Edisi 5 Mei 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 86 2st Year

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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Japan PM: Moving US base off Okinawa ‘impossible’

High number of absent in the election PAGE 8

TOKYO – Japan’s prime minister said Tuesday that it will be impossible to move all parts of a key U.S. Marine base out of Okinawa, breaking with past promises to relocate the facility outside the southern island.

Sylvester Stallone Abandons ‘Rambo’ PAGE 12

AP

AP – People shout a slogan against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa

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Denpasar Mayor Election runs smoothly

It was the first time since Yukio Hatoyama became prime minister in September that he officially acknowledged that at least part of Futenma U.S. Marine Corps airfield would remain in Okinawa, which hosts more than half the 47,000 American troops based in Japan under a security pact.

Hatoyama had frozen a 2006 agreement with the U.S. on moving Futenma to a less crowded part of the island, saying instead he wanted to move it off Okinawa entirely — straining ties with Washington. “Realistically speaking, it is impossible.

We’re facing a situation that is realistically difficult to move everything out

of the prefecture,” he said Tuesday on his first trip to Okinawa as prime minister. Hatoyama asked residents to be open to a government plan that would keep some of Futenma’s functions on the island, while possibly moving other functions outside the island.

“We must ask the people of Okinawa to share the burden,” he said.

Hatoyama’s comments, which come just weeks before his self-declared end-of-May deadline for reaching a decision on the issue, essentially signals that he is shifting back toward the 2006 agreement, forged between Washington and the previous conservative Tokyo government.

Continued on page 6

Denpasar (Bali Post)-

The Denpasar Mayor election was held throughout Denpasar to chose the leader in the next five years. Problems occurred in the Election which is being held on Tuesday, May 4th 2010.

One of them happened in Election Pole no 1 in Banjar Kedaton Kesiman.

The problem started when Agus Mulyono who lives in Padanggalak came to the poles.

He was bringing the card belong to his neighbor and wanted to represent her in giving the vote. Agus asked the committee whether he can vote but the committee didn’t allow it because it is against the rule.

Generally, most of the processes of the election run smoothly in Denpasar.

There were no major problems occur.

In Kerobokan Prison, the elections also run smoothly. The prisoners gave their votes in the electoral pole but the number is quite little. There were only 10 voters in the prison. Actually, there are 18 people should give votes but the rest were already released form .(015) prison.(015)

BP/eka

The candidate for Denpasar Mayor, I.B.Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra, give his vote during the election on Tuesday, May 4th 2010

2

International

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Bali News Some 20 polling stations in Badung are moved Mangupura (Bali Post)— The election day of regional leader, last Tuesday (May 4), coinciding with the National Exam (UN) for primary school level (SD), made the Badung Electoral Commission slightly distraught. Because, there were at least 20 polling stations to be moved because of using the facility of elementary school building. Up to Monday (May 3) noon, the Electoral Commission was still doing an inventory of the relocation for Badung polling stations.

According to Chairman of Badung Electoral Commission, I Wayan Jondra, far before the implementation of campaign, his party had set the polling stations to be used in the voting, in which for that purposes his party mostly used the facility of elementary school building. Surprisingly, the voting schedule coincided with the schedule for primary school exam. Such condition then forced the commission to move some polling stations located in school to village hall or wantilan nearby.

According to Jondra, the removal was carried out since last Saturday. This was done so that the implementation of UN for elementary school level could take place smoothly. “We do not want to disturb the national exam. Hence, the polling stations existing in the primary school building should be removed to another location,” he said. (ded)

Environmental Agency warns a workshop causing pollution Semarapura (Bali Post)— Head of Klungkung Environmental Agency (KLH), Dewa Oka Kusumajaya, reacted immediately to follow up many businesses in Klungkung having potential to enhance the level of pollution.

He performed it together with a number of staff of planning division and chemists. “Yes, we have come down to one of the business premises (workshop) at Gunaksa, Dawan, Klungkung. We’ve warned the owner to pay attention to the materials used in the combustion process producing steam,” said Dewa Oka Kusumajaya following to make site inspection, last Tuesday (May 3).

Mentioned, the workshop raided was owned by Kamad that recognized to have been warned. Initially, the workshop was only serving the tire replacement and tire press. Therefore, the permit submitted was only for such business activity.

However, recently the workshop has developed. Many services were widely utilized by the owner and driver of the trucks. In the long run, the workshop expanded its services up to the outer tire press whose process required the steam. “To produce the steam it needs combustion process that certainly has a potential to discharge smokes polluting the environment,” he said.

It was asserted that the owner sometimes used old tires as fuel for producing steam. As a result, thick black smokes emanated from its chimney containing new elements as plastic namely NOx. “It is very hazardous for health, both for humans and the environment,” said Dewa Oka while adding the owner admitted to initially used the kerosene as fuel but changed into firewood due to rare availability of kerosene. In the future, Dewa Oka said would see the development of the services of workshop. He would ask the owner to immediately take care of the changes in environmental documents. His party did not want if the old tires generated from the operations also polluted the surrounding soil, besides polluting the air. Meanwhile, based on test results conducted by Environmental Agency in cooperation with Hyperkes, it was known that most pollution was caused by dusts. Pollution levels also tended to rise every year, mainly from the content of CO, SO2 and others.. (kmb20)

IBP/edi

Some people are checking the small shop destroyed by a fallen tree. A motor bike was also damage in the incident but there were no victims.

Priests of Besakih Temple pray for peaceful election

Blank voters in Karangasem worried to rise Amlapura (Bali Post)—

Priests of Besakih Temple complex and apparatus of Besakih Customary Village, last Monday (Apr 4) evening said prayers at Penataran Agung Besakih temple, Karangasem. According to Head of Besakih Customary Village, I Wayan Gunatra, the joint prayers were made to invoke in order the regional leader elections in five regencies in Bali could take place peacefully and successfully produce the desired regional leaders.

Gunatra said the prayers were followed by higher priests (pinandita) and local village apparatus. On the other hand, the Chairperson of Karangasem Electoral Commission Ni Putu Lastiawati admitted that her party worried about the increase of blank voters (Golput) namely those who gave invalid votes and registered voters who did not want to be present at polling stations. Such concern, she added, was in view of the data of blank voters in the previous election in Karangasem tending to increase.

She continued, the number of blank voters in 2009 in the legislative election in Karangasem reached 22 percent, while in the presidential election rose to 29 percent. “Indeed, we do worry about the blank voters in this election that may increase again,” she said.

It was said, her party performed frequent socialization to various places, including utilizing the call to vote on every opportunity to meet with the community. However, it also became the interests of candidates and party cadres bearing the package of candidate. Luckily, if all the people entitled to vote and became their constituent could be driven to the polling stations. As consequence, the high participation of voters giving their votes to polling station would be beneficial for the candidates and constituents of political party. “The success of the elections would be depending on the community of voters. More candidates will be useless if only few voters are willing to come to polling stations,” she said.

Lastiawati said there were indeed quite a lot of reasons why people

tended to become blank voters or were unwilling to give vote to polling stations. Their reason might be illness, saturated with the existing condition because there was no effect for them so they preferred to work or their home was far from the polling station. However, the election to choose regional leader would have a closer impact and there would be no reason for registered voters not to come to polling stations to give their voting rights.

Last Tuesday (May 4), she said the total registered voters in the permanent voter lists (DPT) in Karangasem on the current regent election reached 328,780 consisting of 165.485 women and 163,295 men.

They were served at 836 polling stations with the largest number of voters were in Karangasem subdistrict reaching 63,701. (013)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z Chief Editor: ABG Satria Naradha z Managing Editor: Wirata z Editors: Alit Purnata, Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Darmasunu, Daniel Fajry, Diah Dewi, Mawa, Palgunadi, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Sutiawan, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Mas Ruscitadewi, Oka Rusmini, Umbu Landu Paranggi, 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

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

3

Involved in Narcotics, Member of Indonesian Navy Arrested Denpasar (Bali Post) -

Apparently drug business was not only attractive among civilians, but also among security officers and security guards. Police and army officers were often undergoing such illicit business. After police officers who have been languishing in prison cells, now it is the turn of one of the Navy to be arrested. The Navy Member’s initial was ES (33), and he lives in the Navy Residency Dirgantara II No. 60 Tuban, Kuta.

The suspect was confined in front of the Coconut Art Shop, Jalan Majapahit No. 66 Banjar Plasa Kuta, on Saturday (1 / 5). The suspect was proven to carry drug which allegedly classified as the type of shabushabu(SS) / morphine. From the

suspect’s hand, Bali Police Drug Related Unit SS was seized with a gross weight of 0.5 grams or 0.3 grams of net. ‘’Evidence was found in his cigarette pack he carried,’’ said a source at the Bali Police Headquarters yesterday.

Described, the suspect who originated from the Krogoan Village Sawangan District of Magelang, Central Java, had been in the TO (target of operation) since the beginning. The suspect is said to be often taking the drug.

However, existence of the illicit goods

was yet to know whether it is traded or consumed by him. ‘’The suspect is often seen clubbing in a number of entertainment places in Bali,’’ he said.

Tracking the suspects was conducted by dropping a number of SWAT members. It did not take long, before existence of suspects being tracked successfully. The suspect was arrested at the scene and directly searched. The police could have found it difficult to bring the suspects to the police station, because when searched the suspect refused

to open his left hand. ‘’Apparently, the suspect was holding a packet of cigarettes,’’ he explained.

Well, once opened, police found a packet of white powder suspected to be SS. The suspect was directly brought into the Bali Police Headquarters to be examined further. Meanwhile, Bali Police Public Relations Head Kombes Pol. Gde Sugianyar when asked to confirm the arrest related to the Navy Member’s arrest claimed to have not received the report. ‘’Later, I will check it first,’’ he said curtly. (Kmb21)

Health Agency Underestimate Dengue A Man Tries to and Chikungunya in Tigawasa Bamboo Gardens were to blame Singaraja (Bali Post) -

The outbreak of dengue fever (DB) and chikunguya in Tigawasa Village Banjar District seems to still be considered controllable by the Department of Health (Diskes) Buleleng, whereas DB and chikunguya have already infected hundreds of residents and claimed the lives of a resident in the village.

Head of Diskes Buleleng Made Pustaka, Monday (3 / 5) yesterday, said officials and health centers in Buleleng Diskes Banjar District has intervened to address the problem of DB and chikunguya in Tigawasa. And he believes in the next one or two week, these breakouts will be tackled. “Officers already have addressed the issue,” he said.

Apparently, the DB has already been spreading in Tigawas since three months ago. This is based on Pustaka’s statement that he was aware of the issue in Tigawasa since three

months ago. Even one resident has already passed away. Since then, officers have to do fogging, counseling, and distribute abate powder.

According to Reader, the outbreak in Tigawasa chikunguya DB and it may be related to the number of bamboo garden in the village.

When bamboo is cut-language material for handicrafts, traces of these bamboo pieces are still left buried in the garden. Holes cut bamboo nest was suspected to be caused by mosquitoes and mosquito causes chikunguya DB. “So we advise the public to clean up traces of these bamboo pieces,” he said.

Meanwhile, villagers Tigawasa until yesterday was still restless and anxious that DB and chikunguya breakouts possibility that continues to grow and spread and can not be stopped. Based on information obtained in Tigawasa, DB affected residents numbered 26 people. While

residents affected by chikunguya have reached hundreds of people.

Even in one village alone there are about a hundred residents affected by chikunguya.

Made Murtika Tigawasa Perbekel said the government had already made attempts to eradicate DB and chikunguya in his village. But until yesterday, chikunguya affected residents and some other residents are still plagued with anxiety. “The number of patients had been declining, and there has been no more incoming patients in the hospital,” he said.

According to Murtika, the TIgawasa village plans to do the ceremony in relation to DB and chikunguya outbreak so that it can subside and all residents remain safe.

To that end, in the near future, prajuru indigenous villages will meet to discuss the matter. “We will unite leaders of community and village to discuss the issue,” he said. (Kmb15)

Sentenced For 20 Years,The Japanese Tourist Rapist and Murderer Denpasar (Bali Post) –

The law court that trialed the case of the murdered Rikasano (33), a Japanese tourist, has given sentence for 20 years of prison to the accused David Goltar Wicaksono (26) from Malang, East Java, in the trial at Denpasar District Court last Monday (3/5). The sentence given by the law court was much lighter than that was demanded by the Prosecutor, Eddy Arta Wijaya, who pleaded a sentence for life.

The trial lead by Judge Dewa Putu Wenten was watched carefully by the Japanese Consulate for Bali and also by the public. The defendant is snared by the primary indictment from section 339 and subsidiary indictment from section 289 of the Criminal Code, and because the

source to primary indictment was fulfilled so the subsidiary indictment was not needed to be proved again.

The defendant’s action on breaching section 289 of the Criminal Code that stated his obscene actions with harassment was fulfilled. “The defendant’s action was proven by forcing the victim Mayumi to perform oral sex and carries out sexual harassment towards victim Rikasano in unconscious state,” Judge Dewa Putu Wenten stated.

It was said, before his depraved action, the defendant hit the victim Rikasano with a blunt object and slapped Mayumi Sumea. The judge also opens the fact of the trial that the defendant should have been able

to decide his own actions. The judge explained that several witnesses that have been forwarded, all of them suit one another. In addition the defendant’s confession made the law court as the actor behind the death of Rikasano.

Even though the defendant was denying during the trial, according to the judge it’s actually giving more proof to the defendant’s action.

At that time the judge also considers elements that lighten and severe the defendant’s actions. The lighten elements is the defendant was never punished and also had been polite during the whole trial.

And the severe elements are his very dreadful actions which are worried to disturb the public, also the tourists’ visits and Bali’s tourism.(015)

abduct children in Karangasem Head of SDN 1 Jasri report to police

Amlapura (Bali Post) -

Codet, the man who shows signs of scars on his face is being chased by the police, including by way of spreading sketch of his face into the community. But until now Codet, who had been in action in Denpasar, is not successfully confined yet. Two days ago, Codet are thought to be behindthe kidnapping of a fourth grade student at SDN 1 Jasri, Karangasem.

The kidnapping attempt of one of his pupils called Putu Indah (10) has made Head of SDN 1 Jasri I Nengah Sukanatih to report the incident to Mapolsektif Karangasem. Sukanatih, on Monday (3 / 5) yesterday in Jasri said, before the kidnapping was attempted to one of his students, he has appealed to all their students to be careful of people or others who they have never met before, but suddenly pretend either being niceor pretentious. This is because there are already several abductions of children reported in Denpasar. In addition, an appeal from Disdik Denpasar has already been present to supervise the students.

Well two days ago, there were four men driving a car stopped at the Deer front of the school. At that time, the report said Sukanatih mimicked the students, a man got out of the car and offered to drive Putu Indahto her home. Men who has scar below his left eye, long-haired crew cut and in the back of the bottom and there are flower tattoos on his left arm admitted to be told to pick her up by her parents. But Indah was clever enough and even ask who the last name of her father. In such tests, apparently Codet was confused and could give no convincing answer.

Indah did not want a ride home, but the man insisted then offered Indah hereafter with three chocolate bars. When it ran Indah entered the school yard, while her friends called their teacher.

Apparently afraid of his action to be found out, Codet chose to run away. In order to avoid or prevent against abductions of other kids in Karangasem, Kasek Sukanatih then reported the case to the police. Cases of child abduction and attempted abduction, especially involving elementary school children in Denpasar, had been enough to make people anxious and worried in Karangasem, especially those with small children. As a result of this panic, there has also been information in Jasri regarding the issue of kidnapping attempt of two children in Galiran, also in Asak, Karangaem. Information and the issue were circulated from mouth to mouth.

Related to this, Karangasem Police yesterday AKBP Heny Harsono says, officers have investigated reports Heads SDN 1 Jasri. It is said, the scars that could have acted out of Denpasar with targeting to the Karangasem, but then ran back to Denpasar. ‘’We’re still doing the development and investigation of reports society,’’ said Heny. (013)

4

News

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

International

Pakistani-American arrested over NY bomb plot AFP

NEW YORK (AFP) – Police arrested a Pakistan-born suspect trying to flee aboard a plane to Dubai after the failed Times Square bomb plot that officials said Tuesday was designed “to kill Americans”.

US Attorney General Eric Holder identified the suspect as Faisal Shahzad, a US citizen who the FBI said was born in Pakistan.

Holder said the probe was focusing on “overseas” terrorist groups.

News reports said the suspect, aged 30, lived in Connecticut and had recently returned from a five-month trip to Pakistan and the city of Peshawar, a known jumping off point for Al-Qaeda and Taliban recruits.

“Mr. Shahzad, an American citizen, was taken into custody at JFK Airport in New York as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai,” Holder told a hastily called news conference in Washington after midnight. Authorities offered few other details but said the investigation into the attempted attack late Saturday was being pursued on several fronts.

“This investigation is ongoing, it is multi-faceted, and it is aggressive,” Holder said.

“As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas.”

Holder said of the attempted attack that it was “clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans.”

A separate statement from the FBI and other law enforcement

agencies said Shahzad was taken into custody after “he was identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s US Customs and Border Protection while attempting to take a flight to Dubai.”

The main was to appear later Tuesday to face “formal charges,” which were not specified.

News reports said the man was a 30-year-old Pakistani-American living in the state of Connecticut.

ABC News reported that Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen, had recently returned from a five-month trip to Pakistan.

ABC said officials tracked Shahzad over two days using evidence found in the Nissan Pathfinder left at the scene and the unexploded bomb components.

According to authorities, Shahzad bought the vehicle one week before the bombing attempt, paying 1,300 dollars in cash for the vehicle in 100 bills, the network said.

Part of the probe centered on two people captured on film leaving the scene late Saturday, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Monday.

One was caught on security camera walking away from the green Nissan Pathfinder that had been left in the teeming tourist area with a large but misfiring bomb inside.

The man looked about in a “furtive” manner, Kelly said, and removed one layer of upper clothing.

Police were also combing the Nissan sport utility vehicle and its rudimentary bomb consisting of timers, wires, fireworks, gasoline, propane tanks and fertilizer.

AFP/Getty Images

Police officers stand guard in Times Square May 3, 2010 in New York City.

A Thai army soldier stands guard outside the Bangkok Chretian Hospital on Silom road

AFP

Thai protesters mull PM offer of November elections AFP

BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand’s Red Shirt protest movement was on Tuesday to consider Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s proposal to hold elections in mid November as a way of ending the country’s political crisis.

A spokesman for the movement, which has demanded the immediate dissolution of Abhisit’s government, said late Monday it would discuss the prime minister’s proposal before responding.

“We may have offers for the government. We may not agree to everything,” one of the protest leaders, Jatuporn Prompan, told AFP. Speaking on national television, Abhisit said Monday that he was ready to hold elections in November to resolve the tense standoff with anti-government protesters, who have occupied Bangkok’s commercial heart.

He said the proposed timetable, under which an election will be held a year earlier than scheduled, was subject to all parties agreeing to a fivepoint reconciliation process aimed at ending the crippling impasse.

The plan calls for respect for the monarchy, greater social equality, an impartial media, an independent probe into the current political crisis and a debate on the need for constitutional reform.

“I’m convinced that it will not take long to achieve national reconciliation and when we achieve national reconciliation the government is ready to hold elections on November 14,” said Abhisit.

“I think this is the best solution at the current time,” he said.

The mostly poor or working class “Red Shirt” protesters have occupied parts of Bangkok since mid-March, defying a state of emergency in their bid to topple a government they see as elitist and undemocratic.

There have been a series of tense confrontations between the demonstrators and the security forces in Bangkok, where 27 people died and nearly 1,000 were injured in unrest last month.

The Red Shirts have reinforced roadblocks and stepped up security checks on the perimeter of their sprawling protest site, which has been fortified with barricades made from piled up truck tyres, razor wire and bamboo stakes.

Abhisit last month rejected a compromise offer by the Reds to disperse

if elections were held within three months, and the protesters have reverted to their original demand for immediate polls.

In March he had offered to hold elections by the end of the year but protest leaders rejected the proposal.

A failed April 10 attempt by the army to clear demonstrators from part of Bangkok’s historic district sparked fierce street fighting that left 25 people dead and hundreds injured.

Many of the Red Shirts want the return of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives overseas to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Their campaign has caused several hotels and major stores to shutter their doors and prompted foreign governments to warn against travel to the “Land of Smiles,” dealing a heavy blow to the important tourism sector.

The movement faced heavy criticism after about 100 supporters raided a hospital last week, mistakenly believing it sheltered security forces preparing a crackdown.

The think-tank International Crisis Group has urged Thailand to consider mediation from outside to avoid a slide into “an undeclared civil war”.

World’s oldest person, 114, dies in Japan AP

TOKYO – The world’s oldest person, a Japanese woman on the southern island of Okinawa, has died a week before her 115th birthday, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Kama Chinen, who witnessed

three centuries, died Sunday, according to Kaoru Shijima, a spokeswoman at her care facility.

Petite and gray-haired, Chinen spent her final years at a care center in Nanjo on southeastern Okinawa.

She was born on May 10, 1895, according to the Gerontology Research Group , which tracks individuals of

extremely old age.

Her family guarded her privacy closely, and details regarding her death were not released to the press — many Japanese newspapers didn’t even give her name.

Chinen became the world’s oldest known person when Gertrude Baines died in a Los Angeles hos-

pital at age 115 in September.

The oldest human is now 114year-old Eugenie Blanchard, a French woman born on Feb. 16, 1896, according to the research group. The group has validated 75 “supercentenarians” worldwide who are at least 110 years old, according to its website.

Japan has a high percentage of the world’s centenarians, many of whom are from the southern Okinawa region.

There were more than 40,000 Japanese over 100 years old when the government released its annual report in September. Over 86 percent of them were women.

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)

Wednesday, May 5, 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

News

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Volcanic ash closes parts of UK airspace LONDON (Reuters) – Parts of the airspace over Britain and Northern Ireland will close on Tuesday and operations from Irish airports will be restricted because of the cloud of volcanic ash drifting south from Iceland that wreaked havoc on European air travel last month.

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it had imposed nofly zones over parts of Scotland and will close Northern Irish airspace from 0600 GMT on Tuesday due to rising levels of volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

“Because ash concentrations exceed the levels agreed as safe by engine manufacturers, airspace over the Outer Hebrides was closed to all operations from 1800 ...(1700 GMT on Monday) following Met Office (weather service) advice,” the CAA said on its website.

“Following the latest update

from the Met Office, airspace over Northern Ireland will also be closed from 0700 local time...(0600 GMT on Tuesday),” it said.

The restrictions will close Belfast and Derry airports, it said.

Flights over Europe were hit by a six-day shutdown of airspace last month over fears of the effect on jet engines of ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said it would impose restrictions on all flights in and out of Ireland from 0600 GMT until 1200 GMT due to risk of ash ingestion in

aircraft engines.

But overflights of Ireland from the United Kingdom and Europe will not be affected while flights in mainland Europe will operate normally, it said.

The IAA said information from the Volcanic Ash Advice Center suggested the no-fly zone would affect Dublin, Shannon Galway, Sligo, Ireland West, Donegal, Cork and Kerry.

The CAA and IAA said they would review the situation following the latest weather reports on Tuesday morning.

PM’s wife ‘looking forward to lie-in’ after polls

AFP/File –

Embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah

LONDON (AFP) – Embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah is looking forward to a nice glass of wine and a lie-in after elections this week, she said in comments published Tuesday.

Describing her beleaguered husband as “passionate” and “breathtaking”, she defended him over an embarrassing gaffe he made last week when he called a widow a “bigoted woman”.

“He is passionate, his energies are directed in a more positive way than he’s given credit for. He is very good at getting his head around really big things in a way which is breathtaking,” she told women’s magazine Grazia.

Sarah Brown is an ex public relations executive who has often been at her husband’s side during the punishing monthlong campaign for Thursday’s elections, as well as frequently posting on Twitter in support of him.

She said she had her own ways of relaxing after a hard day on the campaign trail.

“I went to a Pilates class last Friday. I’m very pleased with myself. I felt a lot better after going,” she said. Asked about the first thing she will do after the election, she said: “Have a glass of wine and a lie-in!”

Opposition chief David Cameron’s Conservatives are leading polls for the legislative ballots, with Brown’s Labour Party in third place after being overtaken by the Liberal Democrats, according to a series of recent polls.

The premier is a famously hard worker but his wife insisted he gets enough sleep and takes care of himself.

“Gordon is a good sleeper, and he runs. If he can’t get out to run, he’ll use a running machine — we have a little gym in the flat,” she said, adding that he hadn’t changed since she met him 15 or 16 years ago.

“I see him being a dad, or with mates or with me. He’s the same person with the same passions but he is much softer and more personable,” she told the magazine.

Brown’s hopes of re-election suffered a blow last week when he was caught unawares calling the widowed voter “bigoted”. He apologised, saying he had misunderstood some comments she made about immigration — and his wife insisted he was sorry for offending her, rather than for the political damage it did him.

“When something like that happens, where he realises he’s made a mistake, he takes that very personally. He was very anxious to make it right. “He’s supposed to be the big tough guy, but that kind of thing goes to the core of him. He was very anxious about how he’d made that woman feel,” she said.

Reuters – Volcanic steam rises from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano April 21, 2010.

Magnitude 6.4 quake shakes Chile, no damages SANTIAGO, Chile – The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.4 earthquake has struck off Chile’s central coast. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The USGS says the quake’s epicenter was 151 kilometers (94 miles) south-southwest of Concepcion, Chile, at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles).

Radio stations in the Bio-Bio region reported no major damages or

Japan PM From page 1 Yet he faces strong local opposition to keeping Futenma on the island. Late last month, about 90,000 people gathered in the town of Yomitan to protest the proposed move. Earlier this year, an antibase candidate was elected mayor of the northern town of Nago, the proposed site for the airfield’s move.

Hatoyama was expected to present to

injuries from Monday’s tremor.

The area has been shaken by hundreds of smaller quakes since a huge magnitude-8.8 quake hit on Feb. 27, triggering a tsunami and killing 486 people. On Sunday, a 5.9-magnitude quake struck the area, one of more than a dozen perceptible temblors since Saturday. Tens of thousands of Chileans are still living in tents or temporary huts.

Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima and other local officials a government plan that roughly follows the 2006 deal to move Futenma to a location near Camp Schwab on the island’s northeastern coast.

The government is also considering moving some of Futenma’s functions to Tokunoshima island, north of Okinawa, but residents held a massive protest this month and local officials rejected Tokyo’s request for talks.

Indonesia Today

International

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

7

President opens law enforcement coordinating meeting Antara

JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened a law enforcement coordinating and consultative meeting with officials of the Supreme Court, Justice and Human Rights Ministry, Attorney General, and the National Police participating.

The coordinating and consultative meeting attended by 300 participants was held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, at 10.15 am local time.

Attending the occasion were Supreme Court President Harifin A Tumpa, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Attorney General Hendarman Supanji, and Minister of

FOTO ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf

Justice and Human Rights Patrialis Akbar, as well as Cabinet Ministers.

The occasion will also see the signing of a charter on the establishment of a coordinating and consultative forum of law enforcement institutions by the Supreme Court Chief, the minister of Justice and Human Rights, the Attorney General, and the Chief of Police.

After opening the meeting, President Yudhoyono later at 2 pm is slated to preside over a limited cabinet meeting at the Ministry of Defense, as a follow up to an earlier meeting at the Presidential Office to formulate policies on the revitalization of the domestic defense industry.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) talking with (from left) Head of Supreme Court Harifin Tumpa, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Patrialis Akbar, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji and Chief of National Police General (Pol) Bambang Hendarso Danuri after opening the coordinating meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

Indonesian defamation law silencing critics: watchdog Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Indonesian officials and other powerful people are increasingly using the country’s draconian criminal libel laws to silence critics and stymie democratic debate, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday.

The US-based watchdog urged the government to repeal the criminal libel and defamation laws to protect free speech, as it released research showing how such legislation was being used to intimidate critics and whistle-blowers.

“Criminal defamation is a potent

weapon for those who want to silence critics in Indonesia,” HRW deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said in a statement accompanying the report.

“The government ought to be encouraging whistle-blowers and people who express their concerns peacefully to speak out freely, in-

stead of punishing them.”

The 91-page “Turning Critics Into Criminals” report said that in most criminal defamation cases, the law had been used to retaliate against people who had accused officials or “powerful interests” of graft or misconduct.

It cited the example of mother-oftwo Prita Mulyasari, 32, who was jailed for three weeks and spent a year in litigation for writing emails to her friends complaining about poor treatment at a local hospital.

President Susilo Bambang

House to recommend stopping tax office personnel’s remunerations Antara

SURABAYA - The House of Representatives (DPR) Working Committee on Tax Affairs has decided to recommend the discontinuation of the remunerations so far being enjoyed by tax office personnel, a spokesman said.

“We have come to the conclusion that the payment of remunerations to tax office personnel must be stopped. This decision is final although we are still working on the matter,” Abasanul Kosasih, deputy chairman of the House Commission XI on financial affairs, said here on Tuesday.

He said tax office personnel did not deserve the remunerations because many of them prove to be involved in tax mafia cases.

“The remunerations were intended as a reward for the tax office personnel’s profession-

alism. But it has now turned out tax mafia and corruption cases still continue to take place,” Kosasih said on the sidelines of a hearing between Commission XI and members of the Directorate General of Taxation’s East Java office.

Kosasih said it was useless for the government to provide remunerations for tax officials because they proved to have such a bad mentality and to have behaved in such deplorable ways that corruption and tax crimes had continued to occur.

Commission XI had formed a working committee on tax affairs to deal with tax mafia cases at the directorate general of taxation.

“The working committee has the right to make recommendations to the finance minister, including recommendations on sanctions and reprimands. The working committee is the highest forum of Commission XJ,” Kosasih said.

Yudhoyono signed a new law in 2008 setting out tougher penalties for online defamation.

“Criminal defamation laws undermine democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression in Indonesia. The government should not send those brave enough to speak their minds to prison,” Pearson said.

Indonesia Corruption Watch deputy coordinator Illian Deta Arta Sari said the defamation law was hindering the fight against corruption in Indonesia.

“One of the reasons people don’t want to speak out is because there’s no legal protection for those who report corrupt practices,” she told a press conference.

“This law has silenced activists and ordinary people. As long as this law exists, our country won’t be free from corruption. It has fertilised corruption in this country.” The HRW report recommended Yudhoyono eliminate the criminal defamation provisions from the proposed new Penal Code and order government officials.

Prehistorically relics found in Jayapura Antara

JAYAPURA - Local residents of Jayapura district, Papua, have found some prehistoric relics at two different locations.

The leader of an Archeological Institute research team, Hari Suroto, said here on Monday locals who were digging in the ground at Kalkote hamlet in East Sentani district on Tuesday (April 27) came across pottery pieces now believed to date back to 1500 BC (before Christ) or the Neolithic era.

The archaeological team had also established that the same type of pottery was found in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, in 1996. In fact, ‘Lapita’ pottery was previously discovered in many places in the Pacific region and the Bismark islands, he said.

At Kwadare village in Waibu district, locals had also found a bronze axe which the archeological team believed

was made in 300 BC and originally came from Dong Son, North Vietnam.

Hari said the skill of bronze axe making was brought to the northern coastal regions of Papua by people of the Austronesian race.

But the bronze axe found at Kwadare village was not handed over to the Archeological Institute but kept by the Kwadeware community’s chieftain.

Besides the two relics, the archeological team had also discovered a Mesolithic cave containing tools for skinning and cutting hunted animals.

The tools were discovered in Ayapo village, East Sentani district and Baborongko, Ebungfau district, Papua, and estimated to date back to around 10,000 BC and to have belonged to people of the Austromelanesian race.

Similar tools were also found in Fak Fak, West Papua province in 1930 by researchers from the Netherlands, Hari said.

8

Internationa

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Bali Today High number of absent in the election Denpasar – Some of the people in Denpasar chose not to give their vote during the mayor election on Tuesday, May 4th 2010. They didn’t come to the election poles where they supposed to give their votes.

The absent can be seen from the data of electors and the number of votes received in every electoral poles. In electoral poles no 10 in Cemara Agung, Cemara village in Monang Maning, from 377 electors registered, 120 electors didn’t come to the place and didn’t give their votes.

Some of the people who didn’t give their votes have various reasons. They said that they don’t have candidates that they support on this year’s election. The others explained that they don’t believe any of the candidates will give better life for them.

In addition to don’t have any effect on the life of the people, the people also afraid that the mayor that they elected will become

a corruptor.

Nyoman Nesa, an elector from eastern Denpasar, said that he already didn’t vote since 2008. “Why I should give my vote to the people who tend to become corruptor in the future,” he added.

AAG Wisnumurthi, a political observer, said that there is no need to worry on the people who didn’t give their votes. “It is their right to not to give votes during the election. However, the number is increasing this year,” he added.

He predicted that even tough the number is high but it is not higher that the absent during the Presidential election last year.

FOTO ANTARA/Nyoman Budhiana

A staff of election’s observer (PPS) helping voter entering their vote to the box during the Head of Region Election on Sumerta Kelod Sub District at Denpasar, Bali.

There are many voters from Denpasar choose not to use their vote.

Green School already operated for a year amid illegal Bali Post

MANGUPURA — International Green School located at Sibang Kaja Village, Abiansemal which has been operating since 2009 is not licensed or illegal. The international school owned by foreigner has not had building permit (IMB), including principle permit from the Regent of Badung. The problem arising does not only involve in the licensing of the school, but a hydro power plant or vortex belonging to the Green School that once protested is not completed with the permit. Allegedly, the power plant resulted in the landslide of a temple near the location.

This was revealed when a team of Badung Regency Government did a raid to the Green School, last Monday (May 3). The team led by I Wayan Suambara, Assistant II, Head of the Badung Environmental Agency I Gede Putra Suteja, the Division Head of Development, Department of Badung Highways and Irrigation Services, Badung Housing, Planning and Urban Development, Department of Tourism and Sat Pol PP of Badung. The raid carried out following a public report about the existence of vortex using the Ayung River, as well as the license application submitted by the Green School. The team of Badung Regency Government was received by Legal and Human Resources Manager of the Green School, Putu Eka Pertiwisari and the owner John Hardy.

According to Suambara, the Green School just had an operational permit from the central government. Meanwhile, it did not have any permits issued by the Badung Regency Government at all. “Although it has an operational permit from the central government, Green School is obliged to have principle permit from Badung Regent and

then continued with the permit to build (IMB). Any entrepreneur must comply with the applicable procedures in Badung,” he added.

Furthermore, he said the team also found that the school buildings did not reflect the Balinese architecture as set forth in the Regional Regulation No. 5/2005.

Most of the building structures were made of bamboo and reeds. Meanwhile, the Green School had 131 students that mostly were expatriates, while Indonesian students were only 20 percent. Related to the vortex, Putra Suteja stated the Green School had not yet completed the recommendations of the environmental monitoring and management efforts (UKL-UPL) from Badung Environmental Agency. The vortex just had

principle permit from the Governor No. 614/ 5450/Bappeda dated December 2, 2009 concerning with the Principal Approval for the development of Vortex Micro Hydro in the Ayung River Ayung.

Responding to this condition, Eka Pertiwisari said the Green School was still in the process of licensing in Badung. As for the existence of vortex alleged to cause landslide at the temple, she claimed to have certification from the University of Gajah Mada related to the building strength.

For a while, Badung Regency Government had not decided the fate of the Green School. According to Suambara, his party planned to conduct further study about the violations committed by the Green School. “We would examine everything first,” he said. (ded)

Children playing in the room at Green School located at Sibang Kaja, Badung Regency of Bali Island. International Green School located at Sibang Kaja Village, Abiansemal which has been operating since 2009 is not licensed or illegal. The international school owned by foreigner has not had building permit (IMB), including principle permit from the Regent of Badung. http://www.halfyearspin.com

Bali ranks 15th for HDI Antara DENPASAR - Bali now ranks 15th among Indonesia’s 33 provinces in terms of Human Development Index (HDI), which among others measures education, healthcare, purchasing power and environmental conservation.

“The Bali provincial administration is making various breakthroughs to improve its HDI in pursuit of being one of top ten provinces with the highest HDI,” Bali provincial administration spokesman I Putu Suardhika said.

He said the sectors which determine HDI currently topped the list of the province’s development priorities among the seven key programs Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika and Deputy Governor AAN Puspayoga had launched.

In the education sector, the province had allocated Rp125 billion to implement a 12-year compulsory education program. The fund was taken from the 2010 regional budget, he said.

To ensure the success of the program, the budget allocations for the education program included scholarships for students of unable parents, he said.

Putu Suardhika said the provincial government also had allocated Rp127 billion in funds for the development of the health sector. The funds would be used among others to finance a free health service program for the entire community under the so-called Bali Mandara Health Guarantee (JKBM) program.

The JKBM program involved 130 public health service posts, eight regional hospitals, Indera hospital, Bangli insane asylum and Sanglah hospital, he said.

al

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Galungan

Festive Days in Bali Tourists vacationing in Bali during the ten days starting from Wednesday, 12 May until Saturday, 22 May, 2010 will be able to witness first hand how the Balinese elaborately decorate their towns and villages in their own individual way.

According to the traditional Balinese calendar, the first day of this period of festivities is the Galungan holiday on Kliwon Dungulan (12/5), and the last day is Kuningan, which is celebrated on 22 May. During the ten-day festival period, many temples, streets, cities and rural sites will appear colorful and alive with offerings. Penjor poles made of bamboo will line the streets and is one kind of decoration which increases the beauty of this Island of a Thousand Temples, highlighting the cultural activities and charming natural environment. On the whole, the religious activities and cultural traditions coupled with the natural charm of Bali have strongly contributed to tourism development since the1920s.

The Galungan event takes place to praise the triumph of virtue (Dharma) over evil (Adharma). A week before Galungan, people celebrate Sugian Tenten (5/5), and on the following days Sugian Jawa (6/5) and Sugian Bali (7/5) celebrations. These three celebrations respectively symbolize the process of purifying the mind (Sugian Tenten), body (Sugian Jawa) and soul (Sugian Bali). The

following Saturday and Sunday, are called Embang Sugi, and it is the time when people concentrate on the self.

Monday, Pon Dungulan, in the following week, is called Penyajaan Galungan, when people ask for power from God. The next day, Tuesday Wage Dungulan, is called Penampahan Galungan, symbolizing the time when Dharma or truth fights against Adharma or evil. Penampahan means, “slaughtering� the evil or bad spirit. This moment is visualized on Galungan day as the symbol of the Dharma victory against Adharma.

Splendid Decoration On Galungan day, houses in Bali are splendidly decorated with penjor bamboo poles, with offerings hanging from it with woven coconut leaves, fruits, cakes, and flowers. On this day everybody dresses as best as possible in line with Balinese Hindu culture. According to the Balinese pawukon cycle as stipulated by the traditional Balinese calendar, a Galungan celebration could sometimes fall twice within one year. Its occurrence is repeated after 210 days have elapsed.

The days after Galungan are a time for visiting friends and relatives, and this can often cause traffic jams!

In many villages across Bali, Thursday after Galungan, known as Manis Galungan, is a special day for young Balinese and many choose to get married on this day.

End of Festivity Kuningan day marks the end of the Galungan celebration. On Kuningan there are still more offerings dedicated to ancestor spirits returning to heaven. On this day, housewives usually make nasi kuning or yellowcolored cooked rice, enriched with spices and coconut milk. It tastes delicious especially when served with lawar made of sliced pork. Before celebrating Galungan, the Balinese dress attractively. Most people visit temples for prayers, or tourist objects with an aim to enjoy the natural charm of beaches or swimming in natural spring water or even climbing hills or mountains in search of a cooler climate.

Demon-king Myth Behind the Galungan festivities, a myth has been told from generation to generation that a legendary demon-king Mayadenawa strictly prohibited his subjects to worship their ancestors and deities. During a popular uprising supported by Bhatara Indra and divine allies, Mayadenawa was defeated after a long battle. The people were then free to worship their gods according to their belief, while the Supreme God, Sanghyang Widhi together with other deities and ancestral spirits, come back from Heaven to feast on their temple on Earth. The tenth day, Kuningan Day, is the last day of the gods’ temporary stay on Earth. (BTN/*)

9

Balinese Culture Desserts The primary desserts in Bali as well as in the rest of Indonsia is fruit, which is available in more varieties than you can think of.

There are literally tens or even hundreds of different kinds of bananas alone, from a small, pinky-sized, gold-colored bananas to a foot or foot-and-a-half, dark green ones.

One favorite dessert is pisang goreng or fried banana fritter. Traditionally, my mother would make pisang goreng for afternoon snack. And you can find numerous street vendors who would make these and other snacks out in the open air (with all the dusts from bemo spicing the food).

Another traditional dessert is tape (ketan or ubi) or fermented sticky rice or cassava. This dessert is made by first steaming the sticky rice or boiling the cassava, pouring ragi or yeast powder to help the process of fermentation, and storing it for several days to allow the fermentation process to take place. The result is a sweet (if you do it right), delicious, and aromatic tape ketan or tape ubi. (Incidentally, the side product of a tape making process is the wine that comes out of the rice that becomes a light alcohol beverage called brem). (http://asiarecipe.com)

Drinks There are various kinds of beverages that are unique to Bali or to Indonesia.

- Cendol: Jello-like consistency, green pieces of tapioka, mixed with water and santan or coconut milk, and sweetened by a liquified gula jawa or brown sugar.

- Es campur (Mixed drink): somewhat similar to cendol, but it contains a variety of things. In addition to different kinds of tapioka products, sometimes people different kinds of fruits like avocado, nangka or jackfruit, etc.

- Air kelapa muda (Young coconut juice): Fruit juice: you can find various kinds of fruit juice drinks, from papaya to markisah (passion fruit) to sirsak (Dutch durian).

For alcoholic beverages, there are two primary drinks: - Brem (Rice wine): As described above, brem is a by-product of tape.

The wine comes out of the rice because of fermentation.

- Arak: arak is a kind of hard liquor. It is fermented from the sap of a special kind of palm tree.

Additionally, there are variants of non-alcoholic beverages above that have met Balinese creativity and outside influence, resulting in various kinds of interesting drinks. Air kelapa muda (young coconut juice) with various kinds of liquors like rum or tequila can be found in many restaurants, presented attractively in the coconut fruit itself. And what can be more interesting than a Pina-Colada like drink served inside a freshly cut out pineapple? (http://asiarecipe.com)

10

Destinations

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

International

Painting Museum PANTING Museum is located about 200 meters from Puri Saren / Ubud Palace and it is dissociated by dell, climb a piece of wide plain with beautiful view.

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

This museum is opened in the year 1956 by minister of Education and Culture, Mr. Moh. Yamin. This museum is consisted of three special buildings in Ushape. In the middle of this museum is the courtyard and fishpond with the beautiful lotus flower. The building no 1 is a place for a permanent exhibition of puppets dressy or puppets style painting. This building is collecting the painting from I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and the clarification about the existence of Pita Maha Organization. The Building no. 2 is also a place for permanent exhibition or still from masterpiece result of all artist of Balinese modern dressy style. The Building no.3 is for a temporary exhibition.

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

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11

BUSINESS

Signs for US economy good, but oil slick fallout looms Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - Figures out Monday showed Americans are spending more and US manufacturing is growing at the fastest rate in six years, but the potential impact of an offshore oil spill loomed over the positive signs.

The key economic indicators released Monday morning cast the US economic recovery in a positive light, showing Americans continued to spend and manufacturing was still growing despite a sluggish jobs market.

The news pushed stocks higher, but uncertainty remained about the potential economic impact of a giant oil spill that was still growing off the coast of Louisiana on Monday.

Figures from the US Commerce Department showed consumer spending, a key driver of the US economy, rose for the sixth consecutive month to 0.6 percent, in line with expectations.

The seasonally adjusted numbers also rose, as Americans dipped into their savings, pushing the March personal savings rate down to the lowest figure since September 2008.

For the second straight month, growth in spending outpaced incomes.

Adjusted for inflation, disposable income was up only slightly, rising to 0.2 for March from a flat figure in February.

Jeffrey Rosen, an economist writing for Briefing.com, said the figures appeared to dispel fears that Americans facing debt and a difficult jobs market would stop buying and start saving.

“Even six months ago, the idea of a consumer-led recovery seemed impossible.

Yet, we have seen positive consumption growth every month since August 2009,” he wrote.

“As long as asset prices continue to grow in value, consumption growth should remain strong.”

Manufacturing figures released by the Institute for Supply Management prompted similar confidence from analysts.

The purchasing managers index rose

to 60.4 percent in April, the highest figure since June 2004, and in line with expectations.

“This is a very solid report that seems to indicate the economy is moving out of the recovery stage into the expansion stage,” said Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors.

Norbert Ore, head of ISM’s manufacturing survey panel said manufacturers “continue to see extraordinary strength in new orders.”

“The signs for employment in the sector continue to improve as the Employment Index registered its fifth consecutive month of growth,” he added.

The positive sign, which Naroff said also augured well for a jobs report being released Friday, came amid the backdrop of concern and uncertainty about the impact of a Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

A market commentary from Cumberland Advisors warned that the cost of the Deepwater Horizon disaster could ultimately run into hundreds of billions of dollars and leave an economic impact that would be felt for a generation.

The sunken oil rig has been spilling an estimated 210,00 gallons of oil a day in the sea, threatening fragile wetland habitats and the livelihoods of thousands.

Cumberland chief investment officer David Kotok warned that regardless of when the well is plugged, the disaster would lead to an increase in federal deficit spending measured in “tens, and maybe hundreds, of billions as emergency appropriations are directed at larger and larger efforts to clean up this mess.”

“A ‘double-dip’ recession probably has been made more likely by this tragedy,” he concluded.

AP Photo/Chris Carlson, file

In this May 1, 2009 file photo, an operator walks by the main oil line on offshore oil drilling platform ‘Gail’ operated by Venoco, Inc. off the coast of California near Santa Barbara, Calif. Figures out Monday showed Americans are spending more and US manufacturing is growing at the fastest rate in six years, but the potential impact of an offshore oil spill loomed over the positive signs.

Euro ratings agency idea gains ground Agence France-Presse

BRUSSELS - Prospects for a European credit rating agency gained ground on Monday among political leaders reeling from a costly, months-long battering from markets over Greece.

But calls by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde only underlined the power of US adjudicators in a hugely influential finance sector over which Europe has no control.

Rating agencies have come under fire for cutting Greece’s sovereign debt to junk status and downgrading the credit-worthiness

of Portugal and Spain, in turn unsettling investors and sending borrowing costs for those countries soaring on financial markets.

Merkel said a European rating agency “could be useful” in wake of the Greek debt crisis, along with “possible changes” to the European Union’s stability and growth pact for euro currency partners.

“We will press for the creation of a rating agency in Europe so that European financial markets become more stable and reactive,” Merkel said.

However, Lagarde also said that there should be closer supervision of the existing credit ratings agencies to ensure their full in-

dependence.

Interviewed in France’s Le Monde on Monday, Carol Sirou, the head of Standard & Poor’s France, admitted that “a doubt persists as to the identity of the future regulator or regulators” in Europe. S&P’s recently downgraded Greek debt to junk bond statues, while Moody’s and Fitch Ratings, the other two major global players, have also downgraded Greek debt, with Portugal and Spain likewisw coming under what the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates described as a coordinated, triple-pronged “attack.”

Socrates said the attack was “without foundation” and was “targeting the euro as a whole and the sovereign debt of several countries. “Eu-

rope should take measures and go from words to actions,” he stressed. The problem for European political leaders wrestling with a domino effect on markets, as Sirou conceded, is that the existing financial market regulators “do not perform this role.”

New supervision is planned for late-2010, under a new European Securities and Markets Authority, but debate remains intense at EU level pitting national capitals against the European parliament in Brussels. Under an overhaul of financial regulation being debated by the US Congress, meanwhile, ratings agencies could be sued by investors if their advice falls wide of the mark, and may have to publish their relationships with banks, amid fears of conflicts of interest.

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International

Def Leppard Slam Split Rumors ROCKERS Def Leppard have laughed off speculation of a split, insisting they couldn’t “imagine doing anything else” if they ditched the band. The Hysteria hit-makers prompted rumors of a break-up in October after they cancelled 23 dates on their North American tour, citing “unforeseen personal matters,” and failed to reschedule the gigs.

However, singer Joe Elliott insists the trek was only cancelled so he could tend to his wife Kristine, who was expecting their first child.

He tells TheStar.co.uk, “There wasn’t any mystery to it really. My wife was pregnant and needed a bit of attention from me, which she wasn’t getting.

There was a lot of things (sic) in our private lives that needed attending to. We’re not splitting. Not at all. We often joke, what else would we do? You just can’t imagine doing anything else.” The 50 year old became a dad earlier this year.

Kiefer Sutherland and costars say goodbye to ‘24’ EIGHT seasons in, “24” was 86’d.

But cast and crew were still counting their blessings at the drama series’ finale party. By the time the last episode airs on May 24, there will have been nearly 200 hours of “24.” To date, there have been 18 Emmy wins.

“I think over the course of the eight years, we’ve had 16 marriages and 30something children have been born,” said star Kiefer Sutherland, who portrays federal agent Jack Bauer on the series. “We were like a family. So, it’s very hard to say goodbye.”

Dozens of the show’s cast and crew members joined Sutherland to celebrate in Hollywood Friday night.

Among them was longtime show regular Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays Bauer’s go-to colleague, Chloe O’Brian. She recalled her final day on the set. “When they said, ‘Cut!’, I don’t know what I was thinking,” Rajskub said. “And then they said, ‘This is Mary Lynn’s series wrap.’And I just looked around. The crew was surrounding me. And I just kind of burst into tears.”

Sad as the end may be, Sutherland said the time is right. “It was a lot of different things. It’s a very, very difficult show to write. And (executive producer) Howard Gordon . . . normally

halfway through the season will say, ‘I’ve got a great idea for next year.’

And he just wasn’t feeling it. And all his energy was focused on this season eight. He said, ‘This is where I feel it should end, and we should be making the films.’ And once he says that, you’ve got to go with him.”

The “24” feature film, still in development, will stray from the show’s format in at least one key way: It won’t take 24 hours to tell its story of a day in the life of Jack Bauer. “The film is a great opportunity for the writers, because it’s the first time they won’t be working in real time,” Sutherland explained. “It will be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day, so, all of a sudden, it’s very feasible in 24 hours to get from England to Eastern Europe, so it opens up our horizons a great deal.” As for the finale? Rajskub dropped a few clues. “Right now, we see Chloe having to come up with Jack and go after him, and go against his wishes, which she’s never really done,” Rajskub said. “She’s being put in this position of power and having to grapple with these decisions that she’s never had to do before, so she decides to take it on herself and go find him and confront him, and it’s pretty explosive.”

Kiefer Sutherland, star of the television series ’24,’ poses at the ‘24’ Series Finale Party in Los Angeles, Friday, April 30, 2010.…

Read more » AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Sylvester Stallone Abandons ‘Rambo’ Sylvester Stallone has abandoned plans to bring his iconic Rambo character back for a fifth time - work on another movie in the action series has been scrapped. The actor resurrected Rambo in 2008 to battle the Burmese army in the fourth installment, 26 years after the action hero made his big screen debut in 1982’s First Blood.

Stallone previously announced plans for Rambo V and began scouting locations for the fifth film, but the star has now revealed the followup has stalled and he’s “99 per cent

sure” the character won’t return.

He tells EmpireOnline.com, “I think Rambo’s pretty well done. I don’t think there’ll be any more. I’m about 99 per cent sure. I was going to do it... But for

Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary.

I don’t want that to happen.”

“I’m very happy with the last Burmese episode, because I didn’t pull any punches on it. I wanted it to be what civil war really is - rough.

You can’t candy coat it, and where do you go from there? So that’s (Rambo V) going to go.”

Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67 LYNN Redgrave, an introspective and independent player in her family’s acting dynasty who became a 1960s sensation as the unconventional title character of “Georgy Girl” and later dramatized her troubled past in such one-woman stage performances as “Shakespeare for My Father” and “Nightingale,” has died. She was 67.

Her publicist Rick Miramontez, speaking on behalf of her children, said Redgrave died peacefully Sunday night at her home in Kent, Conn. Children Ben, Pema and Annabel were with her, as were close friends.

“Our beloved mother Lynn Rachel passed away peacefully after a seven year journey with breast cancer,” Redgrave’s children said in a statement Monday. “She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before. The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time.” Redgrave was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2002, had a mastectomy in January 2003 and underwent chemotherapy. Her death

comes a year after her niece Natasha Richardson died from head injuries sustained in a skiing accident and just a month after the death of her older brother, Corin Redgrave.

The youngest child of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, Lynn Redgrave never quite managed the acclaim — or notoriety — of elder sib-

AP Photo/Dave Pickoff

Lynn Redgrave

ling Vanessa Redgrave, but received Oscar nominations for “Georgy Girl” and “Gods and Monsters,” and Tony nominations for “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” “Shakespeare for My Father” and “The Constant Wife.” In recent years, she also made appearances on TV in “Ugly Betty,” “Law & Order” and “Desperate Housewives.”

“Vanessa was the one expected to be the great actress,” Lynn Redgrave told The Associated Press in 1999. “It was always, ‘Corin’s the brain, Vanessa the shining star, oh, and then there’s Lynn.’” In theater, the rubyhaired Redgrave often displayed a sunny, sweet and open personality, much like her ebullient offstage personality. It worked well in such shows as “Black Comedy” — her Broadway debut in 1972 — and again two years later in “My Fat Friend,” a comedy about an overweight young woman who sheds pounds to find romance.

Redgrave’s play “Nightingale” at off-Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club in 2009 was the last time she appeared on stage in New York.

Lights on Broadway marquees will be dimmed Tuesday.

Life Style

International

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

13

Many endangered turtles dying on Texas Gulf Coast Associated Press Writer

AFP/Olivier Morin

Hevisaurus, a Finnish heavy metal band for children performs on stage in Hameenlinna on April 17, 2010.

The group, which rocks on about homework and monsters, played its first gig, a charity event, only last September but its fan base of mainly five-to-seven-year-olds has grown rapidly

Heavy metal dinosaurs rock the kiddie crowd in Finland Agence France - Presse

HAEMEENLINNA, Finland – The usual heavy metal fan may not be a five-year-old girl in pigtails, but she is typical of hardcore following of Hevisaurus, a metal band that has hooked the kiddie crowd in Finland. The group, which rocks on about homework and monsters, played its first gig, a charity event, only last September but its fan base of mainly five-to-seven-year-olds has grown rapidly.

The band was born when a flash of lightning and witches’ spells revealed, cracked and brought to life five metal dinosaur eggs buried deep in a mountain 65 million years ago — around the time most other dinosaurs became extinct. Or so goes the “official” creation story of the longhaired reptiles in spiked bracelets and black leather billed as the world’s only Jurassic metal band. In reality, the idea hatched in the mind of drummer Mirka Rantanen, 38, a veteran “headbanger” who has played with numerous bands including the Finnish power metal group Thunderstone.

“For years and years you seriously try, and then you toss up this one crazy idea, and everyone gets excited,” said a bemused Rantanen in an interview.

It all started a few years ago when Rantanen attended a children’s concert with his own kids, now five and 11. “What if I started making music for kids?” he thought. “What if it was heavy metal, since that’s what I’ve been doing for 25 years?” Rantanen began writing lyrics and, with some friends from the metalhead circuit, began composing and recording. He also started envisioning the characters in the band.

“I’m a kind of 1980s relic. You

could call me a dinosaur,” said Rantanen, now better known as an Apatosaurus called Komppi Momppi.

“Long-haired dinosaurs playing heavy metal — it started to sound like a really good idea.” Sony Music agreed, and so have the Finnish children and parents who flock to soldout concert halls and kept Hevisaurus’ first album “Jurahevin kuninkaat”, or Kings of Jurassic Metal, on Finland’s album chart for 10 weeks. “It’s the best because it’s heavy,” said fiveyear-old Rico, who attended a packed concert in the southern city of Haemeenlinna wearing a Hevisaurus sweater and hat, and waving a Hevisaurus flag made by his dad. His six-year-old cousin Iina listens to Hevisaurus daily. Her favorite is the group’s vocalist Mr. Hevisaurus, a meat-chomping descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex, who “sings so well”.

The youngest fan at Haemeenlinna was a two-month-old baby who wore protective earmuffs and slept through the show which, like all of Hevisaurus’ gigs, was played live at child-friendly decibel levels. Part of Hevisaurus’ appeal is the popularity of metal music in Finland. The niche genre has gone mainstream here — even played in churches — notably since the Nordic country collected its

only Eurovision Song Contest win in 2006 with Lordi’s monster heavy metal song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”.

“Lordi brought heavy metal to living rooms. We brought it to children’s rooms,” said Rantanen, asking “is it this bleakness that we live in, this darkness” that attracts Finns to heavy metal?

Hevisaurus’ lyrics, however, are anything but bleak. They focus on adventure and fun. When homework and school get tiring, it is time to find excitement by calling up the moon, flying on a dragon’s back or laughing with the “Rupu-Rupu” monster, who “smells like an unwashed potty”. No short-cuts were taken in creating the band. The five elaborate costumes, for example, were made of reindeer skin dyed green and treated to look scaly in a process that took four months and cost 18,000 euros (24,000 dollars). Hevisaurus’ second album is due out in September or October, and before that the group is to star in a heavy metal musical at the Linnanmaeki amusement park in Helsinki. The concept has sparked interest abroad and a group in Hungary is set to create a Hungarian-language album of the hard rocking dinos, in a licensing deal with Hevisaurus.

HIGH ISLAND, Texas – Flies buzz everywhere and the stench is overwhelming as biologist Lyndsey Howell stops to analyze the remains of yet another endangered sea turtle washed up from the Gulf of Mexico. “It’s been on the beach for a while,” Howell says, flipping over the decomposing, dried-out shell. More than 30 dead turtles have been found stranded on Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula south of Houston this month — an unusually high number that has puzzled researchers, in part because most are so decomposed that there are few clues left about why they died.

The number of strandings on these shores is double what scientists and volunteers normally see as the turtles begin nesting in April, says Howell, who patrols the beaches as part of her job with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Of the 35 turtles found, all but three were dead.

Thirty-three were Kemp’s ridleys, an endangered species researchers have spent decades trying to rehabilitate. Many of the turtles appear to have propeller wounds from boats or have become entangled in fishing nets or lines, Howell says.

Others have parasites or are emaciated. The increase in deaths comes as the turtles swim closer to shore to nest and shrimping season gets into full swing along the upper Texas coast, said Roger Zimmerman, lab director of the NOAA marine fishery laboratory in Galveston.

“Historically, they increase about this time of year. ... This is a few more than we would normally expect,” Zimmerman said. “We are concerned and we’ll keep an eye on it.” Researchers are also watching the massive oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. If the oil were to begin moving in the direction of the Texas Gulf — which isn’t pre-

dicted at the moment — many Kemp’s ridleys swimming in to nest would be right in its path. In 1979, after an oil spill off the coast of Mexico, Kemp’s ridleys were airlifted to cleaner waters.

Shrimping has long been blamed for sea turtle deaths. Shrimpers are required to install grid-like devices in their nets that are designed to allow turtles to escape. Shrimpers caught without the turtle excluder devices — or TEDs — may be fined thousands of dollars and have their catch seized by federal regulators.

Still, some are reluctant to invest $800 on the TEDs or are angry over the extra work they create aboard the shrimp boats, so they gamble they won’t be caught.

“When there is more shrimp, there are more turtle strandings,” Zimmerman said. “That correlation has been well-documented.” Educating fishermen, the public and shrimpers about preserving Kemp’s ridleys is part of a new federal recovery plan expected to be approved in the coming months.

The goal is to upgrade the Kemp’s ridleys from endangered to threatened within six years — but that depends on having 10,000 nesting females per season. Currently, there are about 6,000. Nesting season begins in mid-April and lasts into July.

Most Kemp’s ridleys nest on a beach in Mexico or at Padre Island in south Texas. But increasing numbers have been seeking out the shores of Galveston and Bolivar.

Howell and Zimmerman hope the deaths indicate the population has increased and even more turtles are heading toward the Texas Gulf Coast to nest. But there’s no knowing for certain. “This is a needlein-a-haystack thing,” said Andre Landry, a marine biology professor at Texas A&M University in Galveston. “It’s a difficult situation, pinpointing a cause of death in an animal that may be compromised by decomposition.”

AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

A rescued Kemp’s ridley turtle is readied for release on the beach Monday, April 26, 2010 on the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. More than 30 dead turtles have been found stranded on Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula south of Houston this month — an unusually high number that has puzzled researchers, in part because most are so decomposed that there are few clues left about why they died

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International

Federer readies himself for Estoril challenge Agence France - Presse

ESTORIL, Portugal – Tennis world number one Roger Federer strolled to his first practice session at the Estoril Open on Monday surrounded by four security men to guide him and coach Severin Luthi through an excited crowd of fans. Up to 200 excited spectators were waiting along a gravel path leading to the court as the top seed made his way to an outside venue at the Estadio Nacional complex.

AFP/File/Greg Wood

Tennis world number one Roger Federer of Switzerland, seen here in January 2010, strolled to his first practice session at the Estoril Open on Monday surrounded by four security men to guide him and coach Severin Luthi through an excited crowd of fans

Once inside, up to 100 of the faithful took up positions peering through gaps in a tall hedge behind a chainlink fence surrounding the court to watch the session. Federer and his coach were far from alone on the clay.

Just a few metres away, a WTA first-round match at the joint event was taking place on an adjacent court, an unfortunate positioning unlikely to aid the Federer concentration. The Swiss is looking to reboot his clay-court run-up to the French Open after losing in his opening match last week in Rome to rising Latvian Ernests Gulbis.

Organisers said that Federer’s opening match is set for Wednesday despite his request to being a day later. His second-round start will come against either a qualifier or German Bjorn Phau. Estoril was a happy hunting ground for Federer

Suns outlast Spurs to win playoff series opener with 4:30 to play. Phoenix shot 2-of-10 with three turnovers to open the fourth quarter. “They just made tough PHOENIX, Arizona – Steve Nash scored 33 points shots,” Ginobili said. “The way they are playing, the and added 10 assists to lead the Phoenix Suns past level of confidence they have, you can’t blame them.

San Antonio 111-102 on Monday in the opener of You rest four minutes and fall behind 15 points.” their best-of-seven NBA Western Conference secondGrant Hill hit two free throws to put the Suns ahead round series. Jason Richardson 98-93 with 3:28 remaining. scored 27 points and Amare Parker answered with a jumper Stoudemire contributed 23 as the for the Spurs but Stoudemire Suns fought off a late comebck snapped a six-minute drought bid by the Spurs, who were from the field for the Suns in resparked by 27 points from Manu ply. The Spurs missed their next Ginobili and 26 points from Tony three shots and Richardson folParker in a reserve role. lowed the last of them with a 3Tim Duncan had 20 points pointer to give Phoenix a 103and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, 95 lead with 83 seconds to play, who will try to avenge the loss all-but sealing San Antonio’s and level the series in game two fate. “For us to execute down the on Wednesday in Phoenix before stretch I thought was great,” Suns the scene shifts to San Antonio coach Alvin Gentry said. “Jason for games three and four Friday Richardson’s 3 was big for us.” and Sunday. San Antonio hit 8Parker hit two free throws of-9 shots to open the third quarfor the Spurs but Hill sank a ter and a 15-0 run gave the Spurs fadeaway jumper in response. their first lead of the game at 67Ginobili sank a layup for San 64 on a 3-pointer by Ginobili Antonio but Nash answered with 4:37 elapsed in the period. with two free throws. Parker The Suns missed seven shots in converted a 3-point play to lift a row in the span. “At times we the Spurs within 107-102 but didn’t make them pay when we AFP/Getty Images/Christian Petersen the Suns sank the final free had our advantages,” Nash said. Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns throws to finish off the victory.

Phoenix answered with a 12- puts up a shot against the San An“We played great defense out 2 run to reopen an 83-73 lead tonio Spurs during Game One of there,” Stoudemire said. “We with 90 seconds remaining in the the Western Conference Semifi- got some great stops. That’s third quarter. But the Spurs re- nals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs at how we kept the lead. We responded with a 13-0 run in the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Ari- bounded the ball, kept those fourth quarter, pulling within 94- zona. The Suns won 111-102 to guys off the boards. That was 93 on a Ginobili driving layin take a 1-0 series lead big for us.”

Agence France - Presse

in 2008 his only other appearance, where he took the title against Russian Nikolay Davydenko. It was also the event where his short clay-court coaching relationship with former Spanish champion Jose Higueras was first confirmed. The Swiss plotted his preparation for a Roland Garros title defence months ago, committing to Estoril in the autumn.

One of the drawing cards was a firstround bye for the leading four seeds.

The 16-time grand slam winner will be keen to end a mini-loss streak at his last two matches, against Tomas Berdych in the Miami fourth round and a stumble against Gulbis last week. He also went out in Indian Wells in March while holding a lead over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. “That’s the way I feel. It’s frustrating to lose three matches like this,” said Federer before travelling

to Portugal on Sunday, day of rival Rafael Nadal’s victory over David Ferrer for a fifth Rome title.

“The semis and finals are where I play my best tennis... so hopefully in Estoril.” On court on the WTA side of the field, German Julia Gorges produced the first upset as she put out third seed Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1, 6-1 in 48 minutes as the Canadian lost serve six times. Kristen Flipkens of Belgium knocked out number eight seed Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-1, 6-3 and 39-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan beat a player more than two decades younger as she put out Croatian Petra Martic 67 (4/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/2). In the men’s tournament, Colombian Alejandro Falla defeated 2004 champion Juan Ignacio Chela, the seventh seed, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) as the Argentine returned after a five-year absence.

Injured Clijsters out of Madrid tournament Agence France Presse

BRUSSELS – Belgian Kim Clijsters has pulled out of next week’s Madrid WTA tournament because of a foot injury.

A scan revealed two small tears in the muscles of her left foot, a statement issued by the player revealed on Tuesday.

“This type of injury requires several weeks rest. Her participation in the Madrid tournament is premature,” the statement added.

“We’re waiting to see how the treatment goes before considering Kim’s return to competition.”

The world number 11 remains doubtful for the French Open from May 24-June 7.

Belgian Kim Clijsters, seen here in April 2010, has pulled out of next week’s Madrid WTA tournament because of a foot injury.

AFP/Getty Images/File/Al Bello

Sport

International

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

15

Blackburn stun Gunners with comeback win Agence France - Presse

BLACKBURN, England – Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 at Ewood Park on Monday and leave third place in the English Premier League up for grabs. David Dunn cancelled out Robin van Persie’s opener before captain Christopher Samba scored the winner to stun the visitors.

A win for Arsenal would have confirmed third place in the Premier League and direct qualification for the Champions League group stage.

But north London rivals Tottenham can now move to two points behind them if they win at Manchester City on Wednesday, meaning Spurs could pinch third place should they win and Arsenal lose in Sunday’s final round of matches. The win saw Blackburn overtake Fulham, Sunderland and Stoke and move into 10th place in the table.

Netherlands striker van Persie put Arsenal ahead in the 13th minute with his first goal since October 31 following his fivemonth ankle injury lay-off. But midfielder Dunn levelled in the 44th minute with a tap-in at the far post as the Gunners failed to deal with a Rovers corner, and Congolese centre-back Samba scored the winner with a 68th-minute header.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his goalkeeper Lucasz Fabianski had been impeded both times.

“Their main purpose every time is to stop the goalkeeper, not go for

the ball, and both times for both goals that happened,” he said. “I think he had no chance as a goalkeeper, he was pushed every time.” Rovers manager Sam Allardyce admitted targeting the Poland stopper. “We know their weakness is balls into the box and certainly the goalkeeper of late, so we did that positively and in the end it has paid off for us with two goals and we’ve managed to win the game and finish the season at home with a fantastic victory against Arsenal,” he said.

Samba added: “It’s very difficult for teams to come and win here, it’s been a little bit of a fortress at home and we wanted to have the result against one of the big four.” Carlos Vela wasted an early chance for the visitors, sliding it wide before Fabianski made a good save from a Morten Gamst Pedersen free kick. Van Persie took an Arsenal corner which was cleared for another corner, this time taken by Samir Nasri. His setpiece was flicked on by Bacary Sagna at the near post, with van Persie heading the ball into an empty net at the back post.

It was the Dutchman’s eighth goal in eight games against Blackburn -

more than he has notched against any other Premier League side. Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson kept out a van Persie free kick on the half-hour mark. And it was from another corner that the hosts equalised. Pedersen’s left-wing set-piece dropped to Ryan Nelsen. The New Zealand defender played a low ball to Keith Andrews, whose cross evaded Armand Traore, allowing Dunn to score with a simple finish at the far post. Pedersen was at the heart of Blackburn’s best attacks and he was downed in the penalty box

by Sol Campbell but referee Martin Atkinson gave only a corner.

Wenger sent on Andrey Arshavin for the ineffective Vela in a bid to force a winner but within a minute Rovers were ahead. Pedersen fired a corner into the box and Fabianski, surrounded by Blackburn players, failed to get to the ball. The Rovers tactic worked as Samba was able to head in from three yards out. Both sides then went on the attack but the hosts held out to move themselves into the top half of the table and give the Gunners extra reasons to hope Spurs do not win Wednesday’s clash with Manchester City

Bordeaux coach Blanc offered France job: report Agence France - Presse BORDEAUX, France – Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has been offered the chance to replace France coach Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, French football federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes has revealed. Escalettes, quoted by the French daily Sud Ouest ahead of Bordeaux’s 1-0 win over Toulouse on Sunday, said the ball was now in the court of the former World Cup and European championship winner.

“Laurent Blanc is under contract until 2011. There are four Ligue 1 games left, he has to be allowed to work in peace. Then he will decide. No one can decide for him,” he said. Escalettes admitted that the national team were going through a difficult patch with an under-age call-girl scandal engulfing several team members. “Les Bleus have problems,” he said. “It’s true I could have done without it (the scandal).

“This type of thing doesn’t only occur in football, but (it has attracted so much attention be-

AFP/File/Fred Tanneau

French football federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes has revealed that Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc, seen here in April 2010, has been offered the chance to replace France coach Raymond Domenech after the World Cup cause) it is a sport completely in the media spotlight.” He added: “There are injured players, others who are not playing for their respective clubs. The team can regain their beautiful image by win-

ning matches and playing.”

Domenech is set to leave his post after the World Cup with his successor due to be named before the tournament gets under way on June 11.

AFP/Andrew Yates

Blackburn Rovers’ Congolese defender Christopher Samba(L) celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier league football match against Arsenal at Ewood Park, Blackburn. Blackburn won 2-1

Benzema ‘not worried’ about call-girl probe Agence France - Presse MADRID – Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema said he has not yet been summoned for questioning by French police investigating an under-age sex scandal, but said he is not worried about the case.

A judicial source said last month that Benzema would be questioned over allegations he had sex with a 16-year-old call-girl in 2008. “I’m not worried about this affair,” Benzema, 22, said Monday.

“They haven’t summoned me.

I feel very at ease, I am thinking only of football.”

The call-girl also said she had relations with Benzema’s France team mate Franck Ribery in 2009, when she was 17 but told him she was over 18, the source said. Sources close to the investigation said police had also questioned a third France international, Lyon winger Sidney Govou, 30. In France a person under 18 is considered a minor. Sex with a prostitute under 18 carries a jail term of up to three years and a fine of 45,000 euros (60,000 dollars).

AFP/File/Pierre-Philippe Marcou

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema says he has not yet been summoned for questioning

by French police investigating an under-age sex scandal, but said he is not worried about the case

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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Sport

Alonso: Ferrari ‘freer’ post-Schumacher Fernando Alonso thinks Michael Schumacher’s decision to turn his back on Ferrari and return to Formula 1 with Mercedes GP has been a boost in helping him settle in more quickly at Maranello.

On the back of a promising start to this year, having won the season opener in Bahrain, Alonso thinks the fact he does not have to operate under Schumacher’s shadow has been a positive for him and the team.

“Now, maybe, we’re a little freer,” Alonso said about life at Ferrari after Schumacher, in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Despite seeing the benefit of Schumacher’s return, Alonso has expressed shock at the seven-time champion’s decision to throw himself back into competitive action. “Yes, a lot,” he said when asked if he was surprised

by Schumacher’s move. “I was even more surprised that he came back... with the calm life he could have lived and with such a past.”

Alonso says he is relishing his life at Ferrari, and thinks that although Red Bull Racing has been the pace-setter so far this year, his own team is favourite for the title. “Red Bull is stronger in the qualifying and they are very fast; but we can catch up in the race,” he said. “McLaren knows how to develop its cars very fast, but we’re not joking either. Total: Ferrari favourite for the championship.”

Speaking about whether driving for Ferrari was as he imagined, Alonso said: “No, it’s different.

It’s even better. I expected to come to the strongest team, being able to benefit from the potential. But Ferrari is much more: it’s a passion, a philosophy, a way of life.

I’m contaminated by this emotion.” And although his relationship with team-mate Felipe Massa has been under the spotlight, especially following a pitlane overtaking move in China, Alonso says he is enjoying working with the Brazilian.

“Felipe and I are complementary,” he said. “While I’m missing something in the corners he has, while I am faster in some sections.

Learning from each other is a secret. Who could create problems?

[Jenson] Button and [Lewis] Hamilton.” When asked if he would repeat the pitlane move on Massa if the opportunity came up again, Alonso said: “Absolutely yes.”

Pedrosa fastest in testing at Jerez A day after being beaten to victory by Jorge Lorenzo on the final lap of the Spanish Grand Prix, Dani Pedrosa emerged fastest for Honda in the post-race test at Jerez.

The session is only one of two such tests being held this year under the testing restrictions introduced last season, which ended the practice of holding one or two day tests immediately after most grands prix.

Pedrosa’s time of 1m39.425s put him 0.055 seconds clear of Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, who along with third-placed team-mate Lorenzo tried out a new engine on the M1 following concerns over straightline performance in the opening rounds.

Rossi’s day was slightly interrupted by a fall in the morning. He was soon back on track and did not suffer any further damage to his injured shoulder.

Randy de Puniet took a strong fourth place on the LCR Honda, ahead of factory Honda rider An-

Fernando Alonso thinks Michael Schumacher’s decision to turn his back on Ferrari and return to Formula 1 with Mercedes GP has been a boost in helping him settle in more quickly at Maranello

AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

drea Dovizioso.

The Ducatis of Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden were back in sixth and seventh.

Apart from Rossi, the only other man to fall during the test was Suzuki’s rookie Alvaro Bautista, who was also unhurt.

Repsol Honda team’s Spanish Dani Pedrosa rides during the Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez racetrack on May 2, 2010 in Jerez de la Frontera.

Fiat Yamaha’s Spanish Jorge Lorenzo won the Spanish MotoGP race ahead of compatriot Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Fiat Yamaha’s Italian Valentino Rossi.