Edisi 03 Mei 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 84 2st Year

Brazil: Rancher found guilty in killing of US nun

Price: Rp 3.000,-

PAGE 6 I

N

T

E

R

N

A

T

I

O

N

A

L

e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Natural hazard high talked during WMO meeting in Bali PAGE 8

IBP/dar

RITUAL-Hundreds of people take part in the siat sampian ritual in Samuantiga temple.

‘’Siat Sampian’’ in Pura Samuantiga ‘Demjanjuk: a Holocaust cabaret’ hits German stage PAGE 12

Unity to solve the conflict Ritual was held in Samuantiga temple in Bedahulu, Blahbatuh, Gianyar on Sunday, May 2nd 2010. The ritual is called “siat sampian” which is usually being held on the fourth day of the ceremony.

The ritual is a dance performed by a group of female dancers called pemas and the male group called parekan. In English, siat sampian means fighting using Balinese offerings and it is a sacred dance which is passed down from generation to generation.

The dance has simple moves so most of the participants of the ceremony can take part in the dance. The pemas is using black cloth, white belt and dress while the parekan is using all white clothes.

The procession of siat sampian was started since early in the morn-

WEATHER FORECAST CITY

TEMPERATURE OC

DENPASAR

24 - 33

JAKARTA

25 - 33

BANDUNG

21 - 29

YOGYAKARTA

23 - 32

SURABAYA

24 - 34

SUNNY

BRIGHT/CLOUDY

For placing advertisment, please contact: Eka Wahyuni

0361-225764

After the ngombang procession then the siat sampian dance started.

Patera said that the procession is to purify the world and everything in it.

The dancers were not chosen but usually the parents who had dance before will be continued by their children. Patera said “they all voluntary in doing the dance because they don’t want any disasters to happen.” At firsts, the dancers were those who had suffered from sickness and cured after they pray in the temple. (kmb16)

Car bomb scares Times Square but fails to explode Associated Press Writers

RAIN

HOTLINE

ing. I Wayan Patera, the head of the committee of the ceremony said that the procession was started by praying in six spots throughout the temple such as Pura Beji, Pura Anyar, Pura Duwur Delod ( Ratu Agung Sakti), Pura Agung Panji, Paruman Agung, and Pura Batan Manggis.

The procession continued by ngayah ngampiong which is dancing through the temple area. The procession must be done 18 times accompanied by the priests.

Chris Hondros/Getty Images/AFP

A bicyclist rides between police cruisers standing by at sunrise at the scene where a crude car bomb had been parked at 45th Street and 7th Avenue in Times Square May 2, 2010 in New York, New York. Police found a crude but potentially powerful bomb in vehicle in Times Square and disabled it, clearing out the famous intersection of thousands of tourists on a busy Saturday night.

NEW YORK – Police found an “amateurish” but potentially powerful bomb that apparently began to detonate but did not explode in a smoking sport utility vehicle in Times Square, authorities said Sunday.

Thousands of tourists were cleared from the streets for 10 hours after a T-shirt vendor alerted police to the suspicious vehicle, which contained three propane tanks, fireworks, two filled 5-gallon gasoline containers, and two clocks with batteries, electrical wire and other com-

ponents, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

“We avoided what we could have been a very deadly event,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact.”

The bomb appeared to be starting to detonate but malfunctioned, top police spokesman Paul Browne told The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Browne did not immediately return an e-mail to the AP seeking confirmation.

Continued on page 6

2

International

Monday, May 3, 2010

Bali News Triggering students frustration: Is national exam still worth continuing?

WITHIN the past week, the mass media in Indonesia both print and electronic media incessantly broadcast the news around the announcement of the results on passing of the national exam for high school/vocational school (SMA/SMK). Such continuous news presentation was indeed worth observing considering the number of participants failing to achieve the minimal standard of the national exam (UN) soared sharply.

There were 154,079 students out of 1,522,162 registered for the UN in Indonesia were stated to have not passed the primary exam and given the opportunity to take the remedial exam. It means the graduation percentage of high school/vocational school for academic year 2009/2010 was only 89.88 percent. It decreased drastically compared to the previous academic year which recorded a 93.74 percent of graduation. The percentage of ?free falling? graduation in the national exam also happened in Bali.

Of the 25,562 students following the national exam for high school/Islamic high school, 24,860 students (97.25 percent) and 702 more students (2.75 percent) did not pass. Meanwhile, for vocational school, the participants noted in the national exam were 15,034 (97.47 percent) passed and 391 students (2.53 percent) did not pass. It was a significant reduction compared to the percentage of graduation of the national exam in the previous academic year where the percentage of high school graduation reached 99.92 percent and for vocational school reaching 99.59 percent.

The high number of failed students in this year?s examination inevitably made sad their parents, practitioners and observers of education in Indonesia. The majority of them blamed the national exam assessment system applied by the government had not been proper and gave impression of ?robbing? the true rights that should become the full rights of teachers.

From impression of mass media, it was discernible a number of teachers feeling anxious because so many students having outstanding achievement failed in the national exam.

Meanwhile, students considered to have less capability even could pass smoothly because the scores of their exam even surpassed those having outstanding achievement. In their consideration, the education process lasting for three years as if meant

nothing because it could be overcome by national exam lasting for five days.

All became unclear because there was no guarantee that outstanding students could pass with ease. Conversely, students having not specialty suddenly became so special because of their scores skyrocketed although it was doubted they gained the achievements in unfair ways or cheating.

Admittedly, the organization of national exam had spread a fear and potentially could trigger severe frustration among the students. If the factual situation happened so, is the national exam worth continuing?

When the question was delivered

by Bali Post to the Secretary General of Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) of Bali Chapter, I Gede Wenten Aryasudha, and Chairman of PGRI Denpasar, I Nengah Madiadnyana, the two officials urged the government to review the implementation of the UN system imposed over the years. Affirmed, the implementation of the UN system has now transformed to be a very scary ghost, not only for the students but also for teachers and parents. ?In my opinion, the implementation of national exam system, especially the process of determining the student?s graduation neglecting the central role of teachers was very urgent to be evaluated,? affirmed Madiadnyana and Wenten Aryasudha to the Bali Post, last Saturday (May 1).

Aryasudha and Madiadnyana asserted their party was not a priori to the implementation of the national exam. Therefore, a national exam was still important to map the quality of education throughout Indonesia. Unfortunately, the concept of national exam currently adopted was driving the students to only study the subjects concentrated on the national exam if they wanted to finish their education units and could move on to higher education.

Meanwhile, as if the process of learning other subjects was unimpor-

tant because the scores did not too affect the student’s graduation. “Theoretically, the student’s graduation is not only based on the scores of the national exam itself. It is also mentioned the scores of semester one to five and the student?s behavior as a determinant of graduation. But in practice, it must be admitted that the national exam is everything,” said Aryasudha and justified by Madiadnyana.

In this context, Aryasudha said, as if the brilliant achievement of student in a number of subjects that were not involved in the national exam achieved since the beginning to the end of the semester were meaningless.

For example, they failed to complete their education simply because the score of Bahasa Indonesia subject did not meet the minimum standards of graduation. Meanwhile, the scores of the national exam in English, Mathematics and other subjects in fact were very good and so were the scores of all school exams. ?Many students should cry just because they failed in one subject only. Of course, the rating systems like this would not be fair,? he said while criticizing.

The two officials of PGRI urged the government to determine the student?s graduation by fully handed over to the board of teachers. Actually, teachers knew everything about the progress of student?s achievement from year to year, including how their behavior in school was. ?As a matter of fact, the board of teachers knows much if a student is eligible to finish their education or not.

Therefore, we hope to the rights to determine the student?s graduation would be entirely handed back to the school. From the TV show, we can see how helpless the teachers were in school when they witnessed their students with outstanding achievement did not pass just because their score dropped only in one subject,?

Aryasudha and Madiadnyana said compactly. (ian)

Preference to be back to final evaluation in old Ebtanas model PLAN of Parliament and the Ministry of National Education to formulate the national exam (UN) system or method that is really effective to produce qualified high school graduates was responded positively by the Secretary General of Indonesian teachers? association (PGRI) of Bali Chapter, Gede Wenten Aryasudha.

To avoid the controversy and rejection from the world of education to the national exam format enacted in the coming years, the officials of PGRI asked the House and Department of National Education to actively involve the institution in the preparation and determination methods of the national exam. ?The making of every vital policies in the education sector including the national exam, government should ideally involve the PGRI as an organization representing the aspirations of the teachers throughout Indonesia,? General Secretary of PGRI of Bali C h a p t e r, I G e d e We n t e n Aryasudha, told Bali Post, last Saturday (May 1).

According to Aryasudha, the insistence in order PGRI could be involved in the discussion about the method was very logical. It was the teachers that were entitled to assess and evaluate the results of teaching and learning process achieved by their students. In other words, determination whether a student could graduate from the level of the education unit would be fairer if it was done by the teachers. ?Because, it is the teacher truly knowing the development of achievement and quality of their students,? he asserted.

Aryasudha added the format of national exam prevailed today had not given real description on the quality of graduates. Occasionally, some students having mediocre academic ability even got exceptional scores at the national exam. Conversely, students with prominent academic ability pursuant to their teachers got lower scores because they were not cooperative. ?As an educator, we are often made

confused to see this phenomenon. Indeed, there is something wrong with the format of the current national exam imposed. On that account, we strongly support if the House and the Ministry of National Education are really serious about formulating the national exam in a new format and certainly the quality of its graduates is more accountable,? he said.

Personally, Aryasudha who is also the Headmaster of SMP PGRI 2 Denpasar admitted to be more convenient if government adopted the national exam in the old Ebtanas model in determining the graduation of students from the level of education unit.

To him the Ebtanas model imposed before the national exam was more objective in assessing the student?s achievement in their entirety. Because, student?s achievement in the previous semesters, particularly the scores of report book in odd and even semester at the final grade remained the most important parameter in determining the student?s graduation. To determine the final scores of students as outlined in the certificate it used the format of one-time score of report book in odd semester and a one-time score of report book at the end of semester plus two times of the score of Ebtanas and then they were divided by four. Above all else, the determination of a student?s graduation from the level of educational unit when the Ebtanas format implemented would entirely become the rights and authority of the board of teachers. Of course, they also considered the process and achievement of students along the three years. ?If government really wants to examine and evaluate the format of the final exam applied at this time, we do hope the format is returned to the old Ebtanas model. Of course, it is accompanied with various studies and improvements in order to cover up the weaknesses existing in the previous format,? he asserted. (ian)

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

Bali News

International

Getting ready for the Mayor election,

Sanglah Hospital Prepares Polling Station Denpasar (Bali Post)

On the Tuesday (4 / 5) coming four districts and one city in Bali will hold local elections. Each of the election-holding regions is Badung, Karangasem, Bangli, Tabanan and Denpasar. Out of the five regions, only the City of Denpasar has set up special polling at Sanglah Hospital. Said the Director General and Operations of Sanglah Hospital Dr. Triputro Nugroho , accompanied by the Head of General Affairs Putu Putra Wisada and Chairman of TPS 17, Komang Darma Wiasa on Saturday (1 / 5) yesterday.

Nugie continue the 17th polling station is especially designed for patients, attendants of Sanglah Hospital and staff who have the right to vote in Denpasar. The 17th polling station itself will be stationed at the Polyclinic Hospital Sanglah. On the Election Day, Polyclinic Sanglah Hospital will be closed and all services will be focused on the IRD.

Election Commission to coordinate the party Denpasar Sanglah Hospital for Special TPS held since two months ago. While in other areas who also conducted the election until now there has been no coordination, clear Nugie.

Based on interim data for Sanglah Hospital, around 75 people will provide their vote to the TPS 17. Mean-

while, for patients and attendants of patients according to Nugie be made a day before the election. Sufficient conditions were to bring Denpasar ID and Domicile to choose. Documenting intentionally performed on H-1 for more accurate data, considering that there are patients who go home and go every day, added Nugie. (San)

Snake breeding finally closed after being protested Negara (DenPost)-

Apparently the struggle of dozens of Masean Hamlet residents, Batuagung, Jembrana, protesting against the permit of CV Herpa Fauna Indonesia was successful. At the end, location of the snake breeding was closed temporarily based on a letter from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).

From the observations at the scene, last Friday (Apr 30), in a letter signed by the Head of BKSDA Istanto that was also posted at the entrance to the snake breeding mentioned the activity of animal shelter was temporarily suspended while waiting for the results of further assessment and evaluation by an integrated team from the Bali Forestry Services and BKSDA Bali regarding to the feasibility of the animal shelter.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Jembrana Gede Winasa, last Thursday (Apr 29), also stated to take serious action against anything making the people restless, like the license of snake breeding should be stopped first. ?Since the authority

belongs to BKSDA to conduct the assessment whether it is reasonable or not, so the license is stopped temporarily to avoid any inconvenience to people,? he said.

On the other hand, Director of CV Herpa Fauna Indonesia, Gusti Ngurah Lanang Pande, when contacted by phone declined to comment last Sunday. ?I do not want to aggravate the atmosphere again,? he said.

Previously, dozens of Masean residents cast a protest for several times against the animal breeding.

Even on last Monday (Apr 29), they came to Jemberana Subdistrict Office. Their arrival was intended to convey their aspiration associated with the existence of the snakes and animals in the breeding were escaping and disturbing the peace around the location.

Some residents such as Wayan Nastra and Nyoman Derken conveyed the snakes from the location of breeding often escaped and came to the house of local residents. This condition had already stirred up the residents. According to him, the ad-

jacent residents had previously denied the presence of such snake breeding but it was unknown there were signatures of the adjacent residents used to propose the permit.

According to them, one of the residents visited by the snake was Ketut Kanti. When she woke up and cooked, a snake with the length of some 2.5 meter came to her house.

Since that time, residents became fearful. Another adjacent resident to the wildlife sanctuary, Nengah Wantra, last Friday, also said that he was visited by a snake and smelt bad odor coming out from the cage of the white rat breeding in front.

Previously, Director of CV Herpa Fauna Indonesia Gusti Ngurah Lanang Pande denied if the python bred escaped and interfered with residents in the vicinity. It was said the snake breeding was begun in 1998. Other than snakes, he also maintained monitor lizards and lizards. ?At the moment, none of my animals escaped because we have built high compound wall and shading trees do not exceed the walls,? he explained. (021)

A Badung Resident Died Suspected of Rabies After Ni Ketut Darti (40) Karangasem Bebandem citizens who was suspected of rabies, and had died on Friday (30 / 4) and then, at the time only a few hours later a citizen of Badung who also died of rabies suspect status. Patients named Ni Putu Sumantri (40), citizen of Banjar Panglahan Kapal Mengwi Village. Sumantri

signed Friday (30 / 4) at 8:45 pm and died at 18:00 pm.

Rabies Treatment Team Secretary Sanglah Hospital, Dr. Ken Wirasandhi, MARS when contacted Saturday (1 / 5) yesterday said the patient had taken to the Tabanan hospital before he was referred to Sanglah Hospital.

Sumantri came to show clinical

symptoms of rabies. He has a history of being bitten by a dog about four months ago, did not get the VAR and not get wound care.

Sumantri own bodies brought home by the family directly, while to ascertain whether he was positive of rabies or not, Ken tells us are still waiting for results of laboratory examination. (San)

Monday, May 3, 2010

3

The End of Campaign Period, All attributes must be removed Mangupura (Bali Post) -

Closure of the election campaign in Badung, was held in Wantilan Pura Petitenget, on Friday (30 / 4) yesterday. Closing the campaign period was marked by the presentation of campaign attributes of each team winning pair Candidates of Mayor and Vice Mayor, to the Chairman of the Commission of Badung.

Chairman of the Commission I Wayan Jondra Badung say, overall, the campaign is going well and smoothly. During the 14 days of implementation, the campaign in Badung had been nil incidents. ‘’It is because of the attentiveness of the

police, armed forces, as well as well as evidence of the two candidates really could be a role model for society,’’ he said.

According Jondra, the expiration of the campaign, then both teams must immediately reduce the award of campaign attributes that have been installed. Jondra states, today (fifth), Badung must be clean from all the attributes of the campaign. ‘’From now on, each team must immediately reduce the attribute his campaign,’’ he said.

The rest, Jondra also hoped that the implementation of the election overall went well and smoothly. (DED)

Most of equipments in vocational schools outdated Denpasar (Bali Post)

Expectation of vocational school (SMK) of Automotive Skills Program to increase their competence in accordance with the demands of business seems too far. Majority of Automotive Department of vocation schools in Bali have not been supported by adequate educational facilities. For practical purposes, for example, students are still relying on the old and outdated equipment.

Contacted last Friday (Apr 30), the Division Head of Secondary Education Agency of Bali Province, IGK Widiartha, did not refuse if the equipment of Automotive Department for SMK were averagely insufficient to cope with the demands of business world. He said the majority of the equipment provided for practice mostly consisted of old equipment which of course was very outdated. ?Inadequacy of equipment poses a fundamental problem as well as the weaknesses in improving the competence of the SMK students belonging to Automotive Department. Most of the tools used in practices were already obsolete and outdated,? he said bluntly.

According to Widiartha, Bali Education Agency continually strived to update the facilities-infrastructures supporting the student learning activities including the vocational education. In the last 2009 budget, he said, the Bali Provincial Government had disbursed IDR 70 billion for school?s infrastructure improvement.

Meanwhile, in the 2010 budget year, Bali Provincial Government would disburse again at IDR 40 billion budget for the same purpose. ?Especially for practice facilities of Automotive Skills Program for SMK Students, the procurement of the machines directly does not exist. However, it may be channeled through social assistance funds in accordance with the proposals of

the school,? he said while adding that school could take advantage of the social assistance funds to complete the lack of facilities and equipment supporting the educational practice of students.

Compared to high schools, he said, graduates of vocational school was judged far readier to enter the working world because of their education curricula had been designed for the sake of the purpose. On the contrary, high school graduates were projected to continue their study to higher education so that the material life skill given to high school students was not as intensive as their colleagues at vocational schools. ?Because of having no skills, high school graduates are hard to find job in the community so they tend to extend the line of educated unemployment. This condition is different from the graduates of vocational schools where they are at least able to work with others, forming joint efforts with fellow graduates of vocational school and establishing selfemployment business in appropriate with the competence/skills they acquired in school,? he said.

For that purpose, Widiartha expected the management of vocational schools in Bali could compete to establish synergies with business and industry. As soon as the SMK was established, it was expected to cooperate with business and industry as a partner of the institution. ?At this moment, SMK is absolutely necessary to cooperate or establish synergies with the industrial world. Additionally, the vocational students can have wider opportunities to enhance their competencies through a system of field work practices in the business world becoming its partners. As consequence, the business concerned is expected to be more motivated to provide assistance for the equipment,? he said to give solutions. (kmb13)

4

News

Monday, May 3, 2010

International

Thai cabinet holds emergency meeting on crisis AFP

BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand’s cabinet held an emergency meeting Sunday on how to quell the long-running standoff with anti-government “Red Shirts” in Bangkok amid fears it could spiral into further violence.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the meeting at a military base discussed coping with “terrorists and the security of the monarchy” as well how to address the grievances of the Reds, who are mostly from the poor, rural north, “We want to solve the problem of poverty and when the prime minister is ready, he will announce the political guidelines to solve the problem of the rallies,” Panitan said.

The cabinet also allotted an extra 249 million baht (7.7 million dollars) to police and 28 million baht to the Department of Special of Investigation to deal with the protests.

The Reds have occupied sections of Bangkok since mid-March in their bid to force snap elections, with 27 people killed and nearly 1,000 injured in the capital’s worst political violence in almost two decades.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva sought to reassure the public he had a plan to defuse the crisis during his weekly television address Sunday morning.

“I have already decided what steps to take, but I need to make sure it will be successful and have the least negative effect as possible,” Abhisit said, without elaborating on his plan.

“After I do all of this, I will announce what I have decided to do about demands for parliament’s dissolution.”

With tensions simmering, the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank said Thailand must consider mediation from other countries to avoid a slide into further violence, a step which Abhisit rejected.

“The stand-off in the streets of Bangkok between the government

and Red Shirt protesters is worsening and could deteriorate into an undeclared civil war,” said the ICG in a report released Friday.

The report suggested forming a neutral negotiation committee with help from international figures such as East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel peace laureate who recently met Abhisit in Bangkok.

“Many countries are confused and ask why there is no negotiation. I talked to the premier of Timor and I listened to his advice that we need two ways to solve the problem,” Abhisit said in his television address.

“The first is that the government must stop anyone who acts against the law. The second one is the government must not ignore the needs of the people.”

The demonstrations are the latest chapter in years of turmoil pitting the ruling elite against the Reds, who say the government came to power illegitimately in 2008.

Many of the Reds come from Thailand’s rural poor and urban working classes and support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lives overseas to avoid a jail term for corruption.

The Reds have faced heavy criticism after about 100 supporters raided Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn hospital Thursday evening in the mistaken belief it sheltered security forces preparing a crackdown.

The Reds have apologised profusely for the action, but claim the hospital was used in an April 22 grenade attack, during a standoff between pro- and anti-government supporters, that killed one person and wounded dozens.

The government said the grenades were fired from inside the Reds’ camp — an accusation the movement has denied.

About 70 bomb and grenade attacks have been carried out by unknown parties in Bangkok since the Reds began the street protests in mid-March, according New York-based Human Rights Watch.

A Thai Red Shirt antigovernment protester monitors police movement from a fortyfied camp

AFP

AFP

ranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ahmadinejad leaves for New York nuclear conference: TV AFP

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran on Sunday to attend the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York, the foreign ministry spokesman told state television.

“The Islamic republic’s delegation headed by Dr. Ahmadinejad left for New York this morning to participate in the NPT review meeting,” spokesman Ramin

Mehmanparast was quoted as saying on state television’s website.

“The president will take part in the conference to defend the rights of Iranian people and all nations,” he

said, adding the hardliner will “frankly inform all about the Iranian nation’s position.”

Mehmanparast said Ahmadinejad will make a speech Monday when the NPT review conference begins.

Ahmadinejad is accompanied by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran’s atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi and other top officials.

S.Korea minister vows retaliation over sunk warship AFP

SEOUL (AFP) – Seoul’s defence minister on Sunday vowed retaliation over the sinking of a South Korean warship which killed 46 sailors near the disputed sea border with North Korea last month.

“Those responsible for killing our soldiers must pay the price,” Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young told a KBS television programme aired nationwide Sunday.

“Retaliation — in whatever form it is — must be done.”

It echoed South Korean Navy chief Admiral Kim Sung-Chan’s reprisal pledge during Thursday’s mass funeral for the sailors, attended by President Lee Myung-Bak. Lee will preside over a scheduled meeting of key military commanders on Tuesday to discuss the sinking of the Cheonan, becoming the first South Korea president to chair such a meeting, his office said Sunday.

“President Lee will check what tasks the Cheonan incident handed to our military and people, and state his position as the supreme commander of the armed forces,” presidential spokesman Park Sun-Kyoo said.

South Korea has not openly

blamed its communist neighbour for the blast which tore apart the 1,200tonne corvette Cheonan in the Yellow Sea on March 26. But tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul have been simmering since the sinking, with suspicions growing that the North might have been behind the incident.

The North denies involvement.

Defence Minister Kim told the KBS show on Sunday that tiny “slivers of

aluminium” collected from where the ship went down were being examined to see if they came from weapons used to sink the ship.

Kim has said a heavy torpedo was among the likeliest causes of the sinking. But he cautioned that the aluminium pieces, three millimetres (0.12 inches) in size, were not yet treated as “decisive” evidence, adding the probe should clarify if they belong to the vessel or something else.

AFP/File

The salvaged bow of the South Korean warship Cheonan

International

General Info

IMIGRATION Australian Consulate General Jalan Tantular 32 Renon Denpasar Phone: +62 361 241118 Fax: +62 361 221195 (General) +62 361 241120 (Immigration)

Monday, May 3, 2010

HOSPITAL Denpasar There are 4 major hospitals usually used by foreigners Denpasar General Hospital (RSUP Sanglah), Kasih Ibu Hospital, Rumah Sakit Wongaya and Rumah Sakit Dharma Husada.

HOSPITAL Bangli Bangli General Hospital Jl. Kesumayuda 27, Bangli Phone : +62 366 91521 Gianyar

Royal Danish & Norwegian Mimpi Resort Jimbaran, Bali Phone +62.361.701 070 The Czech Republic Jalan Pengembak No. 17 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.286 465 France Consulate Agency Jalan Merta Sari Gang II No. 8 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.285 485 The Federal Republic of Germany Jalan Pantai Karang No 17 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.288 535 The Republic of Hungary Jalan By Pass No 219 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.287 701 Italian Consulate Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai Jimbaran, Bali Phone +62.361.701 005 Honorary Consulate of Mexico Jalan Mohamad Yamin 1 A, Renon, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.223 266 Honorary Consulate of The Netherlands Jalan Raya Kuta 127, Bali Phone +62.361.761 506 Honorary Consulate of Spain Komplek Istana Kuta Galleria Blok Vallet 2 No 11. Jalan Patih Jelantik Kuta, Bali Phone +62.361.769 286 USA Consulate Agency Jalan Hayam Wuruk No. 188 Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.222 426 Consulate General of Japan Jalan Raya Puputan No. 170 Renon, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.227 628 Honorary Consulate of British Jalan Tirta Nadi No. 20 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.270 601 Swiss and Austria Consulate Jalan Patih Jelantik, Komplek Pertokoan Istana Galleria Phone +62.361.751 735 Honorary Consulate of Brazil Jalan Legian No. 186, Bali Phone +62.361.757 775 Honorary Consulate of Thailand Jalan Raya Puputan Renon 81, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.263 310 Embassy of India Jalan Raya Puputan Renon 42-44, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.241 978 Honorary Consulate of Sweden anf Finland Segara Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.282 223 Honorary Consulate of Malaysia Alam Kulkul Boutique Resort, Jalan Pantai Kuta, Bali Phone +62.361.752 520

RSUP Sanglah is the main provincial public hospital. Its facilities have improved since the emergency ward had been built in 1991. Difficult/critical cases would not become a problem anymore since it has complete equipments. It is located on Jl. Kesehatan Selatan 1 Sanglah Denpasar with : Phone : 227 911 – 15 Fax : 226 363 Kasih Ibu Hospital is a private hospital which caters for less serious cases such as diarrhea, intestinal disorders, anemia, asthma and minor accidents. Kasih Ibu is also equipped to care for pregnant women. This hospital is located on Jl. Teuku Umar 120 Denpasar.

Phone : 223 036 Fax : 268 690.

Rumah Sakit Wongaya (Public Hospital; Psychiatric Unit) Jl. Kartini, Denpasar.

Phone : 222 142.

Rumah Sakit Dharma Husada , (Private) Jl. Sudirman No 50, Denpasar Phone : 227 560, 234 824 In relating with health, Bali also has insurance and medical evacuation company, that is: AEA International - SOS Assistance Bali.

PT Abhaya Eka Astiti, Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 24X, Kuta 80361.

Phone : 755 768 Fax : 755 768 One thing that should be noted by tourists here is that the Blood Bank in Bali normally carries no stock of Rhesus (Rh) Negative blood.

Badung Bali Medical Clinics There are some medical clinics that are well known by foreigners in Bali. Some of them are western owned and operated : Bali International Medical Center (BIMC) Bali International Medical Centre (BIMC) provides excellent Primary Health Care & Emeregency Medical Services for tourists, traveler, and expatriate living in Bali.

Emeregency Room, Ambulance, Clinic Services, Insurance & Medical Evacuations also available. Open 24 hours Phone : 761 2631. Located Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No.100X, Kuta, Bali 80361 - Indonesia. http://www.bimcbali.com International SOS Clinic Bali Opened in 1999, offers International SOS members and visitors to Bali comprehensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency medical service.

Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai 505X, Kuta 80361, Bali - Indonesia Phone : 720 100 Fax : 721 919 E-mail : info@sos-bali.com ttp ://www.sos-bali.com Bali Nusa Dua Emergency Clinic Jl Pratama No. 81 Phone : 771 324 Kuta Clinic Jl. Raya Kuta Phone : 753 268 Dental Clinic Dr Indra Guizot, Jl. Patimura 19, Denpasar Phone : 222 445, 234 375 DDS. Ritjie Rihartinah, Jl Pratama No. 81 Nusa Dua Phone : 771 324 Retno W. Agung, Jln. Bypass Ngurah Rai No.4A Br. Tamansari – Sanur Phone : 288 501

Clinic Mas Jl. Raya Mas, Ubud Phone : +62 361 974573 Toyo Clinic Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone : +62 361 978078 Permata Bunda Clinic Jl. Patih Jelantik 50 X, Gianyar Phone : +62 361 942082 Ubud Clinic Jl Raya Ubud No.36 Campuhan, Ubud Phone : +62 361 974911 Gianyar General Hospital Jl. Ciung Wanara 2, Gianyar Phone : +62 361 943049 Karangasem Karangasem General Hospital Jl. Ngurah Rai, Karangasem Phone : +62 363 21001 Klungkung Klungkung General Hospital Jl. Flamboyan 40-4, Klungkung Phone : +62 366 21371 Negara Negara General Hospital Jl. Gelar, Negara Phone : +62 365 41006 Tabanan Laboratorium Clinic Jl. Gunung semeru No. 8, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 819260 Mengwi Clinic Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai 46, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 880550 Darma Kerti Hospital Jl. Teratai 16, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 812359 Tabanan General Hospital Jl. Pahlawan 14, Tabanan Phone : +62 361 811027 Singaraja Prodia Clinic Jl. RA Kartini 12, Singaraja Bali 0362 - 24-516 Singaraja Hospital Jl. Ngurah Rai 30, Singaraja Bali 0362 - 22-573 Pet Clinics Kayumas: (0361) 226934 Sayang Binatang: (0361) 483121 Satwa Kertha Husada: (0361) 263018 Pantai Sindhu: (0361) 287518 Sidakarya: (0361) 724492 Pedungan: (0361) 720026

TAXIS Praja Taxi : (0361) 289090 Bali Taxi : (0361) 701111 Ngurah Rai Taxi : (0361) 724724 Pan Wirthi Taxi : (0361) 723366 Komotra Taxi : (0361) 758855

5

6

Monday, May 3, 2010

News Car bomb From page 1

AP –

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2004 file photo, nun Dorothy Stang

Brazil: Rancher found guilty in killing of US nun AP

RIO DE JANEIRO – A jury convicted a Brazilian rancher early Saturday of orchestrating the murder of U.S. nun and Amazon defender Dorothy Stang.

Regivaldo Galvao — the last of five defendants to stand trial in the case — was sentenced to 30 years in prison, said Telma Lima, a spokeswoman with the federal court in the jungle city of Belem where the trial was held.

The verdict came two weeks after another rancher, Vitalmiro Moura, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of collaborating with Galvao.

Prosecutors say the pair offered to pay a gunman $25,000 to kill the 73-year-old Stang because she blocked their stealing a piece of land that the government had granted to a group of poor farmers supported by the nun.

The trials were seen as a litmus test for Brazil’s ability to begin to end the lawlessness that reigns in the Amazon region — an area the size of the United States west of the Mississippi River. The government has little presence in the area, and illegal activities like deforestation and illegal mining are rampant.

According to the Catholic Land Pastoral, a watchdog group that tracks rural violence in Brazil,

more than 1,500 activists, small farmers, judges and others have been killed across Brazil the past 25 years — usually by gunmen paid by powerful ranchers with land claims at stake.

“The vast majority of these crimes are met with absolute impunity by the legal system,” said Antonio Canuto, an official with the group. “Today’s trial is a nearly singular fact — and it is of supreme importance to set a precedent to stop the violence.”

Canuto said Catholic Land Pastoral delivered a report to Brazil’s Justice Ministry on Thursday showing that 1,546 people were murdered in land conflicts over the last 25 years.

Of those, only 85 cases were judged, according to the report. A total of 20 “masterminds” of the crimes were found guilty, but only Moura and Galvao are behind bars — the rest either escaped from prison or are free on appeals.

Canuto said 79 gunmen involved in the killings are in prison.

In addition to Galvao and Moura, three other men were tried

in Stang’s case: _Rayfran das Neves Sales, who confessed to shooting Stang six times on a muddy Amazon road, is serving a 28-year sentence. _Clodoaldo Carlos Batista, an accomplice of Sales, is serving out a 17-year sentence in Brazil’s “semi-open” prison system, meaning he can work outside but must sleep in jail. _Amair Feijoli da Cunha was sentenced to 18 years in prison for acting as a middleman between the ranchers and Sales. He is also in the “semi-open” system.

Galvao had never stood trial in the case before Friday, managing to delay prosecution by legal maneuvers.

Moura was first convicted in 2007, then acquitted during an automatic retrial in 2008. The acquittal was overturned on a technicality last year and a new trial ordered.

Stang, a native of Dayton, Ohio, and a naturalized Brazilian citizen, worked for three decades to preserve the rain forest and defend the land rights of poor settlers.

Firefighters who arrived shortly after the first call heard a popping sound, said Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano, who described the sound as not quite an explosion.

“I think the intent was to cause a significant ball of fire,” Kelly said.

No suspects were in custody, though Kelly said a surveillance video showed the car driving west on 45th Street before it parked between Seventh and Eighth avenues. Police were looking for more video from office buildings that weren’t open at the time.

“The full attention of city, state and federal law enforcement will be turned to bringing the guilty party to justice in this act of terrorism,” Gov. David Paterson said in a statement.

Bloomberg did not describe it as terrorism.

The T-shirt vendor alerted police at about 6:30 p.m, the height of dinner hour before theatergoers head to Saturday night shows.

Smoke was coming from the back of the dark-colored Pathfinder, its hazard lights were on and “it was just sitting there,” said Rallis Gialaboukis, 37, another vendor who has hawked his wares for 20 years across the street.

A white robotic police arm broke windows of the SUV to remove any explosive materials.

A Connecticut license plate on the vehicle did not match up, Bloomberg said. Police interviewed the Connecticut car owner, who told them he had sent the plates to a nearby junkyard, Bloomberg said.

Heavily armed police and emergency vehicles shut down the city’s busiest streets, choked with taxis and people on one of the first summer-like days of the year. Times Square lies about four traffic-choked miles north of where terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, then laid waste to it on Sept. 11, 2001.

The car was parked on one of the prime blocks for Broadway shows, with seven theaters housing such big shows as “The Lion King” and “Billy Elliot.”

The curtain at “God of Carnage” and “Red” opened a halfhour later than usual, but the shows were not canceled, said spokesman Adrian BryanBrown.

Katy Neubauer, 46, and Becca Saunders, 39, of Milwaukee, were shopping for souvenirs two blocks south of the SUV when they saw panicked crowds.

“It was a mass of people running away from the scene,” Neubauer said.

Said Saunders: “There were too many people, too many cops. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Bloomberg left early from the White House correspondent’s dinner Saturday night. President Barack Obama, who attended the annual gala, praised the quick response by the New York Police Department, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said.

He has also directed his homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, to advise New York officials that the federal government is prepared to provide support.

Brennan and others will keep Obama up to date on the investigation, Shapiro said.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York responded along with the NYPD, said agent Richard Kolko.

“We have no idea who did this or why,” the mayor said Sunday, but said that the city is always a top terrorism target.

The latest threat came last fall when air shuttle driver Najibullah Zazi admitted to a foiled homemade bomb plot aimed at the city subway system.

“These things invariably ... come back to New York,” Bloomberg said.

The theater district in London was the target of a propane bomb attack in 2007. No one was injured when police discovered two Mercedes loaded with nails packed around canisters of propane and gasoline.

Officials said the device found Saturday was crudely constructed, but Islamic militants have used propane and compressed gas for years to enhance the force of explosives.

Those instances include the 1983 suicide attack on the U.S. Marines barracks at the Beirut airport that killed 241 U.S. service members, and the 2007 attack on the international airport in Glasgow, Scotland.

In 2007, the U.S. military announced that an al-Qaida front group was using propane to rig car bombs in Iraq.

Times Square has been a frequent target, if not for potential terrorists, then for rabble-rousers. In December, a parked van without license plates led police to block off part of the area for about two hours. A police robot examined the vehicle, and clothes, racks and scarves were found inside.

International

Indonesia Today

Monday, May 3, 2010

7

RI gives flight permits to two Russian airlines Antara

AFP PHOTO/ROMEO GACAD

Belgian treasure-hunter Luc Heymans holds a rare large vase from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) among the 10th century Yue Mise imperial wares from the Five Dynasties (907-960), displayed at a showroom in south Jakarta on April 28, 2010 (April 28).

Ancient treasures set for auction in Indonesia Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - An ancient treasure trove salvaged from a 1,000-yearold shipwreck found by Indonesian fishermen is set to go under the hammer in Jakarta Wednesday with a minimum price of 80 million dollars.

Belgian treasure-hunter Luc Heymans said the haul was one of the biggest found in Asia and was comparable to the most valuable shipwreck ever found anywhere, that of the Atocha, a Spanish vessel which sank off Florida in 1622.

It includes 271,000 pieces such as rubies, pearls, gold jewellery, Fatimid rock-crystal, Iranian glassware and exquisite Chinese imperial porcelain dating back to the end of the first millennium, or around 976 AD. “At the time there was a lot of trade going on between Arabia and India and coming down to Java and Sumatra,” said Heymans, who led the salvage effort and subsequent battles with Indonesian officialdom to bring the treasure to light.

“But we think there must have been an ambassador on board because so many pieces are imperial Chinese porcelain.”

Descending for the first time onto the wreck site north of Cirebon, West Java, in 2004, the veteran diver said he couldn’t believe what appeared out of the gloom on the sea floor.

“The site was 40 metres (130 feet) by 40 metres and it was just a mountain of porcelain. You couldn’t see any wood,” he said.

And not just any porcelain. The pieces include the largest known vase from the Liao Dynasty (907-

1125) and famous Yue Mise wares from the Five Dynasties (907-960), with the green colouring exclusive to the emperor.

Around 11,000 pearls, 4,000 rubies, 400 dark red sapphires and more than 2,200 garnets were also pulled from the depths by Heymans and his team of international divers.

It took 22,000 dives to bring it all up but Heymans said the salvage work, from February 2004 to October 2005, was the easy part. “All the major problems began after we got the stuff on shore,” he said.

The police arrested two of the divers even though Heymans’ company, Cosmix Underwater Research Ltd., and his local partner, Paradigma Putra Sejathera PT, had painstakingly arranged survey and excavation licenses.

The divers spent a month behind bars before the mix-up was resolved.

There were also run-ins with the Indonesian navy, efforts by rivals to move in on the wreck, a year of litigation and two years of waiting while Indonesia drafted new regulations to govern such work.

Some of Heymans’ backers who covered him to the tune of 10 million dollars began to worry that their investment would be lost at the bottom of the Java Strait, he said.

By coincidence, officials last week said another treasure hunter who is well-known to Indonesia,

Michael Hatcher, is under investigation for allegedly plundering valuable Chinese porcelain from a new wreck.

Marine and Fisheries Ministry official Adji Sularso said the probe came after authorities seized 2,360 items dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) which Hatcher was allegedly trying to smuggle out of the country.

The porcelain was loaded in two ships that were intercepted in waters off West Java in September, he added.

No charges have been laid but police said Friday that Hatcher was a fugitive and alerted border official to block him from attempting to flee the country. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Hatcher, who was reportedly born in Britain but grew up as an orphan in Australia, is believed to have made 17 million dollars from auctioning gold ingots and 160,000 pieces of porcelain salvaged from wreck found in the Riau islands in the mid1980s.

Under the terms of Heymans’ arrangement with the Indonesian government, which declared some of his treasure to be of national heritage, the state will take 50 percent of the proceeds of Wednesday’s auction.

The remainder will be shared among the salvagers.

The auction will be conducted by the Indonesian government, bidders will have to front up a deposit of 16 million dollars to take part and the artefacts will be sold as a single lot.

The deadline for registration is Monday.

JAKARTA - The Transport Ministry looks set to licence two Russian airline companies to fly to Indonesia this year.

The two Russian airlines, Transaero and Aeroflot, would serve direct flights linking the two countries starting at the end of this year, Air Transport Director Tri S Sunoko said in a press statement on Friday. Transaero which had so far been conducting RussiaDenpasar charter flights twice a week planned to also operate scheduled flights, he said.

Russia‘s state-owned Aeroflot meanwhile would fly from Moscow to Denpasar vice versa as of December 2010, he said.

The issuance of flight permits to the Russian airlines was part of

aviation service cooperation agreed upon by the two nations at their meeting in Russia on April 29-30, he said.

“The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) made in Jakarta some time ago has been upgraded to RoD (Record of Discussion),” he said.

The RoD contained a number of agreements related to exchange of traffic rights, code sharing arrangements, co-terminalization and aircraft leasing, he said.

As such, Indonesian-flag carrier Garuda could sell and promote flights to Moscow, Vladivostok, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk in Aeroflot planes, he said.

On the other hand, Aeroflot could sell connecting flights from Denpasar to Jakarta, Solo and Manado in Garuda planes, he said.

Two Labor Day demonstrators outside palace arrested ANTARA

JAKARTA - Police arrested two demonstrators at a rally to mark International Labor Day in front of the presidential palace on Saturday.

“Yes, two people (were arrested) because they provoked officers,” Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command spokesman Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said when contacted by phone for confirmation about it here on Saturday.

Boy said he still did not know the identities of the arrested demonstrators. He said the two had provoked officers by shouting insulting words while carrying wooden

sticks. Boy said the two were taken to the National Police‘s criminal investigation unit for questioning.

He said the rally at the palace had as a whole remained peaceful.

Thousands of workers took to the street and marched from the Hotel Indonesia roundabout to the palace on Saturday morning.

The Jakarta police had been told before that 18 community elements would conduct demonstrations to mark Labor Day involving around 10,000 workers. The Jakarta police supported by police from the National Headquarters fielded around 15,000 personnel to ensure public order and security during the event.

NGO urges formation of national commission on migrant workers Antara

JAKARTA - Migrant Care called on the government on Saturday to immediately set up a national commission for Indonesian migrant workers (Komnas BMI).

“We wish for the immediate establishment of a Komnas BMI,” executive director of the non-governmental organization, Anis Hidayah, said on the occasion of Labor Day here. She said Komnas BMI should be an independent state institution equal to other state institutions and given authority to handle matters related to protection, supervision, mediation and coordination.

Anis said she also wished for the state‘s responsibility for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers to be decentralized and to limit private parties‘ role in migra-

tion processes.

“The decentralization will cover registration, education, predeparture, medical services and documentation,” she said.

Private companies, she said, should only play a role in visa applications, ticket services and departures. She said the mechanism would reduce the cost of placement and bureaucracy, boost transparancy and make control easier.

She said Migrant Care also urged the government to give migrant workers social security benefits including reproductive health allowance for female workers.

She said Migrant Care also was calling for the reduction of administrative sanctions and imposition of more severe criminal sanctions on trafficking in line with Law Number 21 of 2007.

8

Internationa

Monday, May 3, 2010

Bali Today ’Cowboys in Paradise’ maker to be summoned through Interpol Antara

Bali Post/Edi

Members of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the South-West Pacific region gathered in Bali for seven days (April 30 - May 6) to discussed the need to support national meteorological and hydrological services in each country.

DENPASAR - The Bali police are to summon Amit Virmani, the maker of the “Cowboys in Paradise” documentary film who resides in Singapore, with the help of Interpol, a spokesman said.

“We are going to do so after all the witnesses we have questioned and the evidence we have collected show Amit’s involvement in punishable acts,” Bali police spokesman Sr Com Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra said here on Friday.

He said police had questioned six witnesses and their statements as well as the available evidence had led to the conclusion Amit had violated Indonesian laws in making the controversial documentary.

“Amit can be charged with violating Law No 8/1992 on Film and be sentenced to a maximum jail term of one year and a fine of Rp40 million in lieu of an additional one year behind bars,” Sugianyar said.

But as Amit was now in resid-

ing in Singapore, the Bali police would summon him through the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police Headquarters which had a permanent link with Interpol.

“We have already begun coordinating with the National Police Headquarters to have Amit summoned for questioning here,” he added.

But Sugianyar admitted bringing Amit to Indonesia might not be an easy thing to accomplish as Indonesia did not have an extradition treaty with Singapore.

“However, this possible hurdle does not prevent us from building our case against the film director,” he said.

Amit’s film which purports to depict the life of local young men as gigolos at Bali’s Kuta beach has drawn angry reactions from Bali’s authorities and community members as it was considered damaging the resort island’s image as respectable tourist destination.

Natural hazard high talked during WMO Traditional market in Sanur attracts tourists meeting in Bali Antara

IBP

DENPASAR - Bali and several countries in the south-west Pacific region are prone to natural hazzards that cause by climate change. To manage those possibilities, members of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the South-West Pacific gathered in Bali for seven days (April 30 - May 6).

According WMO SecretaryGeneral Michel Jarraud about 84 percent of natural hazards in the region are of meteorological or hydrological origin. Bali and other islands are vulnerable to different natural, such as volcanic activity or the earthquakes and tsunamis which periodically threaten their livelihoods. ‘’We cannot wait for the economic crisis to conclude before reaffirming the need to support national meteorological and hydrological services as investment in sustainable development and the protection of lives and property,’’ said Jarraud.

During the last four years, noted Jarraud, several countries were seriously affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia in July 2006 and September 2009; mudslides and floods in the Philippines, in connection with typhoons Durian in December 2006 and Ketsana in September 2009. In abnormally high sea-levels affected the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Island, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in late 2008.

‘’Among the main tasks ahead, we need to further improvement in forecasting and warning services through numerical weather prediction products,’’ Jarraud explain further.

Many projects across the region are underway, including the upgrading of satellite-based communication of warnings to meteorological services and natural disaster management offices in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

WMO also providing special assistance to Cook Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga in the restoration of their affected basic meteorological infrastructures.

Head of Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) Sri Woro Budiati Harijono said Indonesia has the opportunity to include ideas and strategics planning in this forum. The forum participated by 22 countries and will discuss about climate and tropical weather. ‘’The meeting also will discuss strategic plan year 2012 until 2015,’’ she stated. ‘’By the exchange of experience and strategies to overcome the problems of weather and climate, in the future Indonesia is expected to en-

hance the national capability in climate prediction of district scale,” she said.

On that occasion, Sri Woro Budiati Harijono also explained the Strategic Plan of 2008-2011 period having five urgent strategies. The five strategies included the development and implementation of science and technology, delivery of weather and climate information services, partnership, capacity and resources as well as efficiency of management and good governance. Implementation of the five strategies was expected to improve the forecasting and better early warning capabilities on the weather, improving integrated observing system, development and implementation of the new WMO information systems.

Equally important thing appointed in this forum is the formulation of concept on the Global Climate System Framework (GFCS) to improve the climate information service system in order to accelerate the realization of adaptation-mitigation activities becoming the tasks for the agricultural, health, transport, fisheries, water resources, energy, infrastructure sector and so forth. (kmb18)

DENPASAR - Pasar Sindhu, one of the traditional market places in Sanur beach area, Bali, which had been improved by the Denpasar city administration, had started drawing the keen interest of tourists who came for shopping.

While the parking lot in front of the market place was still being renovated, many local as well as foreign tourists kept coming there, Made Darna, a vegetable seller at the market said.

The market place has some 150 stalls selling vegetables, meat, fish and other daily necessaries.

http://static.panoramio.com

Sellers waiting for buyers in the art market of Bali Island. Pasar Sindhu, one of the traditional market places in Sanur beach area, Bali, which had been improved by the Denpasar city administration, had started drawing the keen interest of tourists who came for shopping

al

Monday, May 3, 2010

Balinese Culture

RI, Singapore expanding air forces cooperation Antara

KUTA - The Indonesian and Singapore air forces met here on Thursday to expand cooperation on the occasion of the 30th military cooperation anniversary of the two ASEAN countries.

“Both sides considered cooperation so far has run well and benefited both sides. It is able to serve as a bridge in the handling of the problems facing two nations’ air forces,” Deputy Chief of the Indonesian Air Force Marshal Sukirno said.

Bali was hosting the 30th annual meeting of the two countries’ air forces.

Sukirno led the Indonesian delegation during the talks on the expansion of the cooperation of the two countries.

The Singapore delegation was led by Chief of the Singapore Air Force, Brig. Gen Hoo C Mou. Hoo C Mou was accompanied by eight officers.

Sukirno said that both sides gave attention to human resources development. “There are many joint exercises that could

DENPASAR – t o c o m memorate Indonesian Education Day, Telkomsel cooperate with Citra Mandiri Infokom (CMI) lunched School Information System (SIS). The program is the effort to support the government program called School administration program (PAS).

Gilang Prasetya, the Vice President for Java and Bali area stated that statement during the launching in Kuta on Sunday, May 2 nd 2010. He said that the program will make the students and parents easier to access any information regarding their school.

The customers can access the program by pressing *455# and the information will be received through SMS. “Education is the barometer of the nation development so it should become the priority especially to increase the quality of hu-

(Black Rice Pudding) OVERVIEW: Different versions of this Balinese snack are a great favorite with visitors to Bali.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup black glutinous rice ¾ cup white glutinous rice 2 pandan leaves 5 cups water ½ cup palm sugar syrup 1½ cup freshly squeezed thick coconut milk PREPARATION: 1. Rinse both lots of rice well for 2 minutes under running water. Drain 2. Put 5 cups water, both lots of rice and pandan leaf into heavy stockpot. Simmer over medium heat approximately 40 minutes.

3. Add palm sugar syrup and continue to cook until most liquid has evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and allow cooling.

4. Serve at room temperature, topped with freshly squeezed coconut milk.

FOTO ANTARA/marboen

Deputy Chief of the Indonesian Air Force vice Marshal Sukirno (left) shake hand with his counterpart from Singapore Brigadir General Hoo C Mou after meeting to discussed cooperation on the occasion of the 30th military cooperation anniversary of the two ASEAN countries. be included in the program and be carried out,” Sukirno said.

In the meantime, Hoo said that the annual meeting had become increasingly important.

“We see that the meeting is not a mere routine affair. There are many important achievements reached in the meeting for two countries’ air forces,” Hoo said.

Telkomsel launch SIS program IBP

Bubuh Injin

man resources. Telkmosel give a positive contribution to the education world in Indonesia by providing the special browser menu,” Gilang said.

The SIS program had been tested in SMAN 2 Amlapura in Karangasem. The system was very successful in the school so other schools also wanted to adopt the similar system. Gilang said “SIS service is the collaboration between school resources and the sophisticated technology of Telkomsel.”

Previously, SIS only can be accessed through the local school network. By pressing *455# and choose “my school” menu, teachers, students, and parents can directly connected with SIS network. There are three kind of information, school info including teacher’s info, number of students, etc, the second is the info about entry such as minimum entry grade, rankings, etc, and the third is about students such as absent, grade, etc.

Telkomsel also donated 15 finger print machine to 15 schools throughout Bali such as SMAN 1 Denpasar, SMAN 4 Denpasar, SMAN 5 Denpasar, and SMAN 1 Ubud. In addition to make the SIS mechanism easier, the machine also can prevent the student abduction.

Telkomsel also give special training to 100 teachers in 40 cities throughout Indonesia.

The program had given the training on creating materials, solution update and in creating electronic teaching materials.

Another program held by Telkomsel is the “Gaptek Jadi Melek” which is an education road show on 15 schoold in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi area. In the program, Telkomsel provide 4 education cars and technology equipment worth 200 million rupiah. The equipment include education software, laptop, Telkmosel Flash modem, School free Wi Fi, and students and teachers training.(kmb18).

Helpful hints: As fresh coconut milk turns rancid fairly quickly, a pinch of salt is usually added to the milk to help preserve it for few hours. A more effective alternative is to cook the coconut milk with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch diluted in a little water: heat gently, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes. This coconut sauce will keep overnight.

Milk made from instant powdered coconut will not turn rancid, although the flavor is not as good as fresh coconut milk. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

Ayam Pelalah

(Shredded Chicken with Chilies & Lime) OVERVIEW: You can use any type of leftover chicken (roast, steamed or fried) for this delightfully tangy chicken salad INGREDIENTS : 1 whole chicken, weighing about 1.2 kg (2 ½ lb) 1 cup chicken spice paste ½ cup tomato sambal 3 tbsp freshly squeezed limejuice PREPARATION: 1. Rub the chicken outside and inside with the spice paste, and season with salt and crushed black pepper.

2. Place on wire rack in oven and roast first at 220 Celsius (420 F) for 20 min, then reduce heat to 180 Celsius (350 F) and roast until done. Frequently baste chicken with a mixture of coconut oil and chicken spice paste.

3. When cool, remove and discard the skin. Remove meat from bones and shred by hand into fine strips.

4. Combine chicken stripes with remaining ingredients.

Mix well and season to taste. Serve at room temperature with steamed rice. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

9

10

Monday, May 3, 2010

Destinations

International

Purancak Temple PURANCAK Temple is also mentioning as Pura Perancak situated in the coastal area right at Purancak Countryside, Negara sub district and Jembrana Regency. In order to reach the location of this temple which is also situated in the estuary of Purancak River, we have to go the west direction and goes to through the good road with the car or other motorcycle. After going through the journey within 9 Km from the district town, all visitors who visit this temple will arrive at non-irrigated dry field. This land is fully planted by the coconut trees with beautiful panorama that make a comfortable atmosphere.

Pertaining to the name (Abhiseka) of Purancak Temple, it is inseparable from the holy journey (Dharmayatra and Tirthayatra) of Danghyang Dwijendra, a famous Siwa Religion Adviser. From the domestic sources, there is opinion that the name of Purancak Temple is come the word of Perahu Encak (Balinese Language meaning leaky boat or breaking boat). There is also

from domestic source say that the this temple’s name is come from word Ancak (The tree name, sycamore bodi), because when Danghyang Dwijendra crossing the sea in west part of Bali Island that is also recognized as Sagara Rupek, he firstly arrive at the location where the Purancak Temple existing now. He wait his wife and son who go up the leaky boat that had been patched by spool gourd leaf ( Waluh Pahit), while Danghyang Dwijendra go up a bitter fruit Waluh (spool gourd) by using his both hand and feet as oar .

When he waiting his wife and son, he was seat under a tree which is called Ancak Tree and at the same time he do conversation with a cow farmer. Since he was seat under that tree then The Temple is built right in this location hence this temple is named by Purancak Temple. But in conjunction to other domestic sources that is estimated the Purancak Temple is also taken away from the name of this countryside where he firstly arrive and do pray while waiting his family.

This temple is kept by a priest every day who waiting and monitoring everyone who cross the way.

The priest will remind and admonishing if there anyone who pass and neglect to conduct the pray based on the regulation stated by I Ngurah Ragsasa, the powerful and handle hegemony over there .

Dhangyang Dwijendra and his family continue his holy journey and pass this temple. When he arrive at this temple area, the priest as a temple keeper who is also observe everyone crossing this area, he admonished and asked to Danghyang Dwinjendra to do pray in this temple. When he reach in the silent moment of praying, suddenly inscrutable fact happened that this temple breaks. When witnessing this inscrutable occurrence, I Ngurah Rangsasa with all his supporter are feeling very fear and then run to his house meanwhile the temple priest is very braze and request to Danghyang Dwijendra return the temple back to the perfection like previously.

Dhangyang Dwijendra finally

International Bali Post Classifieds BALI CENTRAL CANOPY

g

www.solo-cctv.com

Rekam 24 jam Non Stop - Internet on line Apapun kebutuhan CCTV Anda, ada di sini!

Harga Termurah Kwalitas Terjamin Jln. Buana Raya 88X, Padangsambian - Denpasar

Telp./Fax : (0361) 8600043, 7429952, 485041 C.513069-bkl

C.492607-rpa

witness all this experiences then Danghyang Dwijendra bestow the Kalpika to the priest in order to glorify as a proof that he was done a holy journey to this place. (www.balistarisland.com)

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

Contact us

Mengerjakan : Atap Canopy Polycarbonat & Jual Bahan Spesial merk atap: Solarlate dan Crystal-late

http://static.panoramio.com

fulfills his request and then he do pray again to return the temple condition like previously. By blessing of his spiritual strengthens and Chastity, the temple become intact return. The priest look so happy to

Garansi Barang & Jasa... PASTI ! !

Dengan tenaga berpengalaman, instalasi dijamin rapi Hubungi:

Jln. Buluh Indah No. 23 Denpasar Telp. (0361) 2764411-088802911054 C.492248-elk

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

Monday, May 3, 2010

11

BUSINESS Economy expands as consumer spending picks up

Associated Press Writer

Reuters

WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter as consumers increased spending at the fastest pace in three years, the strongest sign yet a sustainable recovery may be taking hold.

While growth slowed from the fourth-quarter’s rapid 5.6 percent pace and was a touch weaker than economists expected, the details of Friday’s report from the Commerce Department were fairly upbeat.

President Barack Obama, whose popularity numbers have suffered because of public discontent over the economy, hailed the data as a step in the right direction, but stressed more needs to be done.

“Our economy is stronger, that economic heartbeat is growing stronger,” Obama said at the White House.

“While today’s GDP report is an important milepost on our road to recovery, it doesn’t mean much to an American who has lost his or her job and can’t find another.”

High unemployment remains a sore point as the economy climbs out of its worst recession since the 1930s.

While the economy has now grown for three straight quarters at an average of 3.7 percent, widespread joblessness is hurting Obama’s approval ratings and dimming his fellow Democrats’ prospects for November elections, in which they face a fight to keep their majorities in both houses of Congress. Consumer spending, which normally accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, added nearly 2.6 percentage points to gross domestic product growth last quarter — the biggest contribution since the fourth quarter of 2006.

“The growth appears to be more organic in terms of the consumer being the driver. We need to make sure it’s followed up with additional more broad-based gains,” said Daniel Penrod, a senior analyst at the California Credit Union League.

But stock market investors were disappointed growth fell short of the 3.4 percent analysts had expected. Combined with reports of a federal criminal probe of Goldman Sachs, stocks on Wall Street posted their worst week since January.

U.S. government debt prices rallied, tapping a safe-haven bid, while the dollar fell for a third straight day against the euro on hopes debt-stricken Greece would soon receive emergency aid.

Consumer spending rose at a 3.6

Shanghai Expo giant opportunity for big business

Chris Hondros/Getty Images/AFP

People enter and exit The Shops at Columbus Circle, an upscale mall, April 30, 2010 in New York, New York. The US economy grew 3.2% in the first quarter of the year, giving some analysts confindence that a modest economic recovery has taken hold. percent rate in the January-March period, more than double the fourth quarter’s 1.6 percent pace and the biggest gain since the start of 2007.

“Consumers don’t seem as panicked as they were last year and they are beginning to unleash some of the pentup demand,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “But that pace of (spending) growth is unsustainable. We’re going to see a more cautious consumer over the next few months because we still have a nearly double-digit unemployment rate.”

The United States has emerged from recession more swiftly than Europe or Japan. Euro zone first-quarter GDP data due in mid-May is expected to show annualized growth of roughly 0.8 percent. Japan, which has been struggling with deflation, does not report its data until later in May. Analysts said the welcome but moderate pace of U.S. growth meant the Federal Reserve could bide its time before raising benchmark interest rates from their current levels near zero, particularly with unemployment hovering near 10 percent.

“This should provide additional comfort for the majority on the (Fed’s policy panel) that will look to keep rates on hold into 2011,” said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at Brusuelas Analytics in Stamford, Connecticut.

The central bank on Wednesday noted activity had strengthened and that the labor market was starting to improve. Still, it said it expects a modest recovery and renewed its vow to keep rates low for an extended period.

The Commerce Department report showed that business inventories in-

creased $31.1 billion in the first quarter, adding 1.57 percentage points to GDP growth, as firms restocked to meet rising demand. It was the first inventory increase since the first quarter of 2008.

Businesses also continued to spend on software and equipment, though a bit less vigorously than in the prior quarter, boding well for the economic recovery and jobs.

Last month, the economy registered its strongest jobs growth in three years as private employers stepped up hiring.

“If they are spending on equipment already, it shows a lot of confidence for future hiring which supports consumer spending. If we continue to have employment growth, we will have a good year,” said Kurt Karl, head of economic research at Swiss Re in New York.

But new home construction was a drag on growth in the first quarter after two straight quarters of gains, with residential investment contracting at a 10.9 percent rate. Business spending on structures subtracted from GDP for a sixth straight quarter. A bigger trade deficit as export growth slowed sharply also weighed on first-quarter GDP. Signs of a durable economic recovery were bolstered by other reports showing manufacturing activity in the Chicago area rose to a five-year high and increased for a ninth consecutive month in New York City.

Separately, the Thomson Reuters/ University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers showed sentiment falling in April from March as consumers saw the recovery as well underway, but slow. However, their view on how the economy will look 12 months from now improved from the prior month.

SHANGHAI - China’s commercial capital of Shanghai has always been all about business. Nowhere is that more evident than at its World Expo, a giant bazaar of ideas, technologies and outright PR offensives focused on the world’s fastestgrowing major market.

In a cash-strapped 21st century of market meltdowns and big bailouts, the Expo, which opened to the public this weekend, is a multibillion dollar business opportunity that has yielded massive contracts for design, equipment and engineering firms.

Since they started out displaying new industrial technologies alongside new design and cultural offerings in the mid19th century, world’s fairs have always been something of a global marketplace in miniature.

With China’s economy growing faster than most and poised to soon overtake Japan’s as the second-biggest after the United States, the Expo’s role as a venue for networking and marketing is bigger than ever before.

“It gives everyone an excuse to come to China. It’s going to be parties and receptions and networking and mingling and looking around,” said James McGregor, a senior counselor for consulting firm APCO Worldwide Inc. and author of the book, “One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China.”

Given China’s growing status and power, even crisisstricken Greece and Iceland went ahead with plans to stage pavilions, wary of the costs of lost opportunities in this huge and growing market.

“We’re getting the word out that we stand for so much more than just maybe the headlines about the financial crisis and ash closing down the airports in Europe, we have other things to offer,” said Hreinn Palsson, Iceland’s consul general in Shanghai and its Expo commissioner general.

“We’re using this event and these facilities to establish connections, establish a point that companies can come to and work out of here in China,” he said.

Corporations both Chinese

and foreign are also here in force.

Cisco Systems Inc., Coca Cola Co. and General Motors Co. have pavilions built on a scale to match some of the biggest countries.

Chinese shipbuilders, appliance makers, telecoms companies and food providers _ practically everyone with a stake in China’s huge market is here.

While organizers and participants have rarely disclosed contract terms, the event is proving a windfall in hard times for many, with its official budget of roughly $28.6 billion and many billions more spent on new subways, roads, airport terminals and other trappings of affluence, not to mention the huge sums spent by participating countries.

Spending just by tourists during the six month event is forecast to reach 45 billion yuan ($6.6 billion), according to Chinese state media.

“It was clear from our first meeting with the Expo organizers that this expo would be very different to the ones in the past.

China was going to give it a special recognition and it would become a big global event,” Coca Cola’s CEO Muhtar Kent said in an interview.

“Our brands benefited substantially by being part of Chinese priorities and aspirations,” Kent said of his company’s involvement, as a longtime Olympics sponsor, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With the company’s “Happiness Factory” Expo pavilion, “We thought this would be a wonderful way for us to showcase what we are doing in China,” he said.

The construction of more than 200 pavilions on the Expo site brought in scores of foreign design, architecture, engineering and equipment companies, hired both

by China and by participating countries.

“The whole Expo is our pavilion,” quipped Richard Hausmann, president and CEO of Siemens China. The German company is a sponsor and contractor for lighting systems and building technology and equipment in 40 projects at the Expo and also a key supplier for Shanghai’s subway and railway projects, among many others. Many of the 189 countries with pavilions at the Expo are likewise showcasing their own manufacturers and giving corporate sponsors an opportunity to reach the expected 70 million visitors to the six-month event.

12

Monday, May 3, 2010

Entertainment

International

Conan O’Brien says has no regrets in Leno debacle Reuters

LOS ANGELES – Comedian Conan O’Brien says he has no regrets on any of his decisions in January when NBC pulled the plug on his short-lived stint as host of “The Tonight Show” and installed Jay Leno in his place.

In a second set of transcripts from his interview with television news program “60 Minutes” — O’Brien’s first talk with a reporter since leaving the “Tonight Show” — the comic said he is “mostly very happy” right now.

He said people on the street tell him, “Hey partner, you got screwed.” But O’Brien does not believe that.

“I always tell them, ‘No, I didn’t. I didn’t get screwed. I’m — I’m fine. It just — it didn’t work out.’”

O’Brien quit as the host of the NBC network’s “Tonight Show,” a long and popular talk program on U.S. late-night TV, in January just seven months after taking the reins from Leno.

Leno had hosted the “Tonight Show” for 17 years before moving to his new “The Jay Leno Show” in an earlier time period.

But the move proved to be a blunder, and the network moved Leno’s new show to a late-night period, pushing O’Brien’s “Tonight Show” to a later start time.

The change caused a storm of bad publicity. O’Brien openly criticized NBC on its own airwaves saying, among many things, NBC had caused the “destruction” of the “Tonight Show.”

He eventually left with a $45 million severance deal, signed an agreement to mount a new talk show on cable TV network TBS, and is currently on a live comedy tour.

“I don’t regret one decision I made in that week and a half period,” O’Brien told “60 Minutes” in an interview airing on May 2. “I wish it had ended differently. But, I’m fine.”

O’Brien says that while “I have not resolved all my issues. I am mostly very happy.

“I love this (comedy) tour, it’s the most thrilling thing I’ve done in my career. And so I’m in a really great place in a lot of ways.

But I’d be lying if I said I don’t — have my moments of everything, you know, anger, disappointment — frustration and just confusion.”

AFP/Tobias Hase

Accused Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk (2nd R) arrives for another session of his trial in a courtroom in Munich last month. Demjanjuk is the central theme of a play about his life which is being staged in Heidelberg.

‘Demjanjuk: a Holocaust cabaret’ hits German stage Agence France Presse

HEIDELBERG, Germany – The scene is familiar: 90-year-old alleged war criminal John Demjanjuk sits silently in his wheelchair, mouth lolling open, covered by a sheet and wearing a baseball cap.

IBP/ist

Conan O’Brien

But this is not the Munich courtroom where Demjanjuk faces charges for helping to murder 27,900 Jews but a stage in Heidelberg, western Germany where a play about his life is wowing critics, despite the awkward issues it raises.

The play, by Canadian-Jewish writer Jonathan Garfinkel, deals mainly with a trial in Jerusalem, where Demjanjuk was sentenced to death in 1988 but later acquitted of being “Ivan the Terrible”, a monstrous Nazi death camp guard.

However, the Brecht-inspired production, a raucous, provocative and at times shocking combination of slapstick, song and satire, begins and ends with the Munich trial that has

gripped Germany and the wider world since November.

At the crux of the play is the question at the heart of the Demjanjuk trial. Is he a Nazi death camp guard with the blood of thousands on his hands or, as he has always claimed, an innocent family man, the victim of mistaken identity?

As one character says: “How can it be possible that the nicest bloke you could ever hope to meet is, at the same time, a sadistic murderer?”

“The question we all want to know is what is going on in John’s head and what did he actually do?” Garfinkel, 36, who spent several days observing the trial in Munich, told AFP. To illustrate this dichotomy,

Garfinkel portrays one character, “John”, a man who is utterly devoted to his wife and family and a true baseball-loving believer in the American dream after settling in Cleveland, Ohio after the war.

“John” is tormented — like Goethe’s Faust — by an evil alterego, “Ivan”, who tells disgusting anti-Semitic jokes, performs the Hitler salute and simulates the rape of a prisoner of war on stage while groaning “Sieg Heil”.

Addressing the audience at the beginning of the play, one character says: “You’ve come here to have fun, so: why does Volkswagen have so few Jewish customers? Most of them have trouble with the German gas pedals.” This “joke” drew a sharp intake of breath from the audience here. No one laughed. A stony-faced elderly couple left within 10 minutes and two other theatre-goers also departed well before the end.

China’s cinemas set for record box office in 2010 Agence France Presse

BEIJING – China could earn a record 10 billion yuan (1.5 billion dollars) in box office takings this year, as a growing number of welloff young urbanites flock to the cinema.

La Peikang, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China’s movie regulator, said this would represent a 61 percent jump from

2009, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The figures compared to takings of less than one billion yuan in 2003, he added.

China-made films grabbed a share of more than 56 percent of the box office last year in a nation that now counts at least 5,000 cinema screens, the report quoted him as saying late Saturday.

The Chinese movie industry is protected by a system that only allows

around 20 foreign films to be screened a year, allowing homegrown directors to create Hollywoodstyle blockbusters without the threat of major overseas competition.

At the beginning of the year, however, James Cameron’s “Avatar” became China’s all-time box office champion, grossing 1.3 billion yuan, the report said.

Director James Cameron attends the 20th Century Fox & Earth Day Network’s “Avatar” Tree Planting Event last month.

At the beginning of the year “Avatar” became China’s all-time box office champion, grossing 1.3 billion yuan, an official Xinhua news agency report said.

AFP/Getty Images/Amanda Edwards

Life Style

International

Monday, May 3, 2010

13

This oil spill ‘the bad one’ — recipe for disaster Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – What makes an oil spill really bad? Most of the ingredients for it are now blending in the Gulf of Mexico.

Experts tick off the essentials: A relentless flow of oil from under the sea; a type of crude that mixes easily with water; a resultant gooey mixture that is hard to burn and even harder to clean; water that’s home to vulnerable spawning grounds for new life; and a coastline with difficult-to-scrub marshlands.

Gulf Coast experts have always talked about “the potential for a bad one,” said Wes Tunnell, coastal ecology and oil spill expert at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“And this is the bad one. This is just a biggie that finally happened.”

It hasn’t quite become a total disaster yet. But it’s hard to imagine it not being devastating, said Ed Overton, who heads a federal chemical hazard assessment team for oil spills. The Louisiana State University professor has been testing samples of the spilled crude.

He compared what’s brewing to another all-too-familiar Gulf Coast threat: “This has got all the characteristics of a Category 5 hurricane.”

If conditions don’t change quickly, devastation of the highest magnitude is headed for somewhere along the coast, said Overton, who works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

More than 200,000 gallons of oil a day are spewing from the blownout well at the site of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig, which ex-

ploded April 20 and sank two days later. Crews are using at least six remotely operated vehicles to try to shut off an underwater valve, but so far they’ve been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, high winds and waves are pushing oily water over the booms meant to contain it. Besides BP, a slew of federal and state agencies are scrambling to minimize the onslaught of damage.

Experts in oil spills have drills every few years to practice their response for spills of “national significance.” One of those practice runs took place just last month in Maine.

The Gulf of Mexico leak is a “combination of all the bad things happening” and makes it far worse than any disaster imagined in the drills, said Nancy Kinner, director of the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

“This is relentless,” Kinner said.

Most Americans think of Exxon Valdez when it comes to spills. But the potential and likelihood here “is well beyond that,” said University of Rhode Island ocean engineering professor Malcolm Spaulding. Because the Deepwater Horizon well has not been capped and may flow for months more, it should be compared to a bigger more dangerous one from a well explosion in 1979, said Tunnell. That was Ixtoc 1, off the coast of Mexico. It was the worst peacetime oil spill on record.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Brown pelicans and gulls fly in front of oil booms along the shoreline at Pass a Loutre, La., where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico Friday, April 30, 2010. Wildlife in the region is vulnerable to the looming oil spill from last week’s collapse and spill of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

The current spill “is kind of a worst case scenario,” Tunnell said.

What makes this spill relentless and most similar to Ixtoc 1 is that it’s an active well that keeps flowing. The Exxon Valdez was a tanker with a limited supply of oil. The rig

40 miles from the Gulf Coast may leak for months before a relief well can be drilled to stop the flow, Kinner said.

And LSU’s Overton said: “I’m not very optimistic that they’ll be drilling a relief well in three

months.”

The type of oil involved is also a major problem. While most of the oil drilled off Louisiana is a lighter crude, this isn’t. It’s a heavier blend because it comes from deep under the ocean surface, Overton said.

Play as Mega Man in New ‘Super Mario Brothers’ Mashup

IBP/ist

The Super Mario Brother game

A NEW, unofficial recreation of the original “Super Mario Brothers” video game now allows gamers to play as characters from other iconic titles, including Mega Man and Link from “The Legend of Zelda.”

The roster of playable mashup characters also includes Samus Aran from “Metroid,” the commando Bill from “Contra,” and Simon Belmont from “Castlevania.” Or players can stick to regular old Mario.

Designer Jay Pavlina, who said this is the first game he has ever made, posted Super Mario Bros. Crossover this week on Newgrounds, a Web site dedicated to Flash games and animations.

“This is my tribute to classic NES games, and anyone who grew up playing Nintendo should enjoy it,” Pavlina wrote on Newgrounds. Down to the tiniest detail Pavlina took over a year to capture the looks and unique game play of each of the other NES archetypes and adapted them into the bricks and pipe-filled landscape of the Mushroom Kingdom of “Super Mario Brothers.”

“Each character plays just like they do in their original games with a few modifications to make the experience better,” Pavlina said.

For example, when playing as Mega Man the ordinarily blue-colored robot that has ap-

peared in over 50 games across consoles since 1987 - the hang-time of his jumps matches the physics of early Mega Man games rather than following the “Super Mario Brothers” standards. Bill from “Contra,” for his part, does his usual, exaggerated, ninja-meets-Rambo flips.

The original musical score and distinctive sound effects from the individual characters’ games make a virtual migration, too.

Firepower

This attention to detail also extends to weapons. Players can still jump on and squash bad guys, the same as Mario and Luigi, but the other NES characters also get to tote their signature guns, swords and fighting abilities into battle.

Mega Man, for instance, can shoot classic baddies such as the mushroom-like Goombas and turtle-esque Koopa Troopas. So the game is not too easy, the villains have to be shot a few times before being terminated.

When rampaging as Link (who can now jump, as befitting Super Mario Brothers’ sidescrolling perspective), NES fans can swordswipe and throw a boomerang. Samus can roll into a ball and drop bombs, Simon throws axes and Bill’s gun blasts red, bubbly bullets.

14

Monday, May 3, 2010

Sport

Mayweather dominates Mosley, stays unbeaten Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. is usually content to just win a fight. This time, though, Money Mayweather wanted to earn his cash.

Fighting more aggressively than usual, Mayweather overcame a near knockdown in the second round Saturday night to dominate the rest of the way and win a lopsided 12-round decision over Shane Mosley in their welterweight showdown.

“I wanted to give the fans what they wanted to see, a toeto-toe battle,” Mayweather said.

“It wasn’t the same style for me but I wanted to be aggressive and I knew I could do it.”

Boxing’s biggest box office draw remained undefeated in 41 fights, but not before giving his fans and his corner a scare when a right hand to the side of his head buckled his knees a minute into the second, and he had to grab Mosley to avoid going down. Mosley landed another right later in the round, but the rest of the night belonged to Mayweather.

If he didn’t please everyone, it was because he couldn’t knock out Mosley. But Mayweather won every minute of every round after the second and the normally defensive-minded fighter kept after Mosley until the final bell in a masterful performance that earned him every dollar of his guaranteed $22.5 million payday.

“I think we could have pressed the attack a lot earlier, and then we could have got the knockout,” Mayweather said.

Fighting before a star-studded crowd that included Muhammad Ali, Mayweather never came close to dropping Mosley, but landed so many more punches that the outcome wasn’t in doubt past the middle rounds. He had an answer for everything Mosley tried to do, landing right hands to the head seemingly at will as the fight progressed.

By the end of the night, Mayweather had put so many rounds in the bank that the only question was whether he would stop Mosley or be content to win a lopsided decision. Mayweather kept moving forward and continued to press the issue in a fight that wasn’t in doubt.

Two ringside judges scored it 119-109 for Mayweather, while the third had it 118-110. All had him winning every round past the second.

The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 117-110.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

Shane Mosley is hit by the left elbow of Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather Jr. defeated Mosley by unanimous decison.

Ringside punch statistics were as one-sided as the scorecards. They showed Mayweather landing 208 of 477 punches to 92 of 452 for Mosley.

Mayweather made Mosley look every bit his 38 years as he landed sharp punches to his head, dominating a fighter who had vowed to turn the bout into the fight of the decade. Mosley tried his best, but couldn’t match the speed of the 33year-old Mayweather, who grew more comfortable with each passing round.

Mosley was a substitute for Manny Pacquiao, who was all but signed to meet Mayweather until a dispute over drug testing derailed the megafight. Instead, Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas and is campaigning for a seat in congress in his native Philippines.

“If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight,” Mayweather said. “If not, no fight.”

Pacquiao, who watched the fight in the Philippines, told Manilla radio station DZBB that he would agree to blood testing, but only if it is not taken within 24 days of the fight. That is basically the same stance that derailed the fight the first time around.

“For me, as long as the drug test is not done close to the match, I’ll agree because if they’ll get blood from me close to the match, it will be a disadvantage for me because I’m smaller and he’s big,” Pacquiao said.

Mosley almost ruined a lot of Mayweather ’s best-laid plans when he landed the big right hand in the second that brought the fans at the MGM Grand Arena to their feet. They chanted “Mosley!

Mosley!” as he followed Mayweather around the ring, landing another good right hand before

the bell rang to end the round.

“It’s a contact sport, and you’re going to get hit,” Mayweather said. “But when you get hit, you suck it up and keep on fighting.

That’s what I did. I’m happy we finally had a chance to fight. This is a fight the fans have been looking forward to for a long time, and they deserve it.”

Mosley’s second-round flourish was his last hurrah. Mayweather came out in the third and began landing some shots of his own, while Mosley couldn’t find his mark.

“I caught him with my big right hand and I tried to move around but by that time he was too quick and I was too tight,” Mosley said. “After the right hand I thought I needed to knock him out and I needed to do it sooner than later. But I couldn’t adjust and he did.”

Mosley said he thought the 15month layoff since his last fight hurt him, as did a stiff neck. But Mayweather had a lot to do with his ineffectiveness, too, fighting his fight and refusing to allow Mosley to dictate the pace.

Mosley’s corner kept imploring the fighter to throw his jab more and fight his way inside, but Mosley was content to try to load up to hurt Mayweather with a big punch that didn’t come.

“You can’t wait for one big shot, you’ve got to wake up,” Mosley’s trainer told him after the seventh round. By the 10th round, Naazim Richardson was even more frantic, telling Mosley he needed a knockout.

Mayweather, who earned $2,500 in his pro debut 14 years ago, was guaranteed $22.5 million but probably will end up with much more once the final pay-per-view buys are added up. Mosley was guaranteed $7 million, and also had a share in the television revenues.

International

King James celebrates coronation by sinking Celtics Reuters

CLEVELAND – LeBron James celebrated his second consecutive MVP award with a 35 point haul to fire the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 101-93 victory over the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference semi-final series opener on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, James confirmed that he had won the NBA’s top honor and he did not allow a sprained right elbow to slow him down as he helped the conference’s top seed overcome an 11-point third quarter deficit.

The Cleveland forward wrapped up the win with a three-pointer with 22 seconds to play.

“If I’m on the court, I have to be productive,” James told reporters when asked about the elbow “No excuses.”

Guard Mo Williams added 20 points for the Cavaliers, while Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 27 points and 12 assists.

Williams delivered his first-ever dunk as a Cavalier in the third quarter to help swing the momentum back to

the home side, who host Game Two in the best-of-seven series on Monday.

“It was a big play,” Williams said.

“My intention was to shoot a floater or a layup. “I realized I was a little high so I thought I might try it. It turned out pretty good.”

He had 14 points in a productive third quarter as Cleveland fought to get back in the game. “They came out swinging and then I think we just shied away and stopped doing what we were doing,” Rondo said.

“We stopped being aggressive, not just offensively but defensively as well.

We stopped our pressure. They started attacking us, and we fell back on our heels.”

The Celtics point guard had only one field goal in the second half and got little help from his team mates.

Paul Pierce had just 13 points and turned the ball over four times and shooting guard Ray Allen was held to 14.

Kevin Garnett fared better, however, backing up Rondo with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers takes a jump shot over Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics during Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 1, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland won the game 101-93.

Sport

International

Monday, May 3, 2010

15

Roma down Parma to go top Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO DDP / TIMM SCHAMBERGER GERMANY OUT

Bayern Munich’s striker Thomas Mueller (L) scores during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs VfL Bochum in the southern German city of Munich on May 1, 2010.

Mueller hat-trick kicks off Bayern title party Agence France Presse

BERLIN – Germany’s rising star Thomas Mueller scored a hat-trick on Saturday as Bayern Munich secured a 3-1 home win over Bochum which, barring a last weekend miracle, guarantees them this season’s Bundesliga title.

With second-placed Schalke 04 losing 2-0 at home to Werder Bremen, the Royal Blues now trail Bayern by three points while Munich have a vastly superior goal difference of plus-17 with just one game left each.

It means Bayern’s Dutch coach Louis van Gaal will win the Bundesliga title in his first season in charge with his side still on course for the treble of German League, German Cup and Champions League crowns.

The Dutchman can also now add the Bundesliga title to the La Liga crown he won with Barcelona in Spain and last season’s Dutch league with AZ Alkmaar.

“The board of directors told me a year ago that this is the most important title to win: now we have achieved it, I am very proud,” said van Gaal.

“This means a lot to me. I don’t think there are many coaches in Europe who have won championship titles in three countries.

“We played the best football I have seen in this arena for 20 to 25 minutes. Then we heard what happened at Schalke.”

Bayern were 2-0 up after just 20 minutes as 20-year-old Mueller did his World Cup chances the power of good with two goals in as many firsthalf minutes before completing his hat-trick on 69 minutes.

After Ivica Olic scored a hat-trick in Bayern’s 3-0 win at Lyon last Tuesday to put them in the Champions League final, Mueller stole the limelight with three goals of his own at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

A Philipp Lahm cross found Mueller unmarked in front of goal and the ball went in off his chest on 18 minutes.

Just two minutes later, Lahm linked up with Franck Ribery and the Frenchman’s volley was headed home by Mueller.

Mueller then grabbed his third when captain Mark van Bommel played him into area and he drilled his shot in the top left-hand corner on 69 minutes, before Bochum pulled back a late consolation goal.

Schalke coach Felix Magath’s dream of winning the German league with three different teams is on ice for another year as the Royal Blues lost at home to Bremen.

Third-placed Bremen took the

lead when Germany midfielder Mesut Oezil hit a left-footed shot just after half-time.

The guests then played a big part in deciding the title will go to Munich when striker Hugo Almeida scored on 64 minutes to make it 2-0.

Stuttgart’s chances of a top five finish to claim a European spot for next season suffered a blow when they were held 2-2 at home by Mainz as Romanian striker Ciprian Marica rescued them with two second-half goals.

Hamburg bounced back from last week’s Europa League exit with a 40 win over Nuremberg which leaves their opponents in the relegation zone.

Hertha’s relegation was confirmed by their 1-1 draw at Leverkusen as the league’s bottom side are four points from safety and face Bayern in the final game of the season next Saturday.

Hanover gave themselves a strong chance of staying in the Bundesliga with an incredible 6-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

This was only their eighth win of the season, but they led 4-0 at halftime as ‘Gladbach’s defence capitulated.

ROME – Roma moved a point clear of Inter Milan at the summit of Serie A on Saturday after goals from Francesco Totti and Rodrigo Taddei earned a nervous 2-1 win at Parma.

Ahead of Inter’s away match in Rome against Lazio on Sunday, Totti struck after five minutes and Taddei doubled the lead with a quarter of an hour to go after Parma had bossed the match.

Substitute Davide Lanzafame’s 81st-minute strike set up a tense finale, but Roma, seeking their first scudetto since 2001, held on and with two matches to play will now be cheering on their city rivals.

“I told my players to battle and then see if the ball would run for us. Last week it went against us but today it went for us,” admitted Roma coach Claudio Ranieri, whose team slumped to a 2-1 home defeat to Sampdoria last weekend.

“I’m not thinking about Lazio but obviously if they play their part tomorrow’s game should be a tough one to win.” Roma skipper Totti gave his team the perfect start with a superbly taken goal on five minutes.

Chesting down a fine through ball from fellow Roman Daniele De Rossi, Totti calmly lobbed a stranded Antonio Mirante for the simplest of strikes.

Sampdoria’s smash-and-grab comeback last weekend still seemed to be on Roma’s minds though and Julio Sergio was kept busy as the home side quickly carved out chances.

The Brazilian goalkeeper saved from Jonathan Biabiany on 18 minutes before finger-tipping Francesco Valiani 20-yard effort around the post.

Luca Antonelli nodded Valiani’s centre into the side-netting on 35 minutes, Biabiany then headed over and Hernan Crespo, on for Bojinov, shot inches wide on 53 minutes as

Roma wobbled.

Seconds later Totti cracked a right-footer against the upright before Lanzafame’s left-foot strike clipped the crossbar with both sides pressing for the critical second goal.

It was Roma who won the with 15 minutes to go when Totti delivered the perfect centre for Taddei to head into the far corner to double the lead.

Six minutes later though Biabiany crossed for Lanzafame to head home for 2-1 and set up a frantic 10-minute finale in which Parma’s Luis Jimenez was sent off after a second caution.

“Lazio are playing for survival so I expect them to play like Parma did against us today,” said midfielder Daniele De Rossi whose side are seeking a fourth title.

“We’ll believe in the scudetto until the final minute of the season.”

At the San Siro, AC Milan consolidated third place, going seven points above Sampdoria after inching past Fiorentina 1-0 in a subdued affair.

After Marco Borriello headed wide on 18 minutes, the match developed into a contest between Ronaldinho and Sebastien Frey.

First the Brazilian tried a cheeky finish at the near post, then a clever flicked header eight yards out before bending two 25-yard free kicks either side of half-time.

But on each occasion though the goalkeeper stood firm, parrying to safety.

After Clarence Seedorf blasted over from the edge of the box on 70 minutes, Ronaldinho finally got the better of Frey - but only from the penalty spot following Per Kroldrup’d two-footed lunge on Marco Borriello.

With three minutes to go Massimo Ambrosini was sent off after a second caution but late longrange efforts from Juan Vargas were too little too late for Fiorentina, who stay ninth ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.

AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI

Parma’s goalkeeper Antonio Mirante grabs the ball in front of AS Roma’s forward Luca Toni (L) during their Italian serie A football match Parma vs AS Roma, at Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma on May 1, 2010.

16

Monday, May 3, 2010

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

Moto2: Home hero Elias wins Jerez thriller Toni Elias overcame his hand and ankle injuries, and a crash, to emerge victorious in his home Spanish Moto2 grand prix at Jerez on Sunday.

The Spaniard was one of numerous riders to fall in the initial race start, when Simone Corsi put a tight pass on Shoya Tomizawa for the lead at the end of the back straight.

Tomizawa, winner of the first ever Moto2 race at Qatar and on pole at Jerez, went down - with fluid from his bouncing bike then causing the following riders to fall like dominoes.

A 17 lap restart with original grid positions followed, which began with Elias leading the field through the first turns.

But this was to be no start-to-finish cakewalk for the former 125, 250 and MotoGP race winner.

Instead, the new 600cc fourstrokes put on a breathtaking display of racing excitement with the likes of Elias, Tomizawa, Kenny Noyes and Thomas Luthi regularly taking turns to lead.

Grand prix rookie Noyes was one of the outstanding stars of the race, the Jack&Jones Promoharris rider rocketing from third to first on the brakes at the end of the back straight to lead for the first time on lap six.

The American held his own to remain up front as the midway point came and went, before Luthi, Tomizawa and Elias worked their way past in the closing stages.

The last lap began with the top six riders all within one second, then saw Gresini/Moriwaki rider Elias take the lead from Tomizawa’s Suter at turn two.

Sport

A sideways moment at the end of the back straight was the nearest Elias came to losing the lead and he crossed the line - to claim his first victory since 2006 in the MotoGP class - by just 0.190sec from Tomizawa, with Interwetten Moriwaki rider Luthi just 0.261sec from Elias.

Tech 3 rider Yuki Takahashi was a constant factor in the lead group on his way to fourth, just half a second from victory, while Corsi worked his way up to fifth ahead of Sergio Gadea and Noyes.

The final members of what was officially a nine-rider lead group at the finish were Julian Simon and Gabor Talmacsi, also within a few seconds of victory.

Gresini Racing’s Spanish Toni Elias celebrates after winning the Moto 2 race of the Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez racetrack on May 2, 2010 in Jerez de la Frontera. Spanish rider Toni Elias of Moriwaki won the Moto2 category in the Spanish motorcycling Grand Prix ahead of Japan’s Shoya Tomizawa (Suter) and Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi (Moriwaki).

AFP PHOTO / CRISTINA QUICLER

AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

Fiat Yamaha Team’s Spanish Jorge Lorenzo takes a curve during the Moto GP qualifying session at Jerez de la Frontera’s circuit on May 1, 2010. Dani Pedrosa took the pole position followed by Fiat Yamaha’s Spanish Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati Australian Casey Stoner for the Spanish Moto Grand Prix scheduled for May 2 at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain. Lorenzo had won the Spanish Grand Prix by passing his compatriot Dani Pedrosa in the very last lap.