Edisi 28 Februari 2011 | International Bali Post

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Monday, February 28, 2011

North Korea threatens US, South with ‘all-out war’

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Bali to develop 100 units of Simantri PAGE 8

(AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A man carrying bread from a bakery walks past felled palm trees used as roadblocks by residents in the Tajoura district of eastern Tripoli, Libya, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.

‘Last Airbender’ rules Razzies as worst picture PAGE 12

Libya rebels gear for fight in city near capital Associated Press Writer ZAWIYA, Libya – Hundreds of armed anti-government forces backed by rebel troops who control the city closest to the capital Tripoli appeared to be readying Sunday to repel an expected offensive by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi who have surrounded Zawiya.

An Associated Press reporter who reached Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli, confirmed the anti-government rebels

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are in control of the center of the city of 200,000. They have army tanks and anti-aircraft guns mounted on pickup trucks deployed.

But on the outskirts, they are surrounded by pro-Gadhafi forces.

There were at least six checkpoints controlled by troops loyal to Gadhafi

on the road from Tripoli to Zawiya.

Each checkpoint was reinforced by at least one tank, and the troops concealed their faces with scarves.

Police stations and government offices inside the city have been torched and anti-Gadhafi graffiti was everywhere. Many buildings are pockmarked by bullets.

Continued on page 6

Libyan chaos stirs global panic over oil supplies Associated Press Writer

MADRID – Libya’s oil industry is in chaos, and that’s no exaggeration. Armed men loot equipment from oil field installations.

British commandos execute secret raids in the Libyan desert to rescue stranded oil workers as security disintegrates rapidly in remote camps.

Libyan port workers, frightened of being caught up in Moammar Gadhafi’s violent crackdown on protesters, fail to show up for work, leaving empty tankers floating around the Mediterranean Sea

waiting to load crude.

And the European oil companies extracting Libya’s black gold are operating in crisis mode, trying to get stranded expatriate workers out and safe amid conflicting information on how much oil is still being pumped and just where it all is. That was just this week. The situation may not get better in the near future.

No one knows whether Gadhafi or the rebels trying to oust him will end up controlling Africa’s biggest oil reserves.

Continued on page 6

AP Photo/Hussein Malla

A Libyan oil worker walks in front of a refinery inside the Brega oil complex, in Brega east of Libya, on Saturday Feb. 26, 2011.

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International

Monday, February 28, 2011

Bali News

70 percent of Bali’s fishery potential uncultivated Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Though Bali has an extraordinary potential in the fisheries and maritime sector, the potential of natural resources have not yet been explored maximally. Bali Maritime and Fishery Services noted that only 30 percent of the potential has been worked on, while 70 others have not been touched maximally.

Such condition was recognized by the Head of Bali Maritime and Fishery Services, I Gusti Putu Nuriatha.

It could happen because the potential of each region had not been known by the public and if done they had not been worked on optimally.

“Right now, our potential of fishery and maritime indeed have not been worked optimally. Only 30 percent of the potentials have just been explored,” said Nuriatha in Denpasar, Thursday (Feb 24).

According to him, Indonesia, especially Bali, had a great potential of maritime and fishery resources that could be developed for the benefit of

economic, social and environmental interests. He also added the fishery and maritime aquaculture of Bali had some commodities that could kindle the growth of production, such as seaweed and tilapia aquaculture. “Bali itself has a lot of fishery and maritime commodities, both capture and aquaculture,” he said.

The potential denoted the basis for implementation of capital development in the region of Bali. Through development policy of the Bali region, the field of maritime and fishery affairs posed a priority domain.

“Governor of Bali instructed in order the maritime and fishery affairs

could be managed properly to provide a greater contribution to local development interests, particularly in terms of support to overcome the problem of poverty, unemployment as well as welfare and income improvement of the community,” he explained.

In the field of maritime and fishery affairs, it had been achieved an increase in productivity from 243,965.2 tons in 2009 to 245,399.71 tons in 2010 and increase of the export value from USD 127,012,338.86 to USD136,288,388. Meanwhile, the income of community getting involved in the fishery business reached IDR 19,166,658 in 2010. (par)

Mount Raung Temple

A sanctum to spark wisdom values Coinciding with the Buda (Wednesday) Kliwon Ugu falling on March 23, 2011, the Gunung Raung Temple situated at Taro Village, Tegallalang Subdistrict, Gianyar Regency, organizes the ritual of Panca Wali Krama Penyegjeg Jagat. Existence of this universal temple plays an important role in the history of Balinese human. Additionally, in terms of the building structure, it is very different from most temples in Bali and it can be said as one of the temples becoming the center of ancient yogis.

This place has become the foundation of wisdom values initiated by Maharishi Markandeya along with his followers to develop a new life. During a long pilgrimage, he acquired revelation from the Creator when committing meditation on the Mount Raung in East Java. Through the revelation, the Maharishi was instructed to disseminate Hinduism to the east, namely Bali Puline. The Mount Raung Temple is situated in the midst of two rapids of Wos River, called the Male Wos River in the east and Female Wos River located on the west side.

According to Chief of Taro Kaja Customary Village doubling as Chairman of Ritual Committee of Penyegjeg Jagat in Mount Raung Temple, Nyoman Tunjung, the exist-

ence of the Mount Raung Temple was inseparable from the pilgrimage of Maharishi Markandeya. The temple denoted one of the oldest temples in Bali having close relation to the pilgrimage of Maharishi Markandeya from his hermitage on Mount Raung in East Java to Bali to spread the teachings of Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law) which is now known as Hindu Dharma. Based on the Bali Tattwa palm-leaf manuscript, the Maharishi initially lived in the Dharmalung hermitage, East Java.

Subsequently, he held a tirthayatra (pilgrimage) to the east up to the Mount Hyang (Dieng). There was no ideal place he could find as a hermitage along his pilgrimage. On that account, Maharishi Markandeya continued his journey to the east until arriving at Mount Raung, East Java. It was the appropriate place for him to build a hermitage and practice asceticism.

In his meditation, he received instructions to continue the journey to the east, namely to the Island of Bali.

Accompanied by approximately eight thousand followers, he went on his sacred journey eastwards to clear the dense forest in the slope of a mountain. Now, the location is known as Mount Agung. When clearing the forest, his followers were hit by badly epidemic where

most of them died.

In response to such situation, Maharishi Markandeya returned to East Java to hold meditation and plead instructions. God manifesting Himself into the Lord Pasupati then came down and told the Maharishi that his fault was not performing rituals and offered sacrifices to ask for permission when going into the forests. Maharishi Markandeya went back to Bali and resumed his journey to Mount Agung. At that time, he brought along with some followers called Wong Age. On arriving at the Mount Agung, Maharishi Markandeya held a ceremony by burying Panca Datu denoting five types of metal (gold, silver, iron, bronze and tin), representing the symbol of universal power.

At location of executing and burying the Panca Datu ritual was then established a huge temple called Basukian/Besakih Temple.

Having buried the Panca Datu and performed other rituals, he ordered his followers to open farmland to a fertile area called the Sarwa Ada Village. There, he also did the arrangement and division of land for his followers and then built a shrine given similar names to his hermitage on the Mount Raung in East Java.

IBP/dar

Gunung Raung Temple situated at Taro Village, Tegallalang Subdistrict, Gianyar Regency.

Temple Structure The Mount Raung Temple has four entrance gates in the four directions as entry and exit of the gods abiding the whole world. According to local tradition, the west entrance is functioned for gateway of the lord abiding on the Mount Raung in East Java. The south and north entrances are functioned as gateway for devotees who will say prayers to the Mount Raung Temple. Meanwhile, in front of each entrance lies a foot bridge called Titi Ugal-Agil or Titi Gonggang. It is believed to serve as a filter of society entering into the temple with inappropriate intention. Their negative energy will disappear when passing through the foot bridge.

In the meantime, the east entrance is the main gateway. It is highly sanctified as it poses the access of the lord abiding in the Mount Raung Temple. Through genera-

tions, local devotees do not dare to put on gold jewelry when passing through the entrance. Similarly, pregnant and lactating women are prohibited from passing through the entrance. The main shrine here is the three-tiered Meru as a sanctum to worship the lord abiding on the Mount Raung.

Additionally, there is a kulkul (wooden split drum) heirloom made of flower stalk of arrow-leaf sida put near the Bale Agung pavilion. Every pujawali or temple anniversary in the Mount Raung Temple, the kulkul heirloom will be beaten. Meanwhile, the Bale Agung pavilion is situated in middle courtyard and has 24 pillars. The pavilion serves as a place to conduct a meeting in relation to the interests of the temple. Some materials of Bale Agung pavilion constitute the legacy of Maharishi Markandeya that remains to stand strongly up to these days. (dar)

Most Perpetrators of sexual violence known by victims Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Throughout the year 2010, the Clinic of Medical Forensic of Sanglah Hospital recorded 89 cases of sexual violence including rape, lewd acts to adultery.

Among the 89 cases, according to the Chairman of Management Team of Violence Victims against Women and Children (KTP K2PA), I.B. Putu Alit, almost 88.76 percent of the victims knew the perpetrators. “In terms of profile, almost all perpetrators of sexual violence whose cases listed in Sanglah Hospital are known by the victim,” said Alit.

Meanwhile, in terms of age, ac-

cording to Alit, approximately 65.17 percent aged 15 years and over. Meanwhile, the remaining victims were under that age. “There are some still under 15 years. Most of the victims are women, but there are also two boys becoming the victims of sodomy,” said Alit. In terms of location, most of the cases occurred in the victim’s home or about 41.57 percent, at boarding house around 25.85 percent and in the inn around 19.1 percent.

“For the time of incident, most cases took place about at six o’clock in the afternoon till 12 at night. The case rarely happened during the school time,” added Alit. (kmb24)

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

Bali News

International

Balinese spiritual guru Ketut Liyer, 95, advises a foreign couple in his garden in Ubud district in the resort island of Bali. Liyer predicted to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love”, the best-selling autobiography turned into film, that she would live in Bali where she will meet her love, a prediction that came true.

AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka

Tourists flock to Bali’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ sage Agence France Presse

UBUD, Indonesia – Providence smiled on Balinese seer Ketut Liyer the day US tourist Elizabeth Gilbert came to visit — her memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love”, would make him richer than he ever dreamed. The fortune teller said to be aged in his 90s — no one knows exactly — was a poor man when he looked into Gilbert’s eyes and predicted she would live in Bali and find true love.

Gilbert worked her own magic and Ketut’s prediction became the stuff of Hollywood fantasy. Now there is a line of camera-toting tourists waiting outside his home to hear their own fortunes told, at 25 dollars a pop. That’s a fortune for a man who is more accustomed to bartering his predictions for simple gifts from local villagers.

“From 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every day ... 50 people on average,” said his son, Nyoman, who acts as a translator. “It’s a great life,” he adds, as he checks the sequence of “clients”. As black storm clouds rolled across the sky one recent Sunday afternoon, the courtyard outside Ketut’s comfortable wooden house was packed with visitors, male and

female, from all corners of the globe.

“Look! It’s him!” said 26-yearold American Mary as she fumbled excitedly for her camera. Songbirds fluttered in cages suspended among frangipani and orchid blossoms, as Ketut — wearing traditional Balinese cloth headware, a sarong and a T-shirt — sat crosslegged on the porch and held his 20-minute consultations. Most of the sessions — which can involve readings or massages — seem to end in optimistic predictions of love and happiness, according to the customers surveyed by AFP. “He told me the same thing he told my friend: I’ll be rich, happy, and I’ll have two children. OK ... but at least I can say I met him,” said Mareyka, a 29-year-old South Af-

rican.

Anna, an Australian, also came with a friend. “I was here in 2005.

This was before the novel and the advertising,” she said, pointing to a poster extolling Ketut’s powers.

“At the time, he made me read paragraphs from a big book. It was amazing. Today, he’s tired.

There are so many people.”

As the sun set, the Western customers kept coming. Each new arrival frowned at the sight of those before them, as if they expected to have Ketut all to themselves.

And the Balinese customers? “He saw them earlier in the morning and only accepted gifts in kind,” Nyoman explained. The rain began to fall. The soothsayer took the opportunity to have a break.

The tourists would have to wait.

Gilimanuk Illegal Routes Still Exist, Security Maximized Negara, DenPost

As stated by Head of Gilimanuk Sea Area Police, Adjunct Police Commissioner Putu Suartha, last Thursday (24/2), Gilimanuk still seem to have illegal routes and needs maximum security. Since working here, Suartha have kept pressuring his officers to be more aware, “This is because the entrance gate to Bali is in Gilimanuk so we’re trying to maximize out supervision.”

The police also increased join work with the people and involve institution in doing so, “As we focused on Pos I, Pos II, Pos KTP

(National ID Card) and Pos Cekik, so for beaches area we can maximize supervise it and so needs join work with involved institutions such as Indonesian Army, Sea Army and Water Police.”

Suartha who’s still recovering from his kidney disease stated that the facilities for security checking need a lot of repairing. According to him ideally there should be equipments with better technology which can supervise items that are on trucks or other closed vehicles as workers ability are also limited yet to do so it needs a huge fund and needs to be suggested to Cen-

tral Government, “Yes for now the checking are done manually, thankfully our officers are putting maximum effort in doing it so if there are information such as motorcycle stealing in other areas we can take a more intensive checking and mostly successfully found.”

For the future, the personnel in this Gilimanuk Sea Area Police needs to be increased because it’s going to be Gilimanuk Urban Police having its Head being Police Commissioner. Right now it’s personnel are 97 people. Suartha also hoped Bali’s security can be anticipated from Gilimanuk. (120)

Monday, February 28, 2011

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Bali Impressions Expect the People Loves Its Own Country Jakarta (Bali Post)

As much as 10 tourism industries in Bali that joins Bali Impression is doing a road show to Bandung and Jakarta, 20-26 February 2011 with its purpose to help government to make the people realize in knowing and loving its own country. This was stated by the Director of Sales and Marketing Bali Impressions, Wayan Suena, during a table top Bali Imrpessions Jakarta last Thursday (24/2).

All this time according to Sueana the Indonesian people realization of touring its own country is still less, “Many Jakarta people more happily to go holiday to Singapore and Malaysia when actually our own destination is not less beautiful. Besides that we ask these tourists from other areas to go to Bali and not only South Bali but also to the East and North Bali where there are great things too.”

Suena suggested these domestic tourists to share experiences for those in Bandung to go to other places than Bandung and also for those in Bali to go to Bandung or other destinations and so the Indonesian will support the

government program Know Your Country, Love your Country (Kenali Negerimu, Cintai Negerimu/KNCN), “If we’re not supporting this who else would? I hope there will be equality to all different destinations in Indonesia which potentially a tourist destination as there hasn’t been any good publication from them so people tend to go to the same places again and again.”

In this event, Bali Impression had join work with Lion Air. General Manager Corporate Marketing Lion Air, Gunardi, stated that these past 10 years Lion Air only have been focusing on ticket sales. Yet lately, Lion Air has evaluated them and fix them in service quality, increasing planes also routes, “All this time we had complains and have been focusing in product sales. Now we need service development.” There will be also 16 new planes for this year while for the routes added will be straight flying from Denpasar-Bandung, BandungMedan, and East Indonesia area also targeted to be fulfilled too. And those not completed yet will be finished in near time. (son)

Rabies Victim Increased in Nusa Penida Karangsari Semarapura (Bali Post) –

Victims of rabies are still increasing in Klungkung Regency especially at Nusa Penida Sub District where a resident from Karangsari, Suana Village, namesd Wayan Laut alias Pan Lasta died after bitten by dog a month ago. This means that in the past few months there has been a few people died from dog bites in Nusa Penida, while in Klungkung land itself there were three each from Bumbungan Village, Banjarangkan, Kusamba Village, Dawan and Akah Village, Klungkung, As information received last Friday (25/2) stated that Pan Lasta was bitten on the right knew yet he didn’t get an Anti Rabies Vaccination (VAR) which then brings him to deaeth last Monday (21/2) in Sanglah Hospital.

“It could be that victim (Pan Lastared) died due to the lateness of being VAR treated,” a resident stated.

After asked for confirmation, Head of Nusa Penida Health Community Center I, dr. Ketut Rai Sutapa, confirmed the situation yet still unsure if victim died due to rabies, “He was only a suspect.” Apparently since bitten a month ago, Pan Lasta did not go to health community center straight away for medication as the wounds were just little scratches nothing serious, “It is true that since bitten Pan Lasta did not get any VAR. but not because he did not get any from the health community center but because himself

did not come here as thinking it is just a light wound.” Rai also mentioned that the same dog previously have bitten a woman in Karangsari area yet that woman went to health community center to get a VAR. Three weeks after Pan Lasta got bitten, he got high fever, afraid of the light, saliva coming out and many more showing rabies symptoms, which then he was brought to the health community center, “After looking at the symptoms, we then brought him to Klungkung Hospital.” Meanwhile the woman who got bitten previously has been seen healthy.

Head of Klungkung Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Sea (PPK), drh.

Gusti Ngurah Badiwangsa stated, generally rabies started decreasing in this regency and Nusa Penida is no longer on Extraordinary Event (KLB) statues yet there’s five cases are being observed to see its development and all taken place at Nusa Penida III area such as in Batukandik Village. Until now there have been thousands of stray dogs eliminated in Klungkung Regency which in Nusa Penida reaching 4.325 dogs.

Besides eliminated, almost all dogs are caged and vaccinated. For the year 2011, the treatment is focused on workshop/socialization to each villages and Klungkung PPK has prepared IDR 300 million from the 2011 Budget and Expenses for it. (kmb20)

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Monday, February 28, 2011

News

International

Shape of new Irish govt yet to emerge Associated Press Writer

DUBLIN – Ireland’s opposition parties have made big gains in a general election focussed on the country’s economic woes, but the shape of the next government is hanging in the balance as counting continues for a second day on Sunday.

The Fine Gael party was leading the pack as voters angry about Ireland’s battered economy ended the 80-year dominance of Fianna Fail. By Sunday morning, 57 seats had been won by Fine Gael, 30 by Labour, 13 by Fianna Fail, 12 by Sinn Fein and 13 by smaller parties and independents. It takes 83 seats for a majority in the Dail, the lower house of the parliament.

Fine Gael was widely expected to form a coalition government with Labour. But with Fine Gael sensing that it might win nearly 80 seats, party leaders also talked about forming alliances with independent candidates. Party leader Enda Kenny, destined to become prime minister, pledged to move

AP Photo/Paul Faith-pa

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams casts his vote in the Irish General Election in County Louth, Ireland, Friday Feb. 25, 2011. Voters in the Irish Republic were today going to the polls in the most eagerly anticipated election in decades.

quickly to form a government.

“People were waiting to take revenge on Fianna Fail, and they have certainly done so with great gusto,” said Batt O’Keefe, one of 18 Fianna Fail incumbents who chose not to seek re-election. Fine Gael polled 36.1 percent support with the first round of counting completed in all 43 constituencies.

Labour, Fine Gael’s possible coalition partner, was running second at 19 percent while Fianna Fail polled a historic low of 17 percent.

The Green Party, which had six seats in the Dail and was Fianna Fail’s junior partner in government, lost all its seats. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, who resigned his seat in the British parliament to run for the Dail, was among the winners.

Irish voters punished Fianna Fail for 13 percent unemployment, tax hikes, wage cuts and a humiliating bailout that Ireland had to accept from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. In elections going back to 1932, Fianna Fail had never won less than 39 percent of the vote and had always been the largest party in the Dail.

Fine Gael (“tribe of the Irish”) and Fianna Fail (“soldiers of destiny”) were born from opposing sides in Ireland’s civil war of the 1920s, and many see little difference between them on the issues.

Fianna Fail, however, was leading the government when the property boom collapsed in 2007, and it put taxpayers on the hook to bail out Ireland’s failing banks.

Brian Cowen, the outgoing prime minister, had fallen to record low popularity and resigned as Fianna Fail party leader even before the campaign. He had wanted to hold the election in March, but agreed to hold it early in a deal to win confirmation of the hated EUIMF bailout. “Fianna Fail will come back,” said new party leader Micheal Martin, who bucked the tide to hold his seat.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, right, shares a light moment with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd at the foreign ministry in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.

AP Photo/Amr Nabil

Egypt proposes competitive presidential elections Associated Press Writer

CAIRO – A constitutional reform panel on Saturday recommended opening Egypt’s presidential elections to competition and imposing a two-term limit on future presidents — a dramatic shift from a system that allowed the ousted Hosni Mubarak to rule for three decades.

The changes are among 10 proposed constitutional amendments that are to be put to a popular referendum later this year. The proposals appeared to address many of the demands of the reform movement that help lead the 18day popular uprising that forced Mubarak to step down on Feb. 11.

But some Egyptians worry that the proposed changes don’t go far enough to ensure a transition to democratic rule, and could allow the entrenched old guard to maintain its grip on power.

The most important of the eightmember panel’s proposals would

greatly loosen restrictions on who could run for president, opening the field to independents and candidates from small opposition parties. That marks a drastic change from the previous system that gave Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party a stranglehold on who could run.

“We were denied the right to have candidates before. Now they opened the door for whoever wants to run,” said pro-reform Judge Ahmed Mekky. “This is a step forward.”

A candidate would be allowed to run by doing one of three things:

collecting 30,000 signatures from 15 of Egypt’s 29 provinces; receiving the approval of at least 30 members of the elected parliament; or representing a party with at least one lawmaker in parliament.

The panel also recommended full judicial supervision of the electoral process, which would address regular criticism that the government routinely rigged past elections to ensure Mubarak’s party retained its hold on power.

On Egypt’s widely criticized emergency laws, which have been in place for 30 years and grant police sweeping powers of arrest, the panel proposed limiting their use to a six-month period with the approval of an elected parliament. Extending their use beyond that should be put to a public referendum, it said.

Christchurch holds prayers for quake victims Associated Press Writer

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Residents held open-air prayers for the dead and missing Sunday on the lawns of churches cracked and shattered in New Zealand’s earthquake while teams continued their search through debris of one of the country’s worst disasters.

“As our citizens make their way to church this Sunday they will be joined in prayer by millions around the world,” said Mayor Bob Parker of the devastated city of Christchurch. “For now we are truly comforted by the thoughts and prayers of so many.”

The official death toll rose Sunday to 147 and was expected to rise

further, Police Superintendent Dave Cliff said. Prime Minister John Key has said the quake, which decimated the city’s downtown, may be the country’s “single-most tragic” disaster.

When the quake ripped through the city last Tuesday, the city’s churches were among the hardest-hit buildings. Among them was the iconic Christchurch Cathedral, at the heart of the city, which suffered massive damage, its bell tower in ruins and 22 people potentially lying dead inside. Still, many residents of the largely Christian city found a way to hold Mass on Sunday.

Parishioners set up rows of chairs in the sunlight and under the shade of trees on the lawn of St. Barnabas, an 86-year-old Anglican church

where the quake cracked stone walls, shattered some stain glass windows and left the tower sinking.

Wails of passing police cars and the roar of a military chopper overhead occasionally interrupted the sermon.

Rev. Philip Robinson later tried to rally a somber crowd. “This is not called Christchurch for nothing,” he said, drawing smiles from a few.

“We will rise again.”

After the service, people gathered by a table on the lawn to have coffee, scones and banana bread, and to comfort those still struggling. Megan Blakie, 45, stood in the crowd, eyes brimming with tears. “I just am struggling with where’s God in all of this?” she said. “It’s not shattered my faith, but it’s hard to keep going.”

AP Photo/Rob Griffith

Joanne Fagan-Oslawskyj weeps as she attends a service with her family, Jamie, right, and Grace, center, husband Joe Oslawskyj, and Sarah at St. Barnabas Church in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.

Activities

International

Monday, February 28, 2011

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Maya Ubud’s a Spiritual Journey IBP

UBUD – Maya Ubud Resort & Spa’s special eight day package: A Spiritual Journey, has been an exceptional experience for its participants. See what they say about it.

Since the beginning of the year when first introduced, demand for this package has seen a steady increase by those wishing to discover the real essence of the life of the Balinese, and experience their unique culture and spirituality.

The Spiritual Journey package is a unique package that introduces and assists participants to better understand the spiritual aspects of Balinese life and customs, whilst creating a rejuvenating and healing experience for participants. The Spiritual Journey commences with a warm welcome from our caring staff, each one allocated to meet the needs of clients to ensure their stay is a memorable and enlightening one.

Each enlightening day commences with morning yoga and meditation sessions in a picturesque

setting, followed on different days by exploring nearby temples and visiting a traditional Balinese healer (Balian), or even a spiritual consultation and priestly blessing. Another option is to learn with village ladies the art of making traditional temple offerings as our guide carefully explains the meaning of the offerings, which can later be presented during the village temple visit. On another morning clients will be taken for a walk to a traditional village to be greeted by local village people and experience how they start a typical day. Throughout the Spiritual Journey program, the designated resort guide will share with participants various aspects of the philosophy of the Balinese people, which will enlighten and help them better understand the unique practical, cultural and spiritual essence of Balinese life.

Each day is planned to ensure a relaxed pace with plenty of time in between scheduled activities to also enjoy free time . . . such as relaxing by one of the beautiful pools, tak-

ing the free shuttle bus to Ubud market, or simply being spoilt with one of several (all inclusive) spa pampering treatments that awaits you in the legendary riverside Spa at Maya.

Those who have participated in and experienced the Spiritual Journey package write only heartfelt comments following their stay.

“To say that participating in the Spiritual Journey program has been profound is an extreme understatement. In actual fact it is very hard to encapsulate in words the most blessed, healing, and magical, experience that I’ve had. From my day of arrival, I’ve been made to feel very special and this has been very soothing to my soul and healing for my heart… I truly am blessed!” said Ms Mary Rutledge (www.angelsartalchemy.com) at the end of her stay with Maya Ubud early last month, “I believe that this package is too important for people not to know about it,” she continued.

Ms Suzanne Hart of Australia

(www.SHE.net.au) summarized her experience and that of her clients by saying; “The Balinese blessing ceremony was another highlight. Wayan our personal resort guide did such a great job of explaining the ceremony and guiding us through it. The ladies loved it!”

Ubud has always had strong spiri-

tual healing elements related to the confluence of the two sacred rivers, the Oos and the Pakusera and an abundance of natural healing plants and herbs that thrive in the area, as well as the numerous balians (natural healers) that practice here, not to mention its ancient temples, revered priests and mystics.

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

Dalem Kangin Sidemen - Karangasem.

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

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

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

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

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

6

Monday, February 28, 2011

News Libyan Oil...

From page 1

AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

Replicas of North Korea’s Scud-B missile, right, and South Korean missiles are displayed at the Korean War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. North Korea threatened Sunday to attack South Korea and the United States, as the allies prepared to start annual joint military drills, maneuvers Pyongyang says are a rehearsal for an invasion.

North Korea threatens US, South with ‘all-out war’ Agence France Presse

SEOUL – North Korea threatened “all-out war” in response to exercises by South Korean and US troops due to start Monday and told Seoul to stop cross-border propaganda, upping the rhetoric against its arch rivals. Pyongyang would respond to the upcoming drill, with “unprecedented all-out counteraction” that would turn the South’s capital Seoul into a “sea of flames”, the Korean Central News Agency said Sunday.

“The army and people of the DPRK will return bolstered nuclear deterrent of our own style for the continued nuclear threat... and our own missile striking action for their vicious attempt to eliminate our missiles,” KCNA said. The statement was in contrast to more conciliatory comments it made earlier this year aimed at securing peace talks with the United States but came after Pyongyang officials stormed out of talks with the South this month.

Some 200,000 South Korean and 12,800 US troops will take part in the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle drills, which the North has labelled a preparation for war. Key Resolve, a command post exercise involving computer simulation, will last until March 10. Part of Foal Eagle, a joint air, ground and naval training exercise, will continue through April 30.

The exercise reportedly includes scenarios such as localised provocations, tracing weapons of mass destruction, a sudden regime change in the communist state and an exodus of refugees, Yonhap news agency reported. It also said

the US planned to deploy it 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for the drills.

Cross-border tension has been acute since the North’s deadly shelling of a frontier island in November that killed four South Koreans including two civilians and sparked fears of war. The first attack on civilians since the 195053 Korean War prompted Seoul to stage a series of military drills alone or with the United States and to expand regular exercises in a show of force against Pyongyang.

The South also revived a propaganda campaign across the heavily-fortified border targeting ordinary North Koreans — a practice it had suspended since 2000 due to protests by the North. Conservative opposition politician Song Young-Sun, citing a report from the defence ministry, said on Friday balloons carrying humanitarian supplies such as medicine and clothes were being launched across the border by the military.

She said the balloons also carried news of civil uprisings against repressive regimes in the Arab World and were aimed at getting

information to the people of North Korea, who are largely cut off from the outside world. The South’s private activists also have for years used helium balloons to smuggle US dollar notes, DVDs and leaflets denouncing the North’s regime and leader Kim Jong-Il into the hermit state.

The North threatened on Sunday it would begin firing on border areas where the South’s activists and military launch the balloons. “Our army will stage a direct fire at... sources of the anti-DPRK psychological warfare to destroy them on the principle of self-defence, if such actions last despite our repeated warning,” KCNA said.

Pyongyang tightly controls access to the Internet and attempts to block other sources of information about the outside world. But DVDs and mobile phones smuggled from China have been eroding barriers A survey by two US academics of some 1,600 refugees from the North found that roughly half of them had access to foreign news or entertainment — a sharp rise from the 1990s.

Fears abound that Libya could turn into a fractured nation with competing armed groups ruling over rich and remote desert fields lying hundreds of miles (kilometers) apart from each other.

The chaos in Libya as it descends into virtual civil war has sent international oil prices skyrocketing despite a pledge from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, to ramp up exports.

And that volatility is likely to continue, because it could take weeks or even months for Libyan production and exports to return to normal levels, experts said.

That has sent already over-caffinated oil traders into a frenzy that won’t calm down until there’s more clarity about what is happening on the ground in Libya.

The International Energy Agency reported late Friday that Libya is prob-

ably still producing about 850,000 barrels of oil daily, down from its normal capacity of 1.6 million barrels — but acknowledged the estimate is based on “incomplete, conflicting information.”

Libya produces just under 2 percent of the world’s oil, but its customers are overwhelmingly European. Hardest hit by the sudden oil shortage are European refiners that receive 85 percent of Libya’s exports, turning the country’s highly valued crude into diesel and jet fuel.

The biggest buyers are Italy, France, Germany and Spain — and Spain is so concerned it announced Friday that highway speed limits will be reduced in March in a desperate bid to cut fuel consumption.

The biggest problem facing oil companies and European consumers who depend on Libyan oil is a near-complete breakdown in solid information.

Phones in Libya rarely work, Internet is intermittent, workers are fleeing and looters are grabbing what they can or pose a threat until order is restored.

Libya...

From page 1 “Gadhafi Out,” chanted hundreds in the city center. The charred skeletons of many cars littered the city and most streets were blocked by palm tree trunks or metal barricades.

“Free, Free Libya,” chanted members of the anti-government forces at the city center. “Down with Gadhafi, the mass murder,” read graffiti scawled in the city. An effigy of Gadhafi hung from a light pole in the city’s main square. On its chest the words “Execute Gadhafi” were emblazoned.

Gadhafi loyalists remain in control of nearby Tripoli, which was reported to be quiet early Sunday, with most stores closed and long lines outside the few banks open for business. Traffic in the city was close to its normal levels.

US Demand

Muammar Gaddafi’s grip on Libya looked ever more tenuous on Saturday, as his police abandoned parts of the capital Tripoli to a popular revolt that has swept the country and the United States bluntly told him he must go.

In the oil-rich east around the second city of Benghazi, freed a week ago by a disparate coalition of people power and defecting military units, a former minister of Gaddafi announced the formation of an “interim government” to reunite the country.

At Tripoli in the west, the 68-yearold Brother Leader’s redoubt was shrinking. Reuters correspondents found residents in some neighborhoods of the capital barricading their streets and proclaiming open defiance after security forces melted away.

Western leaders, their rhetoric emboldened by evacuations that have sharply reduced the number of their citizens stranded in the oilfields and cities of the sprawling desert state, spoke out more clearly to say Gaddafi’s 41-year rule must now end.

“When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs

to do what is right for his country by leaving now,” aides to President Barack Obama said in describing a call on Libya he had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also showed a harder tone from Washington, which lately warmed to Gaddafi in recent years after decades of sanctions: “(He) has lost the confidence of his people and he should go without further bloodshed and violence.”

A vote in the United Nations Security Council was imminent. It may impose sanctions and say Gaddafi should face war crimes charges over deaths, estimated by diplomats at some 2,000, during his 10 days of efforts to stem the tide of revolution.

Talk of possible military action by foreign governments remained vague, however. It was unclear how long Gaddafi, with some thousands of loyalists — including his tribesmen and military units commanded by his sons — might hold out against rebel forces comprised of youthful gunmen and mutinous soldiers.

London-based Algerian lawyer Saad Djebbar, who knows a large number of Gaddafi’s top officials, says that for Gaddafi staying in power had become impossible. “It’s about staying alive.” “(Gaddafi’s) time is over,” he added. “But how much damage he will cause before leaving is the question.”

One key element in the opposition’s efforts to unseat him may be tribal loyalties, always a factor in the desert nation of six million and one which Gaddafi, despite official rhetoric to the contrary, tended to reinforce down the years.

His former justice minister Mustafa Mohamed Abud Ajleil, now gone over to the opposition in Benghazi, was quoted by the online edition of the Quryna newspaper as saying that an interim government, whose status remained unclear, would “forgive” his large Gaddadfa tribe for “crimes” committed by the leader.

Such declarations may be intended to erode Gaddafi’s efforts to rally supporters into a do-or-die defense of the old guard.

International

Indonesia Today

Monday, February 28, 2011

7

Indonesia eyes investment grade after Fitch positive outlook Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesia edged closer to an investment grade sovereign rating after Fitch Ratings on Thursday upgraded the country’s outlook to positive from stable because of strong economic growth and falling debt.

The Fitch move to a BB+ rating with a positive outlook came after Moody’s last month upgraded the country to one notch below investment grade, a status that would put it on a par with BRIC nations such as China and allow it to borrow more cheaply.

“Indonesia is one step towards investment grade,” said central bank governor Darmin Nasution in a statement after the Fitch move.

Andrew Colquhoun, head of Asia-

Pacific sovereign ratings at Fitch, said in a statement that the positive outlook reflects Fitch’s view that Indonesia’s favourable macroeconomic prospects are likely to see the credit profile strengthen further over the next 12 to 18 months, despite near-term risks from inflation and potentially volatile capital flows.

“Faster progress in tackling longstanding weaknesses in economic and credit fundamentals including the low tax take, infrastructure deficien-

cies and corruption, would further support the case for an upgrade,” Colquhoun said.

Indonesia’s economy grew at the fastest pace in six years at 6.9 percent last quarter, but building inflation is a worry for investors as it reached a 21-month-high of 7 percent in January, forcing the central bank into a surprise rate hike of 25 basis points to 6.75 percent this month.

Fitch expected inflation to average 6.5 percent this year, but highlighted the country’s history of higher and more volatile inflation than peers.

“A more severe inflation shock than the agency expects that is sufficient to damage economic and financial stability would weaken the case

In this photograph taken on February 24, 2011 a boy holds a chicken at a fishing village in Bitung town in North Sulawesi province.

Bitung is one of the major fish ports in Sulawesi island.

Fishing is a thriving industry in Indonesia an archipelago of 17,000 islands.

AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD

President Kicks off Integrated Tourist Zone Project in Bintan Antara

BINTANG - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Saturday inaugurated the construction of the first-phase of an integrated tourist zone at Teluk Sebong, Sebong Lagoi village, Bintan District, Riau Islands Province. The head of state named the new integrated tourist zone “Pesona Lagoi Bintang” (Lagoi Bintang Charm).

Yudhoyono in his speech hoped that the tourist area could become like Singapore or even better.

“Let`s develop this area to become an integrated economic zone,” the president, who was accompanied

by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, said.

Among those present at the inauguration ceremony were Culture and

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, Coordinating Minister for People‘s Welfare Agung Laksono, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, and Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

In the first phase of its development process, “Pesona Lagoi Bintang” will be built on a plot of land measuring 338 hectares.

The project is being implemented by a consortium consisting of several companies including Malaysiabased Landmarks Lifestyle Company. The developers will construct a water city resort in the area bought

by Landmarks Berhad in 2006.

The integrated tourist zone will also include an international ferry terminal, a marine terminal, a marine aircraft terminal, a cruise ship area, and integrated immigration service office.

There will also be a water recreational area, shopping centers, hotels, amusement parks, villas, housing complexes, apartments, meeting halls, universities and hospitals.

The construction works of the project‘s first phase is expected to be complected in 2015 and it will connect with other isles in Riau Islands Province.

Only a short ferry ride of about one-hour from Singapore, the Riau Islands represent an ideal and easily accessible destination for holiday makers.

for positive rating action,” Fitch said.

Bank Indonesia aims for inflation to reach between 4-6 percent this year, and has said it will allow the rupiah currency to strengthen to curb imported inflation. Some analysts expect it to again hike rates at a meeting next week.

Inflation worries prompted an investor sell-off last month that pushed up bond yields and knocked stocks and the rupiah lower, after a two-year rally took stocks up 46 percent last year and pushed bond yields to record lows.

An investment grade rating could lead to a windfall for existing bondholders as risk averse investors such as pension fund buyers would con-

sider buying the country’s debt.

Southeast Asia’s largest economy has been a darling of emerging market investors for the last two years after showing resilience during the financial crisis.

“The positive outlook on Indonesia’s sovereign rating reflects international confidence to the credibility of economic authorities in managing Indonesia’s economy, amid the risk of inflationary pressures and current economic challenges,” said Nasution.

Currently Fitch’s rating is level with Moody’s Ba1, though that has a stable rating, and is one notch higher than Standard & Poor’s BB rating, which has a positive outlook.

Media law lecturer: nothing wrong with cabinet secretary‘s statement Antara

JAKARTA - A media law lecturer from Surabaya-based state Airlangga University, Dr Henry Subyakto, said there was nothing wrong with what cabinet secretary Dipo Alam had said.

Commenting on the issue by phone here on Saturday, Henry said the two media that Dipo Alam had mentioned had indeed violated media ethics and the broadcasting law many times.

Dipo Alam recently called for a boycott of ads and information access to certain media because they had smeared the government.

He had refused to apologize for his controversial statement and because of that Media Group had reported him to the police after he failed to respond to the legal rebuke the group had served on him. Subiyakto said the two media had once been reprimanded by the Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI).

He said objectivity or impartiality in reporting current issues on television was indeed a must in view of laws.

“That is one of the provisions in the broadcasting law or the Broadcasting Attidude Manual and the Broadcasting Standard Program (P3 SPS) issued by the KPI. The two tv stations have often violated them.

Therefore it is logical if Dipo then expressed complaint about the two stations,” he said. He said as part of the government he had become a victim of impartiality.

“But the case becomes controversial because the one that speaks is a ministerial level official. But he is a victim and his statement does not affect press freedom,” he said.

Subiyakto said media must not be seen as a democracy power as power also tends to corrupt unless it is con-

trolled moreover if the media outlet is owned by a business tycoon as well as a politician that has certainly a political agenda. He said there were a lot of proofs that showed that tv news had been used as political tools by their owners so that impartiality is ignored.

“The fact is that tv stations use public domain namely their frequency. The owner of the frequency is the public which has various political aspirations, religions or political parties,” he said.

So they may not use the frequency upon their own will and they must also be impartial, he said.

“Now let us see if the media that Dipo Alam has mentioned has been impartial or not,” he said.

Regarding Dipo‘s call for a boycott Subiyakto said that the call was common in a democracy. “So do not exaggerate it as if it reflects arrogance or threatens press freedom,” he said.

He said what needs to be monitored is whether the two television stations had adhered to the P3 SPS issued by the KPI and the broadcasting law.

“Do not blame Dipo or the government that have indeed often been treated unfairly in television news programs,” he said.

Regarding print media he said that they are indeed relatively more free because they do not use frequency.

Their potential violations are mere ethical issues. But for television media the regulations in many countries are very tight. In Britain in 1999 a tv station had even been closed by that country‘s “KPI” because it was considered violating the principles of impartiality,” he said. At the time the tv media in reporting the case of Abdullah Ochalan of Turjey was one-sided and therefore had been reprimanded by the British “KPI”(now OFCOM) for as many as three times.

8

International

Monday, February 28, 2011

Bali Today Teep Beans:

Lazing while Enjoying Slow Snack Among the delicacy of Balinese food with hot spices, in fact, Balinese community also retains easypeasy snack but sometimes a bit harder. One of them is the bean of teep. Its tree resembles to that of breadfruit. However, its beans are far smaller compared to that of breadfruit. When its fruits have turned ripe, they usually attract the presence of civet. Actually, this nocturnal cat is only interested to eat the flesh of fruit. Similar thing also happens to coffee beans. Since the skin of beans is hard it cannot digest them so civet could only enjoy the flesh. On the next day, those seeds could be found at the feces of civet. All seeds re-

Courtesy of Bali’s Government

Governor of Bali Made Mangku Pastika seeing one of the Simantri groups.

Bali to develop 100 units of Simantri Antara

Denpasar – Bali Government will develop 100 units of integrated farming system (Simantri) in 2011. Bali Governor, Made Mangku Pastika, said “the development of Simantri is fully supported by the government and there is great hope that 350 units of Simantri can be developed next year.”

During a meting with all society elements in Bali which was held in Taman Pujaan Bangsa Margarana Monument in Tabanan, the governor said that currently there are 150 units of Simantri in Bali.

The system is developed in a certain area involving the farming groups and it is the combination of farming, fishery and forestry. Each Simantri receive 20 cows, chicken, fish, and seed for farming and forestry.

Governor Pastika explained that the development of Simantri has been done in all regencies in Bali. There is prove that the Simantri system is able to increase the income of the farmers and even it is almost similar to the one working in tourism industry.

The Governor urged all regencies to develop the system in their area. In addition to the increase of income, Simantri can also preserve the environment in Bali. Nowadays, some Simantri is producing organic fertil-

izer from the farming waste.

According to the head of Publication Division in Bali Goevrenment, I Ketut Tenang, said that currently there are 34 farming groups joined is several Simantri system. The groups consist of hundreds of farmers and manage 517 hectare of land in Bali.

Some of them are even already received organic certificate due to the organic process applied during the farming process.

main intact. However, if people see the ripe fruits first, they will not need to wait the coming of civet to pick them.

To process the beans, they are first cleansed thoroughly and dry under the sun. Afterward, they should be fried without oil but sand.

When they have been finely cooked they can be enjoyed while relaxing or lazing. As the shell and beans are slightly hard, it may take a bit long time to open and chew them. However, if they are indeed dry enough and cooked well they must be easy to open and crispy. They are good to consume as slow snack while chatting or watching TV. (BTN/punia)

Airawata celebrated his second birthday IBP

DENPASAR – For those who don’t know who Airawata is, perhaps will think it is okay for him to celebrate his birthday on a big celebration kind of a way. But if you already know that Airawata is a Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) that belong to the Bali Safari and Marine Park (BSMP), the celebration seems to be a little shock. For humans is okay to celebrate their birthday. But for animal, it is very rarely to do so. And if they get a birthday party like Airawata, he got to be an important animal.

Born on February 27 two years ago, Airawata is a child of a 30 years old elephant call Asri. They both live at BSMP and become two of elephants that being conserved there. On his second birthday, Airawata get a birthday cake made from fruits. He also gets privileged to invite 50 elementary school children from Gianyar Regency that take part on his celebration. Besides that, Made Sidia the puppet master also performing his masterpiece in front of the children to educate them about the elephant conservation.

Elephant conservation, especially

the Sumatran Elephants, is important thing to do since they have been extinct in their habitat. In fact, they have been protected in Indonesia since 1931. Unfortunately, elephants killing in Sumatra keep on going because of continuous conflict between them and human. The Sumatran elephant is facing serious pressures arising from illegal logging and associated habitat loss and fragmentation in Indonesia.

The island’s elephant population has come under increasing threat from rapid forest conversion to plantations.

As forests shrink, elephants are increasingly closer to fields and cultivated land, generating conflict with humans that often results in the death of the elephants by poisoning or capture, as well as economic losses to humans.

If we realize the important to conserve elephant, we will realize how important Airawata is. Not only for its habitat but also for us human that has the opportunity to know this big yet gentle animal. And show the very amazing animal to our next generation and keep them inform about this special animal. (iah)

Din Syamsudin: Pluralism Test by God Antara

DENPASAR - An Islamic leader said pluralism was God’s way of testing man’s ability to live peacefully with others who were different in terms of religion, ethnicity and other things.

“People who do not want to live side by side in peace with others who are different from them and who then try to expel or even kill those others because of the difference, do not pass God’s test,” Din Syamsuddin, the chief of one of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organizations, Muhammadiyah, said here on Saturday.

He said pluralism was God’s decision which must be accepted. Man cannot choose to be born in a certain place as everything is determined by God. “Those who were born in Bali are also determined by God. I happen to be born in Sumbawa and it was not because of our wish. This is important so that we can develop brotherhood in a pluralistic community,” he said when inaugurating the executive boards of the Bali regional chapters of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiah, Muhammadiyah’s women wing.

Therefore, Din called on

Muhammadiyah members to become pioneers in developing harmony peacefully including in Bali which is known to be very heterogeneous.

“Muhammadiyah members everywhere must do their best or conduct improvements and restructuring in everything. Today must be better than yesterday,” he said.

To all Moslems he reminded that Islam is a religion of love whose presence was to bring peace to the world and all human beings.

“Let us spread good deeds on earth and avoid destructive acts,” he said.

IBP/Diah Dewi

Airawata got a piece of his birthday cake from an elementary schoolgirl from Gianyar Regency. Airawata celebrate his second birthday on Bali Safari and Marine Park (BSMP).

International

Monday, February 28, 2011

Balinese Culture Traditional Sports:

Get the Experience as the Locals Do Aside from sightseeing to nature, leisure experience can also be obtained by enjoying some intriguing local traditions. There are light daily activities, hobbies, traditional sports and so forth.

Many people do this just for getting the experience, not for the end result.

Balinese community has several traditional sports and games.

Probably, the only one display of those sports and games can be found in the annual implementation of Bali Arts Festival (BAF).

It poses one of the media used to preserve and promote the treasure of cultural heritages together with other cultural elements.

Such an endeavor is required to be introduced to modern generation. If they never know about those sports they will never appreciate theirs. Moreover, they now tend to be attracted by modern games that sometimes make their parents worried on account of characters played in the video games or the like. They may turn less patient or when having no money to play the games it kindles them to commit crime.

No matter small it is, it remains hazardous. However, it does not necessarily mean that modern games must be rejected. The key

is that children should be persistently under parental control to minimize the negative impact because it also contains educational value.

Meanwhile, traditional games will teach them how to get in touch with nature, prepare the tools, cooperate with others and tolerate friends. Here, their patience is required until the toys can be completed. In addition, their relationship will establish togetherness in the level of their understanding. Since most traditional games are played outside the house, so they can know better their surrounding environment and friends. These values enable them to enrich their outlook.

There are a variety of traditional sports and games such as stilts, sack race, coconut-shell clog, tug-of-war, pulling areca-sheath and many others. When managed well, these traditional can create a good business.

Craftsmen, for instance, can make the tools and their replica that may be taken advantage for souvenir by tourists. Moreover, if they are designed with the touch of Balinese ornamental styles they are going to give added value.

In addition, the games like stilts (tajog) can become an optional attraction for tourists. Getting involved in the games of course will drive a pleasure of its own. Try

change the orientation. If the games or sports usually played by the locals, let’s share them with our guests. Then, if the games usually played at smooth or even land can be played with a slight challenge such as by crossing shallow-watered river or even on the beach, near the edges of waves. With different condition and background along this challenge, it certainly becomes an attractive and unique adventure.

Without doubt, there are more traditional games and sports that need exploring and discovering.

These traditions actually are potential products becoming attractive games offered to visitors.

While preserving, we can also offer something different from modern games offered by other destinations. If Bali will ‘go green’ with its organic agriculture, its tradition can also offer ‘eco-friendly’ attraction where it is unnecessary to exploit the nature excessively but it even can go hand in hand with the preservation of local tradition. One day, the treasures of traditional games and sports could be coalesced into a ‘traditional games park.’ Ultimately, let’s share the fun of our traditions by involving visitors in the experience as the locals do. (BTN/punia)

Special Mussels:

Dissolved in Tenderness of Coconut Milk While boring with the ordinary servings, simply try a delightful flavor of seafood. For instance, with a combination of mussel ingredient and Balinese tuber spices, it could pamper the appetite of foodies or culinary adventurers. Tender coconut milk will enhance the flavor of mussel.

Ingredient:

250g mussel, a cup of coconut milk Spices: 6 cloves shallot, 4 cloves garlic, 1 large chili, 2 small chilies, 1 slice turmeric, 1 slice kencur (aromatic ginger), 1 slice ginger, 1 pc salam leaf, 2 pcs kaffir lime leaf, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp of lime juice and 2 tbsp palm oil

Method: ·

Cleanse the mussels and drain. Give lime

juice to remove its odor. ·

All spices are ground finely, except for kaffir

lime leaf, salam leaf, pepper, salt and coriander. ·

Stir fry the ground spices until smelling

fragrant. Pour the mussel into the spices on the frying pan and stir for a while. Add coconut milk while pouring salt, pepper, coriander. Wait for a while until the coconut milk turns a little dry. Take out and it is ready to serve. (BTN/punia) C.045 ibp

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Monday, February 28, 2011

Destinations

International

Ubud Traditional Art Market IBP

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Ubud Traditional Art Market where the existence is not far different from other markets available in the tourism area.

This market as a society economics center of Ubud and it is apposite to the existence of Ubud Empire that is called Puri Saren. The market is unfolding from west to easterly divided become two group with different purpose. There are two markets available at the same area those are one block at the Westside is for a traditional artistic market and another block located in the east as an everyday traditional fundamental market requirement. This market is opened every day about at 08:00 until 18:00, even some from them still open until nighttime. While the traditional market for the fundamental requirement is opened everyday at 06:00 - even before that there is morning market started at 04:00 morning.

The art crafting are sold in this art market consisted of various crafting, from traditional until contemporary crafting which its price is relatively cheap. You can do the transaction directly to the merchant which generally can be bargained. All the crafting sold in this place you can bring home as souvenir like slipper, wood idol, bag, clothes, matting, painting and a lot of more.

It is very simple way and easily to find Ubud Market since it is very famous among the Balinese and it is strategically located in the center of Ubud Village. This market is located just in the front of Ubud Palace with crowded of visitor who purchases the items every day.

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

Monday, February 28, 2011

11

BUSINESS China lowers its economic growth target a tad Associate Press Writer

BEIJING – China is slightly lowering its annual economic growth target, to 7 percent from 8 percent, the premier said Sunday, in a move that signals a shift in government priorities to put the breakneck economy on a more sustainable footing.

The tweak to the growth rate, announced by Premier Wen Jiabao in an online chat with Chinese citizens, is largely symbolic. Economic growth has exceeded the 8 percent target each of the past six years that it has been a fixture of government plans. Last year, growth reached 10.3 percent, making China the world’s fastest-expanding major economy.

Along with the growth, however, inflation has picked up, especially for food and housing. Economists and senior Chinese officials have said for months that Beijing must downshift the economy to help tame prices and move toward growth that is driven more by consumer spending than by the hefty investment and bank lending that fueled the latest spurt.

The questions selected for the premier’s well-orchestrated online chat highlighted popular concerns about inflation and home prices — problems that Wen acknowledged could cause protests if left unchecked.

“Rapid inflation affects people’s livelihoods and may affect social stability,” Wen said. He later added: “I know the impact that prices can cause a country and am deeply aware of its extreme importance.”

Asked about the high rates of growth set by local governments and worries they could worsen environmental degradation, Wen said that the 7 percent target would be embedded in the current five-year plan for 2011-2015 “to raise the quality and efficiency of economic growth.”

“We absolutely cannot again sacrifice the environment as the cost for

high-speed growth, to have blind development, and in that way to create overcapacity and put greater pressure on the environment and resources,” he said. “That economic development is unsustainable.”

The premier’s two-hour online chat on the government’s Xinhua News Agency website came six days before the opening of the national legislature’s annual session, during which the largely powerless, Communist Party-controlled body will approve the five-year plan and other policies.

Wen has held the Internet chat on the eve of the National People’s Congress for three years. The event is designed to give a more modern cast to the often distant, authoritarian leadership and show its concern for the public. Wen is the leadership’s most popular figure.

Grandfatherly, polite and solicitous, he is sometimes shown on state television consoling victims of natural disasters and dining with workers and the poor.

In one of the more colorful gripes Wen heard Sunday, a person who identified himself as a worker complained about the local officials who cut off electricity supplies to meet severe targets Beijing issued to save energy. The worker, who used the online name Fengyun Bianhuan, said that in his neighborhood, the cutoff forced people to use flashlights while cooking breakfast.

Wen said that when he learned about such measures, he became angry and ordered local government

officials to stop. Some officials were disciplined for their actions, he said.

The premier also struck a sympathetic note on one of China’s most divisive social issues: controls that divide the population into rural and urban households and use that classification to deprive rural migrants of urban social services when they move to cities. Wen said rural migrants now number 240 million — far higher than previous figures.

The migrants and their children “should never be discriminated against in pursuing jobs, receiving compulsory education and training just because they are farmers under the household system,” he said.

Several times, Wen underscored that the government’s top priority is to raise living standards. He said preserving jobs was the chief reason the government resisted pressure to allow the Chinese currency to rise in value rapidly. The United States and other trading partners have criticized China’s currency policies, saying that by keeping the yuan, or renminbi, low in value, Beijing is making Chinese exports cheaper.

Wen said many Chinese exporters are engaged in assembling components into goods and face competition to keep prices low. “If the renminbi appreciates greatly all at once, this will cause many processing enterprises to go bankrupt or out of business. The trade orders will shift to other countries, and many of our workers will lose jobs, especially those migrant workers,” he said.

With $38 billion cash, Warren Buffett looking for deals Reuters

NEW YORK – Warren Buffett is looking for acquisitions as an outlet to deploy his $38 billion cash pile, the legendary investor said in his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway Inc shareholders on Saturday.

Buffett gave an aggressive earnings forecast for Berkshire’s collection of businesses, said the company would engage in record capital spending and forecast a recovery in the housing market would start within a year.

Foremost, though, was his acknowledgment of the need for Berkshire to expand its non-insurance businesses, a broad collection that most prominently includes the railroad Burlington Northern and the electric utility MidAmerican.

“Our elephant gun has been reloaded, and my trigger finger is itchy,” Buffett said. The letter was released just before 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT on) Saturday, as it is in most years — and many large investors say they get up early that day to read it the moment it comes online.

The so-called “Oracle of Omaha” said Berkshire will need “more major acquisitions” — with an italicized emphasis on major — to meet its goal.

One long-time Berkshire investor described the letter as “punchy” and “confidently American,” among other things.

“I would say as an investor, I think it’s a very upbeat letter, it’s one that celebrates his courage on behalf of investors of going into the marketplace when the world was

most fearful,” said Tom Russo, a partner at Gardner Russo & Gardner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who is one of the 15 largest holders of Berkshire Class A shares.

Buffett’s enthusiasm for America was obvious in the letter, not only in his capital spending plans but also in his outlook on the growth opportunities for his railroad, his utility business and the other companies Berkshire owns that are fundamentally exposed to the U.S. economy and consumer.

“Money will always flow toward opportunity, and there is an abundance of that in America,” he wrote.

That outlook could provide a boost to markets on Monday, as positive comments from Buffett’s investor letter have sometimes done in the past.

Europe races to meet ‘Mad March’ debt deadline Agence France-Presse

BRUSSELS – European leaders get back to the pressing business of trying to fix the eurozone debt crisis with a hectic series of summits counting down to a March 25 deadline.

Governments know they have their work cut out to satisfy expectant markets, with the heat still on over fears for Portugal and Greece, a country that wants its existing bailout renegotiated.

Final decisions are due to be reached on the size, shape and scope of a permanent financial rescue system being set up for January 1, 2013.

A temporary fund, already tapped by Ireland in December, offers little room for manoeuvre if Portugal needs help in the short term.

Eurozone paymaster Germany won’t guarantee its backing unless Berlin wins concessions on how other nations govern their finances first. Germany, supported by France, wants to reform everything from pensions to business taxation across the 17-nation eurozone in particular.

“We need to see a clear message from European authorities to be sure that the crisis is behind us,” said analysts from Dexia this week.

The sluggish pace of decisionmaking has already been criticized by a host of ministers, including Portugal’s Fernando Teixeira dos Santos.

Analysts from the Bruegel Institute in Brussels also say the EU has “lost too much time, allowed confidence to ebb away (and) destroyed its credibility” in the absence of an “aggressive” plan to push away market vultures.

Next Friday, leaders from the right of EU politics gather in Helsinki to plot their negotiating strategy - as leaders from the left, including the under-pressure Portugal, meet in Athens.

They are preparing a special summit of eurozone leaders on March 11, which leads, following more meetings of finance ministers, to a full summit of EU leaders on March 24-25.

Internal documents shared among EU ambassadors show that the prospect of a powerful deal is slim.

Of 11 major issues dividing member states, only one had been

resolved by the time ministers last met in the middle of February.

If they can’t even agree on how to calculate debt, as these papers seen by AFP show, how can they convince speculators on markets that they can fix their problems long term?

Here Italy and Greece are miles apart from the rest, with Italy firmly opposed to “faster adjustment.”

Already, we are looking at a “transitional period of three years” being introduced.

Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania are massively opposed to agreement elsewhere “that fines and interest collected shall be transferred” into the rescue funds.

More strictly enforced new rules being developed also include peer review of national budgets before they are passed by parliaments.

Non-euro Britain, of course, “repeated its opposition to the legal form” of the budgetary peer review requirement.

Spain meanwhile refuses to provide monthly state expenditure figures to European partners.

At the nano-level, there is also a furious dispute between France (plus the Czechs and Denmark) on the one hand, and Germany (with Italy) on the other, on how binding to make a benchmark “scoreboard” of macroeconomic imbalances. These would measure things like export strength, unemployment, the size of the public sector etc.

There is already “differentiation between eurozone and non-euro” states but “two member states requested further differentiation within the euro area to take into account converging economies,” according to these files.

That refers to France and Germany’s demands for a “competitiveness pact” which would impose the most successful German economic policies on partners, and raises the prospect of the debtladen Mediterranean south being classed differently from the north, where good housekeeping is seen as a cultural necessity.

According to centre-right Slovakia Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, economic policy harmonisation “has its limits,” although others such as Estonia, the eurozone’s newest member, back the plans.

Leaders have a lot of work to do just to “reduce the open issues,” the papers conclude.

12

Entertainment

Monday, February 28, 2011

International

Banksy, Franco’s singing among Oscar mysteries Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – To the movie industry, the Oscars are an awards ceremony. For the rest of us, they’re a show. So while we couldn’t recall last year’s best picture on a bet (Cameron’s blue-aliens movie?

No, wait, it was “Hurt Locker” from his ex!), we savor the memory of Billy Crystal’s great opening bits and Jack Palance’s one-armed push-ups and brave Christopher Reeve onstage, alone, in a wheelchair.

So, Academy Awards, what are you going to do for us in the threehour-and-then-some ABC broadcast starting at 8 p.m. EST Sunday?

Nobody’s complaining about seeing the likes of nominees Natalie Portman, Amy Adams or Colin Firth in their designer duds and with a potential winner’s aura (and, in Portman’s case, the unbeatable glow of pregnancy).

But in a year with so many apparent dead-certs — including Portman as best actress for “Black Swan,” Firth as best actor for “The King’s Speech” and Melissa Leo and Christian Bale of “The

Fighter” for the supporting-actor prizes — we need more bells and whistles. First, there’s the all-important theme for the Kodak Theatre event. This year: “You’re invited.” OK. We accept.

Moving on, it’s going to be cold, at least by L.A. standards, with temperatures dipping into the 40s at showtime. So during the red-carpet parade, look for loyal publicists earnestly guiding starlets out of the chill because why cover a designer gown with a coat?

The show’s hosts are a key element and, this year, relatively daring: Anne Hathaway and James Franco, two fine, handsome actors but lacking the standard credentials of their predecessors, whether a seasoned emcee (Johnny Carson), comedian (Chris Rock) or song-and-dance man (Hugh Jackman).

ABC’s promotional spots, including one in which Franco puts Hathaway’s bathroom-break quickness to the stopwatch test, are a good sign that clever comedy is afoot. So is the approval of Alec Baldwin, who was a hit last year with co-host Steve Martin.

AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Industrial Light & Magic

In this publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko in a scene from, “The Last Airbender”.

‘Last Airbender’ rules Razzies as worst picture Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – The action fantasy “The Last Airbender” — about people who can command fire, air, water and earth — now controls something else: the Razzie awards for Hollywood’s worst film achievements of 2010. “The Last Airbender” led Saturday’s Razzies with five awards, among them worst picture, worst director and worst screenplay for M. Night Shyamalan.

AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

A graffiti attributed to secretive British artist Banksy depicting a child wielding a machine gun, in black and white surrounded by colored flowers, is spotted in Westwood, California on February 17, 2011.

The movie also received Razzies for worst supporting actor (Jackson Rathbone, who was cited for both “The Last Airbender” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) and for a special award, worst eye-gouging misuse of 3-D. A spoof of the Academy Awards, the Razzies were announced the night before the Oscars, Hollywood’s biggest party.

“Sex and the City 2” took three Razzies, including worst actress, a prize shared by co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, worst screen couple or ensemble for its

entire cast, and worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel.

Ashton Kutcher was picked as worst actor for “Killers” and “Valentine’s Day,” while Jessica Alba took the Razzie as worst supporting actress for four 2010 releases, “The Killer Inside Me,” “Little Fockers,” “Machete” and “Valentine’s Day.” Shyamalan has been on a downward spiral since 1999 Oscar bestpicture contender “The Sixth Sense,” which earned him directing and writing nominations at Hollywood’s highest honors. He

won Razzies as worst director and worst supporting actor for his 2006 fantasy flop “Lady in the Water.”

Despite terrible reviews, “The Last Airbender” managed to find a decent audience, pulling in $300 million worldwide at the box office.

Shyamalan adapted the movie from the animated TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

“He managed to take a cartoon property and make it even less lifelike by making it with real actors,” said Razzies founder John Wilson.

“Most people who like the show, and this would include my 14-year-old son, hated the movie. It made no sense whatsoever.”

“The Last Airbender” was among movies that critics knocked for smudgy, blurry 3-D images. The movie was shot in 2-D and converted to digital 3-D to cash in on the extra few dollars theaters charge for 3-D screenings.

Shakira: Latinos in US will have ‘justice’ Associated Press Writer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Colombian singer Shakira was honored Saturday by Harvard University for her artistic and humanitarian work.

She later said some U.S. states’ proposed anti-immigrant legislation goes against her foundation’s efforts to provide education to poor people around the world.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, however, said Latino immigrants in the U.S. facing various anti-immigrant bills will have “justice” as public awareness about their plight grows.

“Justice will come. I’m sure,” Shakira told The Associated Press after the award ceremony. “Wherever there is ... a kid, who could be the son or the daughter of a Latino immigrant, who cannot attend a school in the United States of America, that kid should be a concern to all of us and our responsibility.”

Shakira made the comments in an interview when asked about proposed measures in Arizona and elsewhere targeting illegal immigrants. A bill in Arizona, for example, would bar illegal immigrants from attending public schools, living in public housing or driving. Another bill seeks to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. if

their parents are illegal immigrants.

“I believe we should never think less of the Latino community because it’s a productive force in this country,” Shakira told the AP. The singer, born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, was awarded the “2011 Artist of the Year” from the Harvard Foundation, the university’s center for intercultural arts and science initiatives.

Foundation director S. Allen Counter said Shakira, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, was honored for her “distinguished history of creativity,” as well as for her charitable contributions.

Previous winners of the Harvard

award include Sharon Stone, Will Smith, Jackie Chan and Herbie Hancock.

Shakira said she was humbled by the award and the student performances at the ceremony. “As I entered the premises today, I had to call my mom and say, ‘Hey mom. Guess what? I got into Harvard’,” said Shakira, who took a history class in 2008 at UCLA. After accepting the award, she challenged Harvard students to do more to improve education in developing countries. “Not everyone can study at Harvard University,” she said.

AP Photo/Josh Reynolds

Shakira

Science

International

Monday, February 28, 2011

13

Nintendo 3-D handheld goes on sale in Japan Associated Press Writer

TOKYO – Nintendo’s latest game machine, offering glassesfree 3-D images, went on sale in Japan on Saturday ahead of a global rollout, and analysts say it promises to be the world’s first 3-D mass-market product. “I’m so excited,” said 9-yearold Natsumi Miyasaka, clutching her brand new blue 3DS portable that her father bought for her.

Lines formed outside Tokyo electronics stores, although they weren’t as long as some previous gadget launches, as Nintendo offered purchase reservations in advance.

The Nintendo 3DS, which costs 25,000 yen ($300) in Japan, goes on sale in Europe on March 25 for 250 euros, and arrives in the U.S. on March 27 for $250.

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. is banking on the 3-D technology as sales momentum gradually fades for earlier hits such as the Wii home console and predecessor DS models.

Nintendo expects to sell 4 million of the 3DS machines through the end of March — 1.5 million in Japan and the rest overseas.

The company is expected to have no problems meeting that target.

“It is the most comprehensive handheld gaming device from Nintendo to date, with high-quality graphics and online features,” said Hiroshi Kamide, an analyst with J.P. Morgan in Tokyo. “I be-

lieve the 3DS will be the first mass-market 3-D device.”

While 3-D technology for TVs has created a buzz, and 3-D camcorders are also gaining some attention, such products have not sold in big numbers so far, making for a tiny fraction of overall TV and camcorder sales.

So selling 4 million 3DS machines in a month would be significant for a 3-D product.

The 3DS looks much like older DS machines, and has two panels. The top panel shows 3-D imagery, giving players an illusion of virtual reality, such as a puppy licking the screen from inside the machine. The bottom screen is a touch panel.

The device also comes with three cameras, and allows the user to take 3-D photos. It doesn’t require the special glasses needed for 3-D theater movies or 3-D game consoles like r ival Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3. They also don’t require 3-D TV sets.

AP Photo/Koji Sasahara

A customer plays a game on Nintendo’s newest computer game console, Nintendo 3DS, after buying it at retail store Bic Camera in central Tokyo, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011. The Nintendo 3DS, offering glasses-free 3D images, has gone on sale in Japan, ahead of a global rollout, and analysts say it promises to be the world’s first 3-D mass-market product.

Canada’s annual seal hunt kicks off Agence France Presse

Astronauts sleep in after busy docking day Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The 12 astronauts in orbit are getting a little break after staying up late to complete their first job together.

It took longer than usual for the hatches to open between Discovery and the International Space Station, following Saturday’s docking. That put the two crews behind in attaching an equipment platform to the

space station.

Late Saturday night, the platform finally was installed. The giant shelf holds a spare radiator. It was delivered by the shuttle.

Mission Control said the astronauts could sleep in Sunday morning. They will spend the day preparing for their first spacewalk, on Monday. This is the last flight for Discovery. The shuttle will be retired when it returns to Earth in just over a week.

OTTAWA – Canada’s controversial annual seal hunt was expected to get underway Thursday off Hay Island, Nova Scotia after bad weather delayed its opening by one week, the fisheries department said.

“Hunters couldn’t go out last week because of storms, but they’re hoping to go out onto the ice tomorrow,” an official told AFP. The hunting quota for grey seals was upped from 50,000 to 60,000 this year, the official said, adding that the grey seal population has grown to more than 350,000.

A quota for the main Harp seal hunt due to begin in March has yet to be determined, the official said.

Canada’s 6,000 sealers once made an average of 10 million dollars from the annual hunt, with a quarter of it from exports to Europe, according to the Canadian government.

But a lack of sea ice in one of the warmest Canadian winters on record and a European ban on seal products, according to Ottawa, ruined what was to be a banner seal hunt last year. Most sealers stayed home, unable to find buyers for their catch or stymied by a lack of ice floes for the first time in 60 years on the Gulf of Saint

Lawrence, which usually hosts hordes of seals birthing pups.

Last month, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea announced a deal with China to allow imports of Canadian seal meat and oils, and said she was hopeful access to this new market would restore Canada’s sealing indus-

try.

Meanwhile, Ottawa continues to contest the EU ban on imports of seal products imposed after a public outcry over the annual commercial seal hunt, which animal rights activists denounce as cruel.

AFP/IFAW/File

This International Fund For Animal Welfare handout photo shows a hunter as he clubs a harp seal during the opening day of the 2010 Canadian commercial seal hunt.

14

Monday, February 28, 2011

Sport

International

Man United survive scare to rout Wigan Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO/Jaime REINA

Barcelona’s Brazilian defender Adriano (L) vies with Mallorca’s defender Ayoze Diaz during their Spanish League football match at Iberostar Stadium in Palma de Mallorca, on February 26, 2011.

Barca stretch La Liga lead to seven points as Real held Agence France Presse

MADRID – Barcelona moved seven points clear in La Liga after Real Madrid showed plenty of effort but insufficient invention as they drew 0-0 against a well-organised Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday. After Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Mallorca earlier, the pressure was on Real who went into the late game in confident mood after three consecutive wins.

From the start though it was evident that it would be a tough task as Deportivo defended deeply and appeared to be battling for their lives. Cristiano Ronaldo was a constant threat but most of Real’s shots came from distance. Their best openings came in a grandstand finish when first substitute Emmanuel Adebayor and then Ronaldo hit the post but they were unable to find the all important goal.

Barcelona had shrugged off claims that they were starting to feel the strain as a makeshift team overcame Mallorca. Barca had not been at their best as they lost to Arsenal in the Champions League and then struggled to beat Athletic Bilbao.

Injuries to Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes suggested that the exertion was starting to take its toll.

With Dani Alves also suspended it was an unfamiliar looking Barça side but after Messi opened the scoring with a header following hesitation in the penalty area, they never looked back. David Villa may have been narrowly offside as he raced clear of the defence to increase the lead and then Pedro Rodriguez completed the scoring.

After the game coach Pep Guardiola admitted that they were finding it difficult to break down Mallorca until the first goal. “It is not easy to come in if you don’t play every week but if you have the personality of Seydou (Keita) then it is a lot simpler. He along with Andres (Iniesta) were vital to us in the first half and I will remember this match as the toughest for us to score,” he said.

“After a long week we didn’t have much rhythm but the first goal helped us a lot and we suffered less. The 3-0 result was very good against a side which has conceded few goals at home.” An impressive second half display by Espanyol helped them to a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad and put their European hopes back on track.

All the talk before the game was about the return of Sociedad’s Raul Tamudo to his former club where he is the alltime highest goal scorer, but he failed to find a way passed an impressive Carlos Kameni in the Espanyol goal. Against the run of play, Daniel Estrada put the ball into his own net but he made amends two minutes later to

bring Sociedad level.

Espanyol, who had lost their last four games, were much improved after the interval with Sergio Garcia’s clinical finish followed by goals from Jose Callejon and Javi Marquez. Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Sevilla.

In a match between two sides that have struggled for consistency, Alvaro Negredo gave Sevilla the lead but Jorge Koke headed Atletico level immediately after the restart.

Ivan Rakitic restored the Andalusian side’s advantage before Jose Antonio Reyes earnt Atletico a point.

Sporting Gijon’s relegation clash with Zaragoza ended in a 0-0 stalemate as neither side showed sufficient courage to commit players in attack.

Valencia have taken advantage of a slump in form from Villarreal to move into third place but tomorrow they face a tough match away to Athletic Bilbao who have a strong home record.

Villarreal travel to Racing Santander having picked up just one point from three games as their extra commitments in the Europa League appear to be taking their toll.

WIGAN, United Kingdom – Wayne Rooney was accused of elbowing Wigan midfielder James McCarthy after Manchester United went four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win at the DW Stadium. Angry Wigan manager Roberto Martinez insisted United’s England striker should have been sent off after the first half incident on Saturday.

The game was goalless when Rooney clashed with McCarthy, but United eventually ran out easy winners with Rooney scoring the killer third goal. Rooney caught McCarthy in the face with his elbow during the opening minutes, but referee Mark Clattenburg took no action apart from awarding the hosts a free-kick.

Martinez felt Rooney’s elbow was part of a plan by United to intimidate McCarthy. “I felt Wayne Rooney was very fortunate. It was clearly a red card,” Martinez said.

“I saw the incident clearly and the referee did as well because he gave the free-kick.

“Once you give a free-kick it is quite clear that it is a red card.

When you look at the replay, it is quite clear he catches James McCarthy in the face with his elbow. “Manchester United were trying to impose themselves on James McCarthy and stop him from playing.

“If one of my players had done that, I would think he was very lucky to stay on the pitch. “It is a big call in the game. It is unfortunate because the referee saw it but he didn’t feel it was a red card.”

However, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt Clattenburg was right not to punish Rooney. “I have had a chance to see it. There is nothing in it,” Ferguson said.

“Mark Clattenburg saw it. I think

he said it was an accident.

“But, what will happen, the question has been asked and because it is Wayne Rooney the press will raise a campaign to get him hung by Tuesday or electrocuted or something like that. “It is unbelievable. Watch the press. It will be interesting to see it.”

Despite the controversy, United travel to reigning champions Chelsea on Tuesday knowing that victory at Stamford Bridge will leave them seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table. They overcame a laboured first half performance to win comfortably thanks to two goals from Javier Hernandez, one from Rooney and Fabio Da Silva’s late effort.

But veteran keeper Edwin van der Sar still had to produce a vintage display to deny Wigan’s Victor Moses, Ben Watson and Maynor Figueroa. “In the first 20 minutes it was all Wigan, they had some great attempts,” Ferguson added.

“Chicarito (Javier Hernandez) is great in the penalty box, though, and in the second half I thought we were excellent.

“We’re very pleased with that performance, although we had to hang on a bit at times. Getting the first goal settled us down a bit.”

Relegation-threatend Wigan are one point adrift of safety but have played more games than some of their struggling rivals.

They have 10 games to save themselves but with Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea still to come, Martinez knows it will require something special to get clear of trouble. “The way it is going this season we cannot expect any favours and we are going to have to work hard to climb out of the bottom three,” Martinez added.

“It’s clear the points tally to avoid relegation is going to be higher this season.”

AP Photo/Jon Super

Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez celebrates after scoring against Wigan Athletic during their English Premier League soccer match at The DW Stadium, Wigan, England, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.

Sport

International

Monday, February 28, 2011

15

Celtics hold off Clippers for latest road win Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Paul Pierce scored 24 points, Ray Allen added 22, and the Boston Celtics rallied in the second half for their fourth victory in five games, 99-92 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Kevin Garnett had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who began the process of integrating newcomers Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic into their lineup after acquiring them from Oklahoma City in a trade for Kendrick Perkins.

Krstic had nine points and six rebounds while starting at center for the Celtics, who made a 24-7 run spanning halftime. After sleepwalking through portions of a loss in Denver on Thursday night immediately after the trade, the Celtics regained their usual late-game execution at Staples Center.

Randy Foye scored 32 points and Blake Griffin added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers in their first home game since Feb. 2 following an 11-game road trip. The Clippers had won nine straight home games before losing to Chicago right before their epic trip.

The Clippers committed 21 turnovers in their 10th loss in 12 games, but at least they’re home after what’s thought to be the second-longest road trip in NBA his-

tory, stretching nearly four weeks while the Grammys and the NBA All-Star weekend occupied Staples Center. The game also was Los Angeles’ fourth in five nights out of the All-Star break, including last night’s loss to the Lakers.

Green struggled early off the bench in his first game with the Celtics, finishing with seven points and one rebound in 17 minutes.

Coach Doc Rivers intends to use Green early as Pierce’s backup, but he gave a debut start to Krstic, who also committed five fouls while getting to know his teammates.

Although Rajon Rondo managed just two points while taking two shots and racking up 11 assists, the Celtics’ four All-Stars didn’t need much backup against the Clippers.

Pierce scored 16 in the second half, and the Celtics maintained a lead over Los Angeles down the stretch, delighting thousands of green-clad Celtics fans.

While the Celtics had their newcomers in uniform, new Clippers Mo Williams and Jamario Moon still weren’t allowed to suit up while the club finishes up the paperwork after acquiring them from Cleveland for Baron Davis, who apparently still hasn’t taken his physical for the Cavaliers.

Rookie Eric Bledsoe had another tough game while starting in Davis’ usual spot, scoring six points on 3of-10 shooting with six assists.

AFP/File/Nicolas Asfouri

Juan Martin del Potro’s (pictured in January) return from injury continued to gather pace on Saturday as the Argentinean booked his place in the final of the $442,500 ATP Delray Beach Championships.

Del Potro reaches Delray Beach ATP final Agence France Presse

DELRAY BEACH, Florida – Juan Martin del Potro’s return from injury continued to gather pace as the Argentinean booked his place in the final of the $442,500 ATP Delray Beach Championships. Del Potro on Saturday defeated second-seeded American Mardy Fish 6-1, 7-5 to reach his first final since he won the 2009 US Open title.

He played just three tournaments in a 2010 season that was derailed by a right wrist injury. In the weeks leading up to the Delray Beach tournament, he reached the semi-finals at San Jose and in Memphis “It’s amazing for me, this comeback, and I’m trying to get better day by day,” he said. “I’m trying to play similar to 2009 but it is very tough. Tomorrow I’ll be in my first final in more than a year and that’s great for me.”

Del Potro will face sixth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, who is seeking his first career title. Tipsarevic, ranked 52nd in the world, beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4 to reach his third career final. Del Potro played a flawless first set, but Fish took a 4-1 lead in

the second.

Del Potro managed to break back and level the second at 4-4, and after Fish held serve for a 5-4 lead del Potro won the final three games. “He improved his game in the second set and he’s very dangerous,” Del Potro said.

“I just became very focused on trying to break his serve. “In the important moments I played better and that was the key for the match.”

Tipsarevic, a member of Serbia’s triumphant 2010 Davis Cup team, will be hoping to break through for a first title after settling for runner-up finishes in his only two prior trips to a final - at Moscow in 2009 and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2010. He has dropped just one set in

3 Sochi Olympic mascots: bear, bunny, leopard Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, center, shoots over Los Angeles Clippers forward Al-Farouq Aminu, left, with center Chris Kaman, right, defending during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, in Los Angeles. Celtics won the game 99-92.

MOSCOW – Sochi’s mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics are a squeaky-voiced figure skating bunny, a roly-poly polar bear and a cool-guy snowboard leopard.

The unusual decision to have three mascots was announced by Sochi organizing committee head Dmitry Chernyshenko on Saturday at the end

of a nationally televised show. Viewers could vote by phone for their favorites among nine candidates.

Originally there were 10 candidates, including Ded Moroz, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus. Reportedly the early favorite, he was pulled from the competition after organizers realized mascots become the intellectual property of the International Olympic Committee.

four matches here.

“I’m really happy with the week and my match today,” he said. “There’s still one more match to go. I hope I can maintain the level that I played today, and all throughout the week. Against Nishikori, the 2008 Delray Beach champion, Tipsarevic converted both of his break point opportunities as he added another victory over the Japanese player to the one he claimed in the Chennai quarter-finals last month.

“I think the main difference is the serve,” Tipsarevic said. “I managed to win one or two points a service game with an ace or a winner, while Kei had to grind for every possible point on his service games.”

16

Monday, February 28, 2011

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

Sport

Renault: Heidfeld already leading team Renault team boss Eric Boullier says it was obvious from Nick Heidfeld’s first few laps in the car that he was the man the squad needed to lead its 2011 charge in the absence of the injured Robert Kubica. Heidfeld will fill in alongside Vitaly Petrov at Renault until Kubica recovers from the multiple injuries he suffered in a rally crash three weeks ago. The German had a test audition for Renault before being snapped up, and Boullier said he was very impressed by the way Heidfeld immediately took charge.

AFP PHOTO/JOSEP LAGO

Lotus Renault GP’s German Nick Lars Heidfeld drives during a training session on February 21, 2011 at Catalunya’s racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona.

Ducati vows to solve GP11’s problems DUCATI team boss Filippo Preziosi is adamant that the squad can resolve the issues that have kept it off the pace so far in winter testing. Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden were both outside the top 10 on the final day of this week’s Sepang test, with the Italian expressing concern about how much he was struggling with chassis setup on the GP11.

But Preziosi feels Ducati’s final Sepang results were unrepresentative, pointing out that the test was disrupted by Rossi having to miss one of the three days through illness.

“In Malaysia we have not finished in a position in line with our original target but this was also due to some back luck,” said Preziosi. “After a promising start to the test, Valentino became ill and lost a full day on the track, forcing him to cram all of the remaining work into the last day.” He said that huge efforts were already underway to get Ducati on terms with current winter pacesetter Honda.

“Valentino, Nicky and all the guys at the track were working flat-out, and we are doing the same back in the factory,” Preziosi said.

“We are confident that by going forward with this same level of commitment, and staying focused on our objectives we will realise the potential that we know we have.”

Ducati also carried out a three-day test at Jerez this week with development rider Franco Battaini.

“Based on the feedback from Valentino and Nicky, we carried the work forward on a parallel course which will allow us to provide concrete solutions for the next test in Qatar,” said Preziosi of Battaini’s programme in Spain.

“We have also continued to work on the chassis set-up, gathering data which we will return to the factory with on Monday for comparison with that of Sepang.”

AFP PHOTO / Saeed Khan

Ducati rider Valentino Rossi of Italy take part in a MotoGP pre-season second test run on the Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur on February 24, 2011. The MotoGP season starts in Qatar on March 20.

“The way he stepped into the team, he came to the factory, he had a brief introduction to the engineers and sat down with us for an hour,” Boullier explained.

“When he was testing at Jerez, I was listening on the radio and the way he was talking to the engineers, he was right there [settled in the team]. I was already halfconvinced that morning.”

Boullier had not expected Heidfeld to step into the role so quickly and decisively. “I was surprised about the fact that he was able to position himself so early and so easily as a team leader,” said the Frenchman. “I would have understood that he could have taken some time.

“The guy, after the first run, was already clearly demanding some changes if he could stay with the team.” Boullier said that the need for a driver who could show technical leadership was a key factor in Renault’s hunt for a substitute for Kubica, and that Heidfeld was always first choice.

“Because the accident happened at such an early stage of the season, we concluded very rapidly that we needed a very experienced driver - and fast, obviously - and having enough character to lead some technical decisions or to take some decisions in a firm manner with the team,” said Boullier.

“When you draw up this profile, and I added if possible [that we

wanted] experience with Pirelli tyres and knowledge of having raced with KERS in 2009, it was obvious that was only one ticking all the boxes, which was Nick. “On top of this, I’d had several meetings with him last year because he’d wanted to follow very closely the situation with our 2011 second seat.

“We even discussed this with Robert actually. I was too early, he was just waking up from the coma, but Gerard [Lopez] talked with him and Robert raised two names: Nick and [Tonio] Liuzzi.” Renault also has Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean on its books as reserve drivers, plus Fairuz Fauzy, Jan Charouz and Ho-Pin Tung within a driver development programme.

Boullier said that had Renault’s need for a substitute occurred further into the year, it would have dipped into its own reserve lineup rather than recruiting an external driver. “If it had happened later in the season, the car would have been developed. I would have gone for one of our reserve drivers,” he said.

“Also, the guy would have spent six months with us [by then], he would have known everybody, he would have been aware of the procedures.

“There was too much risk to put on the shoulders of two young guys the responsibility to develop this car. That would have been stupid for me to gamble on this.”