way around, but these things can happen.

“In the race I immediately realised it was not my day, not a day to AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos take any risk and it was important to simply reach the best position. I was Ferrari Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso, from Spain, lucky, after the crashes of both Tech steers his car during the Spanish Grand Prix at the Montmelo racetrack near Barcelona, Sunday May 13, 2012.

3 Yamahas I finished fourth.”

Page 6

The reigning MotoGP world champion admitted Honda had struggled to get on top of the conditions, afflicted by issues switching the tyres on at the start and with heavy degradation at the end.

“That was a tough race, not the best day for us,” Stoner said after finishing third behind Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha and Valentino Rossi’s Ducati. “The bikes

weren’t working, and both myself and Dani [Pedrosa] had the same problems: from the start we couldn’t get heat into the tyres and get the rear to work.

“Jorge used that opportunity perfectly to pull a huge lead, and then I was just trying to stay in second, getting pressure from behind [while] just waiting to get grip.

AP Photo/David Vincent

Australian MotoGP rider Casey Stoner steers his Honda ahead of Italian rider Valentino Rossi during the MotoGP Grand Prix of France, in Le Mans, western France, Sunday, May 20, 2012.

“Then I got grip I started to push and close [on Lorenzo], and everything was looking good, and then the rain stopped, the water levels went away and we just overheated the rear tyre. We couldn’t get any traction and were spinning the rear in every gear, from first to sixth.”

As a result, Stoner said it had been almost impossible to hold Rossi at bay as the seven-time champion closed rapidly and surged into second on the final lap.

“Valentino had the pace over us at the end. I tried to hold on, to do everything I could, but he had a much higher pace and I couldn’t even stay with him on the last lap, I think he pulled 1.5 seconds on me.

“It was nice just to be on the podium, it wasn’t looking so good for us halfway through the race.”

Pedrosa too said he had been afflicted by traction issues, and had realised almost immediately that the race was not going to go his way.

“I had no traction out of the corners, especially in first and second gear, and I wasn’t able to advance,” Pedrosa explained. “We made a few changes to the configuration of the bike after warm up hoping to improve it a bit, in the end it was other way around, but these things can happen.

“In the race I immediately realised it was not my day, not a day to take any risk and it was important to simply reach the best position. I was lucky, after the crashes of both Tech 3 Yamahas I finished fourth.”

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Unstoppable land conversion made Subak endangered Bali Post

DENPASAR - Recognition of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) specifying the subak (Balinese irrigation cooperative) as one of the world heritages got appreciation from many lineups. However, conditions in the field are quite different.

Stoner hampered by tyre issues

Casey Stoner said he was happy to have simply picked up a podium finish on a sodden Le Mans circuit after struggling badly with tyre issues.

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16 Pages Number 108 4th year

Conversion of farmland function denoting an inseparable part from the subak is unstoppable. Even, due to the swift conversion of farmland, some of the subak territories in Denpasar only leave a memory, one of which is Subak Sanglah.

The Head of Denpasar Agriculture, Food Crops and Horticulture Agency,

Nyoman Ambara Putra, said the conversion of farmland in Denpasar tended to be used for housing. However, he admitted that aside from housing, it was also earmarked for road as well as other functions. He said that in general the conversion of land function reached 20-30 hectares per year.

Continued on page 6

Gibb matriarch loses third son with Robin’s death Page 12

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AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File

In this Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005 file photo, former beauty student Schapelle Leigh Corby, center, who is currently serving 20 years in an Indonesian prison for drug smuggling, is escorted by police officers after her appeal hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. A court official says Tuesday, May 22, 2012, the Australian woman has been granted a five-year remission on her 20-year drug smuggling sentence.

Indonesia cuts prison term for Australian Corby Associated Press

DENPASAR — A court official says an Australian woman imprisoned in Indonesia has been granted a five-year remission on her 20-year drug smuggling

sentence.

Former beauty student Schapelle Leigh Corby was convicted in 2005 of smuggling marijuana onto the resort island of Bali. Her case triggered intense interest in Australia, where many

people believe she’s innocent.

Spokesman Amzer Simanjuntak of the Denpasar District Court, said Tuesday a letter has been delivered to Corby at Kerobokan Jail on Bali, informing her of the reduction.

Prisoners in Indonesia are granted remissions two or three times a year, usually for good behavior. It’s unclear — with several two-year cuts already granted — when exactly Corby will be eligible for parole.

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International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali News

Anticipating teenage mischief, Pupils’ School Bags checked

The beautiful scenery of Mount Batur in Kintamani, Bangli

Negara (Bali Post) –

UNESCO asks Indonesia to complete requirements of Kintamani Geopark

IBP/File

Bangli (Bali Post)—

Obsession of the Indonesian government to make the Mount Batur the first geopark area in Indonesia seems to still find obstacle. The related world organization assessed the proposal preparation was carried out in a hurry. Therefore, some requirements could not have been met. One of them was that before proposed internationally, Kintamani has not been nationally set as a geopark.

The Regent of Bangli, Made Gianyar, said on Monday (May 21) that his party had just made a visit to Japan since last May 10 with dozens of officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and some other central authorities. They attended the International UNESCO Congress on Geoparks in the Unzen Volcanic Area Global Geopark, Japan. In the congress was stated that Kintamani still needed a time to make improvement. UNESCO provided the opportunity to complete all the data up to the end of June.

In fulfilling the data, the central government through a team of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and geopark would come to Kintamani on the upcoming May 26. Admittedly, both the central government and Bangli government actually lacked of perspective on geopark. Related to the proposal of Kintamani, the central government would

like to make it the first geopark in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in the case of Shimabara, Japan, in fact it has been declared a national geopark by Japanese government since 1934. Then, it was registered as a member of Global Geoparks Network (GGN) in 2004 and acquired worldwide recognition in 2006.

For the Asia-Pacific region, it was only Indonesia that had not had a geopark. On that account, the world organization then provided a great motivation to Indonesia. He himself was also very eager to propose it, although he had not fully understood what was meant by geopark.

Nevertheless, the struggle to make Kintamani gain a world recognition as the first geopark in Indonesia should be continuously strived for. His party did not want if it was just a dream. If Kintamani could be approved in the UNECO Congress in Spain in the upcoming September, then the preservation of this

area as a geopark would be no longer solely the responsibility of local government. However, it would become a national and international policy.

“Since we do not understand about the geopark itself, we have not equipped the data with the activities of geopark. The geopark activities required did not necessarily mean if the activities should be carried out in Kintamani, but the activities carried out throughout Bangli. One of them is the conservation activity held in the Bukit Jati Temple and Pengelipuran village for Bangli subdistrict,” he said.

If Kintamani could be endorsed to become a geopark area, the mining activities would not necessarily be terminated. However, they could still continue, but had to be performed in certain limits.

The purpose of geopark was to take people to manage the earth without damaging the environment. (kmb17)

To anticipate teenage disobedience, Negara Police last Monday (21/5) did a sweeping on Vocational School SMK 1 Negara at Baler Bale Agung, Negara, targeting pupils’ school bags also giving them guidance. The activity was led by Head of Negara Police, PC Ida Bagus Nyoman Budiasa, who also led the flag ceremony attended by all pupils and teachers.

Head Police suggested the pupils to focus on their studies and not to be involved in negative acts moreover disobeying the law. Pupils were asked to distance themselves from illegal drugs, alcohols and other

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crimes. After the ceremony, all pupils were asked to go in each their classes where officers checked each their bags in the 19 classes which no illegal drugs, alcohols nor sharp weapons were found. Budiarsa stated this step is taken to anticipate and pressurized the number of crime actors and underage disobedience.

Principal of the school, Putu Wardana, stated besides the police, the school itself every month held sweeping of school bags twice without any advance notice yet no law disobedience has happened up to now. Negara Police stated this will be a routine step taken in Negara City. (kmb26)

Though Admission Ticket Rises, Tourist Visit to Tanah Lot Stays High

Price hike of admission ticket to Tanah Lot tourist attraction as of April 1 seemed to have no impact on the tourist arrivals to the leading tourist attraction of Tabanan. A month after the price hike in admission ticket, the number of tourist visits increased 30 percent. “The increase in ticket price does not affect the number of visits to Tanah Lot,” said the Operations Manager of Tanah Lot tourist attraction, Ketut Toya Adnyana, Tuesday (May 1).

Toya explained that in March 2012 the visit to Tanah Lot reached 162,194 people.

Domestic tourists reached 94,264 people consisting of children (2,315) and adults (91,949). Meanwhile, foreign tourists were 61,137 consisting of children (6,793) and adults (61,137).

In the meantime, in April the number of visit increased to 194,917 people. It was recorded that domestic tourist visits reached 126,388 people, consisting of children (3,985) and adult (122,403). The number of foreign tourist arrivals also rose to 68,529 people. In details, they consisted of 1,907 children and 66,622 adults.

“Hopefully, the number of monthly visit continues to increase. Our prediction, in May, June, July and August, the number of domestic tourists will be booming as coinciding with school holiday season in Indonesia,” said Toya.

To help the realization, his party would continue to make the best effort so that Tanah Lot would really become a safe and comfortable destination to visit. To beautify the object, his party would make improvement to infrastructure, including the arrangement to the park existing throughout the area, signs, street lighting and sidewalks on both roadsides from the toll gate up to the area in front of the split gate of Tanah Lot Temple. “Besides, we will also repairs the front walkway and equip the object with gazebo for visitors to unwind,” said Toya. (BTN/015)

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 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti  Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Wirya, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

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Thunder top Lakers 106-90 to reach West finals Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ramon Sessions did the best he could to keep Russell Westbrook from making a high-flying dunk that would energize the Oklahoma City Thunder. No matter. Even with his feet flat on the ground, Westbrook found a way to get the Thunder rolling past the Los Angeles Lakers and into the Western Conference finals for the second straight year.

After Sessions committed a foul to stop him on the fast break, Westbrook flipped the ball up toward the rim and got it to go in for what would become a three-point play.

Westbrook took off toward the scorer’s table, pumping his fist as the home crowd celebrated.

There was no turning back after that, and Oklahoma City pulled away for a 106-90 victory in Game 5 on Monday night to knock the Lakers out of the playoffs. “That was an amazing play,” coach Scott Brooks said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of luck to that. You put yourself in that position to get a little lucky there.

“I thought from that point on, we really played with great energy on the offensive end, moved the ball and made shots.” Westbrook finished with 28 points, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 10 rebounds and the two All-Stars skipped their usual rest periods to power the Thunder ahead in the second half.

After Westbrook’s pair of three-

point plays fueled a 14-3 burst that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay late in the third quarter, Durant hit two 3-pointers as the Thunder scored the first 10 points of the fourth to push their lead to 93-77.

Los Angeles never got closer than 13 after that.

“That’s a tough team, man. They weren’t laying down,” Westbrook said. “We got a little down on ourselves and we had to come together and be better teammates, and we did that.” Kobe Bryant scored 42 points for the Lakers and took the briefest of rest — less than 2 minutes — in the second half. It didn’t even take that long for the game, and their season, to slip away.

Bryant was waiting to check in when Durant connected on his second 3-pointer, just 89 seconds into the fourth quarter. But by the time he got in, there was little he could do — despite the 13th 40-point game of his playoff career. After getting eliminated by Los Angeles in 2010 and Dallas in 2011 before

both of those teams went on to win it all, the Thunder knocked both out on their way to the West finals for the second straight year.

The only other time the franchise made consecutive conference finals was from 1978-80, including Seattle’s only NBA title in 1979.

Once there, they’ll face top-seeded San Antonio, which is riding an 18-game winning streak and is the only team other than the Lakers or Mavs to win the West in the past 13 years. The series starts Sunday night in San Antonio.

Los Angeles has followed backto-back championships with two straight second-round exits. “I’m not fading into the shadows,” said Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere.” Certainly, not this offseason. Westbrook made sure of that when he went running to the scorer’s table and pumped his fist in the air after his energizing three-point play.

Nadal beats Djokovic to regain Rome title

Reuters

ROME - Rafa Nadal enjoyed the perfect fillip ahead of his French Open defence by downing world number one Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-3 in the delayed Rome Masters final on Monday, saving his most impressive display of the tournament to last. Beaten surprisingly early on Madrid’s blue clay earlier this month, the 25-year-old Spaniard has been back to his destructive best on the red dirt at the Foro Italico and blew away his one-time bogeyman.

Both players refused to budge an inch in a brutal 76-minute opener but Serb Djokovic, who memorably beat Nadal in straight sets in last year’s final, faded and the match ended in anticlimax when he double-faulted to gift Nadal a record sixth Rome title.

“I am happy that I won in Rome without losing a set against the best players in the world like (Tomas) Berdych and (David) Ferrer and Djokovic,” Nadal said. “I will have this trophy in my bedroom. It is a dream. I have confidence I am playing well and this comes when I play at the right level. Hopefully I will keep playing like this.”

Six-times French Open champion Nadal’s victory means he will rise back to second in the world rankings after being overtaken by Roger Federer last week -- a significant move ahead of Roland Garros where he will now definitely be in the opposite half of the draw to Djokovic.

AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

Spain’s Rafael Nadal bites the trophy after winning his final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Monday, May 21, 2012.

The match, the 32nd between the pair, had been postponed by rain on Sunday, but both players came out firing in front of a healthy crowd as the sun finally returned. Nadal went immediately on the attack, carving out two break points in Djokovic’s opening service game only for the elastic-limbed Serb’s defences to dig him out of trouble.

DREADFULLY DISGUISED

The Spaniard did draw first blood when he punished a dreadfully disguised Djokovic drop shot in the fifth game to move ahead but he immediately handed the service break back with a lacklustre game culminating in a rare forehand error. Djokovic briefly switched up a gear and began to dominate the rallies,

so much so that he seemed poised to take the set when Nadal served to stay in the set.

At 30-30 Djokovic peppered the corners with a series of meaty groundstrokes and had Nadal in trouble before a forehand was wrongly called out and immediately over-ruled by the umpire and the point was replayed. A frustrated Djokovic lost the next two points with errors and he was broken at 5-5 as Nadal prevailed in a scintillating rally with both players in at the net.

Nadal served out with ease to claim the opening set and immediately moved 2-0 up in the second set. Djokovic hung on grimly, threatening to break back in the fourth game only to mess up an easy smash.

Djokovic suffered with a couple of bad bounces as he served to stay in the match and the deflated 25-year-old double-faulted to end the contest and hand Nadal a 21st Masters Series title to move ahead of the record of 20 he shared with Federer. “I think that the match today was quite close, even if he won in straight sets,” Djokovic said. “If you don’t use the opportunities against Rafa he gets momentum. “But I go to Paris with confidence.”

With the French Open and Wimbledon looming, Nadal has also regained his old supremacy over the man who took his No.1 ranking last year and who had beaten him seven times in a row before the sequence ended in Monte Carlo last month.

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter of Game 5 in their NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal playoff series, Monday, May 21, 2012, in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City won 106-90.

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Sport

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali News

International

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Reuters

PARIS - Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is leaving Chelsea after playing a leading role in their Champions League triumph, according to a report to be published in French magazine France Football on Tuesday.

Drogba, who scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Bayern Munich on Saturday after cancelling out Thomas Mueller’s opener, has reportedly told his team mates “we will not be together next season.”

“I am getting ready for a great leap into the unknown,” he added without hinting at a possible destination.

Drogba, 34, joined Chelsea from Olympique Marseille in 2004 and has won three Premier League titles with the London club as well as four FA Cups.

Mangupura (Bali Post)—

AP Photo/Scott Heppell

Maturing Ben Arfa hoping to prove his worth

IBP/File

A house is seen in the middel of a rice field. Skyrocketing bill of property tax (PBB) in a number of regions in Badung Regency is feared to affect the increase in the conversion of land function and transfer of assets to investors.

Drastic increase in property tax

Feared to trigger conversion of farmland function

Reuters

PARIS - Hatem Ben Arfa is at peace with himself and hopes a growing maturity that has made him more of a team player will see him selected in the France squad for next month’s European Championship, the forward said on Monday.

Ben Arfa was cut from an extended French squad for the 2008 tournament and then left out completely for the World Cup in South Africa two years later by former coach Raymond Domenech.

He struggled with discipline and moved to Newcastle United in August 2010 after a troubled spell at Olympique Marseille where he fell out with coach Didier Deschamps.

However, two years on and a

strong end to the English Premier League season where he scored thundering goals against Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers has strengthened Ben Arfa’s case to finally be included.

“I am more peaceful now,” Ben Arfa told reporters at France’s training camp in Clairefontaine on the outskirts of Paris.

“I make more efforts for the others. Every failure makes you grow. I have evolved and at 25 I think I’m more mature than when

I was 20.”

France coach Laurent Blanc must reduce his current training squad to 23 by May 29 and Ben Arfa was ready for whatever outcome.

“Obviously you wonder what is going to happen but I have no hunch. I just hope I will be in the squad. “I still remember the shocks of 2008 and 2010. If it has to happen, I will adapt.” France are in Group D with Sweden, England and co-hosts Ukraine.

Shanghai Shenhua say they plan to name a new head coach, just weeks after the bigspending Chinese football club appointed mercurial French striker Nicolas Anelka as player-coach. There was no immediate comment from Shenhua about British reports that Anelka’s former team-mate Didier Drogba, fresh from his Champion’s

League triumph with Chelsea, is set to join them.

Former Argentina manager Sergio Daniel Batista has been tipped for the coach’s job, and Shenhua’s star player Anelka is said to be threatening to quit the club in response, according to reports. “The club has actively sought a head coach candidate, and is looking for him to take up the post and assume command soon,” the Chinese

Commitment of Badung Government in advancing the handicraft industry at Jagapati, Angantaka and Sedang (JAS) village is doubted by a number of lineups. Even, the regency government was only considered to spread a discourse because the activities of craftsmen in the area stagnate up to these days. Is it true?

Spokesperson of Badung Government, AA Raka Yuda, Monday (May 21) denied such accusation. According to him, as a form of commitment given by the government, the Regent of Badung had made preparations to realize the synergies by drafting a regional regulation on tourism that governed the obligations of tourism stakeholders, especially the tourism industry, to take advantage of the local products like handicrafts yielded by JAS village.

“Since the beginning, the Badung Government has thought how to make the tourism sector become a driving sector for the development growth in Badung. On that account, Badung Regency is very concerned to build synergies between the tourism industry and the handicraft industry of JAS,” said Raka Yuda.

He further explained in the next regulation the Badung Government would recommend the handicraft products of JAS denoting wood craft products ‘made in Badung’ to be purchased and displayed in hotel rooms. The Regent of Badung himself had commissioned the Badung Government Tourism Office to socialize the matter sustainably either through gathering opportunities with the tourism industry or entrepreneurs when they submitted an application or renewal of business license. “It is the government effort to prepare the regional regulation so that there is certainty for entrepreneurs to support the SME,” he said.

Related to procurement of a tour package passing through the JAS village, the man who is familiarly called Gung Raka stated that Badung Regency had initiated and communicated the plan to the Tourism Industry Association of Indonesia (GIPI) and the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA).

Badung Government facilitated the arrangement of half-day or one-day tour to Northern Badung passing through the route of JAS village, Taman Ayun and Sangeh. “Hopefully, this program can be realized,” he added. (kmb25)

Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Skyrocketing bill of property tax (PBB) in a number of regions in Badung Regency is feared to affect the increase in the conversion of land function and transfer of assets to investors. By all means, small communities owning the lands are surely burdened and forced to sell their assets.

AP Photo/Tim Hales

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, center, and Ashley Cole, left, celebrate during an open top bus victory parade to celebrate Chelsea winning the Champions League soccer tournament, London, Sunday May 20, 2012.

Shenhua seeking new football coach as Anelka simmers

Agence France Presse

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Tourism grows rapidly, JAS craftsmen go into a slump

Drogba to leave Chelsea - report

Newcastle United’s Hatem Ben Arfa, left, vies for the ball with Manchester City’s Gael Clichy, right, during their English Premier League soccer match at the Sports Direct Arena, Newcastle, England, Sunday, May 6, 2012.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

club said in a statement posted on its microblog late Monday.

The coming of a new head coach has sparked a public outburst by the striker, who told local media that he was considering leaving.

Anelka is serving dual roles for Shenhua, although the club also named former DR Congo national manager Jean-Florent Ikwange Ibenge as acting head coach

after sacking Frenchman Jean Tigana last month.

The Shenhua statement added the club “hopes he (Anelka) will help the new coaching group to quickly become acquainted with the state of the team without delay”.

The Shanghai Daily newspaper said Shenhua were close to signing Batista, who led Argentina to the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

A legislator of Commission B in the Badung House, I Nyoman Satria, said on Monday (May 21) the increase made was fine. Moreover, the current authority to do so remained to lie in the central government. Nevertheless, the increase in the property tax should not burden the people, especially the small communities. Central government should have a clear criterion regarding the determination of such property tax. If it was not accurately targeted, it could kindle an enormous social and environmental impact.

“If the drastic increase happens to private homes and agricultural lands, people are obviously very disadvantaged by the policy. Do not blame if the conversion of land function will also increase because the poor will be forced to sell their land because of such high taxes. Do not let it happen. If the increase happens to hotel industry, for example,

it’s okay. But, when it comes to small communities, it is very much regretted,” he said.

He explained the authority of collecting the property tax was still on the central government.

However, effective next January 1, the authority would be lie in the Badung regency. Next year, Badung Regency could make revision in the policy on the property tax. In response to the complaints against the increase in property tax as happened in Legian and Kuta, Satria advised the public to submit their objection or to request a reduction to the KPP Pratama tax service office. “Public may submit their objections. Yet, in this case the local government should also be more active. Subdistrict head, headman or customary village chief may coordinate the communities to submit the proposal to the tax service office,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regent of Badung, I Ketut Sudikerta, asserted

that Badung Regency would facilitate the public to file the objection.

If approved, the taxpayers would get a corresponding reduction or relief of the property tax.

Regarding the transfer of authority on the property tax collection to local government, Sudikerta stated the determination of property tax should not contain any elements of coercion, especially for the agricultural land whether it was wetland or dry land. Determination of the property tax should refer to the rules and mechanisms as well as the fate of farmers. Therefore, it should also pay attention to the agricultural yields and income of farmers. He ensured that in increasing the regionally generated revenue (PAD), the Badung Regency would not boost taxes in the agricultural sector. “Farmers do not have adequate income for supporting their daily life, let alone for paying taxes,” he said. (kmb25)

IBP/file

The craftsman is making a statute

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

International

Bomb hits Damascus as Ban warns of ‘pivotal moment’ Agence France-Presse

DAMASCUS - Syrian security forces carried out a spate of raids in Damascus early Tuesday after a deadly bombing hit the capital and UN chief Ban Ki-Moon warned the search for peace was at a “pivotal moment.”

State television said the blast also fierce clashes between regime hit a restaurant in the Qaboon forces and rebels in the town of neighbourhood of the capital. The Kfar Roma in Idlib province in the Britain-based Syrian Observatory northwest. for Human Rights said five people Demonstrations broke out at were killed. dawn in several neighbourhoods of In all, at least 59 people were Aleppo, the country’s second city killed nationwide on Monday, and commercial hub which until including 31 loyalist troops who recently had been largely spared died in clashes with rebel fighters, the unrest shaking the country since the Observatory said.

March last year.

The bloodshed raged despite One person was also killed by the deployment of a UN military gunfire in Nouaymeh, a town in observer mission to oversee a the southern province of Daraa, the promised ceasefire that has been watchdog said. breached daily since it went into The UN chief issued a new force on April 12. warning of the dangers of all-out The Observatory said dozens civil war as the 14-month uprising of people were arrested in the pre- against President Bashar al-Assad’s dawn raids in several suburbs of the regime has turned into an armed capital, including Douma, Harasta rebellion. and Barzen.

“The secretary general said we It said powerful blasts were heard were at a pivotal moment in the overnight in a number of provincial search for a peaceful settlement cities, including central Hama, to the crisis and that he remained northern Aleppo and the coastal extremely troubled about the risk of cities of Banias and Latakia. an all-out civil war,” a spokesman The watchdog said there were for Ban said at a NATO summit in

Science

International

Associated Press Writer

The painting, “Niña en azul y blanco,” is a portrait of 10-year-old Juanita Rosas and belongs to a period in which Rivera captured the innocence of children. This piece is special because the famed muralist chose it to illustrate the catalog of the National Tribute Exhibition that the Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts organized in 1949 to celebrate his 50 years of painting.

“It is very typical of his work, especially of that period,” Carmen Melian, director of Sotheby’s Latin American Art department, told The Associated Press.

Rivera “painted through the years the children of the help at his home and the

neighbor’s, and in particular he painted Juanita several times,” Melian said.

It’s Rivera’s most important painting to be auctioned in decades, according to Sotheby’s, which has promoted it as one of his two biggest paintings outside of Mexico and says it is hitting the market at the right time. Just last year the Museum of Modern Art featured a solo exhibit of Rivera’s work.

“What I love the most is that it was painted in his studio,” Melian said of the painting. “I have been in his studio and the floor there has been dyed green, that’s why it is green in the piece. And the white wall in the background, with its mix of

NATO states have come under criticism for backing the air war in Libya but ruling out military intervention in Syria, where opposition demonstrators and badly outgunned rebels have been hammered by heavily-armed regime forces.

AP Photo/Harry Rossetani

Niagara Falls emergency officials rescue a man who plunged over Niagara Falls and survived in an apparent suicide attempt, Monday, May 21, 2012. The man is only the third person known to have gone over without a safety device and live. A waiting helicopter flew him to Hamilton General Hospital, where a spokeswoman says he has critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y — A man survived a plunge of at least 180 feet over Niagara Falls in an apparent suicide attempt Monday — only the third person known to have lived after going over the falls without a safety device.

Niagara Parks Police said witnesses reported seeing the man climb over a railing 20 to 30 feet out over the Horseshoe Falls at 10:20 a.m. and “deliberately jump” into the Niagara River. Seriously injured, he surfaced in the lower Niagara River basin near the Journey Behind the Falls observation platform and managed to make it to shore on his own.

“He waded ashore,” said Platoon Chief Dan Orescanin of the Niagara Falls, Ontario, Fire Department.

“He must have gotten swept into an eddy, floated over there and was able to get out on his own.

“That’s another stroke of luck,” Orescanin said. “If he was in the main current, he would have been swept down river.”

Orescanin said the man was conscious and talking at first but got quiet. He appeared to have chest injuries, including broken ribs and a

collapsed lung, Orescanin said.

The man was airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital with what police initially said were life-threatening injuries. Hospital spokeswoman Agnes Bongers said later that the man was critically injured but was expected to survive.

Authorities did not release the man’s name. Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the river, is the tallest of the three main falls, higher than the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The man, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, was rescued about two hours later after fire department rescuers rappelled down the steep and rocky gorge and pulled him in a basket back up the cliff.

“It was very difficult. Between the shale and the boulders, and everything is wet and slick. It’s slimy,” Orescanin said.

About seven rescuers struggled to carry the basket up to a point where it could be lifted with ropes suspended from an aerial truck.

“We had to basically hand carry him back up, a foot at a time, up the rope,” the chief said.

The rescue came weeks before daredevil Nik Wallenda plans to walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope after

convincing United States and Canadian officials to grant an exception to laws prohibiting stunting.

Although several daredevils have survived trips over the falls in barrels or other contraptions, beginning with Annie Edison Taylor in 1901, few have survived unprotected. In 1960, 7-year-old Roger Woodward was swept over the falls wearing a life jacket and survived. Authorities don’t believe Monday’s plunge, on a warm and sunny Victoria Day holiday in Canada, was a stunt.

“Based on witness statements and surveillance video, it doesn’t appear in any way, shape, or form that this was anything other than a suicide attempt,” Niagara Parks Police Sgt. Chris Gallagher told WIVB in Buffalo.

More than 6 million cubic feet of water go over the brink of the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours, according to the Niagara Parks Commission.

The last person to go over the falls unaided and live was a 30-year-old Canadian man in March 2009. In October 2003, Kirk Jones, an outof-work auto parts salesman from Michigan survived his plunge over the falls.

This undated image released by Sotheby’s New York shows Diego Rivera’s 1939 oil on canvas painting “Niña en Azul y Blanco,” (Retrato de Juanita Rosas a los Diez Años de Edad) that will be auctioned with other Latin American artworks on May 23-24 at Sotheby’s in New York.

Associated Press Writer

Man survives 180-foot plunge over Niagara Falls Associated Press

blue and pink, is almost like a Monet or a Renoir; the front is more realistic, the figure of the kid pops out.”

Rivera’s current record is $3,082,500 for the 1928 oil on canvas “Baile en Tehuantepec,” (“Dancing in Tehuantepec”) sold in 1995 at Sotheby’s in New York.

“Niña en azul y blanco” could even break the auction record for Latin American art, held since 2008 by Mexican Rufino Tamayo’s “Troubadour,” which fetched $7.2 million. “You never know,” Melian said. “You don’t see a piece like this one very often.”

AP Photo/Sotheby’s New York

Cartoon studio faces state clout, global stars

AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman

Syrian government forces speak to a U.N. observer in the Damascus suburb of Douma, Syria, Sunday, May 20, 2012.

“We strongly condemn the behaviour of the Syrian security forces and their crackdowns on the Syrian population,” NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday.

“But again NATO has no intention to intervene in Syria.”

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Rivera work poised to set new auction record in NY NEW YORK — Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s 1939 oil painting “Girl in Blue and White” is headlining Sotheby’s Latin American art auction in New York. If it sells for the high end of its $4 million to $6 million estimate, it could double the artist’s previous record of $3 million dollars.

Chicago on Monday.

NATO, which undertook a major air war in Libya to back rebels who fought Moamer Kadhafi’s forces last year, has said it has “no intention” of taking military action against Assad’s regime.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

IBP/ist

A fossilized ink sac from an ancestor of the modern cuttlefish found in the U.K. This fossil is 160 million years old.

Oldest Fossilized Ink Found in Ancient Squid Cousin The oldest fossilized pigment ever found has been discovered inside the preserved ink sacs of an ancient cuttlefish ancestor. The ink sacs belonged to a cephalopod, the group that includes squid, octopus and cuttlefish, 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic era.

The molecular structure of the ancient ink is surprisingly similar to that of modern cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, said study researcher John Simon, a professor of chemistry at the University of Virginia.

“They’re essentially indistinguishable,” Simon told LiveScience.

Previous studies have turned up tiny structures in everything from fossil fish eyes to dinosaur feathers containing the dark brown or black pigment melanin. But it can be tough to tell pigment structures, called melanosomes, from fossilized bacteria. Simon and his colleagues

used a barrage of chemical tests to examine two fossil ink sacs found in the United Kingdom. These tests gave them a remarkably detailed look at the molecular makeup of the ink sacs’ contents.

The research, published today (May 21) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, confirmed that the pigment in the sacs is, in fact, melanin. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin, which is black or dark brown, and pheomelanin, which is orange-red.

Using chemical methods, the researchers were able to determine that the squid ink contained eumelanin.

These methods are more reliable than attempts to determine color by looking at melanosome structure, Simon said, as structure is not necessarily related to color. “This would have been totally black,” Simon said.

SHANGHAI — Chinese cartoonist Carol Liu Hong built her studio from scratch, doing post-production work for TV commercials and then, once she broke even, realizing her dream of creating cartoons for Chinese kids. Breaking into a market dominated by state media companies has been tough — even more so now that Kungfu Panda creator DreamWorks Animation SKG and other big cartoon giants are launching their own local studios in China.

Liu has gotten some help. Seeking to nurture creative industries, the Shanghai government gave her studio, Shanghai Cartoon Communication Group, a choice location.

But its success so far mainly stems from its ability to balance cartoon making with sales of related products, she says.

Having drawn-in-China cartoons high on the national entertainment agenda also helps local creators: Prime time is reserved for domestic cartoons — no “Winnie the Pooh” or “Tom and Jerry” between 5-9 p.m. because China’s culture czars want a say in the content shown to the country’s 300 million under-14-year-olds.

Also high on the agenda: breaking into a huge global industry.

China has yet to strike that magic formula that draws audiences across borders and age groups. “China’s cultural influence has not matched its economic growth and officials here want to spread Chinese cul-

ture abroad,” said Sun Shaoyi, a professor of film and television at Shanghai University.

The recent slew of alliances between industry giants like DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Co., which is building a theme park in Shanghai, will bring in new technology and help improve local industry standards, says Liu, whose studio has worked on foreign projects for years.

But such collaboration has its limits, she says, since cartoons that work in the U.S. might not go over well in China, especially among adults. “In some cases, the kids really like it, but TV stations say they are unacceptable,” Liu says. While American schools and families

might encourage children to think for themselves, “in China, it’s all about obeying the teachers.”

Shanghai animation saw its heyday in the 1960s, before the antiintellectual frenzy of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when artists and teachers were persecuted and a generation of urban teens was sent to work in the countryside.

China now has 2,400 schools providing animation training. But generally China is not really doing enough to support homegrown animation, Liu says, especially smaller studios like hers, which employs about 200 people in Shanghai and another studio in the nearby city of Wuxi.

AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach

In this Oct. 12, 2011 photo, a staff artist who works under Chinese cartoonist Carol Liu Hong shows the draft of a cartoon at Shanghai Cartoon Communication Group in Shanghai, China.

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Entertainment

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

International

Gibb matriarch loses third son with Robin’s death

AP Photo

FILE- In this undated file photo, from left, members of The Bee Gees Musical Group, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb pose for a photo. A representative said on Sunday, May 20, 2012, that Robin Gibb died at the age of 62.

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A Sojourn to Witness Cultural Uniqueness of Ubud Who does not know the Island of Gods or Bali? It’s the bijou island offering all the natural beauties and intriguing sublime cultures. People who never pay a visit can tell much about the island, let alone those knowing it just in a dream.

Bali is situated east of Java Island having access within easy reach, either by land, sea, or air.

With such an easy access, this island is then popularly chosen as a favorite tourist destination. Aside from several amazing beaches, Balinese culture can also be taken advantage as an endless tourist attraction because many temples retain very high cultural values. In addition, Bali is also delighted to offer natural attractions in the form of mountain and terraced rice fields resembling a verdant overlay of rug.

One of the convenient locations

LONDON — Her sons were blessed with musical gifts that brought riches and fame. On Monday, Barbara Gibb was living a parent’s ultimate nightmare — preparing, for the third time, to lay a child to rest. Her son Robin Gibb — a Bee Gees founder known for his astonishing vocals and songwriting skills — died Sunday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 62. the twins — suffered debilitating intestinal problems that led to their premature deaths. Robin suffered from colon cancer and other digestive ailments. He became gaunt even before his cancer diagnosis.

Of the four boys Barbara Gibb raised in England and Australia before they became global stars, only Barry, the eldest, is still alive. She also has a daughter living in Australia who has stayed out of the public eye.

The family’s place in pop history is assured, not only because of the Bee Gees’ groundbreaking success during the disco era, when they helped define a totally new sound that filled dance halls throughout the world, but also with their success as songwriters and producers.

Their career began in Australia in 1963 and saw them score their first major international hits in 1966 and 1967, when their sound was influenced by the success of the Beatles, who were then topping worldwide charts. They prospered during the disco era, long after the Beatles had broken up in acrimony, and continued to ride a show business wave for several decades afterward.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Waka di Ume Resort and Spa

Associated Press Writer

Earlier, she had lost her sons Andy Gibb, a pop idol who died in 1988 at age 30 from a heart ailment, and Maurice Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees and Robin’s twin, who died in 2003 of acute intestinal problems.

Several months before his death, Robin Gibb told a British newspaper that he sometimes wondered if the family is paying a “karmic price” for the Bee Gee’s mind-blowing success. And friends of Barbara Gibb have been quoted as saying she believes the family may be cursed.

Before illness struck, the Gibb family enjoyed remarkable good fortune. The boys were raised in challenging economic circumstances but were exposed to music at an early age because their father was a bandleader and a drummer and their mother had experience as a singer.

They started singing professionally as teenagers, moving within a few short years to prominence first in Australia, then throughout the world. But the apparent ease of this meteoric rise was followed by later tragedy.

Both Robin and Maurice —

Activities

International

situating among the rice field, jungle and mountainous gorges is Ubud. It is an appropriate sojourn and destination located in the region of Gianyar Regency. Here you can find a unique resort offering the indigenous Balinese concept highlighting the harmonious relationship of human to environment, fellow humans and the Creator, namely the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa. Many fascinating attractions can be encountered here, ranging from relishing the natural atmosphere up to learning the native cultures.

“Here, we also invite our guests to appreciate the natural environment, cultural and social life of the Ubud community,” said I Wayan Duartha, General Manager of the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa. With such various activities, many tourists were attracted to stay at Waka.

Lady Gaga behaves, gets OK for 2nd gig in Manila Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines — Lady Gaga has the go-ahead to put on a second concert in the Philippines after Manila authorities decided her first show did not violate the law. The pop diva thrilled fans at her sold-out show

Reuters

Monday night, but some Christians in the Philippines have been protesting her concerts and accuse her of promoting immorality.

Authorities say her second gig Tuesday night be will allowed to proceed because they found no violations of the conditions of the special permit they

issued for the first concert. Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto says Lady Gaga did not exhibit nudity or abuse religion.

Some Christian youths called for her concerts to be banned. Catholic Archbishop Ramon Arguelles warned that her fans are in danger of falling into the clutches of Satan.

Alain Resnais revisits classic Greek legend at Cannes

PARIS - Take 15 well-known French theatre and film actors, add a classic Greek legend and voila, you have the makings of the latest Cannes offering from French director Alain Resnais.

“Vous N’Avez Encore Rien Vu” (You Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet) is an art-house film within a film that relies heavily on its ensemble cast, whose members include Sabine Azema, Pierre Arditi, Anne Consigny and Lambert Wilson.

It is one of a handful of Frenchlanguage movies in competition for the film festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, to be awarded on Sunday. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet is based on Jean Anouilh’s play Eurydice, which in turn is based on the classic Greek legend of Orpheus, in which the young musician unsuccessfully tries to save his lover Eurydice from the underworld.

The 89-year-old Resnais is a lion of French cinema with six decades of film making under his belt whom Cannes honored with a lifetime achievement award in 2009.

The themes of memory and time, and plots that rely on interwoven narratives crop up again and again in his works, whose best known include his first feature, “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (Hiroshima My Love), and the con-

centration camp documentary “Nuit et Brouillard” (Night and Fog).

InYou Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet, Resnais has his cast play themselves as they reunite at the home of a deceased director (Denis Podalydes) with whom they had worked in the past on “Eurydice.” His final wish is for them to view a film of a young troupe performing the play.

As the actors watch, snippets of

dialogue they once had memorized comes back to them, and they gradually inhabit the roles themselves.

“The actors are portraying themselves in the film, they reminisce and remember their past,” Resnais told a news conference, speaking in French.

“Suddenly, while they’re playing their parts, they’re caught up in the ghosts, the phantoms of their memories.”

REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Director Alain Resnais (C) poses with cast member after the screening of the film “Vous n’Avez Encore Rien Vu”, in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival, May 21, 2012.

A variety of facilities have been provided to support the comfort and satisfaction of every single guest. Waka di Ume Resort and Spa established on November 5, 1995 has 18 rooms, consisting of 3-bedroom Wapa Villa with private pool, 2-bedroom Family Villa with private pool, Villa with Pool, Di Ume Suite, Terrace Villa and the smallest one is the Lanai Terrace.

Room rates of the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa ranges from USD 244 to USD 655. Such rates have included government tax, service and breakfast.

More interestingly, the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa lies very close to the natural and cultural attractions. Among others, they are monkey forest, art museums, Goa Gajah, Ceking rice terrace, Tirta Empul temple at Tampaksiring,

Tampaksiring Presidential Palace, and Petulu village becoming the native and convenient home to thousands of white egrets.

One day, if you want to make a visit to the island, especially

when would like to luxuriate in the countryside ambience with five star facilities, look no further and decide on the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa as your serene sojourn on the island.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for May 20 through June 20, 2012 26 May Tumpek Wayang Pura Majapahit Jembrana Odalan Betara ratu Gede Desa Celuk Sukawati Odalan Betara Ratu Wedyadari Camenggaon Sukawati Pura Panti Gelgel Pengembungan Sesetan Denpasar Betara Ratu Alit & Ratu Lingsir Singakerta Ubud Pura Pedarmaan Dalem Sukawati Besakih Pura Pedarmaan Mengwi Besakih Pura Pedarmaan Kaba-kaba Besakih Pura Pedarmaan dalem Bakas Besakih Pura Dadia Agung Pasek Gelgel Pegatepan Gelgel Klungkung Pura Pemrajan Agung Sulang Kec Dawan Klungkung.

Merajan Pasek Bendesa Kori Agung Pengatepan Pura Pedarmaan Dinasti dalem sri Aji Pura Besakih Pura Penataran Giri Purwa Banyuangi.

Pesraman Dusun Kuto Rejo Banyuangi.

30 May Buda Wage Kelawu.

Pura Penataran Agung Teluk Padang Karangasem Pura Melanting Desa Camenggaon Sukawati Pura Penataran Ped Nusa Penida.

Pura Pasek Gelgel Pangembungan Bongkase Abiansemal.

Pura Pasek Bendesa Reyang Gede Penebel Tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel Br. Jawa Tengah Buleleng Pura Gaduhan Jagat Desa Singakerta Ubud Pura Masceti Tegeh Mancawarna Sanding Tampaksiring Pura Penataran Batu Lepang Kamasan Klungkung Pura Paibon Pasek Gelgel Gobleg Desa Kedonganan Kuta Pura Goa Besakih Pura Basukian Besakih Odalan Ida Ratu Pucak Pameneh Penataran Agung Besakih Merajan Pasek Gelgel Pejeng Merajan Pasek Gelgel Songan Merajan Pasek Prateka Pekandelan Sidemen Merajan Pasek Prateka Taman Sari Sukasada.

Pura dadia Pasek Gelgel Sidemen Karangasem Merajan Pasek Gelgel Tampuagan Tembuku, Bangli.

5 Jun Anggar Kasih Dukut.

Pr. Dalem Batuyang Batubulan Pura Pasek Gelgel Mengening Kediri Tabanan Pr Pasek Undagi Timpag Kerambitan Tabanan Pura Desa/ Pura Pucak Banjar Taman Bedulu Gianyar.

Merajan Pasek Tangkas Kori Agun Sulahan Merajan Pasek Padang Rata Padang Pura Puser Jagat Dalem Dukut Puri Sukun Nusa Penida.

6 Jun Buda Umanis Dukut Pura Agung Pasek Gelgel Sibang Kaja Abiansemal Pura Dalem Samplangan Gianyar 16 Jun Saraswati Pura Pasek Tangkas Gempinis dalang Tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel sayan Bongkase Abiansemal Pura Watugunung Bima Pura Agung Jagatkarana Surabaya Pura Aditya Jaya Rawamangun Jakarta Timur Pura Pemaksan Banyuning Timur Buleleng Pura Agung Wira Lokha Natha Cimahi Jawa Barat Pura Dadia Agung Bendesa Tangkas Kori Agung Pusat Gerih Desa Gerih Abiansemal Badung.

Pura Giri Jaya Natha Balikpapan Pura Agung Santi Bhuana Brugelette Belgia.

18 Jun Some Ribek.

Pura Jati Jembrana Pura Kawitan Batugaing Bangli Pura Tirta Wening Tambak Sari Surabaya 20 Jun Hari Raya Pagerwesi Pura Laban Sindu Jiwa Kedewatan Ubud Pura Kehen Bangli Pura Wirabuana Magelang Jawa Tengah Pura Padang Sakti Tangtu Denpasar Timur Pura Jogan Agung Ketewel Sukawati Pura Gadung Pengiasan Dauh Puri Denpasar Pura Pasek Gelgel Buruan Kaja Tabanan Pura Pasek Gobleg Kerambitan tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel Meliling Tabanan

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

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

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

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

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

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

News

World’s tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, opens

Associated Press TOKYO — The world’s tallest tower and Japan’s biggest new landmark, the Tokyo Skytree, opened to the public on Tuesday.

Nearly 8,000 visitors were expected to take high-speed elevators up to the observation decks of the 634-meter (2,080-foot) tower to mark its opening. Some reportedly waited in line more than a week to get the coveted tickets for a panoramic view, though Tuesday ended up being cloudy in Tokyo.

Skytree is recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest tower, beating out the Canton Tower in China, which is 600 meters (1,968 1/2 feet).

The world’s tallest structure is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which stands 828 meters (2,717 feet). That’s in a different category because it’s a skyscraper, not a tower.

The Skytree will serve as a broadcast tower for television and radio, along with being a tourist attraction. It replaces the 333-meter-tall (1,092 1/2-foottall) Tokyo Tower — a symbol of Japan’s capital since 1958 — as the broadcast hub.

UK’s Royal Navy has first woman at command of ship Associated Press

LONDON — The first woman to command a major Royal Navy warship is taking up her post.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense says Commander Sarah West will take control of the frigate HMS Portland Tuesday.

The 40-year-old has served in the Royal Navy for 16 years.

The ship is being refitted and will be based in Devonport.

Officials say women first went to sea with the Royal Navy in 1990 and have served as pilots and mine clearance divers in addition to other posts.

Unstoppable...

From page 1

AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye

Visitors wait in front of the entrance of the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The world’s tallest tower and Japan’s biggest new landmark opened to the public on Tuesday.

Malaysia’s Anwar charged, alleges new persecution

Agence France-Presse

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was hit with criminal charges Tuesday for his part in an election reform rally, a case he denounced as another government attempt to remove him from politics.

Anwar and two party colleagues were charged with violating a controversial new law governing public gatherings and a court order that banned the April 28 rally from the centre of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The charge comes just four months after Anwar was acquitted of sodomy in a long-running trial that the charismatic leader has said was engineered by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak to remove him as a political threat. “We will fight. This is political intimidation,” the 64-yearold Anwar told reporters as he left the court in Kuala Lumpur after pleading not guilty.

“Najib is afraid to face me in elections. I want to tell Najib not to use the courts and the flawed (assembly) law passed in parliament to intimidate political opponents.”

The judge scheduled a July 2 hearing to set a trial date.

A Malaysian government spokesman rejected Anwar’s allegations of meddling. “The public prosecutor

International

decides whether to press charges against an individual based solely on the strength of the evidence against them,” he said in a statement.

Anwar’s lawyers and a top Election Commission official have confirmed that a conviction would strip the opposition leader of his eligibility to stand for election, although he could run on appeal.

The charge of participating in an illegal protest carries a fine of 10,000 ringgit ($3,100) under the new law.

In Malaysia, anyone fined more than 2,000 ringgit for a crime is barred from contesting elections for five years.

Najib must call national elections by early next year, and many observers expect a tight contest after the Anwar-led opposition handed the ruling coalition its worst poll showing ever in 2008.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians marched in last month’s rally organised by electoral-reform group Bersih 2.0, demanding changes to an election system that they say is rigged

in the ruling coalition’s favour.

The new charges, which came to light Wednesday in a summons issued to Anwar, have triggered fresh criticism of the new law on public assemblies, passed late last year amid strong criticism from the opposition and human rights groups.

Anwar, who was charged along with the two colleagues from his People’s Justice Party, said they were the first people prosecuted under the Peaceful Assembly Act. Najib, who has sought to portray himself as a reformer, has said the act guarantees the right of citizens to assemble publicly.

But it bans street protests, and critics say its various strictures make obtaining approval for a rally virtually impossible in urban areas.

A statement by Anwar’s party said the charges proved its earlier warnings that the assembly act was intended to prevent its leader rallying opposition supporters -- and throw him in jail if he does.

It happened inseparably from the increase in economy of the community. In addition, the high price of land in Denpasar also encouraged the landowners to sell their rice field.

To suppress the conversion of such land function, he said, many programs had been launched to farmers. Aside from providing an ease in marketing, the Agriculture Agency also provided rice seeds and improved the infrastructure and facilities of subak. For instance, the government helped make waterways that were very important for farmers.

Additionally, farming tools were also rolled out to reduce the interest of farmers to sell their farmland.

His party also made coordination with the Denpasar Spatial Planning and Housing Agency in order the agency would not issue any building permit in agricultural areas. “We do hope there will be no longer building permits issued for the green belt,” he said.

Ambara Putra admitted that of the 40 subak organizations existing in Denpasar, their acreage were not evenly distributed. Some subak territories only had 10 hectares like the Subak Kedaton. However, there was also a subak remaining to survive until now, namely Subak Kerdung which covered an area of 250 hectares. “One of the subak territories in Denpasar, namely Subak Sanglah, no longer has farmland because its land has been converted to residential areas and other function,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission B of the Denpasar House, Eko Supriadi, said the high conversion of land function in green belt was inseparable from the lack of supervision. So far, many cases came into view regarding the spatial violation, but they did not get a clear penalty. These conditions lead to the emergence of other violations. “I think this happened because of less maximal supervisions,” said Eko. Ambara Putra added that Denpasar Municipality actually had quite great commitment to preserve the subak. It was not only carried out by his agency, but also by the involvement of other agencies such

as the Public Works Agency, Culture Agency, Spatial Planning and Housing Agency as well as the Regional Revenue Agency.

Ambara said although the conversion of farmland in Denpasar continued to happen every year, the government remained to make quite a lot of efforts in preserving the farmland. Aside from providing for tax subsidies for farmland in the green belt, his party also conferred some other programs taking sides to farmers.

Not only that, the more specific help provided were such as rice seed, fertilizer and farming tools. Farmers were also provided with welfare program in the form of incentives like a rolling out fund. “For the improvement of irrigation channels, we work closely with the Public Works Agency,” explained Ambara last Monday.

It was said that the quite diverse working programs designed since 2009 were intended to improve the welfare of farmers in Denpasar. Aside from providing rice seed for farmers, his party had also made efforts to optimize the dormant land. There were at least tens of hectares of unproductive land in Denpasar today. For this year, his party targeted at least 30 hectares of dormant land could be reactivated by farmers. “This measure is intended to keep the production and productivity of farmers in Denpasar high because it is no longer possible to expand the agricultural land in Denpasar,” he said.

Until now, the amount of productive land in Denpasar City was recorded to reach 2,717 hectares spreading over the four subdistricts saved by 41 subak organizations.

They consisted of the Subak Anggabaya (±50 ha), Subak Kerdung (400 ha), Subak Kedua (150 Ha), Subak Lungatad (100 ha), Subak Cuculan (± 70 ha) and Subak Padanggalak (80 ha). “These productive lands will be maintained by continuously empowering our farmers as well as stimulating the interest of young people to pursue agriculture so that conversion of farmland function can be minimized,” said Ambara. (kmb12)

International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

BUSINESS

11

OECD warns risk of ‘severe recession’ in eurozone Associated Press

AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON

PARIS — The 17-country eurozone risks falling into a “severe recession,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned on Tuesday, as it called on governments and Europe’s central bank to act quickly to stop the slowdown spilling over into the global economy.

OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan said the eurozone is “close to” the possible scenario of a 2 percent economic contraction this year that the Paris-based think tank laid out as its worst-case scenario last November.

Padoan made his comments as the OECD, which comprises the world’s most developed economies, released its twice-yearly global economic outlook. The report forecasts a longer and deeper contraction in the eurozone than predicted in November, with the eurozone economy expected to shrink in 2012, and only manage a feeble recovery in 2013.

“Today we see the situation in the euro area close to the possible downside scenario” in the OECD’s November report, “which if materializing could lead to a severe recession in the euro area and with spillovers in the rest of the world,” Padan told reporters before the

report’s release.

The OECD’s new forecast shows Europe falling behind the United States, where growth is seen accelerating both in 2012 and 2013.

“There is now a diverging trend between the euro area and the U.S., where the U.S. is picking up more strongly while the euro area is lagging behind,” Padoan said.

The OECD raised its forecast for US growth this year to 2.4 percent, and to 2.6 percent for 2013.The eurozone will shrink 0.1 percent this year and grow 0.9 percent in 2013, the OECD said.

The OECD’s forecast is still more optimistic about both the U.S. and Europe than the International Monetary Fund. Last month the IMF said in its own global economic forecast that the U.S. should expand 2.1 percent this year, while Europe should shrink 0.3 percent.

Padoan called on eurozone lead-

ers to adopt a “policy compact” to promote growth even while reducing deficits. French President Francois Hollande has made securing such a pact the focus of his European diplomacy in the first weeks of his administration.

So-called eurobonds — debt issued jointly by countries in the currency bloc — could be used to recapitalize banks, Padoan said.

He also reiterated his call of six months ago for the ECB to do more to stem Europe’s crisis.

The ECB has an “essential” role to play in solving Europe’s crisis, Padoan said, both by using its balance sheet firepower to shore up banks and by lowering interest rates. The ECB should also consider renewing the “unconventional measures” it used last year such as buying up government bonds, “if there is need to cope with contagion problems,” Padoan said.

Reuters

Stanley’s own brokers were at one point “ranting and raving” about glitches that left unclear what trades had actually been executed.

Without a fresh round of defense, Facebook shares ended down $4.20, at $34.03, on the Nasdaq. That was a decline of almost 25 percent from Friday’s intra-day high of $45 a share.

“At the moment it’s not living up to the hype,” said Frank Lesh, a futures analyst and broker at FuturePath Trading LLC in Chicago, adding that some people may have decided to hang back and buy the stock on the decline.

“Look at the valuation on it.

It might have said ‘buy’ to a few people, but boy it was awfully

rich,” he said.

The drop in Facebook’s share price wiped more than $11 billion off of the company’s market capitalization -- it became a sufficiently interesting pop culture story that even gossip website TMZ did a brief item Monday morning.

Volume was again massive on Monday, with nearly 168 million shares trading hands, making it by far the most active stock on the U.S. market. Nearly 581 million shares were traded on Friday.

The drop was so steep that circuit breakers kicked in a few minutes after the open to restrict short sales of the stock, according to a notice from Nasdaq.

Facebook shares sink 11 percent as reality overtakes hype Facebook shares sank 11 percent in the first day of trading without the full support of the company’s underwriters, leaving some investors down almost 25 percent from where they were Friday and driving others to switch back to more established stocks.

Facebook’s debut was beset by problems, so much so that Nasdaq said on Monday it was changing its IPO procedures. That may comfort companies considering a listing, but does it little for Facebook, whose lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley, had to step in and defend the $38 offering price on the open market.

Even so, one source said Morgan

Chinese hawkers wait for customers outside the Forbidden City in Beijing on May 21, 2012. China will fast track approvals for infrastructure investment to combat a slowdown in the economy, a state-backed newspaper reported on Tuesday, showing how Premier Wen Jiabao’s call for policies to support growth is being put into action.

China targets infrastructure to lift economy Reuters

BEIJING/SHANGHAI China will fast track approvals for infrastructure investment to combat a slowdown in the economy, a state-backed newspaper reported on Tuesday, showing how Premier Wen Jiabao’s call for policies to support growth is being put into action.

The pace of investment in the likes of roads, bridges and real estate is running at its weakest in nearly a decade, April data showed, suggesting the world’s second-biggest economy is heading for a sixth straight quarter of slowing growth.

To provide some support the government had asked for project proposals by the end of June, even for those initially earmarked for the end of the year, said the China Securities Journal, one of the country’s top financial papers.

Citing government sources, the article said Beijing did not rule out bringing forward next year’s projects, if it thought more investments would be needed to stimulate the economy.

“This would be the first concrete evidence that Premier Wen’s comments are being put into practice,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk, an economist at Credit Agricole-CIB in Hong Kong.

“Improved China growth would benefit all regional currencies, as their economies heavily depend on exports to China.”

The newspaper also cited me-

dia reports saying the central government will speed up budget allocations to various construction projects, including highway construction.

News of Beijing’s latest efforts to bolster growth lifted stock markets. Australian shares rose 1.2 percent and Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 1.1 percent as investors bought miners on the prospects of more sales to China.

Chinese infrastructure stocks outperformed, while benchmark copper prices rose to a one-week high.

To be sure, some economists say the slowdown does not warrant the mammoth 4 trillion stimulus China produced at the height of the global financial crisis when firms had axed some 20 million jobs as global trade ground to a halt.

The economy is stronger that it was then. Today’s labor market is tight, wages are rising and employees are struggling for staff, conditions that could fuel inflation if Beijing loosened policy aggressively.

So the latest move by Beijing is another example of its “fine tuning” of policies to prevent the economy for slipping too quickly, they said.

Wang Jun, an economist at the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, a government think-tank, said he expected the thrust of the investment to focus on highways, railways, nuclear power and thermal power plants.

10

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ubud Monkey Forest

Destinations

Indonesia Today

International

International

7

Two Indonesian climbers conquer Mount Everest Antara

IBP

Ubud Monkey Forest is a small rain forest dwelt by some group of monkeys and other tropical animals. It is strategically located in the hearth of Ubud Village, precisely located in the region of Padang Tegal Village, Ubud Sub district and Gianyar Regency. Monkey Forests in Balinese language called Wanara Wana are spread out in the island and Ubud Monkey Forest itself own very important function of the continuity the monkey habitat in Bali. Meanwhile the local community own important role to keep this forest naturally in order to all wild animals able to live smoothly.

Ubud Monkey Forest is dwelt by 200 monkeys, pertained to long tail inclusive macaques or macaca fascicularis group which owns the wide disseminating area. Among the amount monkeys living in this forest, there are 23 adult male, 79 adult female and 98 still babies. All the monkeys in this forest consisted of three groups, dwell certain area and use the certain place and certain time. However, it also happened that entire group can use the forest and whenever two groups exist at same place and time, they will fight each other. These monkeys are believed as Gods Guard of Dalem Agung Temple, The Hindu Temple exist in the middle of forest.

There are three Holy Temples in this monkey forest and those are existing surround the forest and it is estimated built in the middle of 14 century, in the early governance of Gelgel dynasty. Dalem Agung Temple is located in northwest from the forest represent the existence of most important temples. Beside of two others, that are Permandian Temple, in Westside from this forest and Prajapati Temple which is located in south-east side where the place of Dewa Siwa (Siwa God), one of the Khayangan Temple in Padang Tegal Village.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

IBP/Net

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2nd-R) with First Lady Ani Yudhoyono (R) welcomes Portugese President Anibal Cavaco Silva (2nd-L) and First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva (L) during their arrival at the presidential palace in Jakarta on May 22, 2012. Silva, who was invited by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is accompanied by five members of the parliament.

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Seven Summit Team ended its expedition to the peak of Mt Everest (8,848 m) after two of its climbers successfully planted the country`s flag on top of the world`s highest mountain on Saturday.

However, two members of the team who climbed from the other side (southern route) of the mountain failed to reach the top. The Seven Summit Expedition Team scaling the mountain consisted of four members of Wanadri, the country`s oldest outdoor activity organisation.

The four members were divided into two groups - Iwan Irawan and Nurhuda, who climbed from the northern route (Tibet), and Ardeshir Yaftebi and Fadjri Al-Luthfi, who made the ascent from the southern face (Nepal).

The Indonesian Red-and-White flag was successfully flown on top of Mt Everest when Iwan and Nurhuda reached the peak from the northern route on Saturday (May 19, 2012) at 7:46 am local time.

In order to reach the peak of Mt Everest, which is also called “Sagarmatha Peak,” the climbers went through a long process of several stages. They had to constantly coordinate with the guides who accompanied them since the beginning of the ascent.

Of the two Wanadri climbers, Iwan Irawan was the first to reach the peak, followed by Nurhuda. They were then followed

by Peter, a Swedish climber, and their guides Tashi and Lakpa.

Ipong expressed his thanks to all prayers conveyed by the country for the success of the team. “Thanks for the prayers, cooperation and guidance. We hope that the other group of Wanadri climbers who scaled the peak from the southern route (Nepal) on Sunday (May 20) will also pull off the same achievement. We also hope that God will bless them so that they can return home with their achievement,” Ipong remarked.

Police chief visits families of Sukhoi victims

Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesia`s Police Chief General Timur Pradopo visited the families and relatives of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 victims at Said Sukanto Police Hospital in Jakarta Tuesday.

Timur arrived at the hospital and went straight to the bereaved families to express his deepest

condolences.

Then he proceeded to the waiting room of the families for a

Timor Leste expected to open flight to Kupang Antara

KUPANG - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) hopes that Timor Leste would open a Kupang-Dili flight route.

“We hope that Timor Leste would open flight with its Timor Air linking Timor Leste capital Dili with NTT provincial capital of Kupang,” Kadin Chairman for NTT Abraham Paul Liyanto said here over the

weekend.

He hoped that the leadership of the newly-installed Timor Leste President Jose Maria Vasconcelos, Timor Leste would advance the flight links between Dili and Kupang.

The Kadin chairman expressed hope that Timor Leste would make it happen its former plan to link Dili with Denpasar with its national airlines Timor Air. He said that trade relations trough air transportation were important and needed to thought of.

psychological accompaniment, and then to the DVI (disaster victim identification) room for an inspection of 45 victims who had been identified.

Meanwhile, the families and relatives of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 victims have begun undergoing a psychological examination at the

Said Sukanto Police Hospital`s ante mortem room in Jakarta Tuesday, before given the chance of looking at the remains of the victims.

Only a maximum of three persons is allowed to see each victim.

Coordinator of the Indonesian Association of Psychologists (Himpsi) Mira Rumeser

has prepared 12 members of the organization to accompany the bereaved families when looking at the victims.

“The psychologists will also be assisted by police women to prevent any unwanted or unexpected behavior from the visitors,” Mira said.

Police arrest six bomb terror suspects in Ambon

Antara

AMBON - Police have arrested six people suspected of involvement in a bomb terror in the wake of September 11 clash between two groups of residents in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon.

“They were involved in terror acts and bomb attacks in a number of areas in Ambon,” Chief of the Maluku Provincial Police Brig Gen Syarief Gunawan said here on Monday.

The six are identified by their initials as BM, RM, SS, HTM, AW and HS. Syarief said police also confis-

cated two non-active home-made bombs with a diameter of 10 cm each and two motorcycles from the suspects at the rented house of BM. The bombs were made of iron pipe.

“The suspects often used the two motorcycles which have the same police plates, namely DE-6077 AD to commit terror acts,” he said.

He said five of the six suspects, namely RM, SS, HTM, AW and HS were arrested in Ambon. The other suspect, BM was arrested at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta.

BM had earlier escaped to Bula town in Seram Bagian Timur district and later to Fak-Fak town in

West Papua province from where he left for Jakarta by MV Labobar on May 13.

“The police`s success in arresting the six suspects is inseparable from the public`s participation in providing tips-off to the police,” he said.

Based on the results of intensive investigation, BM was the main actor of the bomb terror. Not only was he the maker of the bombs but also the executor of bomb attacks in the field, he said.

“The six suspects had no link with any other terrorist cells,” he said adding the police were still looking into the motive behind the bomb attacks.

8

International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali Today

Balinese cuisines also come up with the increasing popularity of Bali as an international tourist destination. But unfortunately, approximately 80 percent of tourists visiting the Island of the Gods have never tasted the Balinese traditional cuisines.

Tourists to Bali rarely enjoy Balinese cuisines Bali Post

DENPASAR - Balinese cuisines also come up with the increasing popularity of Bali as an international tourist destination. But unfortunately, approximately 80 percent of tourists visiting the Island of the Gods have never tasted the Balinese traditional cuisines.

Balinese people themselves,” he said.

According to him, another challenge to Balinese cuisines was the protection of intellectual property rights that should be considered as a cultural stronghold of Bali and Indonesia. Balinese cuisine such as lawar, be tutu, sate lilit, and others will be promoted, but they

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

9

Balinese Culture

IBP/Net

Chairman of the Tourism Industry Association of Indonesia (GIPI) of Bali, Ngurah Wijaya, revealed that most tourists coming to Bali thought that Balinese cuisines were fried rice, chicken satay and gado-gado whereas they were all Indonesian cuisines.

“We will start introducing Balinese food through the campaign entitled ‘Hello Balinese Culinary.’ This campaign will feature the culinary flavors of Balinese community that have been handed down from generation to generation,” said Ngurah Wijaya in Denpasar.

He said the Balinese cuisines originally signified an expression of gratitude to God. They had a communal principle and all the materials in use were obtained not far from the surrounding environment. Typicality of Balinese cuisines made them special and unique so that they had added value other than offering spicy and salted flavor with a wealth of spices that had been well known to boost the taste of Asian cuisines.

“We would like to introduce and formulate various Balinese cuisines as well as establish a commitment among the tourism stakeholders (industry) as the

International

had not obtained a prominent highlight.

“By all means, the flavor of Balinese food will not be the same as that of Western cuisines, or Asian cuisines themselves. Therefore, it needed questioning and disseminating about the tolerance in bringing the Balinese cuisines to become an international menu,” he concluded. (kmb27)

Bali welcomes Subak as a world cultural heritage Antara

DENPASAR - The government and the people of Bali, especially the farmers, have welcomed the decision of the United Nations (PBB) to recognise subak, the Balinese traditional irrigation system in Dewata Island, as a World Cultural Heritage (WBD).

“Our expectation in establishing subak, the traditional irrigation system, as a world cultural heritage went through several processes and a lot of hard work over almost 12 years,” said Prof Dr I Wayan Windia, MS, the secretary of the World Cultural Heritage planning and proposal committee in Bali last Monday.

Windia, a professor at Udayana University in Denpasar, stressed that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation`s (UNESCO`s) decision to conserve subak in Bali should receive attention from the Indonesian government, the Bali provincial government and the district government in order to conserve and continue subak for the future.

According to Prof Windia, who is the head of the Quality Loan in Ubud, the government needs to address “how a farmer can be happy in pursuing and continuing his job as a farmer, so that he can still protect his own land and avoid alteration.”

He reminded the government that it is very important to pay serious attention to farmers and to ensure that subak is not known as a world cultural heritage that exists in an unkempt and dirty state.

“If this happens in the future, subak will no longer be acknowledged by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. This will embarrass the Indonesian government on the international front,” Prof Windia cautioned.

That is why, according to Windia, the government needs to pay attention to the needs of farmers, so that they are happy to work. The attention starts from providing suitable water irrigation systems, the necessary seeds, the marketing of their products, tax subsidies and education scholarships extending to the university level for farmers` children with high grades and high achievements, he added.

The Vice Minister for Education and Culture, Windu Nuryanti, confirmed that the Balinese cultural aspect of subak, as a mirror for Tri Hita Karana, has just been approved for designation as a world cultural heritage

by UNESCO. According to Nuryanti, the decision was made during a court session held at St Petersburg, Russia, on June 20, 2012.

The struggle to establish subak as a world cultural heritage went on for 12 years, and the world not only supports the decision but is also proud of Indonesia`s achievements.

UNESCO is an organisation whose objective is to support cooperation between countries through education, science and culture and to enforce law, human rights and justice throughout the world.

Ayurvedic Medicine

HINDU possesses a medical science that has been very renowned from time immemorial, namely Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic medicine refers to the contents of the scripture Ayurveda born thousands of years ago.

Ayurvedic scripture denotes a part of Upaweda in the group of Smriti Vedas.

However, the Ayurvedic scripture is often confused with Yajur Veda, the scripture containing sacrificial formula that also belongs to Smriti Veda. Yajur Veda itself is a scripture discussing about Yajña or ceremony.

Author of the book Usada Bali (Balinese Traditional Healing), the late Prof. IGN Nala, once said that to help the healing, the Ayurvedic healers usually provided natural herbal medicine having few side effects.

Almost all plants existing around us could be eaten, they were medicine.

On that account, all plants having efficacy for healing were necessary to be inventoried and developed.

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

To know whether a particular plant had a cold, warm or mild quality, it could be observed from the color of its flower and flavor. For instance, white,

yellow and green flower had warm quality. If their flowers were red and blue, these plants had cool efficacy.

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

Likewise, if they tasted sweet and sour, its quality might be warm.

However, if they tasted bitter and hot, they had cool efficacy. Then, if they were tasteless, they belonged to mild plant.

In herbal medicine system, added Prastika, people would be healthy if they consumed (ahara) nutritious healthy foods regularly, had adequate rest or sleep (nidra), and behaved (vihara) healthy. If the three aspects had been committed well, but it was still found health disturbances, then a herbal treatment (ausadhi) was required. Preparation method of herbal medicine could be divided into three kinds, namely grinding, spraying and boiled. Its healing method could be performed by drinking and dropping for internal healing, while the spraying or applying the paste for external use.

Then, what kinds of plant could be used to cure diseases? Prastika said that virtually all edible plants by animals could be eaten by humans.

Whether the herbs had medicinal quality, they could be observed from the color of their flowers and flavor as mentioned above. Similarly, the plants frequently used for spices in the cooking contained drug efficacy.

Red ginger for example, was

good to increase warmth of the body as well as to stimulate or maintain immunity. If red ginger added with the flowers of carambola, bark of tamarind and kalmegh leaves, they could be used to accelerate breathing and relieve cough.

Meanwhile, to break up kidney stones and cure colic, people could also use herbal medicine. Its ingredients consisted of roots of reed, roots of palm tree, root of areca nut tree and added with palm sugar. All materials were thoroughly boiled.

Afterward, its decoction water was drunk in the morning and afternoon.

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

Meanwhile, Balinese traditional healing used several palm-leaf manuscripts as reference. One of them was Lontar Usada Tiwang. This manuscript described about various types of diseases along with their treatments. Tiwang conveyed numerous symptoms in the form of disorder on the function of organ. There were several types of tiwang presented in the manuscripts such as tiwang utara, tiwang tojos, tiwang wedul, tiwang pemali pepasangan, tiwang wong, and tiwang rajasa. (BTN/kmb)

BEBEK BETUTU

(Roast Duck In Banana Leaf) OVERVIEW: The rich flavor of duck is greatly enhanced by a host of pungent roots, herbs and seasonings in this dish, which is invariably a great favorite with visitors to Bali.

The Balinese have great admiration for the duck and consider it to be a particularly strong animal as it is, like the turtle, the only one able to survive on land as water.

INGREDIENTS: 1 whole duck, weigh about 2 kg (4 ½ lb) 18 shallots, p eeled, cut in half, and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half, & sliced 3 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced 5 fragrant lime leaves, finely sliced 6 candlenuts, chopped 5 cm (2 in), ginger, peeled and chopped 8 cm (3in) fresh turmeric, peeled, chopped 8 cm (3in) kencur root, peeled, chopped 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 5 bird’s-eye chilies, slices 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 2 tsp dried shrimp paste, roasted and coarsely crushed 1½ tbsp salt 3 tbsp oil Banana leaves, greaseproof paper or aluminum foil for wrapping PREPARATION: Wipe the duck dry and set aside. Combine all ingredients except banana leafs in a bowl and mix well. Rub the duck outside with this mixture and fill the center of the duck with the remainder.

Close open duck with satay skewer. Wrap in several layers of banana leaves, greaseproof paper or foil and steam for 50 minutes. Transfer duck to a moderate oven and bake at 180o C (350o F) for 30 minutes.

Remove banana leaves, cut duck meat up in small pieces and serve with stuffing. When cooked, the meat should be so tender that it falls off the bones.

8

International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali Today

Balinese cuisines also come up with the increasing popularity of Bali as an international tourist destination. But unfortunately, approximately 80 percent of tourists visiting the Island of the Gods have never tasted the Balinese traditional cuisines.

Tourists to Bali rarely enjoy Balinese cuisines Bali Post

DENPASAR - Balinese cuisines also come up with the increasing popularity of Bali as an international tourist destination. But unfortunately, approximately 80 percent of tourists visiting the Island of the Gods have never tasted the Balinese traditional cuisines.

Balinese people themselves,” he said.

According to him, another challenge to Balinese cuisines was the protection of intellectual property rights that should be considered as a cultural stronghold of Bali and Indonesia. Balinese cuisine such as lawar, be tutu, sate lilit, and others will be promoted, but they

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

9

Balinese Culture

IBP/Net

Chairman of the Tourism Industry Association of Indonesia (GIPI) of Bali, Ngurah Wijaya, revealed that most tourists coming to Bali thought that Balinese cuisines were fried rice, chicken satay and gado-gado whereas they were all Indonesian cuisines.

“We will start introducing Balinese food through the campaign entitled ‘Hello Balinese Culinary.’ This campaign will feature the culinary flavors of Balinese community that have been handed down from generation to generation,” said Ngurah Wijaya in Denpasar.

He said the Balinese cuisines originally signified an expression of gratitude to God. They had a communal principle and all the materials in use were obtained not far from the surrounding environment. Typicality of Balinese cuisines made them special and unique so that they had added value other than offering spicy and salted flavor with a wealth of spices that had been well known to boost the taste of Asian cuisines.

“We would like to introduce and formulate various Balinese cuisines as well as establish a commitment among the tourism stakeholders (industry) as the

International

had not obtained a prominent highlight.

“By all means, the flavor of Balinese food will not be the same as that of Western cuisines, or Asian cuisines themselves. Therefore, it needed questioning and disseminating about the tolerance in bringing the Balinese cuisines to become an international menu,” he concluded. (kmb27)

Bali welcomes Subak as a world cultural heritage Antara

DENPASAR - The government and the people of Bali, especially the farmers, have welcomed the decision of the United Nations (PBB) to recognise subak, the Balinese traditional irrigation system in Dewata Island, as a World Cultural Heritage (WBD).

“Our expectation in establishing subak, the traditional irrigation system, as a world cultural heritage went through several processes and a lot of hard work over almost 12 years,” said Prof Dr I Wayan Windia, MS, the secretary of the World Cultural Heritage planning and proposal committee in Bali last Monday.

Windia, a professor at Udayana University in Denpasar, stressed that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation`s (UNESCO`s) decision to conserve subak in Bali should receive attention from the Indonesian government, the Bali provincial government and the district government in order to conserve and continue subak for the future.

According to Prof Windia, who is the head of the Quality Loan in Ubud, the government needs to address “how a farmer can be happy in pursuing and continuing his job as a farmer, so that he can still protect his own land and avoid alteration.”

He reminded the government that it is very important to pay serious attention to farmers and to ensure that subak is not known as a world cultural heritage that exists in an unkempt and dirty state.

“If this happens in the future, subak will no longer be acknowledged by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. This will embarrass the Indonesian government on the international front,” Prof Windia cautioned.

That is why, according to Windia, the government needs to pay attention to the needs of farmers, so that they are happy to work. The attention starts from providing suitable water irrigation systems, the necessary seeds, the marketing of their products, tax subsidies and education scholarships extending to the university level for farmers` children with high grades and high achievements, he added.

The Vice Minister for Education and Culture, Windu Nuryanti, confirmed that the Balinese cultural aspect of subak, as a mirror for Tri Hita Karana, has just been approved for designation as a world cultural heritage

by UNESCO. According to Nuryanti, the decision was made during a court session held at St Petersburg, Russia, on June 20, 2012.

The struggle to establish subak as a world cultural heritage went on for 12 years, and the world not only supports the decision but is also proud of Indonesia`s achievements.

UNESCO is an organisation whose objective is to support cooperation between countries through education, science and culture and to enforce law, human rights and justice throughout the world.

Ayurvedic Medicine

HINDU possesses a medical science that has been very renowned from time immemorial, namely Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic medicine refers to the contents of the scripture Ayurveda born thousands of years ago.

Ayurvedic scripture denotes a part of Upaweda in the group of Smriti Vedas.

However, the Ayurvedic scripture is often confused with Yajur Veda, the scripture containing sacrificial formula that also belongs to Smriti Veda. Yajur Veda itself is a scripture discussing about Yajña or ceremony.

Author of the book Usada Bali (Balinese Traditional Healing), the late Prof. IGN Nala, once said that to help the healing, the Ayurvedic healers usually provided natural herbal medicine having few side effects.

Almost all plants existing around us could be eaten, they were medicine.

On that account, all plants having efficacy for healing were necessary to be inventoried and developed.

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

To know whether a particular plant had a cold, warm or mild quality, it could be observed from the color of its flower and flavor. For instance, white,

yellow and green flower had warm quality. If their flowers were red and blue, these plants had cool efficacy.

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

Likewise, if they tasted sweet and sour, its quality might be warm.

However, if they tasted bitter and hot, they had cool efficacy. Then, if they were tasteless, they belonged to mild plant.

In herbal medicine system, added Prastika, people would be healthy if they consumed (ahara) nutritious healthy foods regularly, had adequate rest or sleep (nidra), and behaved (vihara) healthy. If the three aspects had been committed well, but it was still found health disturbances, then a herbal treatment (ausadhi) was required. Preparation method of herbal medicine could be divided into three kinds, namely grinding, spraying and boiled. Its healing method could be performed by drinking and dropping for internal healing, while the spraying or applying the paste for external use.

Then, what kinds of plant could be used to cure diseases? Prastika said that virtually all edible plants by animals could be eaten by humans.

Whether the herbs had medicinal quality, they could be observed from the color of their flowers and flavor as mentioned above. Similarly, the plants frequently used for spices in the cooking contained drug efficacy.

Red ginger for example, was

good to increase warmth of the body as well as to stimulate or maintain immunity. If red ginger added with the flowers of carambola, bark of tamarind and kalmegh leaves, they could be used to accelerate breathing and relieve cough.

Meanwhile, to break up kidney stones and cure colic, people could also use herbal medicine. Its ingredients consisted of roots of reed, roots of palm tree, root of areca nut tree and added with palm sugar. All materials were thoroughly boiled.

Afterward, its decoction water was drunk in the morning and afternoon.

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

Meanwhile, Balinese traditional healing used several palm-leaf manuscripts as reference. One of them was Lontar Usada Tiwang. This manuscript described about various types of diseases along with their treatments. Tiwang conveyed numerous symptoms in the form of disorder on the function of organ. There were several types of tiwang presented in the manuscripts such as tiwang utara, tiwang tojos, tiwang wedul, tiwang pemali pepasangan, tiwang wong, and tiwang rajasa. (BTN/kmb)

BEBEK BETUTU

(Roast Duck In Banana Leaf) OVERVIEW: The rich flavor of duck is greatly enhanced by a host of pungent roots, herbs and seasonings in this dish, which is invariably a great favorite with visitors to Bali.

The Balinese have great admiration for the duck and consider it to be a particularly strong animal as it is, like the turtle, the only one able to survive on land as water.

INGREDIENTS: 1 whole duck, weigh about 2 kg (4 ½ lb) 18 shallots, p eeled, cut in half, and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half, & sliced 3 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced 5 fragrant lime leaves, finely sliced 6 candlenuts, chopped 5 cm (2 in), ginger, peeled and chopped 8 cm (3in) fresh turmeric, peeled, chopped 8 cm (3in) kencur root, peeled, chopped 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 5 bird’s-eye chilies, slices 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 2 tsp dried shrimp paste, roasted and coarsely crushed 1½ tbsp salt 3 tbsp oil Banana leaves, greaseproof paper or aluminum foil for wrapping PREPARATION: Wipe the duck dry and set aside. Combine all ingredients except banana leafs in a bowl and mix well. Rub the duck outside with this mixture and fill the center of the duck with the remainder.

Close open duck with satay skewer. Wrap in several layers of banana leaves, greaseproof paper or foil and steam for 50 minutes. Transfer duck to a moderate oven and bake at 180o C (350o F) for 30 minutes.

Remove banana leaves, cut duck meat up in small pieces and serve with stuffing. When cooked, the meat should be so tender that it falls off the bones.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ubud Monkey Forest

Destinations

Indonesia Today

International

International

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Two Indonesian climbers conquer Mount Everest Antara

IBP

Ubud Monkey Forest is a small rain forest dwelt by some group of monkeys and other tropical animals. It is strategically located in the hearth of Ubud Village, precisely located in the region of Padang Tegal Village, Ubud Sub district and Gianyar Regency. Monkey Forests in Balinese language called Wanara Wana are spread out in the island and Ubud Monkey Forest itself own very important function of the continuity the monkey habitat in Bali. Meanwhile the local community own important role to keep this forest naturally in order to all wild animals able to live smoothly.

Ubud Monkey Forest is dwelt by 200 monkeys, pertained to long tail inclusive macaques or macaca fascicularis group which owns the wide disseminating area. Among the amount monkeys living in this forest, there are 23 adult male, 79 adult female and 98 still babies. All the monkeys in this forest consisted of three groups, dwell certain area and use the certain place and certain time. However, it also happened that entire group can use the forest and whenever two groups exist at same place and time, they will fight each other. These monkeys are believed as Gods Guard of Dalem Agung Temple, The Hindu Temple exist in the middle of forest.

There are three Holy Temples in this monkey forest and those are existing surround the forest and it is estimated built in the middle of 14 century, in the early governance of Gelgel dynasty. Dalem Agung Temple is located in northwest from the forest represent the existence of most important temples. Beside of two others, that are Permandian Temple, in Westside from this forest and Prajapati Temple which is located in south-east side where the place of Dewa Siwa (Siwa God), one of the Khayangan Temple in Padang Tegal Village.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

IBP/Net

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2nd-R) with First Lady Ani Yudhoyono (R) welcomes Portugese President Anibal Cavaco Silva (2nd-L) and First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva (L) during their arrival at the presidential palace in Jakarta on May 22, 2012. Silva, who was invited by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is accompanied by five members of the parliament.

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Seven Summit Team ended its expedition to the peak of Mt Everest (8,848 m) after two of its climbers successfully planted the country`s flag on top of the world`s highest mountain on Saturday.

However, two members of the team who climbed from the other side (southern route) of the mountain failed to reach the top. The Seven Summit Expedition Team scaling the mountain consisted of four members of Wanadri, the country`s oldest outdoor activity organisation.

The four members were divided into two groups - Iwan Irawan and Nurhuda, who climbed from the northern route (Tibet), and Ardeshir Yaftebi and Fadjri Al-Luthfi, who made the ascent from the southern face (Nepal).

The Indonesian Red-and-White flag was successfully flown on top of Mt Everest when Iwan and Nurhuda reached the peak from the northern route on Saturday (May 19, 2012) at 7:46 am local time.

In order to reach the peak of Mt Everest, which is also called “Sagarmatha Peak,” the climbers went through a long process of several stages. They had to constantly coordinate with the guides who accompanied them since the beginning of the ascent.

Of the two Wanadri climbers, Iwan Irawan was the first to reach the peak, followed by Nurhuda. They were then followed

by Peter, a Swedish climber, and their guides Tashi and Lakpa.

Ipong expressed his thanks to all prayers conveyed by the country for the success of the team. “Thanks for the prayers, cooperation and guidance. We hope that the other group of Wanadri climbers who scaled the peak from the southern route (Nepal) on Sunday (May 20) will also pull off the same achievement. We also hope that God will bless them so that they can return home with their achievement,” Ipong remarked.

Police chief visits families of Sukhoi victims

Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesia`s Police Chief General Timur Pradopo visited the families and relatives of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 victims at Said Sukanto Police Hospital in Jakarta Tuesday.

Timur arrived at the hospital and went straight to the bereaved families to express his deepest

condolences.

Then he proceeded to the waiting room of the families for a

Timor Leste expected to open flight to Kupang Antara

KUPANG - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) hopes that Timor Leste would open a Kupang-Dili flight route.

“We hope that Timor Leste would open flight with its Timor Air linking Timor Leste capital Dili with NTT provincial capital of Kupang,” Kadin Chairman for NTT Abraham Paul Liyanto said here over the

weekend.

He hoped that the leadership of the newly-installed Timor Leste President Jose Maria Vasconcelos, Timor Leste would advance the flight links between Dili and Kupang.

The Kadin chairman expressed hope that Timor Leste would make it happen its former plan to link Dili with Denpasar with its national airlines Timor Air. He said that trade relations trough air transportation were important and needed to thought of.

psychological accompaniment, and then to the DVI (disaster victim identification) room for an inspection of 45 victims who had been identified.

Meanwhile, the families and relatives of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 victims have begun undergoing a psychological examination at the

Said Sukanto Police Hospital`s ante mortem room in Jakarta Tuesday, before given the chance of looking at the remains of the victims.

Only a maximum of three persons is allowed to see each victim.

Coordinator of the Indonesian Association of Psychologists (Himpsi) Mira Rumeser

has prepared 12 members of the organization to accompany the bereaved families when looking at the victims.

“The psychologists will also be assisted by police women to prevent any unwanted or unexpected behavior from the visitors,” Mira said.

Police arrest six bomb terror suspects in Ambon

Antara

AMBON - Police have arrested six people suspected of involvement in a bomb terror in the wake of September 11 clash between two groups of residents in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon.

“They were involved in terror acts and bomb attacks in a number of areas in Ambon,” Chief of the Maluku Provincial Police Brig Gen Syarief Gunawan said here on Monday.

The six are identified by their initials as BM, RM, SS, HTM, AW and HS. Syarief said police also confis-

cated two non-active home-made bombs with a diameter of 10 cm each and two motorcycles from the suspects at the rented house of BM. The bombs were made of iron pipe.

“The suspects often used the two motorcycles which have the same police plates, namely DE-6077 AD to commit terror acts,” he said.

He said five of the six suspects, namely RM, SS, HTM, AW and HS were arrested in Ambon. The other suspect, BM was arrested at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta.

BM had earlier escaped to Bula town in Seram Bagian Timur district and later to Fak-Fak town in

West Papua province from where he left for Jakarta by MV Labobar on May 13.

“The police`s success in arresting the six suspects is inseparable from the public`s participation in providing tips-off to the police,” he said.

Based on the results of intensive investigation, BM was the main actor of the bomb terror. Not only was he the maker of the bombs but also the executor of bomb attacks in the field, he said.

“The six suspects had no link with any other terrorist cells,” he said adding the police were still looking into the motive behind the bomb attacks.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

News

World’s tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, opens

Associated Press TOKYO — The world’s tallest tower and Japan’s biggest new landmark, the Tokyo Skytree, opened to the public on Tuesday.

Nearly 8,000 visitors were expected to take high-speed elevators up to the observation decks of the 634-meter (2,080-foot) tower to mark its opening. Some reportedly waited in line more than a week to get the coveted tickets for a panoramic view, though Tuesday ended up being cloudy in Tokyo.

Skytree is recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest tower, beating out the Canton Tower in China, which is 600 meters (1,968 1/2 feet).

The world’s tallest structure is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which stands 828 meters (2,717 feet). That’s in a different category because it’s a skyscraper, not a tower.

The Skytree will serve as a broadcast tower for television and radio, along with being a tourist attraction. It replaces the 333-meter-tall (1,092 1/2-foottall) Tokyo Tower — a symbol of Japan’s capital since 1958 — as the broadcast hub.

UK’s Royal Navy has first woman at command of ship Associated Press

LONDON — The first woman to command a major Royal Navy warship is taking up her post.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense says Commander Sarah West will take control of the frigate HMS Portland Tuesday.

The 40-year-old has served in the Royal Navy for 16 years.

The ship is being refitted and will be based in Devonport.

Officials say women first went to sea with the Royal Navy in 1990 and have served as pilots and mine clearance divers in addition to other posts.

Unstoppable...

From page 1

AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye

Visitors wait in front of the entrance of the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The world’s tallest tower and Japan’s biggest new landmark opened to the public on Tuesday.

Malaysia’s Anwar charged, alleges new persecution

Agence France-Presse

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was hit with criminal charges Tuesday for his part in an election reform rally, a case he denounced as another government attempt to remove him from politics.

Anwar and two party colleagues were charged with violating a controversial new law governing public gatherings and a court order that banned the April 28 rally from the centre of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The charge comes just four months after Anwar was acquitted of sodomy in a long-running trial that the charismatic leader has said was engineered by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak to remove him as a political threat. “We will fight. This is political intimidation,” the 64-yearold Anwar told reporters as he left the court in Kuala Lumpur after pleading not guilty.

“Najib is afraid to face me in elections. I want to tell Najib not to use the courts and the flawed (assembly) law passed in parliament to intimidate political opponents.”

The judge scheduled a July 2 hearing to set a trial date.

A Malaysian government spokesman rejected Anwar’s allegations of meddling. “The public prosecutor

International

decides whether to press charges against an individual based solely on the strength of the evidence against them,” he said in a statement.

Anwar’s lawyers and a top Election Commission official have confirmed that a conviction would strip the opposition leader of his eligibility to stand for election, although he could run on appeal.

The charge of participating in an illegal protest carries a fine of 10,000 ringgit ($3,100) under the new law.

In Malaysia, anyone fined more than 2,000 ringgit for a crime is barred from contesting elections for five years.

Najib must call national elections by early next year, and many observers expect a tight contest after the Anwar-led opposition handed the ruling coalition its worst poll showing ever in 2008.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians marched in last month’s rally organised by electoral-reform group Bersih 2.0, demanding changes to an election system that they say is rigged

in the ruling coalition’s favour.

The new charges, which came to light Wednesday in a summons issued to Anwar, have triggered fresh criticism of the new law on public assemblies, passed late last year amid strong criticism from the opposition and human rights groups.

Anwar, who was charged along with the two colleagues from his People’s Justice Party, said they were the first people prosecuted under the Peaceful Assembly Act. Najib, who has sought to portray himself as a reformer, has said the act guarantees the right of citizens to assemble publicly.

But it bans street protests, and critics say its various strictures make obtaining approval for a rally virtually impossible in urban areas.

A statement by Anwar’s party said the charges proved its earlier warnings that the assembly act was intended to prevent its leader rallying opposition supporters -- and throw him in jail if he does.

It happened inseparably from the increase in economy of the community. In addition, the high price of land in Denpasar also encouraged the landowners to sell their rice field.

To suppress the conversion of such land function, he said, many programs had been launched to farmers. Aside from providing an ease in marketing, the Agriculture Agency also provided rice seeds and improved the infrastructure and facilities of subak. For instance, the government helped make waterways that were very important for farmers.

Additionally, farming tools were also rolled out to reduce the interest of farmers to sell their farmland.

His party also made coordination with the Denpasar Spatial Planning and Housing Agency in order the agency would not issue any building permit in agricultural areas. “We do hope there will be no longer building permits issued for the green belt,” he said.

Ambara Putra admitted that of the 40 subak organizations existing in Denpasar, their acreage were not evenly distributed. Some subak territories only had 10 hectares like the Subak Kedaton. However, there was also a subak remaining to survive until now, namely Subak Kerdung which covered an area of 250 hectares. “One of the subak territories in Denpasar, namely Subak Sanglah, no longer has farmland because its land has been converted to residential areas and other function,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission B of the Denpasar House, Eko Supriadi, said the high conversion of land function in green belt was inseparable from the lack of supervision. So far, many cases came into view regarding the spatial violation, but they did not get a clear penalty. These conditions lead to the emergence of other violations. “I think this happened because of less maximal supervisions,” said Eko. Ambara Putra added that Denpasar Municipality actually had quite great commitment to preserve the subak. It was not only carried out by his agency, but also by the involvement of other agencies such

as the Public Works Agency, Culture Agency, Spatial Planning and Housing Agency as well as the Regional Revenue Agency.

Ambara said although the conversion of farmland in Denpasar continued to happen every year, the government remained to make quite a lot of efforts in preserving the farmland. Aside from providing for tax subsidies for farmland in the green belt, his party also conferred some other programs taking sides to farmers.

Not only that, the more specific help provided were such as rice seed, fertilizer and farming tools. Farmers were also provided with welfare program in the form of incentives like a rolling out fund. “For the improvement of irrigation channels, we work closely with the Public Works Agency,” explained Ambara last Monday.

It was said that the quite diverse working programs designed since 2009 were intended to improve the welfare of farmers in Denpasar. Aside from providing rice seed for farmers, his party had also made efforts to optimize the dormant land. There were at least tens of hectares of unproductive land in Denpasar today. For this year, his party targeted at least 30 hectares of dormant land could be reactivated by farmers. “This measure is intended to keep the production and productivity of farmers in Denpasar high because it is no longer possible to expand the agricultural land in Denpasar,” he said.

Until now, the amount of productive land in Denpasar City was recorded to reach 2,717 hectares spreading over the four subdistricts saved by 41 subak organizations.

They consisted of the Subak Anggabaya (±50 ha), Subak Kerdung (400 ha), Subak Kedua (150 Ha), Subak Lungatad (100 ha), Subak Cuculan (± 70 ha) and Subak Padanggalak (80 ha). “These productive lands will be maintained by continuously empowering our farmers as well as stimulating the interest of young people to pursue agriculture so that conversion of farmland function can be minimized,” said Ambara. (kmb12)

International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

BUSINESS

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OECD warns risk of ‘severe recession’ in eurozone Associated Press

AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON

PARIS — The 17-country eurozone risks falling into a “severe recession,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned on Tuesday, as it called on governments and Europe’s central bank to act quickly to stop the slowdown spilling over into the global economy.

OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan said the eurozone is “close to” the possible scenario of a 2 percent economic contraction this year that the Paris-based think tank laid out as its worst-case scenario last November.

Padoan made his comments as the OECD, which comprises the world’s most developed economies, released its twice-yearly global economic outlook. The report forecasts a longer and deeper contraction in the eurozone than predicted in November, with the eurozone economy expected to shrink in 2012, and only manage a feeble recovery in 2013.

“Today we see the situation in the euro area close to the possible downside scenario” in the OECD’s November report, “which if materializing could lead to a severe recession in the euro area and with spillovers in the rest of the world,” Padan told reporters before the

report’s release.

The OECD’s new forecast shows Europe falling behind the United States, where growth is seen accelerating both in 2012 and 2013.

“There is now a diverging trend between the euro area and the U.S., where the U.S. is picking up more strongly while the euro area is lagging behind,” Padoan said.

The OECD raised its forecast for US growth this year to 2.4 percent, and to 2.6 percent for 2013.The eurozone will shrink 0.1 percent this year and grow 0.9 percent in 2013, the OECD said.

The OECD’s forecast is still more optimistic about both the U.S. and Europe than the International Monetary Fund. Last month the IMF said in its own global economic forecast that the U.S. should expand 2.1 percent this year, while Europe should shrink 0.3 percent.

Padoan called on eurozone lead-

ers to adopt a “policy compact” to promote growth even while reducing deficits. French President Francois Hollande has made securing such a pact the focus of his European diplomacy in the first weeks of his administration.

So-called eurobonds — debt issued jointly by countries in the currency bloc — could be used to recapitalize banks, Padoan said.

He also reiterated his call of six months ago for the ECB to do more to stem Europe’s crisis.

The ECB has an “essential” role to play in solving Europe’s crisis, Padoan said, both by using its balance sheet firepower to shore up banks and by lowering interest rates. The ECB should also consider renewing the “unconventional measures” it used last year such as buying up government bonds, “if there is need to cope with contagion problems,” Padoan said.

Reuters

Stanley’s own brokers were at one point “ranting and raving” about glitches that left unclear what trades had actually been executed.

Without a fresh round of defense, Facebook shares ended down $4.20, at $34.03, on the Nasdaq. That was a decline of almost 25 percent from Friday’s intra-day high of $45 a share.

“At the moment it’s not living up to the hype,” said Frank Lesh, a futures analyst and broker at FuturePath Trading LLC in Chicago, adding that some people may have decided to hang back and buy the stock on the decline.

“Look at the valuation on it.

It might have said ‘buy’ to a few people, but boy it was awfully

rich,” he said.

The drop in Facebook’s share price wiped more than $11 billion off of the company’s market capitalization -- it became a sufficiently interesting pop culture story that even gossip website TMZ did a brief item Monday morning.

Volume was again massive on Monday, with nearly 168 million shares trading hands, making it by far the most active stock on the U.S. market. Nearly 581 million shares were traded on Friday.

The drop was so steep that circuit breakers kicked in a few minutes after the open to restrict short sales of the stock, according to a notice from Nasdaq.

Facebook shares sink 11 percent as reality overtakes hype Facebook shares sank 11 percent in the first day of trading without the full support of the company’s underwriters, leaving some investors down almost 25 percent from where they were Friday and driving others to switch back to more established stocks.

Facebook’s debut was beset by problems, so much so that Nasdaq said on Monday it was changing its IPO procedures. That may comfort companies considering a listing, but does it little for Facebook, whose lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley, had to step in and defend the $38 offering price on the open market.

Even so, one source said Morgan

Chinese hawkers wait for customers outside the Forbidden City in Beijing on May 21, 2012. China will fast track approvals for infrastructure investment to combat a slowdown in the economy, a state-backed newspaper reported on Tuesday, showing how Premier Wen Jiabao’s call for policies to support growth is being put into action.

China targets infrastructure to lift economy Reuters

BEIJING/SHANGHAI China will fast track approvals for infrastructure investment to combat a slowdown in the economy, a state-backed newspaper reported on Tuesday, showing how Premier Wen Jiabao’s call for policies to support growth is being put into action.

The pace of investment in the likes of roads, bridges and real estate is running at its weakest in nearly a decade, April data showed, suggesting the world’s second-biggest economy is heading for a sixth straight quarter of slowing growth.

To provide some support the government had asked for project proposals by the end of June, even for those initially earmarked for the end of the year, said the China Securities Journal, one of the country’s top financial papers.

Citing government sources, the article said Beijing did not rule out bringing forward next year’s projects, if it thought more investments would be needed to stimulate the economy.

“This would be the first concrete evidence that Premier Wen’s comments are being put into practice,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk, an economist at Credit Agricole-CIB in Hong Kong.

“Improved China growth would benefit all regional currencies, as their economies heavily depend on exports to China.”

The newspaper also cited me-

dia reports saying the central government will speed up budget allocations to various construction projects, including highway construction.

News of Beijing’s latest efforts to bolster growth lifted stock markets. Australian shares rose 1.2 percent and Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 1.1 percent as investors bought miners on the prospects of more sales to China.

Chinese infrastructure stocks outperformed, while benchmark copper prices rose to a one-week high.

To be sure, some economists say the slowdown does not warrant the mammoth 4 trillion stimulus China produced at the height of the global financial crisis when firms had axed some 20 million jobs as global trade ground to a halt.

The economy is stronger that it was then. Today’s labor market is tight, wages are rising and employees are struggling for staff, conditions that could fuel inflation if Beijing loosened policy aggressively.

So the latest move by Beijing is another example of its “fine tuning” of policies to prevent the economy for slipping too quickly, they said.

Wang Jun, an economist at the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, a government think-tank, said he expected the thrust of the investment to focus on highways, railways, nuclear power and thermal power plants.

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Entertainment

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

International

Gibb matriarch loses third son with Robin’s death

AP Photo

FILE- In this undated file photo, from left, members of The Bee Gees Musical Group, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb pose for a photo. A representative said on Sunday, May 20, 2012, that Robin Gibb died at the age of 62.

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A Sojourn to Witness Cultural Uniqueness of Ubud Who does not know the Island of Gods or Bali? It’s the bijou island offering all the natural beauties and intriguing sublime cultures. People who never pay a visit can tell much about the island, let alone those knowing it just in a dream.

Bali is situated east of Java Island having access within easy reach, either by land, sea, or air.

With such an easy access, this island is then popularly chosen as a favorite tourist destination. Aside from several amazing beaches, Balinese culture can also be taken advantage as an endless tourist attraction because many temples retain very high cultural values. In addition, Bali is also delighted to offer natural attractions in the form of mountain and terraced rice fields resembling a verdant overlay of rug.

One of the convenient locations

LONDON — Her sons were blessed with musical gifts that brought riches and fame. On Monday, Barbara Gibb was living a parent’s ultimate nightmare — preparing, for the third time, to lay a child to rest. Her son Robin Gibb — a Bee Gees founder known for his astonishing vocals and songwriting skills — died Sunday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 62. the twins — suffered debilitating intestinal problems that led to their premature deaths. Robin suffered from colon cancer and other digestive ailments. He became gaunt even before his cancer diagnosis.

Of the four boys Barbara Gibb raised in England and Australia before they became global stars, only Barry, the eldest, is still alive. She also has a daughter living in Australia who has stayed out of the public eye.

The family’s place in pop history is assured, not only because of the Bee Gees’ groundbreaking success during the disco era, when they helped define a totally new sound that filled dance halls throughout the world, but also with their success as songwriters and producers.

Their career began in Australia in 1963 and saw them score their first major international hits in 1966 and 1967, when their sound was influenced by the success of the Beatles, who were then topping worldwide charts. They prospered during the disco era, long after the Beatles had broken up in acrimony, and continued to ride a show business wave for several decades afterward.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Waka di Ume Resort and Spa

Associated Press Writer

Earlier, she had lost her sons Andy Gibb, a pop idol who died in 1988 at age 30 from a heart ailment, and Maurice Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees and Robin’s twin, who died in 2003 of acute intestinal problems.

Several months before his death, Robin Gibb told a British newspaper that he sometimes wondered if the family is paying a “karmic price” for the Bee Gee’s mind-blowing success. And friends of Barbara Gibb have been quoted as saying she believes the family may be cursed.

Before illness struck, the Gibb family enjoyed remarkable good fortune. The boys were raised in challenging economic circumstances but were exposed to music at an early age because their father was a bandleader and a drummer and their mother had experience as a singer.

They started singing professionally as teenagers, moving within a few short years to prominence first in Australia, then throughout the world. But the apparent ease of this meteoric rise was followed by later tragedy.

Both Robin and Maurice —

Activities

International

situating among the rice field, jungle and mountainous gorges is Ubud. It is an appropriate sojourn and destination located in the region of Gianyar Regency. Here you can find a unique resort offering the indigenous Balinese concept highlighting the harmonious relationship of human to environment, fellow humans and the Creator, namely the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa. Many fascinating attractions can be encountered here, ranging from relishing the natural atmosphere up to learning the native cultures.

“Here, we also invite our guests to appreciate the natural environment, cultural and social life of the Ubud community,” said I Wayan Duartha, General Manager of the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa. With such various activities, many tourists were attracted to stay at Waka.

Lady Gaga behaves, gets OK for 2nd gig in Manila Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines — Lady Gaga has the go-ahead to put on a second concert in the Philippines after Manila authorities decided her first show did not violate the law. The pop diva thrilled fans at her sold-out show

Reuters

Monday night, but some Christians in the Philippines have been protesting her concerts and accuse her of promoting immorality.

Authorities say her second gig Tuesday night be will allowed to proceed because they found no violations of the conditions of the special permit they

issued for the first concert. Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto says Lady Gaga did not exhibit nudity or abuse religion.

Some Christian youths called for her concerts to be banned. Catholic Archbishop Ramon Arguelles warned that her fans are in danger of falling into the clutches of Satan.

Alain Resnais revisits classic Greek legend at Cannes

PARIS - Take 15 well-known French theatre and film actors, add a classic Greek legend and voila, you have the makings of the latest Cannes offering from French director Alain Resnais.

“Vous N’Avez Encore Rien Vu” (You Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet) is an art-house film within a film that relies heavily on its ensemble cast, whose members include Sabine Azema, Pierre Arditi, Anne Consigny and Lambert Wilson.

It is one of a handful of Frenchlanguage movies in competition for the film festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, to be awarded on Sunday. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet is based on Jean Anouilh’s play Eurydice, which in turn is based on the classic Greek legend of Orpheus, in which the young musician unsuccessfully tries to save his lover Eurydice from the underworld.

The 89-year-old Resnais is a lion of French cinema with six decades of film making under his belt whom Cannes honored with a lifetime achievement award in 2009.

The themes of memory and time, and plots that rely on interwoven narratives crop up again and again in his works, whose best known include his first feature, “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (Hiroshima My Love), and the con-

centration camp documentary “Nuit et Brouillard” (Night and Fog).

InYou Ain’t Seen Nothin’Yet, Resnais has his cast play themselves as they reunite at the home of a deceased director (Denis Podalydes) with whom they had worked in the past on “Eurydice.” His final wish is for them to view a film of a young troupe performing the play.

As the actors watch, snippets of

dialogue they once had memorized comes back to them, and they gradually inhabit the roles themselves.

“The actors are portraying themselves in the film, they reminisce and remember their past,” Resnais told a news conference, speaking in French.

“Suddenly, while they’re playing their parts, they’re caught up in the ghosts, the phantoms of their memories.”

REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Director Alain Resnais (C) poses with cast member after the screening of the film “Vous n’Avez Encore Rien Vu”, in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival, May 21, 2012.

A variety of facilities have been provided to support the comfort and satisfaction of every single guest. Waka di Ume Resort and Spa established on November 5, 1995 has 18 rooms, consisting of 3-bedroom Wapa Villa with private pool, 2-bedroom Family Villa with private pool, Villa with Pool, Di Ume Suite, Terrace Villa and the smallest one is the Lanai Terrace.

Room rates of the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa ranges from USD 244 to USD 655. Such rates have included government tax, service and breakfast.

More interestingly, the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa lies very close to the natural and cultural attractions. Among others, they are monkey forest, art museums, Goa Gajah, Ceking rice terrace, Tirta Empul temple at Tampaksiring,

Tampaksiring Presidential Palace, and Petulu village becoming the native and convenient home to thousands of white egrets.

One day, if you want to make a visit to the island, especially

when would like to luxuriate in the countryside ambience with five star facilities, look no further and decide on the Waka di Ume Resort and Spa as your serene sojourn on the island.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for May 20 through June 20, 2012 26 May Tumpek Wayang Pura Majapahit Jembrana Odalan Betara ratu Gede Desa Celuk Sukawati Odalan Betara Ratu Wedyadari Camenggaon Sukawati Pura Panti Gelgel Pengembungan Sesetan Denpasar Betara Ratu Alit & Ratu Lingsir Singakerta Ubud Pura Pedarmaan Dalem Sukawati Besakih Pura Pedarmaan Mengwi Besakih Pura Pedarmaan Kaba-kaba Besakih Pura Pedarmaan dalem Bakas Besakih Pura Dadia Agung Pasek Gelgel Pegatepan Gelgel Klungkung Pura Pemrajan Agung Sulang Kec Dawan Klungkung.

Merajan Pasek Bendesa Kori Agung Pengatepan Pura Pedarmaan Dinasti dalem sri Aji Pura Besakih Pura Penataran Giri Purwa Banyuangi.

Pesraman Dusun Kuto Rejo Banyuangi.

30 May Buda Wage Kelawu.

Pura Penataran Agung Teluk Padang Karangasem Pura Melanting Desa Camenggaon Sukawati Pura Penataran Ped Nusa Penida.

Pura Pasek Gelgel Pangembungan Bongkase Abiansemal.

Pura Pasek Bendesa Reyang Gede Penebel Tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel Br. Jawa Tengah Buleleng Pura Gaduhan Jagat Desa Singakerta Ubud Pura Masceti Tegeh Mancawarna Sanding Tampaksiring Pura Penataran Batu Lepang Kamasan Klungkung Pura Paibon Pasek Gelgel Gobleg Desa Kedonganan Kuta Pura Goa Besakih Pura Basukian Besakih Odalan Ida Ratu Pucak Pameneh Penataran Agung Besakih Merajan Pasek Gelgel Pejeng Merajan Pasek Gelgel Songan Merajan Pasek Prateka Pekandelan Sidemen Merajan Pasek Prateka Taman Sari Sukasada.

Pura dadia Pasek Gelgel Sidemen Karangasem Merajan Pasek Gelgel Tampuagan Tembuku, Bangli.

5 Jun Anggar Kasih Dukut.

Pr. Dalem Batuyang Batubulan Pura Pasek Gelgel Mengening Kediri Tabanan Pr Pasek Undagi Timpag Kerambitan Tabanan Pura Desa/ Pura Pucak Banjar Taman Bedulu Gianyar.

Merajan Pasek Tangkas Kori Agun Sulahan Merajan Pasek Padang Rata Padang Pura Puser Jagat Dalem Dukut Puri Sukun Nusa Penida.

6 Jun Buda Umanis Dukut Pura Agung Pasek Gelgel Sibang Kaja Abiansemal Pura Dalem Samplangan Gianyar 16 Jun Saraswati Pura Pasek Tangkas Gempinis dalang Tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel sayan Bongkase Abiansemal Pura Watugunung Bima Pura Agung Jagatkarana Surabaya Pura Aditya Jaya Rawamangun Jakarta Timur Pura Pemaksan Banyuning Timur Buleleng Pura Agung Wira Lokha Natha Cimahi Jawa Barat Pura Dadia Agung Bendesa Tangkas Kori Agung Pusat Gerih Desa Gerih Abiansemal Badung.

Pura Giri Jaya Natha Balikpapan Pura Agung Santi Bhuana Brugelette Belgia.

18 Jun Some Ribek.

Pura Jati Jembrana Pura Kawitan Batugaing Bangli Pura Tirta Wening Tambak Sari Surabaya 20 Jun Hari Raya Pagerwesi Pura Laban Sindu Jiwa Kedewatan Ubud Pura Kehen Bangli Pura Wirabuana Magelang Jawa Tengah Pura Padang Sakti Tangtu Denpasar Timur Pura Jogan Agung Ketewel Sukawati Pura Gadung Pengiasan Dauh Puri Denpasar Pura Pasek Gelgel Buruan Kaja Tabanan Pura Pasek Gobleg Kerambitan tabanan Pura Pasek Gelgel Meliling Tabanan

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

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

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

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

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

4

News

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

International

Bomb hits Damascus as Ban warns of ‘pivotal moment’ Agence France-Presse

DAMASCUS - Syrian security forces carried out a spate of raids in Damascus early Tuesday after a deadly bombing hit the capital and UN chief Ban Ki-Moon warned the search for peace was at a “pivotal moment.”

State television said the blast also fierce clashes between regime hit a restaurant in the Qaboon forces and rebels in the town of neighbourhood of the capital. The Kfar Roma in Idlib province in the Britain-based Syrian Observatory northwest. for Human Rights said five people Demonstrations broke out at were killed. dawn in several neighbourhoods of In all, at least 59 people were Aleppo, the country’s second city killed nationwide on Monday, and commercial hub which until including 31 loyalist troops who recently had been largely spared died in clashes with rebel fighters, the unrest shaking the country since the Observatory said.

March last year.

The bloodshed raged despite One person was also killed by the deployment of a UN military gunfire in Nouaymeh, a town in observer mission to oversee a the southern province of Daraa, the promised ceasefire that has been watchdog said. breached daily since it went into The UN chief issued a new force on April 12. warning of the dangers of all-out The Observatory said dozens civil war as the 14-month uprising of people were arrested in the pre- against President Bashar al-Assad’s dawn raids in several suburbs of the regime has turned into an armed capital, including Douma, Harasta rebellion. and Barzen.

“The secretary general said we It said powerful blasts were heard were at a pivotal moment in the overnight in a number of provincial search for a peaceful settlement cities, including central Hama, to the crisis and that he remained northern Aleppo and the coastal extremely troubled about the risk of cities of Banias and Latakia. an all-out civil war,” a spokesman The watchdog said there were for Ban said at a NATO summit in

Science

International

Associated Press Writer

The painting, “Niña en azul y blanco,” is a portrait of 10-year-old Juanita Rosas and belongs to a period in which Rivera captured the innocence of children. This piece is special because the famed muralist chose it to illustrate the catalog of the National Tribute Exhibition that the Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts organized in 1949 to celebrate his 50 years of painting.

“It is very typical of his work, especially of that period,” Carmen Melian, director of Sotheby’s Latin American Art department, told The Associated Press.

Rivera “painted through the years the children of the help at his home and the

neighbor’s, and in particular he painted Juanita several times,” Melian said.

It’s Rivera’s most important painting to be auctioned in decades, according to Sotheby’s, which has promoted it as one of his two biggest paintings outside of Mexico and says it is hitting the market at the right time. Just last year the Museum of Modern Art featured a solo exhibit of Rivera’s work.

“What I love the most is that it was painted in his studio,” Melian said of the painting. “I have been in his studio and the floor there has been dyed green, that’s why it is green in the piece. And the white wall in the background, with its mix of

NATO states have come under criticism for backing the air war in Libya but ruling out military intervention in Syria, where opposition demonstrators and badly outgunned rebels have been hammered by heavily-armed regime forces.

AP Photo/Harry Rossetani

Niagara Falls emergency officials rescue a man who plunged over Niagara Falls and survived in an apparent suicide attempt, Monday, May 21, 2012. The man is only the third person known to have gone over without a safety device and live. A waiting helicopter flew him to Hamilton General Hospital, where a spokeswoman says he has critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y — A man survived a plunge of at least 180 feet over Niagara Falls in an apparent suicide attempt Monday — only the third person known to have lived after going over the falls without a safety device.

Niagara Parks Police said witnesses reported seeing the man climb over a railing 20 to 30 feet out over the Horseshoe Falls at 10:20 a.m. and “deliberately jump” into the Niagara River. Seriously injured, he surfaced in the lower Niagara River basin near the Journey Behind the Falls observation platform and managed to make it to shore on his own.

“He waded ashore,” said Platoon Chief Dan Orescanin of the Niagara Falls, Ontario, Fire Department.

“He must have gotten swept into an eddy, floated over there and was able to get out on his own.

“That’s another stroke of luck,” Orescanin said. “If he was in the main current, he would have been swept down river.”

Orescanin said the man was conscious and talking at first but got quiet. He appeared to have chest injuries, including broken ribs and a

collapsed lung, Orescanin said.

The man was airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital with what police initially said were life-threatening injuries. Hospital spokeswoman Agnes Bongers said later that the man was critically injured but was expected to survive.

Authorities did not release the man’s name. Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the river, is the tallest of the three main falls, higher than the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The man, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, was rescued about two hours later after fire department rescuers rappelled down the steep and rocky gorge and pulled him in a basket back up the cliff.

“It was very difficult. Between the shale and the boulders, and everything is wet and slick. It’s slimy,” Orescanin said.

About seven rescuers struggled to carry the basket up to a point where it could be lifted with ropes suspended from an aerial truck.

“We had to basically hand carry him back up, a foot at a time, up the rope,” the chief said.

The rescue came weeks before daredevil Nik Wallenda plans to walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope after

convincing United States and Canadian officials to grant an exception to laws prohibiting stunting.

Although several daredevils have survived trips over the falls in barrels or other contraptions, beginning with Annie Edison Taylor in 1901, few have survived unprotected. In 1960, 7-year-old Roger Woodward was swept over the falls wearing a life jacket and survived. Authorities don’t believe Monday’s plunge, on a warm and sunny Victoria Day holiday in Canada, was a stunt.

“Based on witness statements and surveillance video, it doesn’t appear in any way, shape, or form that this was anything other than a suicide attempt,” Niagara Parks Police Sgt. Chris Gallagher told WIVB in Buffalo.

More than 6 million cubic feet of water go over the brink of the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours, according to the Niagara Parks Commission.

The last person to go over the falls unaided and live was a 30-year-old Canadian man in March 2009. In October 2003, Kirk Jones, an outof-work auto parts salesman from Michigan survived his plunge over the falls.

This undated image released by Sotheby’s New York shows Diego Rivera’s 1939 oil on canvas painting “Niña en Azul y Blanco,” (Retrato de Juanita Rosas a los Diez Años de Edad) that will be auctioned with other Latin American artworks on May 23-24 at Sotheby’s in New York.

Associated Press Writer

Man survives 180-foot plunge over Niagara Falls Associated Press

blue and pink, is almost like a Monet or a Renoir; the front is more realistic, the figure of the kid pops out.”

Rivera’s current record is $3,082,500 for the 1928 oil on canvas “Baile en Tehuantepec,” (“Dancing in Tehuantepec”) sold in 1995 at Sotheby’s in New York.

“Niña en azul y blanco” could even break the auction record for Latin American art, held since 2008 by Mexican Rufino Tamayo’s “Troubadour,” which fetched $7.2 million. “You never know,” Melian said. “You don’t see a piece like this one very often.”

AP Photo/Sotheby’s New York

Cartoon studio faces state clout, global stars

AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman

Syrian government forces speak to a U.N. observer in the Damascus suburb of Douma, Syria, Sunday, May 20, 2012.

“We strongly condemn the behaviour of the Syrian security forces and their crackdowns on the Syrian population,” NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday.

“But again NATO has no intention to intervene in Syria.”

13

Rivera work poised to set new auction record in NY NEW YORK — Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s 1939 oil painting “Girl in Blue and White” is headlining Sotheby’s Latin American art auction in New York. If it sells for the high end of its $4 million to $6 million estimate, it could double the artist’s previous record of $3 million dollars.

Chicago on Monday.

NATO, which undertook a major air war in Libya to back rebels who fought Moamer Kadhafi’s forces last year, has said it has “no intention” of taking military action against Assad’s regime.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

IBP/ist

A fossilized ink sac from an ancestor of the modern cuttlefish found in the U.K. This fossil is 160 million years old.

Oldest Fossilized Ink Found in Ancient Squid Cousin The oldest fossilized pigment ever found has been discovered inside the preserved ink sacs of an ancient cuttlefish ancestor. The ink sacs belonged to a cephalopod, the group that includes squid, octopus and cuttlefish, 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic era.

The molecular structure of the ancient ink is surprisingly similar to that of modern cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, said study researcher John Simon, a professor of chemistry at the University of Virginia.

“They’re essentially indistinguishable,” Simon told LiveScience.

Previous studies have turned up tiny structures in everything from fossil fish eyes to dinosaur feathers containing the dark brown or black pigment melanin. But it can be tough to tell pigment structures, called melanosomes, from fossilized bacteria. Simon and his colleagues

used a barrage of chemical tests to examine two fossil ink sacs found in the United Kingdom. These tests gave them a remarkably detailed look at the molecular makeup of the ink sacs’ contents.

The research, published today (May 21) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, confirmed that the pigment in the sacs is, in fact, melanin. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin, which is black or dark brown, and pheomelanin, which is orange-red.

Using chemical methods, the researchers were able to determine that the squid ink contained eumelanin.

These methods are more reliable than attempts to determine color by looking at melanosome structure, Simon said, as structure is not necessarily related to color. “This would have been totally black,” Simon said.

SHANGHAI — Chinese cartoonist Carol Liu Hong built her studio from scratch, doing post-production work for TV commercials and then, once she broke even, realizing her dream of creating cartoons for Chinese kids. Breaking into a market dominated by state media companies has been tough — even more so now that Kungfu Panda creator DreamWorks Animation SKG and other big cartoon giants are launching their own local studios in China.

Liu has gotten some help. Seeking to nurture creative industries, the Shanghai government gave her studio, Shanghai Cartoon Communication Group, a choice location.

But its success so far mainly stems from its ability to balance cartoon making with sales of related products, she says.

Having drawn-in-China cartoons high on the national entertainment agenda also helps local creators: Prime time is reserved for domestic cartoons — no “Winnie the Pooh” or “Tom and Jerry” between 5-9 p.m. because China’s culture czars want a say in the content shown to the country’s 300 million under-14-year-olds.

Also high on the agenda: breaking into a huge global industry.

China has yet to strike that magic formula that draws audiences across borders and age groups. “China’s cultural influence has not matched its economic growth and officials here want to spread Chinese cul-

ture abroad,” said Sun Shaoyi, a professor of film and television at Shanghai University.

The recent slew of alliances between industry giants like DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Co., which is building a theme park in Shanghai, will bring in new technology and help improve local industry standards, says Liu, whose studio has worked on foreign projects for years.

But such collaboration has its limits, she says, since cartoons that work in the U.S. might not go over well in China, especially among adults. “In some cases, the kids really like it, but TV stations say they are unacceptable,” Liu says. While American schools and families

might encourage children to think for themselves, “in China, it’s all about obeying the teachers.”

Shanghai animation saw its heyday in the 1960s, before the antiintellectual frenzy of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when artists and teachers were persecuted and a generation of urban teens was sent to work in the countryside.

China now has 2,400 schools providing animation training. But generally China is not really doing enough to support homegrown animation, Liu says, especially smaller studios like hers, which employs about 200 people in Shanghai and another studio in the nearby city of Wuxi.

AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach

In this Oct. 12, 2011 photo, a staff artist who works under Chinese cartoonist Carol Liu Hong shows the draft of a cartoon at Shanghai Cartoon Communication Group in Shanghai, China.

14

Sport

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali News

International

International

Reuters

PARIS - Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is leaving Chelsea after playing a leading role in their Champions League triumph, according to a report to be published in French magazine France Football on Tuesday.

Drogba, who scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Bayern Munich on Saturday after cancelling out Thomas Mueller’s opener, has reportedly told his team mates “we will not be together next season.”

“I am getting ready for a great leap into the unknown,” he added without hinting at a possible destination.

Drogba, 34, joined Chelsea from Olympique Marseille in 2004 and has won three Premier League titles with the London club as well as four FA Cups.

Mangupura (Bali Post)—

AP Photo/Scott Heppell

Maturing Ben Arfa hoping to prove his worth

IBP/File

A house is seen in the middel of a rice field. Skyrocketing bill of property tax (PBB) in a number of regions in Badung Regency is feared to affect the increase in the conversion of land function and transfer of assets to investors.

Drastic increase in property tax

Feared to trigger conversion of farmland function

Reuters

PARIS - Hatem Ben Arfa is at peace with himself and hopes a growing maturity that has made him more of a team player will see him selected in the France squad for next month’s European Championship, the forward said on Monday.

Ben Arfa was cut from an extended French squad for the 2008 tournament and then left out completely for the World Cup in South Africa two years later by former coach Raymond Domenech.

He struggled with discipline and moved to Newcastle United in August 2010 after a troubled spell at Olympique Marseille where he fell out with coach Didier Deschamps.

However, two years on and a

strong end to the English Premier League season where he scored thundering goals against Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers has strengthened Ben Arfa’s case to finally be included.

“I am more peaceful now,” Ben Arfa told reporters at France’s training camp in Clairefontaine on the outskirts of Paris.

“I make more efforts for the others. Every failure makes you grow. I have evolved and at 25 I think I’m more mature than when

I was 20.”

France coach Laurent Blanc must reduce his current training squad to 23 by May 29 and Ben Arfa was ready for whatever outcome.

“Obviously you wonder what is going to happen but I have no hunch. I just hope I will be in the squad. “I still remember the shocks of 2008 and 2010. If it has to happen, I will adapt.” France are in Group D with Sweden, England and co-hosts Ukraine.

Shanghai Shenhua say they plan to name a new head coach, just weeks after the bigspending Chinese football club appointed mercurial French striker Nicolas Anelka as player-coach. There was no immediate comment from Shenhua about British reports that Anelka’s former team-mate Didier Drogba, fresh from his Champion’s

League triumph with Chelsea, is set to join them.

Former Argentina manager Sergio Daniel Batista has been tipped for the coach’s job, and Shenhua’s star player Anelka is said to be threatening to quit the club in response, according to reports. “The club has actively sought a head coach candidate, and is looking for him to take up the post and assume command soon,” the Chinese

Commitment of Badung Government in advancing the handicraft industry at Jagapati, Angantaka and Sedang (JAS) village is doubted by a number of lineups. Even, the regency government was only considered to spread a discourse because the activities of craftsmen in the area stagnate up to these days. Is it true?

Spokesperson of Badung Government, AA Raka Yuda, Monday (May 21) denied such accusation. According to him, as a form of commitment given by the government, the Regent of Badung had made preparations to realize the synergies by drafting a regional regulation on tourism that governed the obligations of tourism stakeholders, especially the tourism industry, to take advantage of the local products like handicrafts yielded by JAS village.

“Since the beginning, the Badung Government has thought how to make the tourism sector become a driving sector for the development growth in Badung. On that account, Badung Regency is very concerned to build synergies between the tourism industry and the handicraft industry of JAS,” said Raka Yuda.

He further explained in the next regulation the Badung Government would recommend the handicraft products of JAS denoting wood craft products ‘made in Badung’ to be purchased and displayed in hotel rooms. The Regent of Badung himself had commissioned the Badung Government Tourism Office to socialize the matter sustainably either through gathering opportunities with the tourism industry or entrepreneurs when they submitted an application or renewal of business license. “It is the government effort to prepare the regional regulation so that there is certainty for entrepreneurs to support the SME,” he said.

Related to procurement of a tour package passing through the JAS village, the man who is familiarly called Gung Raka stated that Badung Regency had initiated and communicated the plan to the Tourism Industry Association of Indonesia (GIPI) and the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA).

Badung Government facilitated the arrangement of half-day or one-day tour to Northern Badung passing through the route of JAS village, Taman Ayun and Sangeh. “Hopefully, this program can be realized,” he added. (kmb25)

Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Skyrocketing bill of property tax (PBB) in a number of regions in Badung Regency is feared to affect the increase in the conversion of land function and transfer of assets to investors. By all means, small communities owning the lands are surely burdened and forced to sell their assets.

AP Photo/Tim Hales

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, center, and Ashley Cole, left, celebrate during an open top bus victory parade to celebrate Chelsea winning the Champions League soccer tournament, London, Sunday May 20, 2012.

Shenhua seeking new football coach as Anelka simmers

Agence France Presse

3

Tourism grows rapidly, JAS craftsmen go into a slump

Drogba to leave Chelsea - report

Newcastle United’s Hatem Ben Arfa, left, vies for the ball with Manchester City’s Gael Clichy, right, during their English Premier League soccer match at the Sports Direct Arena, Newcastle, England, Sunday, May 6, 2012.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

club said in a statement posted on its microblog late Monday.

The coming of a new head coach has sparked a public outburst by the striker, who told local media that he was considering leaving.

Anelka is serving dual roles for Shenhua, although the club also named former DR Congo national manager Jean-Florent Ikwange Ibenge as acting head coach

after sacking Frenchman Jean Tigana last month.

The Shenhua statement added the club “hopes he (Anelka) will help the new coaching group to quickly become acquainted with the state of the team without delay”.

The Shanghai Daily newspaper said Shenhua were close to signing Batista, who led Argentina to the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

A legislator of Commission B in the Badung House, I Nyoman Satria, said on Monday (May 21) the increase made was fine. Moreover, the current authority to do so remained to lie in the central government. Nevertheless, the increase in the property tax should not burden the people, especially the small communities. Central government should have a clear criterion regarding the determination of such property tax. If it was not accurately targeted, it could kindle an enormous social and environmental impact.

“If the drastic increase happens to private homes and agricultural lands, people are obviously very disadvantaged by the policy. Do not blame if the conversion of land function will also increase because the poor will be forced to sell their land because of such high taxes. Do not let it happen. If the increase happens to hotel industry, for example,

it’s okay. But, when it comes to small communities, it is very much regretted,” he said.

He explained the authority of collecting the property tax was still on the central government.

However, effective next January 1, the authority would be lie in the Badung regency. Next year, Badung Regency could make revision in the policy on the property tax. In response to the complaints against the increase in property tax as happened in Legian and Kuta, Satria advised the public to submit their objection or to request a reduction to the KPP Pratama tax service office. “Public may submit their objections. Yet, in this case the local government should also be more active. Subdistrict head, headman or customary village chief may coordinate the communities to submit the proposal to the tax service office,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regent of Badung, I Ketut Sudikerta, asserted

that Badung Regency would facilitate the public to file the objection.

If approved, the taxpayers would get a corresponding reduction or relief of the property tax.

Regarding the transfer of authority on the property tax collection to local government, Sudikerta stated the determination of property tax should not contain any elements of coercion, especially for the agricultural land whether it was wetland or dry land. Determination of the property tax should refer to the rules and mechanisms as well as the fate of farmers. Therefore, it should also pay attention to the agricultural yields and income of farmers. He ensured that in increasing the regionally generated revenue (PAD), the Badung Regency would not boost taxes in the agricultural sector. “Farmers do not have adequate income for supporting their daily life, let alone for paying taxes,” he said. (kmb25)

IBP/file

The craftsman is making a statute

2

International

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bali News

Anticipating teenage mischief, Pupils’ School Bags checked

The beautiful scenery of Mount Batur in Kintamani, Bangli

Negara (Bali Post) –

UNESCO asks Indonesia to complete requirements of Kintamani Geopark

IBP/File

Bangli (Bali Post)—

Obsession of the Indonesian government to make the Mount Batur the first geopark area in Indonesia seems to still find obstacle. The related world organization assessed the proposal preparation was carried out in a hurry. Therefore, some requirements could not have been met. One of them was that before proposed internationally, Kintamani has not been nationally set as a geopark.

The Regent of Bangli, Made Gianyar, said on Monday (May 21) that his party had just made a visit to Japan since last May 10 with dozens of officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and some other central authorities. They attended the International UNESCO Congress on Geoparks in the Unzen Volcanic Area Global Geopark, Japan. In the congress was stated that Kintamani still needed a time to make improvement. UNESCO provided the opportunity to complete all the data up to the end of June.

In fulfilling the data, the central government through a team of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and geopark would come to Kintamani on the upcoming May 26. Admittedly, both the central government and Bangli government actually lacked of perspective on geopark. Related to the proposal of Kintamani, the central government would

like to make it the first geopark in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in the case of Shimabara, Japan, in fact it has been declared a national geopark by Japanese government since 1934. Then, it was registered as a member of Global Geoparks Network (GGN) in 2004 and acquired worldwide recognition in 2006.

For the Asia-Pacific region, it was only Indonesia that had not had a geopark. On that account, the world organization then provided a great motivation to Indonesia. He himself was also very eager to propose it, although he had not fully understood what was meant by geopark.

Nevertheless, the struggle to make Kintamani gain a world recognition as the first geopark in Indonesia should be continuously strived for. His party did not want if it was just a dream. If Kintamani could be approved in the UNECO Congress in Spain in the upcoming September, then the preservation of this

area as a geopark would be no longer solely the responsibility of local government. However, it would become a national and international policy.

“Since we do not understand about the geopark itself, we have not equipped the data with the activities of geopark. The geopark activities required did not necessarily mean if the activities should be carried out in Kintamani, but the activities carried out throughout Bangli. One of them is the conservation activity held in the Bukit Jati Temple and Pengelipuran village for Bangli subdistrict,” he said.

If Kintamani could be endorsed to become a geopark area, the mining activities would not necessarily be terminated. However, they could still continue, but had to be performed in certain limits.

The purpose of geopark was to take people to manage the earth without damaging the environment. (kmb17)

To anticipate teenage disobedience, Negara Police last Monday (21/5) did a sweeping on Vocational School SMK 1 Negara at Baler Bale Agung, Negara, targeting pupils’ school bags also giving them guidance. The activity was led by Head of Negara Police, PC Ida Bagus Nyoman Budiasa, who also led the flag ceremony attended by all pupils and teachers.

Head Police suggested the pupils to focus on their studies and not to be involved in negative acts moreover disobeying the law. Pupils were asked to distance themselves from illegal drugs, alcohols and other

Sport

International

crimes. After the ceremony, all pupils were asked to go in each their classes where officers checked each their bags in the 19 classes which no illegal drugs, alcohols nor sharp weapons were found. Budiarsa stated this step is taken to anticipate and pressurized the number of crime actors and underage disobedience.

Principal of the school, Putu Wardana, stated besides the police, the school itself every month held sweeping of school bags twice without any advance notice yet no law disobedience has happened up to now. Negara Police stated this will be a routine step taken in Negara City. (kmb26)

Though Admission Ticket Rises, Tourist Visit to Tanah Lot Stays High

Price hike of admission ticket to Tanah Lot tourist attraction as of April 1 seemed to have no impact on the tourist arrivals to the leading tourist attraction of Tabanan. A month after the price hike in admission ticket, the number of tourist visits increased 30 percent. “The increase in ticket price does not affect the number of visits to Tanah Lot,” said the Operations Manager of Tanah Lot tourist attraction, Ketut Toya Adnyana, Tuesday (May 1).

Toya explained that in March 2012 the visit to Tanah Lot reached 162,194 people.

Domestic tourists reached 94,264 people consisting of children (2,315) and adults (91,949). Meanwhile, foreign tourists were 61,137 consisting of children (6,793) and adults (61,137).

In the meantime, in April the number of visit increased to 194,917 people. It was recorded that domestic tourist visits reached 126,388 people, consisting of children (3,985) and adult (122,403). The number of foreign tourist arrivals also rose to 68,529 people. In details, they consisted of 1,907 children and 66,622 adults.

“Hopefully, the number of monthly visit continues to increase. Our prediction, in May, June, July and August, the number of domestic tourists will be booming as coinciding with school holiday season in Indonesia,” said Toya.

To help the realization, his party would continue to make the best effort so that Tanah Lot would really become a safe and comfortable destination to visit. To beautify the object, his party would make improvement to infrastructure, including the arrangement to the park existing throughout the area, signs, street lighting and sidewalks on both roadsides from the toll gate up to the area in front of the split gate of Tanah Lot Temple. “Besides, we will also repairs the front walkway and equip the object with gazebo for visitors to unwind,” said Toya. (BTN/015)

IBP/File

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

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Thunder top Lakers 106-90 to reach West finals Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ramon Sessions did the best he could to keep Russell Westbrook from making a high-flying dunk that would energize the Oklahoma City Thunder. No matter. Even with his feet flat on the ground, Westbrook found a way to get the Thunder rolling past the Los Angeles Lakers and into the Western Conference finals for the second straight year.

After Sessions committed a foul to stop him on the fast break, Westbrook flipped the ball up toward the rim and got it to go in for what would become a three-point play.

Westbrook took off toward the scorer’s table, pumping his fist as the home crowd celebrated.

There was no turning back after that, and Oklahoma City pulled away for a 106-90 victory in Game 5 on Monday night to knock the Lakers out of the playoffs. “That was an amazing play,” coach Scott Brooks said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of luck to that. You put yourself in that position to get a little lucky there.

“I thought from that point on, we really played with great energy on the offensive end, moved the ball and made shots.” Westbrook finished with 28 points, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 10 rebounds and the two All-Stars skipped their usual rest periods to power the Thunder ahead in the second half.

After Westbrook’s pair of three-

point plays fueled a 14-3 burst that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay late in the third quarter, Durant hit two 3-pointers as the Thunder scored the first 10 points of the fourth to push their lead to 93-77.

Los Angeles never got closer than 13 after that.

“That’s a tough team, man. They weren’t laying down,” Westbrook said. “We got a little down on ourselves and we had to come together and be better teammates, and we did that.” Kobe Bryant scored 42 points for the Lakers and took the briefest of rest — less than 2 minutes — in the second half. It didn’t even take that long for the game, and their season, to slip away.

Bryant was waiting to check in when Durant connected on his second 3-pointer, just 89 seconds into the fourth quarter. But by the time he got in, there was little he could do — despite the 13th 40-point game of his playoff career. After getting eliminated by Los Angeles in 2010 and Dallas in 2011 before

both of those teams went on to win it all, the Thunder knocked both out on their way to the West finals for the second straight year.

The only other time the franchise made consecutive conference finals was from 1978-80, including Seattle’s only NBA title in 1979.

Once there, they’ll face top-seeded San Antonio, which is riding an 18-game winning streak and is the only team other than the Lakers or Mavs to win the West in the past 13 years. The series starts Sunday night in San Antonio.

Los Angeles has followed backto-back championships with two straight second-round exits. “I’m not fading into the shadows,” said Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere.” Certainly, not this offseason. Westbrook made sure of that when he went running to the scorer’s table and pumped his fist in the air after his energizing three-point play.

Nadal beats Djokovic to regain Rome title

Reuters

ROME - Rafa Nadal enjoyed the perfect fillip ahead of his French Open defence by downing world number one Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-3 in the delayed Rome Masters final on Monday, saving his most impressive display of the tournament to last. Beaten surprisingly early on Madrid’s blue clay earlier this month, the 25-year-old Spaniard has been back to his destructive best on the red dirt at the Foro Italico and blew away his one-time bogeyman.

Both players refused to budge an inch in a brutal 76-minute opener but Serb Djokovic, who memorably beat Nadal in straight sets in last year’s final, faded and the match ended in anticlimax when he double-faulted to gift Nadal a record sixth Rome title.

“I am happy that I won in Rome without losing a set against the best players in the world like (Tomas) Berdych and (David) Ferrer and Djokovic,” Nadal said. “I will have this trophy in my bedroom. It is a dream. I have confidence I am playing well and this comes when I play at the right level. Hopefully I will keep playing like this.”

Six-times French Open champion Nadal’s victory means he will rise back to second in the world rankings after being overtaken by Roger Federer last week -- a significant move ahead of Roland Garros where he will now definitely be in the opposite half of the draw to Djokovic.

AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

Spain’s Rafael Nadal bites the trophy after winning his final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Monday, May 21, 2012.

The match, the 32nd between the pair, had been postponed by rain on Sunday, but both players came out firing in front of a healthy crowd as the sun finally returned. Nadal went immediately on the attack, carving out two break points in Djokovic’s opening service game only for the elastic-limbed Serb’s defences to dig him out of trouble.

DREADFULLY DISGUISED

The Spaniard did draw first blood when he punished a dreadfully disguised Djokovic drop shot in the fifth game to move ahead but he immediately handed the service break back with a lacklustre game culminating in a rare forehand error. Djokovic briefly switched up a gear and began to dominate the rallies,

so much so that he seemed poised to take the set when Nadal served to stay in the set.

At 30-30 Djokovic peppered the corners with a series of meaty groundstrokes and had Nadal in trouble before a forehand was wrongly called out and immediately over-ruled by the umpire and the point was replayed. A frustrated Djokovic lost the next two points with errors and he was broken at 5-5 as Nadal prevailed in a scintillating rally with both players in at the net.

Nadal served out with ease to claim the opening set and immediately moved 2-0 up in the second set. Djokovic hung on grimly, threatening to break back in the fourth game only to mess up an easy smash.

Djokovic suffered with a couple of bad bounces as he served to stay in the match and the deflated 25-year-old double-faulted to end the contest and hand Nadal a 21st Masters Series title to move ahead of the record of 20 he shared with Federer. “I think that the match today was quite close, even if he won in straight sets,” Djokovic said. “If you don’t use the opportunities against Rafa he gets momentum. “But I go to Paris with confidence.”

With the French Open and Wimbledon looming, Nadal has also regained his old supremacy over the man who took his No.1 ranking last year and who had beaten him seven times in a row before the sequence ended in Monte Carlo last month.

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter of Game 5 in their NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal playoff series, Monday, May 21, 2012, in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City won 106-90.

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16

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Sport

I

Di Montezemolo says the championship is now in Ferrari’s hands

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes the Italian squad’s fate in the championship is now in its own hands after the step forward it took in the Spanish Grand Prix.

The updates introduced for the Barcelona race seemed to pay off for the Italian squad, with Fernando Alonso fighting for victory and finishing second to Williams driver Pastor Maldonado.

The result means Alonso is now tied in the lead of the championship after the first five races of the season. Thanks to the form shown in Spain, di Montezemolo is optimistic winning this year’s titles is exclusively up to his team now.

The Italian also said that Alonso’s

team-mate Felipe Massa “must” achieve strong results in order to help his team following a poor start to the campaign.

“The championship is very open and so far, there has not been one dominant force,” wrote di Montezemolo in a letter to his staff.

“A series of circumstances and the work done here to improve the car, as well as Alonso’s great ability, has led to us leading the championship after five rounds.

“We must capitalise on that, with each one of us giving our very best at home and at the race track, including Massa, who must bring home the results we expect from him.

“I know from Domenicali, with whom I am in constant contact, how

World's tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, opens

hard all of you are working. Of this I am sure, also because winning the championship depends only and exclusively on ourselves: on our ability, our creativity, our determination and our desire to show that we are the best.”

“I had no traction out of the corners, especially in first and second gear, and I wasn’t able to advance,” Pedrosa explained. “We made a few changes to the configuration of the bike after warm up hoping to improve it a bit, in the end it was other way around, but these things can happen.

“In the race I immediately realised it was not my day, not a day to AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos take any risk and it was important to simply reach the best position. I was Ferrari Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso, from Spain, lucky, after the crashes of both Tech steers his car during the Spanish Grand Prix at the Montmelo racetrack near Barcelona, Sunday May 13, 2012.

3 Yamahas I finished fourth.”

Page 6

The reigning MotoGP world champion admitted Honda had struggled to get on top of the conditions, afflicted by issues switching the tyres on at the start and with heavy degradation at the end.

“That was a tough race, not the best day for us,” Stoner said after finishing third behind Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha and Valentino Rossi’s Ducati. “The bikes

weren’t working, and both myself and Dani [Pedrosa] had the same problems: from the start we couldn’t get heat into the tyres and get the rear to work.

“Jorge used that opportunity perfectly to pull a huge lead, and then I was just trying to stay in second, getting pressure from behind [while] just waiting to get grip.

AP Photo/David Vincent

Australian MotoGP rider Casey Stoner steers his Honda ahead of Italian rider Valentino Rossi during the MotoGP Grand Prix of France, in Le Mans, western France, Sunday, May 20, 2012.

“Then I got grip I started to push and close [on Lorenzo], and everything was looking good, and then the rain stopped, the water levels went away and we just overheated the rear tyre. We couldn’t get any traction and were spinning the rear in every gear, from first to sixth.”

As a result, Stoner said it had been almost impossible to hold Rossi at bay as the seven-time champion closed rapidly and surged into second on the final lap.

“Valentino had the pace over us at the end. I tried to hold on, to do everything I could, but he had a much higher pace and I couldn’t even stay with him on the last lap, I think he pulled 1.5 seconds on me.

“It was nice just to be on the podium, it wasn’t looking so good for us halfway through the race.”

Pedrosa too said he had been afflicted by traction issues, and had realised almost immediately that the race was not going to go his way.

“I had no traction out of the corners, especially in first and second gear, and I wasn’t able to advance,” Pedrosa explained. “We made a few changes to the configuration of the bike after warm up hoping to improve it a bit, in the end it was other way around, but these things can happen.

“In the race I immediately realised it was not my day, not a day to take any risk and it was important to simply reach the best position. I was lucky, after the crashes of both Tech 3 Yamahas I finished fourth.”

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Unstoppable land conversion made Subak endangered Bali Post

DENPASAR - Recognition of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) specifying the subak (Balinese irrigation cooperative) as one of the world heritages got appreciation from many lineups. However, conditions in the field are quite different.

Stoner hampered by tyre issues

Casey Stoner said he was happy to have simply picked up a podium finish on a sodden Le Mans circuit after struggling badly with tyre issues.

N

16 Pages Number 108 4th year

Conversion of farmland function denoting an inseparable part from the subak is unstoppable. Even, due to the swift conversion of farmland, some of the subak territories in Denpasar only leave a memory, one of which is Subak Sanglah.

The Head of Denpasar Agriculture, Food Crops and Horticulture Agency,

Nyoman Ambara Putra, said the conversion of farmland in Denpasar tended to be used for housing. However, he admitted that aside from housing, it was also earmarked for road as well as other functions. He said that in general the conversion of land function reached 20-30 hectares per year.

Continued on page 6

Gibb matriarch loses third son with Robin’s death Page 12

WEATHER FORECAST

City

temperature oC

Denpasar

24 - 33

Jakarta

23 - 33

bandung

22 - 31

yogyakarta

23 - 32

surabaya

26 - 34

sunNy

BRIGHT/Cloudy

rain

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AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File

In this Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005 file photo, former beauty student Schapelle Leigh Corby, center, who is currently serving 20 years in an Indonesian prison for drug smuggling, is escorted by police officers after her appeal hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. A court official says Tuesday, May 22, 2012, the Australian woman has been granted a five-year remission on her 20-year drug smuggling sentence.

Indonesia cuts prison term for Australian Corby Associated Press

DENPASAR — A court official says an Australian woman imprisoned in Indonesia has been granted a five-year remission on her 20-year drug smuggling

sentence.

Former beauty student Schapelle Leigh Corby was convicted in 2005 of smuggling marijuana onto the resort island of Bali. Her case triggered intense interest in Australia, where many

people believe she’s innocent.

Spokesman Amzer Simanjuntak of the Denpasar District Court, said Tuesday a letter has been delivered to Corby at Kerobokan Jail on Bali, informing her of the reduction.

Prisoners in Indonesia are granted remissions two or three times a year, usually for good behavior. It’s unclear — with several two-year cuts already granted — when exactly Corby will be eligible for parole.