Edisi 29 Maret 2011 | International Bali Post

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Gangs of armed young men roam Syrian seaside city

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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Yemeni army soldiers in charge of protecting antigovernment protestors stand guard during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa,Yemen, Monday, March 28, 2011.

Bukakak Ritual to Invoke Safety of Plants PAGE 8

AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

Daniel Radcliffe succeeds in a winning musical PAGE 12

Blast at Qaeda-looted Yemen ammo plant kills 70 Agence France Presse

ADEN, Yemen – A massive blast Monday at an ammunition plant in southern Yemen looted

by Al-Qaeda killed at least 70 people, as tracts of the south slip out of Sanaa’s control in the thick of an anti-regime revolt. “The death toll of the explosion has gone up to 70 people,” said local government official Mohsen Salem after the blast at the factory near the city of Jaar in the restive province of Abyan, a stronghold of Al-Qaeda.

A security official said the explosion came as dozens of residents were inside the factory helping themselves to whatever ammunition was left after Sunday’s raid by sus-

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pected Al-Qaeda fighters. It remained unclear if the cause was accidental or the result of a booby-trap.

Yemen is a country where carrying firearms is a national passion

and guns outnumber the 24-million population by more than two to one.

Around 30 armed and hooded gunmen looted the factory on Sunday and made off in four vehicles with

cases of weapons, witnesses said.

The incident, two months into a nationwide revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, came as a security official said suspected Al-Qaeda militants had seized control of Jaar and its surrounding villages. Lawless regions of southernYemen provinces have turned into a base of operations for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the network’s franchise in the unrest-swept and impoverishd country.

Continued on page 6

William outfoxes press with secret bachelor bash Associated Press Writer

LONDON — Score that Prince William 1, the British tabloid press zilch. Far from the cameras of the U.K.’s voracious press, the prince bid his single life goodbye in a bachelor party reportedly held in eastern England over the weekend.

Palace officials confirmed Monday only that the stag party — reportedly thrown by his brother and best man, Prince Harry — had taken place.

“It has happened,” a spokeswoman said, speaking on condition

of anonymity in line with palace policy. “We are not giving any details.” Those details have been the subject of intense speculation since William announced his engagement to 29-year-old Kate Middleton. The pair will wed April 29 at London’s Westminster Abbey.

Would the party be held in Scotland or South Africa? Would there good old-fashioned British boozing? And would Harry, William’s sometimes wayward younger brother, organize some spectacularly off-color prank?

Continued on page 6

AP Photo/Danny Lawson, pool

FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2011 file photo, Britain’s Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton exchange glances, during a visit to the University of St. Andrews, in St. Andrews, Scotland, where they first met.

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International

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Bali News Bogor Wanted Person Found in Kuta Involved in Fraud Denpasar (Bali Post) –

IBP/ist

The beautiful Tamblingan Lake.

High Sedimentation Tamblingan Lake Planned Dig Denpasar (Bali Post) –

The overflowing waters of Tamblingan Lake in Buleleng Regency got Bali Province Living Environment Board (BLH) act seriously as the high pouring rain since the beginning of the year caused residents houses underwater. It was found that the sedimentation or mud saving on the base on the lake is high causing shallowness as Head of the BLH, Ir. A.A. Gede Alit Sastrawan, M.T. stated to Bali Post last Sunday (27/3).

From what’s seen, turns out the way of plantation here is a risking factor. There are no longer water absorbent yearly plants such as coffee and have changed to seasonal plants such as vegetables and potatoes nearby the lake causing pouring rain unabsorbed and slides down to the bottom of the lake. Not only that, there are also farmers

planting rice on diagonal lands and not making it steps like paddy fields (terasering) causing even more erosion also landslides. “These are great contributors to it. As it doesn’t have a good water controller, the water debit that goes to the lake automatically increases. To minimize, we hope those who planted in diagonal lands to make terasering also start-

ing to plan yearly plants to have a greater conservation function,” he explained.

His board is planning to dig up the lake’s base to decrease the piling soils yet the budget is still going to be suggested for next year. For now they are studying it first if it’s necessary and if there are any other solutions. (kmb13)

Hunted since 4th March 2010, Selly Yustiawati (27) from South Jakarta was at last captured by South Denpasar Police at Amaris Hotel, Padma Utara Street last Saturday (26/3) at 8 pm local time.

The beautiful woman was suspected of fraud and victimized tens of people in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bogor and Bandung, taking millions of rupiahs.

Head of South Denpasar Police, APC Leo Martin Pasaribu, on Sunday (27/3) stated that the capture was due to the team work between Bogor and Metro Jaya Police. The wanted person was known to have gone to Bali with her boyfriend initialed BM and so with South Denpasar Police Criminal Research officers led by First Inspec-

tor Pandji Ramadhan successfully identified accused existence. After captured, accused was brought to South Denpasar and admitted all her acts. “Accused case will be handed to Bogor Police on Monday (28/3) and will be handled by them,” he explained.

The fraud modus she used was by borrowing her victim’s money with reason investing on her and later will be paid back more. To smoothen it, she admits as a cell phone credit seller. Yet in the end those investment was used for entertaining with the victim itself. “I used it for entertaining myself also the victim. I bought victim shoes, clothes, phones and more. I stayed two months in Yogyakarta with my boyfriend where I used the money as well,” Selly admitted. (kmb21)

Underpass Not Agreed Yet Mangupura (Bali Post) –

Even hundreds of million has been prepared and freeing land process has been protested, the Dewa Ruci Crossway underpass project that’s said to solve the traffic jam is still not having its environment affect analysis (amdal) from the central government itself. When confirmed, Badung Infrastructure and Watering Agency admitted the condition through Head of Bridges and Road Section, IB Surya Suamba, last Sunday (27/3), as it’s not Badung government who produces the IDR 113 billion project.

Denpasar National Roads Work Force, Wahyudiono, who Suamba asks the media to confirm further,

also admitted the situation. He stated the analysis is still being prepared by the central government’s Public Works General Director. Sadly, he himself did not know when it will be produced. “For sure, the permit has to be produced. But we do not know if it will be an amdal or UPL/UKL (Environment Management/Control Efforts),” he explained.

Wahyudiono is optimized the project will go on knowingly that the project planner itself is central Public Works. On the problematic land freeing, he knows that this has been taken care well by Badung Government. He also predicts the underpass project tender announcement can be done by the coming week. (kmb25)

Creates Protests Angling Dharma Soap Opera Stopped Denpasar (Bali Post) –

Not stopping on the year 2002 case, television soap opera Angling Dharma protested for its diverted story is again shown in Indosiar channel. The Hindu component disagreed of it not telling he is a Hindu, moreover now shown without having it revised. For that, Indonesia Regional Screening Commission for Bali (KPID Bali) took action and managed to stop it as confirmed last Sunday (27/3) by Head of KPID Bali, Komang Suarsana.

The complaining started in early

March where representatives from Indonesia Hindu Dharma Association (PHDI) for Bali and a number of NGOs (Non Government Organisation) demanding Angling Dharma to be stopped again. In Indosiar’s version, Angling Dharma praised mysticism then there were other religious heroes that fought him when based on literatures, Angling Dharma there has been no invasion of other religions. It was then found out screened again after midnight without having its story revised and still seen insulting Hindu

symbols. KPID Bali then sent a protest letter to Indosiar also to Central Indonesia Screening Commission (KPI) and Communication and Information Ministry. “On 13th March, Central KPI called Indosiar and invited KPID Bali, also attended by Hindu Student Forum,” Suarsana explained.

In the meeting, there was a burning debate where Indosiar demands to keep screening it. Yet in the end Indosiar was wrong and Angling Dharma was stopped also requested to be revised. (kmb13)

IBP/ist

The traffic is seen on Dewa Ruci runabout. The underpass is planned to pass this area.

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Bali News

International

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The House urges to enforce security standards Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Again, the circle of Badung House insisted on enforcing a security standard in tourist premises. Standardization was considered urgent to be implemented, following the outbreak of bombing terrors in Indonesia, including Bali, occurred recently.

Deputy Chairman of Commission B of Badung House, I Gusti Anom Gumanti, Sunday (Mar 27), said a number of regions were alleged to become an easy target of terror. One of them was Kuta. Therefore, it was a must for the authorities, including all components of society, to tighten up the regional security.

This legislator from Kuta also emphasized that one of the efforts that should be undertaken was intensifying the oversight against suspicious goods or people. If necessary, police officers should also alert sniffer dogs in tourist areas, especially in Kuta. “Indeed, this effort looks pretty extreme. But, rather than missing again as in the previous bomb blasts, obviously it must be carried out,” he said.

He said the promise of government and police authority to en-

force safety standards on all fronts and tourism sectors should be immediately realized. They might not only focus on a few sectors. According to him, so far it had been approved the safety standard for hotels and villas.

Meanwhile, safety standard for bars, pubs, discotheques and other entertainment premises had not been followed up.

Separately, the member of Commission B, I Nyoman Karyana, stated that security standards of facilities and infrastructure in tourist areas were highly required. Hotels, entertainment premises and supermarkets also required it. Meanwhile, supporting devices such as metal detectors and readiness of human resources should be sufficient, so that in its application, Bali would be no longer missing. (kmb25)

IBP/ist

Tourists enjoy their time during the sunset in Kuta. Standardization of security is needed to preserve the safety level in Bali.

Two waterfalls have potential for spiritual tourist objects Karangasem has two potential locations of waterfall that can be managed into a tourist attraction like ecotourism or spiritual tours. The two waterfalls are Jaga Satru waterfall located at Duta Timur Village, Selat Subdistrict and Yeh Labuh Waterfall at Selumbung Kaler, Manggis Subdistrict.

Village Head of Duda Timur, Gede Pawana, said last week that Jaga Satru waterfall had actually been visited as a sightseeing destination by European tourists such as from Germany and France. Height of the waterfall was about 40 meters. Location of the waterfall was quite difficult to be reached because it was situated between two steep cliffs with large trees nearby.

So far, the obstacles undergone were the narrow location of waterfall and there was no seating. If the operator could prepare a seating, it would become a good venue for meditation and ecotourism. “The location is truly tranquil and peaceful as nestling in the midst of woods and lies between the cliffs. Undeniably, the atmosphere is vastly soothing,” said Pawana.

He said that his party was attempting to arrange the location by establishing a path to location. In addition, his party also re-arranged the snakefruit gardens by utilizing a grant provided by Bali Provincial Government. According to him, if the water-

fall could be arranged and managed properly, it could be offered as an integrated package with the tourist attraction of gorgeous Putung Hill.

Meanwhile, an administrator of Selumbung farmer group, Manggis Subdistrict, Nengah Widana, said that Yeh Labuh Waterfall sourced from the Badabudu hills. Height of the waterfall was about 35 meters with a large enough water discharge where the waterfall stream was as big as a coconut tree. It was recognized the waterfall was not managed and not widely known by outside community, except by residents of Selumbung Village. To reach the location of waterfall, visitors should walk along some 300 meters from the end of the road that could be covered by motorcycle.

“Resource of the waterfalls is abundant, so it never runs dry despite the dry season. However, the water discharge during the dry season is slightly smaller. To maintain the springs becoming the resource of irrigations for local rice field, we the Selumbung villagers have agreed to maintain and reforest the entire hills that can still be planted with trees, such as Sogsogan Hills. We have got assistance in the form of plant seedlings and planted them for community forest covering an area of 5 hectares,” said Widana, a tourism worker in Manggis. (bud)

Allegedly, bird flu remains to affect Sobangan Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Cases of bird flu in Badung must be taken seriously by government.

At the moment, the case of sudden death to chicken in the area of Sobangan Village, Mengwi, keeps on happening. One of the cases ensued at Dukuh Moncos Hamlet. Previously, the village had been declared to be positively exposed by bird flu.

I Nyoman Wijaya, one of the Moncos Hamlet residents, admitted that many of his chickens had died suddenly since last week until Sunday (Mar 27). Those deaths did not indicate any previous signs of illness.

Wijaya, a former legislator in the Badung House, revealed if the case of chicken sudden death also occurred to chickens belonging to his neighbors. Most of those dead chickens were previously bred in an estate located quite far from the house of local residents.

He noted that more than 50 chickens died suddenly. Those chickens were then immediately buried. Unfortunately, according to Wijaya,

there had been no officials of the Badung Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs responding the incident by making an examination to location. To avoid any inconvenient causes, Wijaya asked the government to come down to location. Local residents worried about the case of chicken sudden death as the aftermath of bird flu outbreak. Government should immediately intervene so the cases of bird flu would not widespread.

When asked for his confirmation, the Head of Badung Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, originally claimed to have not received the report. But, a few moments later after being cross-checked to the officer, Badra finally confirmed if the case of chicken sudden deaths had occurred again at Sobangan. Of the 50 chickens owned by Wijaya, 40 had died. Meanwhile, the remaining 10 chickens were immediately captured and isolated.

Similarly, he promised to see the further development. If the isolated chickens ultimately died, his party would make a rapid test. “It is difficult

to distinguish whether those chickens died from Newcastle Disease (ND) or bird flu because both had the same characteristics. On that account, the effort undertaken will be a rapid test,” he said.

Badra explained his party had provided a treatment for bird flu cases.

The case ensuing at Sobangan and surrounding areas had got special supervision. When the cases broke, the Badung Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Maritime Affairs directly isolated the area by culling the poultry within a radius of 100 meters from the location where the cases spread. Additionally, vaccination and spraying had also been undertaken.

In the meantime, the Beringkit Cattle Market had also increased its vigilance against bird flu cases. Director of PD Pasar Badung managing the market, I Ketut Golak, said that his party had been spraying disinfectant on cages of birds.

So far, no poultry was found to be infected by bird flu virus at Beringkit Market. (kmb25)

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News

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

International

Libyan rebels push towards Tripoli, promise oil exports Agence France Presse

SIRTE, Libya – Libyan rebels’ westward push to Tripoli gathered momentum on Sunday and their progress towards Sirte was given a boost as Moamer Kadhafi’s hometown was pounded by a coalition air raid. NATO finally took full command of military operations in Libya from a US-led coalition, enabling the alliance to strike at Kadhafi forces should they threaten civilians.

That command transfer came as the capital Tripoli came under attack by what state television called “the colonial aggressor”. The rebels’ pursuit of Kadhafi forces saw them wrest back control of key oil town Ras Lanuf and press on as far as Nofilia with the strongman’s hometown of Sirte firmly in their sights 100 kilometres (60 miles) further along the road where the next major battle was expected.

Two loud explosions were heard around 1800 GMT in Sirte as planes flew overhead, an AFP correspondent reported, while in the capital Tripoli explosions and anti-aircraft

fire were reported. Shortly after the explosions in Sirte, Libyan television confirmed the city had been the target of air raids, as had Tripoli.

Witnesses in the capital said the strikes targeted the road to the airport 10 kilometres (six miles) outside the city, as well as the Ain Zara neighbourhood on its eastern outskirts. It appeared anti-aircraft guns were not brought into action in Sirte, the next target of the rebel forces as they continue their push to Tripoli.

Earlier, AFP correspondents witnessed families fleeing west from the town following coalition air raids the previous night.

A dozen cars were seen heading towards Tripoli, 360 kilometres (225 miles) to the west, filled with women and children fearing coalition air strikes and the advancing rebel fighters, who have been pushing Kadhafi’s forces back along the main coastal road.

A Sirte resident, reached by telephone, said the town was hit by air strikes throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning. “The city became a fireball.” Most people, terrified, fled into the desert. The rebels also promised the uprising would not further hamper oil production in areas under their control, and the opposition plans to begin exporting oil “in less than a week”, a rebel representative said.

“We are producing about 100,000 to 130,000 barrels a day, we can easily up that to about 300,000 a day,” Ali Tarhoni, the rebel representative responsible for economy, finance and oil, told a news conference.

AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2010 file photo, Libyan policemen stop a passing vehicle near the convention center in Sirte, Libya, where Libya prepares to host the one-day Arab League summit.

Radiation scare at Japan nuclear plant Agence France Presse

AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

A member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force searches for victims at the earthquake and tsunami devastated area in Yamamoto, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Monday, March 28, 2011.

KITAKAMI, Japan – Dangerous levels of radiation detected in water thought to be leaking from a stricken Japanese reactor have dealt a new blow in efforts to avert a nuclear disaster. Radiation in puddles near reactor two at the Fukushima plant was more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour, forcing the evacuation of workers toiling to restore the cooling systems, operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said.

“It is an extremely high figure,” nuclear safety agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said, adding there was a “high possibility” that the contaminated water had leaked from the reactor. A single dose of 1,000 millisieverts can cause temporary radiation sickness, including

nausea and vomiting. An exposure of 100 millisieverts per year is considered the lowest level at which an increase in cancer risk is evident.

Earlier Monday Japan lifted a tsunami warning after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off the northeast coast, the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the national weather agency said.

TEPCO said the concentration of radioactive substances in the water was 100,000 times higher than would usually be found in water in a reactor core, correcting an earlier assessment which said it was 10 million times higher, Kyodo News reported.

Workers were trying to pinpoint the exact source of the radioactive water leak, but there are concerns that fuel rod vessels or their valves and pipes are damaged. A key concern is

how to safely pump away the highly radioactive water, but chief government spokesman Yukio Edano admitted progress at the site was slow.

“It will take some time in order to remove the water while ensuring the safety of workers,” Edano told a press conference. There was also a warning from Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, that the emergency could go on for weeks, if not months, given the damage to the plant, The New York Times reported.

An update on the agency’s website said the situation at the Fukushima plant “remains very serious.” Last week three workers received medical treatment after stepping in radioactive water during efforts to install cables and restore critical reactor cooling systems.

Canadian election heats up over coalition claims Reuters

VANCOUVER – Opposition parties said on Sunday it was hypocritical for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to accuse them of plotting to take power in a coalition government since he had once considered doing it himself.

The Conservative government’s charge that the Liberal, New Democratic and Bloc Quebecois parties plan to form a coalition government after the May 2 election has become the first major issue of the campaign that began on Saturday.

Polls show the Conservatives with a comfortable lead coming into the election, but they still do not

appear to have enough support to win majority status — something they also failed to get in the 2006 and 2008 votes.

Harper warned on Sunday that if his government fails to win a majority that does not require opposition support to stay in power, the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois will band together in a coalition government that will hurt the economy.

The Bloc Quebecois advocates

sovereignty for the mainly Frenchspeaking province of Quebec. This makes making working too closely with it a political liability in Englishspeaking Canada for the other parties. The Conservative charge stems from a 2008 deal the Liberals signed with the NDP to unseat Harper with backing of the Bloc Quebecois.

Harper blocked that by having Parliament briefly suspended until the deal fell apart.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivers his budget speech in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Tuesday, March 22, 2011. A spring election in Canada is all but certain after opposition parties said Tuesday they will vote against Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s latest budget plan.

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick

Activities

International

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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The Laguna Bali Introduces New “Chinese Sunday Lunch Buffet” IBP

NUSA DUA - The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali introduces a new exquisite culinary journey “Chinese Sunday Lunch Buffet” featuring an authentic Chinese cuisine from around the region at the Café Lagoon. The Chinese Sunday Lunch buffet is proudly created and presented by Chef de Cuisine Yab Han Wei, whose natural talent and culinary discoveries spans more than 20 years in the Chinese culinary world.

This creative, authentic, and simply sumptuous lunch caters to friends and family on a leisurely Sunday to feast on in an inventive, excellent authentic Chinese cuisine and delicacies which include Dim Sum, lobster porridge, Peking duck, dried scallops X.O. sauce, clay pot chicken rice and live station of Chinese barbeque.

As traditional with Chinese feasts, the lunch is accompanied with com-

plimentary traditional Chinese Tea and also features live entertainment while the little ones can play at a Children’s Corner. Guests may enjoy the Chinese Sunday Lunch Buffet at Rp. 233,000++ per person and Rp. 130,000++ for children from 9 to 11 years old. Children under 9 years old enjoy a complimentary lunch. Chinese Sunday Lunch Buffet is served from 12.00pm to 3.00pm.

Café Lagoon is an all-day dining venue at The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali features western and pan-Asian cuisine, with an extensive á la carte menu. Various buffet themes are also offered. With 200 seating capacity, Café Lagoon has a spectacular glass show kitchen where you can observe our chefs preparing the best of eastern and western cuisine.

The restaurant has both air-conditioned and outdoor seating areas, furnished in a contemporary style. A lavish breakfast buffet is offered, featuring western and Asian breakfast

items, fresh juice counter, specialist barista station, and open bakery.

The a la carte menu has been selected carefully by world renowned chefs and features many international and traditional flavors. In addition to local Javanese and Balinese specialties guests can enjoy selected international cuisines such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese, European, which are all distinctively presented to the highest possible standards.

The warm, professional and friendly staff at Café Lagoon will be happy to advise guests on the house favorites and available specials. Thanks to the spacious wine cellar inside the restaurant, guests can enjoy world class wines selected from around the globe. As well as being spoilt for a choice of cuisine, diners will be able to treat their eyes to a spectacular view of the lush tropical gardens and the signature blue lagoon while enjoying their meal. Café Lagoon opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for March 21 through April 23, 2011 21 Mar Betara Turun Kabeh Ceremony Besakih - Karangasem Bukit Jati Temple Bangli Batur Temple Kalanganyar - Bangli Masceti Pejengaji Temple Tegallalang - Gianyar Dalem Temple Tangsud,Sukawati - Gianyar Penambangan Badung Temple Denpasar Lempuyang Madia Temple Karangasem Batur Temple Bangli Desa Temple Singakerta,Ubud - Gianyar Pasek Gelgel Temple Marga - Tabanan Gaduh Temple Ketapian, Sumerta - Denpasar Pasek Bendesa Temple Tuakilang - Tabanan Pasek Agung Temple Tatag Kelod,Peguyangan Denpasar Agung Pasek Bendesa Temple Tonja - Denpasar Pasek Gegel Angsri Temple Baturiti - Tabanan Pasek Gelgel Baleagung Temple Braban - Tabanan Dukuh Sakti Belatung Temple Timpag,KerambitanTabanan Puseh Dukuh Sakti Belatung Rendang - Karangasem Pitamaha Temple Palangkaraya - Kalimantan Tengah Candra Praba Temple Komplek Polri,JelambarJakarta Barat Agung Jagatnatha Temple Denpasar Pemerajan Agung Temple Puri Petak - Gianyar Dadya Agung Bendesa Tangkas Abiansemal - Badung Puseh Temple Sidemen - Karangasem Agung Giri Natha Temple Semarang - Center of Java 2 April Puseh Temple , Village Temple Sukawati Gianyar Pasek Gelgel-Bebetin Temple Sawan Buleleng Maspahit Temple Sesetan Denpasar Pasek Bendesa Manik Mas Tegallalang Gianyar Panti Pasek Gaduh Temple Sesetan - Denpasar Pedarman Arya Kanuruhan Temple Besakih Karangasem 5 April Kahyangan Tiga Temple Batur Kintamani - Bangli Batur Temple Camenggaon, Sukawati Gianyar

Luhur Bhujangga Temple Canggu,Kuta Badung Kawitan Kayu Selem Temple Batur, Kintamani Bangli 12 April Puseh Temple , Desa Temple Gianyar Luhur Dalem Segening Temple Kediri Tabanan Sanghyang Tegal Temple Taro,Tegallalang Gianyar 16 April Dalem Tarukan Temple Cemenggon, Sukawati-Gianyar Penataran Dalem Ketut Temple Pejeng Kaja Gianyar Puseh Manakaji Temple Peninjoan - Bangli Kawitan Gusti Celuk Temple Mengwi Badung 20 April Segara Temple Lombok Island Dwijawarsa Temple Malang East Java Puncak Tinggah Temple Baturiti Tabanan Kawitan Batur Pande Tonja Temple Tonja - Denpasar Penyungsungan Pasek Tohjiwa Wanagiri,Selemadeg Tabanan Penataran Agung Temple Sidemen Karangasem Samuan Tiga Temple Bedulu Gianyar Kawitan Jati Luwih Bhujangga Jatiluwih Tabanan 21 April Dalem Taman Temple Peguyangan Denpasar 23 April Puri Agung Dalem Tarukan Pejeng,Tampaksiring Gianyar Rambut Siwi Temple Jembrana Batu Bolong Temple Canggu,Kuta Badung Pasek Temple Klaci,Tabanan Agung Pasek Temple Dauh Waru - Jembrana Ratu Pasek Temple Sangsit Buleleng Pasek Tangkas Temple Gede Tabanan Pedharman Batur Sari Ngiis Temple Jegu,Penebel Tabanan Desa Temple Banyuning Buleleng Srijong Temple Tabanan Puncak Mundi Temple Klumpu,Nusa PenidaKlungkung

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

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

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

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

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

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

News Angry crowds as Sian accused remanded Agence France Presse

LONDON – An angry crowd hurled abuse at a taxi driver accused of murdering Sian O’Callaghan after he was remanded in custody on Monday.

Christopher Halliwell, 47, has been charged with murdering the 22-year-old, who was killed after leaving a Swindon nightclub in the early hours of March 19.

There were angry scenes inside and outside the magistrates court in the town, west of London, during Halliwell’s appearance. Sian’s disappearance has sent shockwaves through Swindon, where hundreds helped in the hunt for her and thousands turned out for a weekend memorial ceremony.

People shouted abuse from the public gallery in the courtroom and, after the brief hearing, a crowd of more than 100 screamed obscenities and tried to attack the police convoy including the van carrying Halliwell as it took him away. A large number of them then

chased the van down the street.

Halliwell spoke only to confirm his name and address when he stood in the dock, dressed in a dark suit and a blue and white striped shirt. He showed no emotion as the murder charge was read out. No application for bail was made and chief magistrate Angus MacPherson remanded Halliwell in custody until March 30, when he will appear at Bristol Crown Court for a routine bail hearing. He will face a full hearing at the same court on April 8.

Halliwell was arrested on Thursday at a taxi rank in Swindon. He is accused of killing Miss O’Callaghan, who disappeared after a night out with girl friends in Swindon at the Suju nightclub.

Her body was found close to the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, 15 miles from her home in Swindon. Hundreds of people turned out to help a public search of Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, when her mobile phone was traced to the area after she left the club.

AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Syrian army soldiers stand on their check point at one of the entrances to the southern city of Daraa, Syria, on Monday March 21, 2011. Syrians chanting “No more fear!” have marched through a Syrian city where anti-government protesters had deadly confrontations with security forces in recent days.

Gangs of armed young men roam Syrian seaside city

William...

From page 1 The world may never know. The Daily Telegraph, which broke the news, said the prince and about 20 friends attended a weekend party thrown by Harry, possibly at an estate in Norfolk owned by the father of one of the guests.

The paper said the guests had been sworn to silence, quoting Thomas van Straubenzee, one of the likely partygoers, as saying: “I’m very sorry but I have got to keep it a secret. I hope you understand.”

The party — thrown just before Harry was due to leave for a fundraising expedition to the Arc-

Associated Press Writer

Blast...

LATAKIA, Syria — Gangs of young men, some armed with swords and hunting rifles, roamed Sunday through the streets of a Syrian seaside city, closing alleys with barricades and roughly questioning passersby in streets scarred by days of anti-government unrest.

From page 1

The scenes in Latakia, a Mediterranean port once known as a summmer tourist draw, were a remarkable display of anarchy in what had been one of the Mideast’s most tightly controlled countries.

Syria has been rocked by more than a week of demonstrations that began in the drought-parched southern agricultural city of Daraa and exploded nationwide on Friday, with security forces opening fire on demonstrators in at least six places and killing dozens.

A Damascus-based activist said residents of an impoverished hillside neighborhood of the capital known as Mezah-86 reported that government forces were attacking demonstrators there Sunday night.

The activist said two residents reported hearing gunfire in the area as they spoke to him by phone. “I heard shouting, screaming, fighting and shooting,” he said.

One of the residents reported seeing security forces breaking into the home of at least one person who had attended an anti-government protest earlier in the evening, the activist said.

His account could not be independently confirmed because Syria maintains tight restrictions on journalists and many areas have become unsafe in recent days.

The government has also tried to calm the situation with concessions, and President Bashar Assad is expected to announce Tuesday that he is lifting a nearly 50-year state of emergency and moving to

annul other harsh restrictions on civil liberties and political freedoms.

Member of Parliament Mohammed Habash told The Associated Press that lawmakers discussed the state of emergency during a Sunday night session and Assad would make an announcement about the issue on Tuesday.

He offered no further details.

Ammar Qurabi, an exile in Egypt who heads Syria’s National Organization for Human Rights, said there appeared to be divergent views within the Syrian leadership, with one branch that believes in a crackdown and another that believes in dialogue. He said Assad must address the people and show some transparency as quickly as possible.

Washington warned on Sunday that the fall of the embattled Saleh, a key US ally in its war against AlQaeda, would pose a “real problem” for the United States. “I think it is a real concern because the most active and at this point perhaps the most aggressive branch of AlQaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, operates out of Yemen,” said US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

“And we’ve had counter-terrorism cooperation with President Saleh and the Yemeni security services,” he said.

“So if that government collapses, or is replaced by one who is dramatically more weak, then I think we’d face some additional challenges out of Yemen, there’s no question about it. It’s a real problem,” Gates said.

Saleh himself said that the opposition demanding his ouster should resort to dialogue in order to avoid

tic — will have disappointed the paparazzi. The princes’ social lives have filled hundreds of pages of tabloid print and British media in particular have made a mint off of Harry’s penchant for partying.

A 2008 royal bachelor bash thrown in honor of Peter Phillips, William’s cousin, was tabloid gold dust, yielding tales of drunken escapades across the Isle of Wight and even — it is alleged — a grainy picture of an exposed royal posterior.

The British media has also speculated often about Middleton’s bachelorette party plans, with one tabloid reporting that her sister Pippa will be throwing a “Dirty Dancing”themed hen party bash at the family home in the wealthy village of Bucklebury.

chaos and a Somalia-style “civil war” in Yemen. “If we do not act, along with good-willed and friendly countries, to close the rift and start a political dialogue, there will be a devastating civil war that will disturb the whole region,” he warned in a television interview.

Saleh has reportedly offered to step down by the end of 2011, a proposal snubbed by the opposition. But his ruling party on Friday said he should serve out his current term until a scheduled presidential election in 2013.

Defections from his regime have multiplied since a bloodbath in Sanaa on March 18 when 52 protesters were gunned down by Saleh loyalists, drawing widespread international condemnation. Amnesty International said a total of 95 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters.

Indonesia Today

International

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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Evacuation 4,000 Indonesians near Fukushima not yet planning Antara

FOTO ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf

Personnel from Indonesia’s bom squad checking on suspicious package in front of Kalibata Plaza on Monday, March 28, 2011. According to the result, the package was consist of shirts and books. The police didn’t found any bomb material on the package.

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is not yet planning to evacuate 4,000 Indonesians living near Fukushima‘s nuclear power plant, a minister said.

“There are 4,000 Indonesians living in an area 50-100 kilometers from the power plant. So far they are in good condition and we are not yet planning to return them home to Indonesia,” Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said here on Monday before attending a meeting with members of the House of Representatives here.

The minister said the government had prepared scenarios for those people in case the situation in Fukushima got worse. Earlier, the Japanese newspaper Sankei reported Sunday, citing police data, that the number of people killed in Japan‘s devastating earthquake and tsunami has climbed to 10,668. The total death toll from the disaster could rise much further as the police said

16,574 people are still missing.

The twin disaster that rocked Japan on March 11 also triggered a number of explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, spreading fears of massive radioactive contamination. Radioactive pollution around the plant remains high with radioactive iodine in the water at the plant‘s second reactor 10 million times above the normal level.

Hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from the disaster zone and given accommodation at temporary refuge centers across the country.

The Japanese government has said the damage from the disaster could reach US$310 billion.

As many as 7,740 bodies have been found and identified and most of them has been handed over to relatives. The quake and the tsunami claimed the biggest number of lives and vicctims in the Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures northeast of the country. A total of 243,049 people are staying at temporary accommodation centers, the paper said.

RI energy condition feared to be more critical Antara

JAKARTA - Political turmoil in oil producing countries has a potential to make energy condition in Indonesia getting more critical, a businessman said.

“Seen from domestic energy production and consumption aspect, the political turmoil in the Middle East has a potential to make our energy condition getting more critical, and therefore it must be seriously anticipated,” chairman of the National Oil

and Gas Companies` Association (Aspermigas) Effendi Siradjuddin said in a press statement here on Sunday.

The political turmoil that has triggered a skyrocketing crude oil prices of up to US$100 per barrel, is feared

to affect the energy condition in Indonesia. In the press statement Effendi reminded the Indonesian government to be seriously wary of a domino effect of political turmoil in the Middle East region following the global oil skyrocketing prices in the past month.

He said the fluctuation in world oil prices that has reached US$120 per barrel has fueled a rise in world oil consumption that was no longer linear with increased production.

Garuda to evaluate flights to Japan Antara

JAKARTA - Garuda Indonesia looks set to evaluate its flights to Japan in response to a 10 percent drop in load factor in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the country.

“The evaluation is inevitable. We plan to reduce the frequency of flights to Japan during the March-May 2011 period,” Garuda Indonesia Marketing and Sales Director M Arif Wibowo said here on Sunday.

Compared to the same period last year, the national flag carrier saw a 10 percent drop in its load factor for its flights to Japan in March, he said.

“This is one of the impacts of the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan early March,” he said.

He said Garuda would later use some of its planes flying to Japan to serve its routes to the Middle East, particularly Jakarta-Jeddah route.

“We hope that our income from flight

routes to the Middle East will increase after May,” he said.

Garuda Indonesia currently flies to Japan 24 times a week, consisting of seven flights from Jakarta to Tokyo, seven flights from Denpasar to Osaka, seven flights from Denpasar to Tokyo, and three flights from Denpasar to Nagoya.

Based on the results of evaluation made since the middle of March JakartaTokyo and Denpasar-Tokyo flights will be combined into Jakarta-Denpasar-Tokyo flights seven times a week. Meanwhile, the frequency of its flights from Jakarta to Jedda will be increased to three times a day from twice a day.

“Garuda Airbus A330 which previously flew to Japan will be used to serve flight routes to the Middle East, particularly to Jeddah so three Garuda planes, namely two A330 and B747-400 will serve the route,” he said. The load factor of Garuda flights from and to Japan currently stands at 66 percent and from Jakarta to Jeddah more than 90 percent.

According to Effendi, Indonesia at present was experiencing oil deficit of about 1 million barrels per day and it could increase by 3 million barrels per day in the next five years.

He said Indonesian production capacity is currently only 950,000 barrels per day while the consumption is 1.4 million barrels per day.

Therefore Effendi expressed hope that the government could take a firm political stance in dealing with this reality by, for instance,

building immediately mass transportation and vehicle fuel conversion to gas or electricity on a large scale.

Effendi said that if the domino effect in the Middle East region continued, within months the energy crisis would affect many countries.

Quoting world economic expert Nouril Roubini in the World Economic Forum in Davos in Maret this year, Effendi said the world‘s biggest threat at present was the high energy and food prices.

20 percent

Indonesian judges still vulnerable to bribes Antara

GORONTALO - Head of Judicial Commission Eman Suparman said about 20 percent of judges in Indonesia were “bad” and involved in bribes and failed to maintaining their independence.

“The number of troubled judges who get involved in bribes and are not independent is just about twenty percent. Eighty percent of others remain good to do their duties,” he said.

Speaking here Saturday, he said the judges, who had likely or had evidently received bribes, were only found in big cities.

He admitted that public paid serious attention to unjust judges but it was just a matter of viewpoint. Eman Suparman referred to the tax mafia case of Gayus Tambunan, a junior civil servant working at the tax office and having huge amount of money in his bank account.

For this case, the panel of judges just sentenced him to three years and a half in jail. As a result, lots of people protested the court‘s verdict, he said.

“In this case, the panel of judges had possibly felt that they had been fair by referring to existing facts and evidences.”

“Moreover, the amount of money that Gayus

allegedly got was only Rp700 million. If he was then punished with maximum sentence, how was about greater amount of money, such as billions of rupiah?” he said.

In deciding someone‘s verdict, none could interfere into the decision making process so that the panel of judges were indeed independent, he said.

However, the judges‘ position was vulnerable to sorts of bribes, such as money and power. Apart from that, majority of judges remained good and held their code of ethics, he said.

The Indonesian people consider corruption as an extraordinary crime against the state and nation.

Referring to the outcomes of the 2010 corruption perceptions the index survey (CPI) that the Transparency International Indonesia (TII) released in October 2010, Indonesia‘s CPI score remained at 2.8, changed from that of the previous year.

With the CPI score, Indonesia remained at 110th position out of 178 countries that 10 independent institutions had surveyed from January 2009 to September 2010, the TII activist, Todung Mulya, said.

Indonesia‘s position was only better than Myanmar‘s but far left behind by Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Thailand, he said.

8

Internationa

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Bali Today The underpass land will be freed Antara

Denpasar – The Vice Regent of Badung, Ketut Sudikerta, stated that the land on the construction site of the underpass in Dew Ruci runabout will be released soon. “The team is already formed and they will analyze the proper value of the land which will be used for the underpass,” he added.

Sudikerta urged the team to work independently and give the proper result on the land value. “We don’t want other problem occur after the land is bought by the government.

We must find the proper rule and the correct mechanism,” he said.

The Vice Regent also stated that currently, there are no problems in the development of the underpass.

The people in the area already agree on the plan and they are willing to sell part of their land for it.

Meanwhile, Bali Governor, Made Mangku Pastika, said that the underpass is already on its way even the project it not starting to build the physical form of the road. He

also promises that the effort to free the land will be done immediately.

The governor also asked to increase the coordination between all territories to make the development successful. If the deadline passes then the fund will be taken again by Indonesian Government.

Mangku Pastika also reminded the team to always consider the right of the owner of the land. “The underpass is for public so we must consider public interest and vice versa.

The owner also must put forward the public need,” he added.

The road as long as 435 meter will need 311 billion rupiah and currently, 261 billion is ready to be used.

Planning Bali’s Future by the Rules DENPASAR - Despite resistance and refusals from regents and mayors in Bali to his 2009 Zoning Law (RTRW), governor Made Mangku Pastika has reaffirmed that he will soon be consistently and rigorously implementing the law. Speaking at an open forum at the provincial House of Representatives (DPRD-Bali) held on Friday, March 25, 2011, Pastika depicted the RTRW as central to saving Bali’s natural environment.

Describing pleas and protests from regents and mayor calling for the law’s revision as “valid,” he nonetheless urged all concerned to simply follow the law in its present ratified form in order that no one suffers sanctions for issuing illegal permits, as provided for in the RTRW. Explained Pastika: “I hope the regents and mayors will not be frightened to enforce the

law. Officials will suffer sanctions whenever they violate the rules. This is a country of law; every one can be punished if they oppose the rule of law.”

The governor told the press that his office is putting the finishing touches on the implementing legislation (Pergub) which will be published soon.

Prior to the governor’s comments, Nyoman Gelebet, a member of the organizing council for the Center of Hindu Studies (DPP), told the press there was no need for any revision to Bali’s RTRW, with all that remain to be done is the urgent presentation of the governor’s implementing legislation.

Gelebet pointed to the longstanding Bhisama Hindu religious dogma which forms a foundation of the RTRW as overriding any objections from those opposed to the full implementation of the new zoning law.

IBP/Ole

Bukakak ritual that held in Buleleng Regency.

Bukakak Ritual to Invoke Safety of Plants Bali has a variety of distinctive rituals to invoke safety of the farmerowned plants. In the Badung and Tabanan region, local farmers often organize Nangluk Merana or pest prevention and mouse Ngaben cremation. Meanwhile, at the Giri Mas Customary Village, Sawan Subdistrict, people also hold a unique and matchless ritual in the so-called Ngusaba Uma or better known as the Bukakak procession.

As happened on Sunday (Mar 20), thousands of residents, ranging from farmers to employees and officials organized the Bukakak ritual procession along the village and subak road. Most residents consisted of supporting devotees of Subak Temple and Giri Mas Dangin Yeh customary villagers, Sawan Subdistrict. The procession drew extensive attention of residents in Buleleng so that many residents from outside the Giri Mas Customary Village were also present to enliven the festive ceremony.

From the morning, thousands of people had come down to the streets of the village. They were preparing themselves to carry the ritual paraphernalia called Bukakak. The procession of parading the Bukakak was really awaited by citizens, both those getting involved in the procession and those who only watched the procession. Bukakak was made from materials such as bamboo and young palm leaves. The Bukakak parapher-

nalia contained oblation and roasted suckling pig. The ingredients themselves were then carried hilariously by local youth and followed by other citizens. Before carrying the ritual paraphernalia, teenagers and other villagers attended a purificatory ritual in order they could run the biennial procession successfully.

Bukakak procession is indeed a tradition celebrated in a solemnity and delight through generations. It is conducted as a form of devotional offerings to Goddess Sri for the safety handed down to subak members and customary villagers of Mas Giri. As an agrarian society, the ceremony is certainly aimed at pleading for crops especially the rice plant that supports the life of local residents and those of other village could survive from the attack of pests and diseases. “We believe, by organizing this offering our rice and other crops can survive from the dangers of disease,” said Jero Mangku Subrata.

To hold the ceremony, supporting devotees estimated to reach more than a thousand families paid a donation.

Preparation of the ceremony had been made since last week. As other ceremonies, the Bukakak ritual was also preceded by a Melasti procession on Tuesday (Mar 15) and then resumed with Ngusaba Uma on Wednesday (Mar 16), ngembang and picking up the deities on Thursday (Mar 17). After the procession, it was held the Ngusaba Dalem

Segara on Friday (Mar 18) and peak of the ritual fell on Saturday (Mar 19) right on the full moon in the tenth month of Balinese calendar and the procession ended with the implementation of Bukakak procession on Sunday.

Procession of the ritual was preceded by fetching the deities abiding in Gunung Sekar Temple. It is about 100 meters to the east of the Subak Temple. All paraphernalia including the Bukakak were paraded from the Subak Temple to Gunung Sekar Temple. From the Gunung Sekar the paraphernalia were then paraded back to a number of temples in the Sawan subdistrict such Sangsit Village Temple, Beji Temple and Beten Bekul Temple.

In the meantime, the local residents had confidence that their plants would survive from plant disease as their regions had been passed through by the Bukakak procession. “Local villagers here believe that crops in the areas traversed by the procession would be fertile, so that many residents requested in order their plants could be trampled by the youth carrying the Bukakak,” said Jro Mangku Subrata.

As the end of the series of Ngusaba Uma ritual, it was resumed with the closing ceremony on Sunday (Mar 20) evening. In the closing ritual, residents danced while delivering plaus oblation as an expression of devotion because they had successfully implemented the whole series of ceremony. (ole)

al

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Balinese Culture Visit to Kerthagosa shoots up

Tourists complain about clothes and hawkers Bali Post

KLUNGKUNG - Within the past two days, tourist visits to Kerthagosa Tourist Object in Klungkung lived through a surge as the direct impact of cruise ships arrivals berthing in Benoa Harbor.

Unfortunately, the service provided for tourists in the object denoting the heritage of Klungkung Royal Palace was not maximal. As consequence, it reaped many complaints.

The clothes worn by tourists were never washed and smelling bad.

Likewise, the entry of hawkers into the area of tourist object increasingly disturbed the comfort and privacy of tourists.

It was admitted by an attendant of ticket counter of Kerthagosa, Putu Arik, Sunday (Mar 27). Fabric or sarong distributed freely to tourists when entering into the object had not been washed within the past two months with the reason there was no budget to do so. That’s why they were dirty and smelly. The most frequent complaints, added Arik, was the quite a lot hawkers entering the object by force. “The number of those hawkers were quite a few so local officials were overwhelmed to ban them for not entering the object area,” said Arik while mentioning that Kerthagosa was only guarded by two attendants in every working shift. On the contrary, the hawkers amounted to teens.

As a matter of fact, the com-

plaints of tourists were already submitted to relevant agencies in the Klungkung Culture and Tourism Services. Unluckily, it did not receive any significant responses.

Within the past two days, the number of tourist visiting Kerthagosa was between 150-250 people. They were dominant from Australia posing the passengers of cruise ships.

Of course, they would bring a blessing for the income of Kerthagosa and Klungkung in general. Actually, this month should be a low season of tourists, especially Japanese tourists

whose country was just hit by earthquake and followed by massive tsunami last week. “In addition, these months are not holiday seasons,” added Arik.

Unlike Australian tourists showing a remarkable increase at this moment, Japanese tourists, according to him, even experienced significant decline reaching up to 60 percent.

“Those coming here were only around 40 percent,” he said without mentioning how many Japanese tourists exactly paid a visit to Kerthagosa every day. (kmb20)

Bbebek Menyayad (Duck Curry)

OVERVIEW: Ducks waddling along the banks of the rice fields or following the flag held by their owner (or his children) are a common sight in Bali. On festive occasions, duck is great favorite. Spiced stuffed duck baked in banana leaf is one popular recipe; this curry-like dish is another.

Chicken could be used as a substitute for duck if preferred.

INGREDIENTS: 1 whole duck, weighing about 2 kg 8 cups coconut milk 2 lemon grass, bruised 2 salam leaves 1 tbsp salt 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed fried shallots IBP/Doc

Within the past two days, tourist visits to Kerthagosa Tourist Object in Klungkung lived through a surge as the direct impact of cruise ships arrivals berthing in Benoa Harbor.

SPICE PASTE: 12 shallots, peeled and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 4 red chilies 2.5 cm galangal (laos), peeled and sliced 2.5 cm kencur, peeled and sliced 5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced 2 tsp coriander, crushed 3 candlenuts 1 tsp dried shrimp paste ¼ tsp black peppercorns, crushed pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 cloves 3 tbsp oil PREPARATION: Cut the duck into 12 pieces and pat dry.

Prepare the spice paste by grinding or blending all ingredients except oil. Heat the oil and sauté the spice paste for 2 minutes. Add the duck, increase heat and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the coconut milk and all ingredients except fried shallots and simmer, uncovered, until the duck is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Garnish with fried shallots and serve with white rice. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

C.045 ibp

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Destinations

International

Yeh Pulu Relief:

Description of Life in Bali Ancient Kingdom BALI is a bijou island, but the content of traditional values, arts, history and culture is not as small as the area. Artistic heritage, history and culture almost spread throughout the nine regencies and city existing on the Island of the Gods. The search on the heritage, arts and cultural relics of this time is to Yeh Pulu Relief.

Relief of the ancient rock stone is located at the Bedulu (Bedahulu) Village, Blahbatuh Subdistrict, Gianyar Regency. Location to Tampaksiring and Kintamani is only about 40 minutes drive from Denpasar City. The entrance to the tourist attraction of holy water is not far from the main road east of Goa Gajah Temple, to the right, into the village street. Visitors should be careful because there are many road junctions without a clue heading for the object of Yeh Pulu Relief, or ask the way to local residents.

The monument in the form of relief becoming the main attraction to tourists, especially foreign tourists,

was discovered in 1925 by a courtier or Ubud Royal family. The name was taken from the barrel (or container of rice in the past) located at the central axis of purified water nestling in the west of the relief. The word yeh in Balinese language means water and pulu means a barrel.

The appeal of this monument is not only because of the uniqueness of relief sculpture immortalized on the rock stone wall of the hill, but also due to the spread of rice field view along the two-hundred-meters and the sound of clinking water on the left-right path to location is always neatly trimmed and maintained sustainably, emanating a natural beauty.

With such a natural atmosphere, the clear and the sharpness of splashing water are always flowing along the trench making the ambience around this object really peaceful and enchanting. On that account, it is not mistaken if the niches (caves) in southern relief suspected as the hermitage of the last Balinese ancient

King before the collapse of Bali to Majapahit administration in 1343.

Relief with magical nuance and meaningful is 25 meters long and 2 meters high. Many researches conducted by experts from home and overseas to recognize the implicit meaning behind the wall relief of the rock cliffs on the hills. As consequence, it drove many commentaries and analysis to uncover the mystery behind the veil of the true meaning of the relief. Overall, the theme of this story recounts the life in the forest atmosphere and daily life in the ancient kingdom of Bali. In addition to the Balinese classical carvings, this monument also has niches of Bedahulu Royal Hermitage before his death against the army of the Majapahit kingdom in 1343 AD. Yeh Pulu Relief poses one of the many historical classical monuments of Bali originating in ancient Bali (14th century AD) retaining full knowledge of art, which until now is still sustainable and be cared by the members of Subak, as one of the

International Bali Post Classifieds BALI CENTRAL CANOPY

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

11

BUSINESS Canada banking watchdog warns of next global crisis Reuters

CALGARY – Canada’s banking watchdog warned on Sunday that that the next global financial crisis may not be far off and that now is the time for regulators to get tough on the financial industry.

“I think we have seen this movie before, but the amazing thing is we continue to expect a different ending,” said Ted Price, assistant superintendent of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), according to the prepared text of a speech in Calgary, Alberta.

The world’s banks are now entering a “dangerous” phase from a regulator’s point of view, where profits are strong and they are increasingly willing to invest in risky assets that offer high returns, he said.

What comes next is usually a reluctance to stop risky behavior even though returns are diminishing, setting the stage for the next crisis. “I believe we have passed the easy part of the cycle, and it is time for regulators to get tough,” he said.

Price’s blunt warning came as the global banking group, the Institute of International Finance, is pushing back against efforts by G20 policy makers to impose stricter capital and liquidity standards on banks in hopes of preventing bank failures and bail-

outs like those seen in the last crisis.

Rick Waugh, IIF vice-chairman and Scotiabank chief executive, said it is a mistake to think rules alone can protect against future meltdowns.

“You can have the safest banking system in the world, but you won’t have any growth or jobs.

You’ve got to find a balance,” he told Reuters.

“We just don’t use the hammer when a chisel is more appropriate.”

P&G, Unilever up China prices amid inflation worries Reuters

SHANGHAI – Consumer goods giants Procter & Gamble (PG.N) and Unilever (ULVR.L) will both raise their prices on detergent and soap in China by up to 15 percent next month, local media reported, underscoring the challenges Beijing faces to rein in inflation.

Policy makers in the world’s second-largest economy have been racing to contain consumer prices, which rose 4.9 percent in February from a year earlier, to prevent inflationary expectations from settling in and contributing to further rises in the prices of everything from broccoli to beer.

State television on Monday showed images of empty store shelves in some Chinese cities as residents raced to pick up P&G and Unilever products before the price rises went into effect, highlighting the sensitivity to prices of especially poorer Chinese people, who are hit hardest by inflation.

Unilever confirmed a report on the price rises by the English-language Shanghai Daily, which had said the rises were on account of rising raw materials costs, but declined to give additional details. P&G could not be reached for comment.

The two companies, which sell a variety of products including shampoo, bath lotion and toothpaste, have a significant portion of the consumer goods market in China according to past statements by executives.

But economists said they did not think the price rises would have a significant impact on the government’s fight against inflation.

“I’m increasingly sure that there has been a lot of monetary policy tightening, and if that’s the case, then inflation will start to come down,” said Paul Cavey, an economist at Macquarie in Hong Kong.

“This doesn’t really change our view on that, although it could make getting there a bit more difficult.”

China does not publish the makeup of its consumer price basket, but bank economists estimate the “health, medical and personal products” category, within which consumer products fall, has a weighting of about 9.5 percent.

China has raised interest rates and banks’ required reserves multiple times in the past several months in an effort to tame inflation, which has stabilized at under 5 percent after hitting a peak of 5.1 percent in November.

Although food is the main driver of consumer price pressures, the government wants to prevent inflation expectations from growing. There are some signs its efforts are starting to take effect.

A central bank survey released this month showed more households were satisfied with current price levels and saw less chance of rising inflation.

A flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) from HSBC Markit last week showed that rises in factory input prices were their slowest in at least half a year and increases in output prices their weakest in seven months.

With overall rises in the prices of raw materials slowing from last year and Chinese monetary policy now tighter, Cavey said he thought Beijing

could keep the situation under control.

“Now, commodity prices aren’t rising so quickly, monetary policy has been tightened domestically. There is still some inflation, but the government is getting ahead of the curve. I’m not that worried about inflation in the second half of the year,” he said.

Yi Yang, a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), said last week that China was facing strong price pressures but inflation in the second half of the year would be lower.

“So for the whole year, we will be able to meet the 4 percent goal,” he told a business conference in Hong Kong, referring to the government’s 2011 inflation target.

Still, policymakers are sensitive to rising prices, so on Monday required hospitals and clinics nationwide to cap the price of certain drugs.

Planned price rises by P&G, Unilever and other Western companies have also drawn the attention of the public and authorities.

Shanghai’s Development and Reform Commission, the local planning body, is investigating the matter of P&G and Unilever raising prices, the Shanghai Daily said.

Earlier in the year, the economic planning agency fined Wal-Mart Stores (WMT.N) and Carrefour SA (CARR.PA) for manipulating product prices.

McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) also raised prices on its menu in China in November because of rising materials costs.

Western companies have raised prices elsewhere as well.

http://www.thaivest.com

Oil retreated on Monday with Brent slipping below $115 after Libyan rebels regained control of key oil towns, and unrest over the weekend was limited to minor crude exporters Syria and Yemen.

Oil slides below $115 as Libyan rebels make gains Reuters

LONDON – Oil retreated on Monday with Brent slipping below $115 after Libyan rebels regained control of key oil towns, and unrest over the weekend was limited to minor crude exporters Syria and Yemen.

Brent crude for May fell 82 cents to $114.77 a barrel by 0822 GMT, about $5 from a 2-1/2-year high near $120 reached last month. U.S. crude shed 76 cents to $104.64.

Western-led military intervention in Libya’s unrest prompted speculators to raise their bets on higher prices by 6 percent last week, before rebels took back a series of towns including oil terminals over the weekend.

A Libyan rebel official said on Sunday Gulf oil producer Qatar had agreed to market crude oil produced from east Libyan fields no longer in Muammar Gaddafi’s control.

“These are positive developments which are negative for oil prices potentially as they have taken back some of the main oil export towns,” said Olivier Jakob, oil analyst at Petromatrix.

Rebels have regained control of all the main oil terminals in the eastern half of Libya, namely Es

Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega, Zueitina and Tobruk. On Monday, they also claimed to have taken control of Sirte, Gaddafi’s hometown.

A Reuters reporter in Sirte said there was no indication the city was under rebel control.

Jakob also pointed to the fact that the dollar was slightly stronger this morning. A stronger dollar means that commodities priced in dollars are more expensive for those using other currencies.

Output from Libya oilfields controlled by rebels was running at about 100,000 to 130,000 barrels per day (bpd), which could be increased to 300,000 bpd, Ali Tarhouni, a rebel official in charge of economic, financial and oil matters, said on Sunday. Libya was pumping about 1.6 million bpd before the rebellion.

But some analysts are skeptical about how quickly things will return to normal.

“Maybe there’s some hope that with rebels regaining control of most of the Eastern part of Libya and the lion’s share of Libyan production, normality may resume soon but I think it is still too early,” said Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank. “Damage to oil facilities will prevent a sudden return to normal production levels.”

12

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Entertainment

International

Reese Witherspoon weds agent beau in California

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File

Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Reese Witherspoon has walked down the aisle. A spokeswoman for the actress says the “Walk the Line” star wed her fiancé, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, in Ojai, Calif., about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Publicist Nicole Perna did not reveal details about the Saturday ceremony.

Usmagazine.com first reported the nuptials.

The Oscar-winning actress and Toth announced their engagement in December. Toth is an agent for Creative Artists Agency, which represents Witherspoon through another agent.

The 35-year-old actress won an Academy Award for her portrayal of June Carter in 2005’s “Walk the Line.” Witherspoon’s other film credits include “Legally Blonde,” “Four Christmases” and the forthcoming “Water for Elephants.”

She was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe, with whom she has two children: 11-yearold daughter Ava and 7-year-old son Deacon.

Reese Witherspoon

“Battle: Los Angeles” still top film overseas

In this theater publicity image released by The Hartman Group, Daniel Radcliffe, left, and John Larroquette are shown in a performance of ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying,’ in New York.

AP Photo/The Hartman Group, Ari Mintz

Daniel Radcliffe succeeds in a winning musical Associated Press Writer

Reuters

LOS ANGELES – “Battle: Los Angeles” led the foreign box office for a second weekend on Sunday, bolstered by robust business in China. The special-effects extravaganza about U.S. Marines fending off an alien invasion drew almost half its total weekend overseas take — $16.2 million from 55 territories — from its No. 1 perch in China, where it earned $7.4 million.

Also, “Battle” opened at No. 1 in Venezuela, New Zealand and Vietnam. The film has tallied $79.5 million since opening overseas on March 9, with China accounting for $24 million.

The Johnny Depp cartoon “Rango” was second overall with $15.5 million, also from 55 mar-

kets. A No. 1 opening in France, where the popular actor lives, brought in $3.3 million. Its foreign total stands at $94 million.

“Just Go With It,” co-starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, followed with $9.1 million from 37 markets. The comedy opened at No. 1 in Russia ($4.7 million). The foreign tally rose to $62.8 million.

Debuting at No. 4 with a so-so $7.4 million from 23 markets was Zack Snyder’s action-fantasy-thriller “Sucker Punch,” which also debuted at No. 2 in North America. Top foreign territory was Italy ($940,000).

The Matt Damon romance-thriller “The Adjustment Bureau” claimed the No. 5 spot with $5.6 million in 44 markets. A No. 2 opening in France chipped in $2 million. The overseas haul stands at $39.7 million.

NEW YORK – Given the economic climate of the past couple of years, is this really the right time to cheer a scheming, backbiting and unfit rascal businessman as he manipulates his way to the top of a bloated corporation?

Not if it’s Daniel Radcliffe who is playing the lovable go-getter J. Pierrepont Finch in a lush revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” that opened Sunday at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Radcliffe is doubly brave here.

He’s tackling his first musical and a tricky role in 2011: A con man with little business acumen who uses insinuation and flattery to get ahead, ultimately destroying his company in the process.

But Radcliffe is so darn adorable in this production led by director Rob Ashford that more than pockets of smitten teenage girls in the audience will be rooting for his unlikely rise from window washer to chairman of the board.

Radcliffe has plenty of help onstage from a very funny and smooth John Larroquette as boss J. B. Biggley, a gifted Christopher J. Hanke as his scheming rival Bud Frump, and the delightful Rose Hemingway as his romantic interest Rosemary Pilkington.

To be blunt, Radcliffe is not a Broadway singer. His voice is nice, but thin and he strains to fill the theater — “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson would call it “pitchy.” Somehow it doesn’t mat-

ter. He works so hard that we’re on his side even if he, like his character, doesn’t have the creds.

Plus, there’s so much here that works: songs by Frank Loesser; a delightfully cynical book about corporate behavior that resonates today; Derek McLane’s sets made of massive interlocking cubes; and Catherine Zuber’s wickedly clever costumes, not to mention Ashford’s cheer-inducing choreography that even takes advantage of Radcliffe’s small stature and Larroquette’s tall one.

This production celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Tony Awardand Pulitzer Prize-winning musical and it’s only the third time it has made it to Broadway. The last time, Matthew Broderick played Finch.

(Ferris Bueller gives way to a wizard.)

Wendy Williams’ star rises through renewed image Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA – When Wendy Williams started rehearsals for ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, expected the talk-show personality to translate her animated bravado onto the dance floor.

But Dovolani didn’t get what he envisioned from Williams, known for her infectious catchphrase, “How you doin’?” He was surprised to see the typically bold Williams nervous about her inept dancing ability during practice, feeling insecure about her voluptuous frame while standing nearly 6-feet tall.

“I’m not a dancer. I have two left feet and a hoof,” says Williams, bursting into laughter recently while on the set of Lifetime’s “Drop Dead

Diva,” where she was filming an episode in which she plays a judge. On the premiere of “DWTS” last week, Williams finished near the bottom of the scoreboard, scoring 14 out of 30 points. Dovolani believes as Williams practices more, it’ll help her overcome her self-esteem issues on the dance floor.

“She was always the tall kid, always felt too big to dance,” says Dovolani, who is entering his 11th season on “DWTS.” “With her being tall, I see that as her strength. It’s almost like she’s the Wonder Woman.

I don’t want to hide her height. I want her to celebrate it.”

Strides have been made, according to Williams. The 46-year-old says the tough workout regimen trying to learn the cha-cha has left her in the best shape of her life, training about

five hours a day for the past two weeks.

Whether Williams is eliminated early or not, the extra exposure on the hit dance show should boost her celebrity and increase appeal of her weekday syndicated program, “The Wendy Williams Show.” The show is already being aired in 54 countries and ranks 13th among other talk shows, according to the Nielsen Co. The success of her talk show, which was renewed for its third season, has generated other opportunities for Williams. Along with “Dancing With the Stars” and “Drop Dead Diva,” she’ll appear on the soap opera “One Life to Live” and host a new dating show “Love Triangle” on the Game Show Network next month.

AP Photo/Sony Pictures Television, Bob Mahoney

In this March 15, 2011 photo released by Sony Pictures Television, TV personality Wendy Williams portrays Judge Mary Rudd in a scene from the Lifetime original series ‘Drop Dead Diva,’ during a taping of the show in Atlanta.

Science

International

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

13

Nintendo ready to take 3-D gaming to mass market Associated Press Writer NEW YORK – With the Nintendo 3DS, the Japanese video game company is betting that it can once again nudge mass entertainment in a new direction, just as it did nearly five years ago when it launched the Wii with its innovative motion-based controller.

AP Photo/Richard Drew

A Nintendo 3DS is shown in this photograph in New York, Friday, March 25, 2011.

This time, though, the competition from other devices is tougher. The handheld 3DS, which goes on sale in the U.S. on Sunday for $250, lets users play 3-D games without wearing special glasses. It also takes 3-D photos. This summer, the 3DS will play 3-D movies streamed from Netflix on its 3.5-inch screen.

Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo’s U.S. arm, calls it “the first mass-market 3-D device.”

Nintendo’s handheld gaming systems have been wildly popular since the days of the Game Boy, but in recent years people have grown accustomed (and sometimes addicted) to playing games on their smartphones.

“Angry Birds,” for example, is played by 40 million people a month. And

both AT&T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. have announced they’ll be selling smartphones with 3-D screens soon.

Fils-Aime acknowledges that consumers have a wide range of entertainment options. Nintendo, he says, must provide better entertainment experiences so that people keep flocking to its games and devices.

So far, they are. While demand for the handheld DS has slowed over the past year, video game analyst Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research said that’s only because people have been holding out for the 3DS. As of Dec. 31, Nintendo had sold about 145 million units of the DS in all its iterations

worldwide. Divnich thinks demand for the 3DS will be more brisk during its first year on sale than for previous iterations, such as the DSi, which went on sale in 2008.

The Wii, which hit store shelves in 2006 for $250 (it is now $200), was often sold out or in short supply as recently as last February. It’s not clear yet whether this will be the case with 3DS, but retailers say demand has been strong based on the number of pre-orders they received. Tony Bartel, the president of GameStop Corp., the world’s largest video game store chain, said the company is “working every day with Nintendo” to ensure that they can meet demand.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said Nintendo will sell “as many as they can make” over the next 12 months. While the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan will likely affect supplies, he called an estimate of 16 million units “very fair.”

India’s tiger population ‘on the rise’ Agence France Presse

NEW DELHI – India’s tiger population has increased for the first time in decades, a newspaper said on Saturday, citing a national tiger census report slated to be released next week. According to the 200910 tiger census report, the number roaming India has jumped to 1,5101,550 from 1,411 in 2004-05, The Indian Express newspaper said.

The newspaper report came ahead of an international tiger conservation conference due to open on Monday in the Indian capital New Delhi. India is home to more than half of the world’s rapidly dwindling wild tiger population, but its conservation programme, said by the government to be the world’s most comprehensive, has been struggling to halt the big cat’s decline.

Tiger conservationists welcomed the news and said that the popula-

tion increase was due to the authorities surveying more areas to conduct the census and creating more tiger reserves.

Tito Joseph, programme director at the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said “the latest census included some of the areas they left out last time because of problems accessing the terrain, like the Sunderbans” which is home to hundreds of tigers.

The Sunderbans mangrove forest straddles the borders of India’s West Bengal state and Bangladesh and lies on the GangesBrahmaputra delta.

“They have also set up more tiger reserves. In 2004 there were only 28-33 tiger reserves, now there are 39 reserves, so that’s obviously helped,” Joseph told AFP. “It’s a good strategy, because tigers need space above all, and if you can create inviolate space their numbers

will naturally go up,” he said.

The current tiger population still remains a long way off the numbers registered in 2002 when some 3,700 tigers were estimated to be alive in the country. There were estimated to be around 40,000 tigers in India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.

Authorities across Asia are waging a major battle against poachers and other man-made problems such as destruction of the tigers’ habitat due to industrial expansion. A major poacher trafficking route begins in India and ends in China where tiger parts are highly prized as purported cures for a range of ailments and as aphrodisiacs.

“Tiger skins fetch anywhere around 11,000-21,000 US dollars and bones are sold for about 1,000 US dollars in China,” said Rajesh Gopal, chairman of National Tiger Conservation Authority in New Delhi.

AFP/File

Tiger cubs play with their mother at Assam State Zoo in Guwahati in 2010. India, home to most of the world’s wild tigers, on Monday reported a rise in the animal’s numbers for the first time in years, in a rare piece of good news for conservationists.

London Olympics pledge for more exercise flops Associated Press Writer

LONDON – At a north London gym on a recent evening, Claire Palmer was busy pounding her gloved fists into a punching bag. To raise money and get fit, Palmer is trying all 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the next year — and boxing is on this month’s schedule. Palmer, 29, is taking part in the Gold Challenge, a charity challenge trying to get people more active by the time the 2012 Olympics roll into town.

She admits the program is a hard sell to many Londoners: Britain has the fattest population in Western Europe, with about half of all Britons overweight. Physical activity levels have largely stagnated in recent years.

“For a lot of people, it’s very easy to make excuses about why you can’t exercise,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic the Olympics are coming, but not everyone thinks that.”

That’s something British officials are finding out. When London was awarded the 2012 Games, the government promised it would get 2 million more people physically active by the time the Olympic torch is lit. With fewer than 500 days to go, that looks highly unlikely.

“Based on the current figures, the target will be met sometime around 2023,” said Mike Weed, director of the Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research at Canterbury Christ Church University.

According to national exercise surveys, only about 127,000 more people have become more physically active since 2007.

British officials insist the goal can be reached. Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Games, said the problem may be that they are not collecting the right kind of information to prove their goal is being met.

Last week, an independent watchdog said it may be impossible to prove if the 2012 Games improves the health of city residents. The group said there is insufficient data on the current level of Londoners’ physical activity levels and called the government’s efforts “a major lost opportunity.”

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Sport

International

DiBenedetto close to Roma deal ROME - American businessman Thomas DiBenedetto should soon finalise his purchase of Roma.

DiBenedetto landed in the Italian capital on Monday to oversee the buyout of the Serie A club.

“Our aim is to make Roma one of the top clubs in the world,’’ DiBenedetto said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. “We want a team that the city will always be proud of, but of course this will take time.’’DiBenedetto, who is leading a group of investors to purchase the club, has held exclusive negotiations in recent weeks with Roma’s holding company Italpetroli - the Sensi family holding company which was taken over

by UniCredit.

He hopes the takeover will be

completed this week after his group’s bid was the most competitive of the five received by Roma. “Rome is a wonderful city and for us to be able to represent it in the world is a great opportunity,’’ DiBenedetto said.

Roma are currently sixth in Serie A and six points behind Udinese, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot with eight rounds remaining. The Giallorossi host Juventus on Sunday.

“We all hope that Roma qualifies for the Champions League,’’ DiBenedetto said. “Roma have recently recovered after a difficult period. But they still lack continuity. ‘’ DiBenedetto is also a partner in Fenway Sports Group, the company which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool.

Drogba spells double trouble for Benin Agence France Presse AFP/Ian Kington

Brazil’s Neymar (C) celebrates scoring his goal against Scotland during their International friendly match at the Emirates Stadium in London, on March 27. Brazil won 2-0.

Chelsea would be ideal for Neymar, says Brazil coach Agence France Presse

LONDON – Brazil coach Mano Menezes believes Neymar would be a big hit in the Premier League if the teenage striker joined Chelsea. Neymar has already been the subject of one rejected bid by Chelsea and the Santos star bolstered his growing reptutation with both goals in Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Scotland at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Sunday and.

The 19-year-old only made his full Brazil debut in August but he already has three goals in three international appearances and Menezes admits a move to England would add another dimension to Neymar’s game as he would have to learn how to cope with a more physical style of play.

“That could only be good for Neymar as a final complement to his transformation,” Menezes said. “The style in England will give him stronger physical strength and he would develop to escape the strong marking. If he did that he would be a more complete player.

“I don’t see any problem if he moved, although it is never good for the supporters in Brazil to see the best players leave. “I understand the personal motivations and financial ones that decide these things.”

Whether Neymar would like to move to England is another

matter after he claimed he was subjected to racist abuse during the match, while it was also reported that a banana was thrown at the teenager.

Neymar’s dazzling show was just what Menezes needed after defeats against France and Argentina and the coach is confident Neymar and debutant striker Leandro Damiao both have the potential to become key players as he builds towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Menezes said: “We had a well defined plan, the team followed the tactics well. They gave very little to the opponents and we were winning with security. We were very superior as we expected.

“When you lose strikers like (Alexandre) Pato and Nilmar to injury that brings more risks but the newer players did well and they will evolve and become more confident. “It was a good start for them. But when I talk about stars, I don’t choose who will make it.

They will achieve it themselves.

“I also need to see their character and attitude. When you are in extreme difficulties, that’s when you really get to know who the main players are.

“This is a good starting point.

We will speak to Neymar and Leandro and see how far they can go in the future with the national team.

Scotland coach Craig Levein was also impressed by Neymar, who scored in the 42nd minute with a cool finish and then stroked home a 77th minute penalty that he won himself. “We knew all about Neymar before the match. People are saying they were weaker because they had to bring Neymar in as a back-up but I don’t know if he weakens any team,” he said.

Scotland were completely outplayed for the majority of the match and rarely threatened a goal but Levein still took heart from the way his players kept battling against superior opponents.

JOHANNESBURG – Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored twice as Ivory Coast hit back to defeat Benin 2-1 and maintain their perfect record in 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Recalled after missing Group H victories over Rwanda and Burundi, Drogba levelled on the stroke of half-time and snatched the 74th-minute winner in Ghana capital Accra.

Benin had stunned the ‘Elephants’ by taking an early lead through Seidath Tchomogo as they chased a victory that would have lifted them into first position on the table. The fixture was moved from Abidjan for security reasons as Ivory Coast has seen increasingly violent unrest following a disputed presidential election result with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refusing to accept defeat.

Striker Salomon Kalou had the ball in the net only for Chelsea teammate Drogba to be ruled offside before Tchomogo punished sloppy defending to edge the ‘Squirrels’ ahead.

Former African Footballer of the Year Drogba equalised on the stroke of half-time and snatched the matchwinner after being set up by Kader Keita before a 30,000 national stadium crowd.

Ivory Coast have nine points, Benin four, Rwanda three and

Burundi one at the halfway stage of the mini-league and it will be all over by early June if the Ivorians win in Cotonou and the Rwandans fail to win in Bujumbura.

Peter Utaka and Ikechukwu Uche bagged two goals each as Nigeria eventually built on a great start to thump Ethiopia 4-0 in Abuja and close the gap on Group B leaders Guinea to a single point. This was the first competitive match in charge for new ‘Super Eagles’ coach Samson Siasia and he could not have wished for a better start as Denmark-based Utaka had the ball in the net with less than a minute on the clock.

But it was eight minutes after halftime before Utaka was on target again and a couple of late strikes from Uche meant Ethiopia conceded four goals for the second time in three qualifiers.

Sudan remained hot on the heels of Group I leaders Ghana thanks to a 3-0 triumph over Swaziland in Omdurman with Mohammed Bisha scoring in each half before Mohammed al-Tahir netted in the final minute.

Ghana and Sudan have accumulated seven points each with the former topping the table because they have scored one goal more and it looks like a two-team race to the finishing line with Congo and Swaziland far behind.

AP Photo/Sang Tan

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, left, leads the celebration of David Luiz’s goal against Manchester City during their English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge, London, Sunday, March 20, 2011.

Sport

International

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

15

Miami’s ‘Big 3’ put together historic stat night Associated Press Writer

MIAMI – LeBron James knew he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were on the cusp of something unique. He had no idea how rare it truly was.

For the second time in NBA history — the other coming 50 years ago — three teammates all posted at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a regulation game. James had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh added 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Wade finished with 30 points and 11 boards as the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets 125-119 on Sunday. “One of the things we talked about when we came together was making history,” Bosh said.

And how. James sneaked a late peek at the arena stat boards and noticed Miami was in position to have three 30-point scorers, with he and Wade already there. So the Heat got the ball in Bosh’s hands, knowing Houston would foul him right away while trying to come back. Bosh went to the line with 26 seconds left, needing to make both free throws to join Wade and James with 30.

He missed the first, then made the second to reach 29 points. “I didn’t

think he was going to get back to the line,” James said.

Bosh got another chance after all, getting fouled again 16 seconds later after the Heat made sure the ball went his way. He made both free throws this time, and with that, Miami had three 30-pointers — along with its eighth win in nine games. Ah, that was only part of the story.

The last time three teammates had 30-or-more-points, 10-or-more-rebounds in the same game was Nov. 14, 1997, when Portland’s Isaiah Rider, Brian Grant and Arvydas Sabonis all did it against Phoenix — in a quadruple-overtime game. Before that, it was March 7, 1969, when the San Francisco Warriors (with Jeff Mullins, Joe Ellis and Nate Thurmond) doing it against the Baltimore Bullets, also in overtime.

In regulation, the only other instance was Feb. 3, 1961: Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman — Hall of Famers all, a “Big

3” of their era, if you will — did it for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors. That game took place at Boston Garden, part of a doubleheader that night, and the Warriors got a then-Garden-record 52 points from Wilt Chamberlain. Bosh found it all slightly mindboggling.

“We’re trying to accomplish the major goal of winning a championship,” Bosh said. “But sometimes you can enjoy the little things in between Point A and Point B.”

Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh center, shoots as Houston Rockets’ Kevin Martin (12) defends and Rockets’ Chuck Hayes (44) looks on during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Sunday, March 27, 2011.

AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan

Djokovic thrashes Blake to stretch win streak Agence France Presse

MIAMI – Novak Djokovic ran his phenomenal 2011 win streak to 20-0 Sunday, with a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of former top 10 player James Blake at the $9 million Miami WTA and ATP Masters. The second-seeded Serb, winner of all three events he has played this season, remains the only man in the top 125 not to have lost a match this year.

Fresh from beating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal en route to victory in last week’s Indian Wells Masters, Djokivic is bidding to add a second Miami trophy to the one he won in 2007.

Djokovic raced to victory in 52 minutes to reach the fourth round of the tournament that concludes next Sunday. “It has been a dream run for me the last couple of months,” said Djokovic, who opened his year with an Australian Open triumph. “I’m playing the best tennis of my life.”

Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro also advanced Sunday, storming further down his comeback path with a 63, 6-2 victory over fourth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling. Del Potro, who beat Roger Federer for the 2009 US Open crown but then missed eight months in 2010 as he recovered from wrist surgery, thrilled his fans at Crandon Park with a victory over one of the

year’s hottest players.

Soderling has won 20 matches this year and three titles. But now Del Potro has pulled alongside him as he produced his own 20th win of 2011. Del Potro, ranked 51st but climbing fast, has won five of his last seven matches against top-four players and has now beaten Soderling in their last three encounters.

Spain’s David Ferrer, the world number six, also produced a thirdround victory as he defeated Indian Somdev Devvarman 6-4, 6-2. Mardy Fish kept the US flag flying as he defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3. Home events have been to Fish’s liking, with the righthander reaching semi-finals in Memphis and Delray Beach in February.

Kim Clijsters led a string of

women’s seeds into the fourth round.

The second seed and winner of the last two Grand Slams got past tricky Spanish left-hander Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

“My footwork wasn’t right there and I was not playing the game that I should be playing,” said Clijsters.

Sandra Gal wins Kia Classic Associated Press Writer

AFP/Getty Images/Matthew Stockman

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a forehand return against James Blake during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida. Djokovic won 6-2, 6-0.

“I’m the one who should be going for the lines and being aggressive and step into the court. “A few times I felt like I was in a backhand rally with her, that she was dictating a lot of the points. That’s obviously not the right thing to do against somebody like her.”

INDUSTRY, Calif. – Sandra Gal won the Kia Classic on Sunday to become the second German winner in LPGA Tour history, beating second-ranked Jiyai Shin with a 2-foot birdie putt on the final hole. The 25-year-old Gal, a former University of Florida player, made the winning putt after Shin’s 5-foot birdie attempt caught the right edge and spun out.

“It was big pressure, she was so close to the hole,” Shin said. “I was thinking I had to make it.” Gal closed with a 2-under 71 to finish at 16-under 276 on the Industry Hills Golf Club course at Pacific Palms. She set up the winning birdie with a sand wedge shot from 83 yards on the par-5 18th.

“I was trying to hole it,” Gal

said. “I came close. I thought I made it.” Tina Fischer is the only other Germany champion. She won the 2001 Asahi Ryokuken International. “I had the belief coming out this morning that I could win,” Gal said. “I thought I could do it. I just tried to play the course instead of Jiyai).

Shin, an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour, finished with a 73.

Cristie Kerr shot a 66 to tie for third with I.K. Kim (70) at 11 under.

Top-ranked Yani Tseng (67) and Na Yeon Choi (73) were 9 under, and Michelle Wie (70) was another stroke back along with Marcy Hart (65) and Mindy Kim (71). “I felt like I shot a lot better than what I scored,” Wie said.

“Overall, I had a lot of fun. I played as hard as I can.”

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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

Sport

Renault feels vindicated by podium Renault boss Eric Boullier has admitted to a sense of relief at seeing his team start the season with a podium finish - following the gamble it took on forward exhausts and the loss of Robert Kubica. Vitaly Petrov’s third placed finish in Australia was one of the major surprises of the weekend – and proved that Boullier’s faith in his design team and in re-signing the Russian driver was well placed.

IBP/ist

Vitaly Petrov drive his Ranault during the Australian Grand Prix.

Massa shrugs off Button’s criticism FELIPE Massa and his Ferrari team are unmoved by criticisms from Jenson Button and McLaren about the intensity of their battle for position in the Australian Grand Prix. Button claimed Massa had pushed him off the track during their fight - which had forced the McLaren driver to take to an escape road, for which he subsequently received a drivethrough penalty.

But despite Button’s claims that Massa had defended too hard, the Brazilian reckoned he had driven within the rules – and said it was right that Button had been penalised. “It was a good fight, no?” said Massa. “I was holding my position and he was not able to pass me.

“He tried many times and I was able to stay there many times. Then, when he passed me, he passed me in a not allowed situation. He had to give me back the position or they penalised him, which was the case.”

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believed the stewards had acted in the right way with Button – despite having been the victim of similar circumstances last year when Fernando Alonso was penalised for not giving a position back to Robert Kubica when he cut a corner at Silverstone.

“I think that to be honest, that situation was quite straightforward,” explained Domenicali.

“We had it in Silverstone and I think the approach of the stewards was correct after I saw after that Jenson cut the chicane.

“The new rules are stronger. It is not just the International Sporting Code now; it is in the sporting regulations that you have to respect the line of the track. For sure the apIBP/ist Felipe Massa races against Jenson Button in proach would have been different if Jenson Melbourne would have let Felipe pass.”

Speaking about his feelings after the result, Boullier said: “I am proud, happy and relieved. We had a tough winter. We gambled very early last year on innovation on our car. Clearly it is a different concept and everyone is still scratching their head about the decision.

“We had a tough winter as well with Robert, so on top of all that it is a big relief to see that the tough work, the hard work, has paid off.”

Boullier said he was delighted that Petrov had put in the best weekend of his career, as he felt that if the Russian had failed this year then he would had to shoulder some of the blame.

“It is good to see him reacting in a nice way,” said Boullier. “He had a couple of very nice races last year, very promising, but also a lot of mistakes as well.

“I put a lot of pressure on him and we spent a lot of time discussing things. We put him in an environment where he could understand the English culture of F1 – what we expect from him and to help him grow up as a driver. It looks like we achieved something good for him.”

Kubica’s replacement Nick Heidfeld had a disappointing weekend, and was unable to do much in the race after he suffered major accident damage on the first lap.

And with Petrov having being regularly beaten by Kubica last year, there were some suggestions that Renault could have been in the hunt for victory in Melbourne if the Pole had been able to race.

When asked if he had spent any time wondering what might have been if his former driver had not injured himself rallying, Boullier said: “I did, but I refused to dig more. I said, ‘just don’t think about this’. I don’t want to put it into my head because it is useless.

“So I close my mind for it. It is like people asking me if Nick would have qualified better. We did what we had to do, and we go for it.”