Edisi 12 April 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 69 2st Year

UK election becomes a family affair

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Monday, April 12, 2010

BFC promotes Indonesia films in US PAGE 8

‘Designing Women’ star Dixie Carter dies at 70 AFP PHOTO/ Manpreet ROMANA

Protestors stand on a seized army armored vehicle after overnight clashes between the army and “Red Shirt” protesters in central Bangkok on April 11, 2010. Demonstrators vowed to remain on the streets of the Thai capital and bring down the government, the day after the country’s worst political violence in nearly two decades. Despite the clashes between the army and “Red Shirt” protesters, which left 19 people dead and over 800 injured, the supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra said they would continue to occupy key areas of Bangkok.

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BANGKOK – Defiant “Red Shirt” Thai protesters vowed Sunday to keep up their bid to topple the government, after the country’s worst political violence in almost two decades left 20 dead and over 800 injured.

Protest leaders, who have promised to maintain their campaign until the government dissolves parliament and calls fresh elections, demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva step down and leave the country.

Sixteen civilians, including a Japanese TV cameraman, and four soldiers were killed in Saturday’s crackdown on the red-shirted supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok, the emergency services told AFP. It was the latest chapter in years of turmoil pitting the ruling elite against the mainly poor and rural Reds, who say the government is illegitimate as it came to power in 2008 after a court ousted Thaksin’s allies from power.

The violence erupted when troops tried to clear one of two sites in the centre of the capital occupied by the protesters for the past month.

Soldiers fired in the air and used tear gas while the Reds responded by hurling rocks. Related article: Japan urges probe into journalist’s death As the clashes intensified gunshots echoed around the city and both sides accused the other of using live ammunition. Emergency services said two protesters were killed by gunshot wounds to the head.

The government denied troops had opened fire on protesters with live rounds.

“Weapons were used only in self defense and to fire into the air. We

don’t find any evidence that soldiers used weapons against people,” government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told a press conference.

More than 200 soldiers were injured, 90 of them seriously, he said.

One of the dead was a colonel.

At one stage protesters overwhelmed and captured an armoured personnel carrier, while army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said government weapons had fallen into the hands of the demonstrators.

The army later retreated, calling for a truce with the demonstrators, who were holding five soldiers hostage. Thousands of protesters remained on the streets at the two main protest sites on Sunday.

“Abhisit must leave Thailand,”

Reds leader Veera Musikapong told supporters. “We ask all government officials to stop serving this government.”

“We call for Abhisit to resign immediately,” added Nattawut Saikuar, another protest leader. He said the protesters would later hold a mourning ceremony for the dead and vowed that those killed “did not die in vain”.

The government said an investigation had been launched into the violence and that negotiations were under way to bring about a resolution to the stand-off without further unrest.

The Thomson Reuters news agency said one its journalists, Japanese cameraman Hiro Muramoto, died after being shot in the chest during the protests.

Tokyo urged Bangkok to investigate the death and called on the Thai government to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals.

Continued on page 6

2

International

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bali News Driving the economy of Denpasar

Must be supported by clear infrastructural development Denpasar (Bali Post)—

If managed well, the economic potential of Denpasar will certainly be able to prosper its people.

However, seemingly the potential is not untapped maximally so far Denpasar still keeps problems in relation to poverty. At least, there are still 14,100 people registered as underprivileged residents.

One of the efforts to optimize the potential of Denpasar is by providing a clear infrastructural development with a mature study. This matter was revealed in a roundtable discussion entitled the Potency of Denpasar City at Sari Warta Boga Restaurant, Denpasar, last Saturday (Apr 10). The discussion guided by Wayan Wirya presented four resource persons, namely Rector of the National Education University (Undiknas) Prof. Dr. Gede Sri Darma, businesspeople Nyoman Mudita, A.A. Ngurah Yuliartha from PD Pasar Denpasar and I. B. Anom Suniem from Denpasar Agency for Regional Development (Bappeda).

Sri Darma saw such rapid progress of Denpasar having impact on the economic sector of the residents. Moreover, Denpasar divided into four districts and had a large enough population growth would inevitably be faced with some problems. Moreover, as the provincial capital, Denpasar has become a destination of urbanites to earn a livelihood in this town.

The presence of urbanites in Denpasar must also be balanced by

the development of adequate infrastructure, so that its economic potential could be exploited. Not only that, open information for any interest of residents should also be considered by local government. It included the clarity of the utilization of space through information technology that was ensured to provide a positive impact on the survival of the orderly development.

Meanwhile, Nyoman Mudita assessed the recent rapid development denoted the result of a natural competition. In other words, those who were strong would be able to master the existing potential, so there was trend where the weak would be increasingly displaced in phases. This could be seen from the proliferation of shops and mini markets promising better services. This condition was compounded by the difficulty of capital for small businesses in developing their business.

On responding to this condition, IB Anom Suniem from Bappeda recognized the regional spatial layout plan (RTRW) of Denpasar actually had been made in the regulations.

Even, the regulation is under revision again and is currently entering the fi-

nal stages of discussion in the House.

However, he recognized the socialization concerning with the use of space was still limited. Similarly, infrastructural development continued to run according to the existing priority. However, the budget available for the infrastructural development was still very limited.

On the other side, A.A. Ngurah Yuliartha from PD Pasar Denpasar revealed the traditional market in Denpasar remained to become a significant center for the economic development. The proof, out of the 16 markets managed by PD Pasar Denpasar could accommodate about 7,700 traders. Not only that, the duty cycle in the market involved many people, including market porters, parking attendants, janitors and the employees of PD Pasar Denpasar showed such a great potential in the market.

On seeing such huge potential, the PD Pasar Denpasar starts to revitalize the traditional market for managing the overall market. This arrangement aims at achieving the appearance of traditional markets in order to be cleaner, more hygienic, and improving the merchant’s services to consumers. (kmb12)

Being tumor, a man dies hanging himself Tabanan (Bali Post)—

Because of suffering from a malignant tumor on his head, Wayan Sentana, 50, a resident of Tembau Hamlet, Marga Village, was desperate to end his life by hanging himself in the bathroom, last Friday (Apr 9).

The incident occurred around 08:30 am Local Time, where Sentana told his wife, Ni Made Sarti, to buy a banana cake at Base Hamlet, not far from his hamlet.

His wife went to buy the cake.

However, upon her return at around 09:00 am she did not see him at home. Sarti was looking into the yard behind her house, but he could see him, either.

Finally, she headed to the bath-

room in her home. After observed, the bathroom’s door was closed and locked from inside. Suspecting there was no reply after calling, she called out Made Laksana, 46, to check into the bathroom by climbing the wall. Laksana was extremely surprised because he saw Sentana in a suspended position with sky blue nylon scarf tied to a wooden beam of the bathroom. He immediately panicked and broke down the door.

Unfortunately, he was too late because Sentana has died. The incident was then informed to police officers. In a short time, police officers arrived on the scene and took the body of the victim. From the examination on the crime scene,

witnesses and examination by medical officer, it was not found any signs of violence on the victim’s body. Thus, he was alleged to commit suicide because of the tumor disease suffered by the victim. According to his relative, the victim probably despaired with the tumor disease he suffered.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson of Tabanan Police Endung Hardanto, accompanied by Chief of Marga Police Made Rai Sudana, last Saturday (Apr 10) said, according to information of the victim’s family, previously the illness suffered by the victim had been operated and was cured. However, later on the tumor grew back, so that victim got depression with such notorious disease. (kmb14)

Again, a bogus policeman arrested Tabanan (Bali Post)—

A repeated offender becoming a bogus policeman, Putu Sukma Ariyasa, 24, was re-arrested. The resident of Kelembang Hamlet, Rejasa Village, Penebel, was captured because he was back to take fraudulence by claiming himself as a policeman.

The suspect Sukma often used the services of Levina Laundry at Jalan Mawar No. 65, Gerokgak Gede Hamlet, Delod Peken Village, Tabanan. He claimed himself as a member of the Bali Police and since his appearance was convincing, some workers at the laundry service believed if he was a real policeman. The fraud took place last Friday (Apr 9) at around 7:00 pm. At that time, Sukma came to the Laundry to borrow a motorbike owned by one of the employees, Ni Gusti Ayu Putri Suandewi. He who subscribed at the laundry services would like to borrow a motorbike for duty and would be returned in the afternoon. Because she knew him as a regular customer, Suandewi had no suspicion on him and lent the motorbike to the suspect. But, at around 7:00 pm, the Yamaha Jupiter Z motorbike with police plate DK 2320 HS was not returned. She also reported the incident to police station.

Police officers only took about an hour to capture the suspect.

The officers led by Division Head of Operation of Criminal Detective Unit, Nengah Sugitayasa, immediately captured the suspect and dragged him to Headquarters of Tabanan Police. Previously, Sukma also committed a fraud by claiming to be a policeman. His appearance was indeed very convincing, well-built, clean and crew cut.

Spokesperson of Tabanan Police, Endung Hardanto, accompanied by Division Head of Operation, Sugitayasa, said in doing his action the defendant always wore a semi police uniform. In the same case, he had been sentenced to prison for 20 months.

For his actions, the suspect was ensnared with article 378 in connection with article 372 of Penal Code on the fraud and embezzlement by a maximum prison threat of fraud and evidence confiscated was a complete set of police uniform, such as shirts, pants, belt and coupling, shoes, and bags bearing the police.

In the examination, Sukma confessed to be frustrated. He had applied for being a member of the police but failed. On that account, he used his dashing police uniform for his personal benefit. (kmb14)

Owner of leg’s cut examined

Estimated to be teens of years old Denpasar (Bali Post)—

The cut of human leg found at Seseh Beach last Tuesday (Mar 23) was examined further by the Forensic Team of Sanglah Hospital. From the result of X-Ray, it was known the age of leg cut’s owner was ranging from 11 years16 years old. Meanwhile, in terms of its anatomy, it was estimated to belong to a girl. Approximate age was known through the center of ossification in the soles of the feet and toes. By X-ray examination, the forensic team found the existence of sesamoid bone that only existed in such age range.

Division Head of Forensic Medical Installation of Sanglah

Hospital, Ida Bagus Putu Alit, when met in his office, last Friday (Apr 9), described that the leg was cut two days before the examination. The leg itself was examined last Wednesday (Mar 24). Alit hoped for people who felt to have lost a family member should immediately report to the authorities or go to Sanglah Hospital.

Despite it had been known about the age and sex of the owner of the leg’s cut, but the only way to uncover the identity was through DNA examination. Cut of right leg with length of sole at 21 cm and width at 10 cm remained to be stored in one of the corpse refrigerators at Sanglah Hospital. (san)

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Bali News

International

Improve the quality of education

Monday, April 12, 2010

3

Triggering deterrent effects on the corruptors

penalty not a Basic competency target Death must, the verdict should must be reached impoverish them IMPROVEMENT on the quality of education will never be achieved if the government remains inconsistent and inconsequent in implementing the commitments proposed. In the process of improving quality, there should be a clear target of basic competency that must be fulfilled by a student in order they can continue to pursue higher education. If the basic competencies or minimum standards of learning mastery (SKBM) were not met, the students concerned were not entitled to fill the next grade or graduate their education and must be willing to repeat until they met the basic competencies. An education observer, Prof. Dr. Wayan Maba stated this opinion at a roundtable discussion entitled the Evaluation of National Exam (UN) held by Bali Post, not long ago.

According to Maba, there were a lot of obstacles in improving the quality of education.Given, the education in Indonesia so far was inseparable from the problems of quantity because the condition of the Indonesia’s education system was still thinking about the quantity. It did not commit to get to the qualities such as touted. As proof, in 2006 there was a circular letter from the Director General of External Education offering the students who did not pass the national exam (UN) to take the equation exam package.

Meanwhile, in this year the government also issued the Package A policy being in harmony with provision of opportunity to students who did not pass the main examination to take follow-up examination. “Indeed, there is inconsistent impression. As if the matter of education quality issue was negotiable,” he regretted.

In years to come, Maba suggested the importance of making of matrix for the SKBM. It was not for the UN itself, but for the process towards the UN. Among the schools, the matrix might vary because it depended on the school concerned. For example, the matrix for SMAN 1 Denpasar and SMAN 4 Denpasar were categorized into International Pioneering School (RSBI) that could not be equated to the matrix imposed on the non-RSBI schools.

“The school itself set up the standard of the learning process. However, those standards were not allowed below 5.50 or below the standard of national exam,” he said while recalling.

Within the same context, he added, there might be a kind of grade to clas-

sify the existing schools. For example, grade I denoted the highest level and the schools grouped into this grade might consist of schools having the category of SBI / RSBI and grade II populated by schools of SKM / RSKM. And so on until the lowest grade.

“In years to come, I am more comfortable if the UN is using the grade.

SBI / RSBI grade, for example, has minimum score of graduation at 8.00 and SKM grade should have minimal score at 7.00 and so on according to the grade of each school. Unlike the standard applied at this time where minimum score for graduation is set equally regardless of the grade of the participating schools in the UN. If we want a better education, we must set those grades,” he said while adding the UN should remain to be conducted because the evaluation was an absolute thing in the process of education. Those who successfully met the SKBM reserved the right to finish his education, otherwise they were obliged to repeat the failed subject until the SKBM required could be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the Head of Bali Educational, Youth and Sports Services (Disdikpora), I Wayan Suasta, claimed to agree with Maba if the UN should remain to run. Of course, it was accompanied with a number of improvements and evaluations to cover all the weaknesses occurring in the implementation of the UN including minimizing the occurrence of fraudulent practices within the UN. If there was a desire to restore the right to determine the graduation of students to the entire board of teachers, certainly the Government Regula-

tion No. 19/2005 should be amended first. “In my opinion, the UN should keep on running. Because, if the UN does not work, the students would have no motivation to learn because they have no target or SKBM that must be pursued,” he said again.

Further, Suasta also responded positively to the schools in Indonesia grouped into a certain grade in appropriate with the level of students’ abilities. It was said, there was a number of indicators that could be utilized as guidance to classify the school’s quality. Quality indicators included in the aspects of cognitive or scientific insights, aspects related to skills or psychomotor skills and affective aspects such as attitude, morals and discipline. “If the three aspects could be achieved, then it may be called a quality school. So, how is about the standard? In the existing curriculum, there have been SKBM,” he said.

So, how to manage the schools in order the three aspects could be achieved according to the expected quality? Responding to this question, Suasta confirmed all would depend on the learning process at the school concerned. When talking about the process, teachers played the most important role. “Unfortunately, in terms of the quantity Bali still lacked for teachers. Similarly, in terms of quality, half the teachers in Bali have not met the required academic qualifications,” he said and added that it was necessary to give serious attention because it was closely associated with the teacher’s professionalism. (ian)

The discourse on the death penalty for criminals reaps the pros and cons.

Many parties consider the decision of law enforcement officers have not issued a verdict resulting in deterrent effect to the corruptors robbing the treasure of Indonesian people. Therefore, they extremely support the death penalty that can make a deterrent effect. But, on the other hand, some others declared to give a deterrent effect the judge should impose a sentence that could make the corruptors as poor as possible.

A legal observer from Gadjah Mada University Denny Indrayana, in an occasion, judged the death sentence for corruptors did not infringe the human rights and 1945 Constitution. The consideration, the death penalty did not violate the Constitution. In terms of human rights, it did not violate the human rights. However, this legal adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mentioned 6 criteria that had to be considered in applying the death penalty for corruption. Firstly, corrupters being punishable for death penalty are recurrent corruptors.

Secondly, the nominal of the corrupted was categorized into a large amount. Thirdly, such criminals were located in strategic position. Furthermore, the criminals sentenced to death are the main perpetrators and not the intermediary. Fifthly, it resulted in a very damaging impact and sixthly, the courts have no doubt that those corruptors had committed a corruption.

Meanwhile, the legal observer Gede Made Suwardana disagreed if the criminals were sentenced to death. Deterrent effect would indeed be felt very much because anyone who became a defendant must have shuddered when facing a threat of the death penalty. However, how about the returning of the loss of the State as a result of the corruption?

Death punishment must be undergone by the corruptor, while the return of loss of the.

State as the essence of eradicating the corruption must have been difficult to achieve. The lecturer of Faculty of Law at Udayana University argued that to make a corruptor deterrent the judge was advised to make a verdict that could create a corrupt person to be poor.

The trick in the decision, the judge with his belief could declare the entire wealth of the corruptors would be confiscated for the State. If such corrupt persons denied that the property was acquired fairly, then the judges with its authority let him prove it in reverse.

“It is not necessary to impose all the criminals with death penalty. For deterrent effect, the verdict of the judges should be how to make it miserable corruptor. In other words, please make a corruptor as miserable as possible, as he has made other people miserable,” he said.

His party observed the law enforcement officials were still halfhearted in carrying out their duties.

Primarily, it concerned with how to return the loss of the State. The officers were often trapped by many personal interests, so the State loss could not be saved accordingly.

Law No. 31/1999, as amended

by Law No. 20/2001, on the Eradication of Corruption, set the death penalty that can be imposed to the perpetrators of corruption, among others, when the country was hit by the crisis, natural disaster, or in certain circumstances. The non-existent today is the courage of judges to apply the death penalty.

The need for severe sanctions for the perpetrators of corruption reappeared because despite having a lot of officials convicted with corruption-related cases, the sanctions did not make an officer or other person deterrent to commit the corruption. Corruption, particularly bribery, is now has been considered as a ‘culture.’ (sub)

Custom and excise secured thousands of imported spirits Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Circulation of illegal imported spirits, apparently still occur in the city of Denpasar. This was proven by the raid of Customs and Excise officers at two locations becoming the sub-distributors. Thousands of imported spirits affixed with false excise banderol were secured by the officers of Customs and Excise, last Friday (Apr 9) at 02:00 pm Local Time.

One of the executive officers of the Customs and Excise, Mirno, jus-

tified the raid to two locations of subdistributors of illegal spirits. One of the locations was on Jalan Danau Tempe area, Sanur, South Denpasar, while another located on the area of Jalan Gatot Subroto, Denpasar. Recorded, there were 2,827 bottles of alcoholic drinks belonging to various brands confiscated by the officers.

According to Mirno, the successful reveal of the illegal imported spirit was based on the information from a number of retail spirit outlets. Not only that, the information was also strengthened

by many discoveries of imported spirits affixed with false excise banderol.

Well, on that basis, Customs and Excise officers made an investigation right away.

Two locations used as storage of those spirits were successfully tracked.

Officers were immediately conducted a raid by deploying a number of members. Around Jalan Danau Tempe, Sanur, South Denpasar, officers could seize 2,000 bottles of spirits that have been affixed with the alleged false excise banderol.

Meanwhile, other 651 bottles had not been affixed with excise banderol.

In addition to the evidence, the officers also claimed to have arrested JS as a person in charge of the sub-distributors. “We are still investigating the concerned person. Meanwhile, the evidence has been secured in the office of Customs and Excise,” he said.

In the meantime, around Jalan Gatot Subroto, Denpasar, the officers seized 152 bottles of spirits that have been affixed by excise banderol. Allegedly, the excise banderol was false, while

other 24 bottles have not been affixed with the excise banderol. In the meantime, the person arrested had the initial NM. He also claimed to be the responsible person.

Other evidence confiscated by the officers consisted of several rolls of false excise banderol. Due to the act of the perpetrators, the loss of the state was estimated to reach IDR 150 million. “Perpetrator is ensnared with article 54, 55b, and 56 of the Act of Excise. The penalty is 5 years in prison,” he added.

4

News

Monday, April 12, 2010

International

Poles go silent to mourn crash deaths Associated Press Writers

WARSAW, Poland – Thousands of people stood silent in the streets of Poland’s cities Sunday, in a silent memorial to President Lech Kaczynski and the other 95 people killed in a devastating plane crash.

The two minutes of silence were preceded by the thundering pealing of church bells and din of emergency sirens for nearly a minute before everything faded away. In front of the presidential palace, hundreds of people stopped what they were doing and stood, some with their eyes closed and heads bowed.

Earlier, at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army in Warsaw, hundreds gathered for a morning Mass and left flowers and written condolences. Among the dead were Poland’s army chief of staff, the navy chief commander, and heads of the air and land forces, who were all making the emotional trip to honor Polish officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940 in and near the forest of Katyn in western Russia.

In Moscow, Russia’s transport ministry said that Russian and Polish investigators had begun to decipher flight data recorders of the aging Soviet-built Tu-154 airliner that crashed Saturday while trying to

land in deep fog in Smolensk, killing all aboard.

Russian officials had initially said 97 people were killed but revised the figure to 96. Poland’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed the figure.

Polish government spokesman Pawel Gras said that despite the loss of so many leaders, the country’s armed forces were operating normally, and all state offices were doing the same.

That the crash occurred near Katyn served as a stark reminder to Poland of the horrors of that place.

Kaczynski and those aboard the flight were headed there to remember the thousands of Poles systematically executed by Josef Stalin’s NKVD, the forerunner to the KGB, in 1940.

About 4,000 Polish army officers were killed in Katyn itself. In total some 22,000 officers and others were killed there and in other areas.

Polish-Russian relations had been improving recently after being poisoned for decades over the massa-

cre.

Russia never has formally apologized for the murders but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation.

Kaczynski wasn’t invited to that event because Putin, as prime minister, had invited his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk.

In Warsaw on Sunday, one mourner, Boguslaw Staron, said he turned out to honor Kaczynski, “a great patriot.”

“He taught Poles how to respect our traditions, how to fight for our dignity, and he made he made his sacrifice there at that tragic place,” said Staron, 70.

Kaczynski, 60, was the first serving Polish leader to die since exiled World War II-era leader Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski in a mysterious plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943.

The bodies of Kaczynski and his wife were expected in Warsaw by early afternoon, the Foreign Ministry said. Kaczynski’s twin brother Jaroslaw flew to Smolensk on Saturday evening and identified the bodies.

AFP PHOTO /JANEK SKARZYNSKI

A woman lays flowers beside a newspaper with the front page carrying a photograph of late president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria, outside the presidential palace in Warsaw on April 11, 2010. Russian investigators said they were working closely with their Polish counterparts to determine the cause of the plane crash that killed Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski.

Somali pirates hijack cargo 7 shot, wounded near New Orleans’ French Quarter ship near Seychelles Associated Press Writer

Associated Press Writer

NAIROBI, Kenya – The European Union naval force says Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship west of the island nation of the Seychelles. Commander John Harbour said he did not know the nationalities of the crew members onboard the St. Vincent and Grenadines-flagged Rak Afrikana.

Harbour said the ship appeared to be experiencing engine prob-

lems at the time it was hijacked early Sunday. EU forces have been dispatched to investigate.

International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade. Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia’s lawless shores. The country has not had a functioning government for 19 years.

NEW ORLEANS – Police say a weeks-old dispute boiled over in a shooting on the outskirts of New Orleans’ French Quarter, leaving seven with non-lifethreatening wounds.

New Orleans police say in a re-

AFP/HO/US Navy/File

on Mardi Gras, Feb. 16. He was expected to be kept overnight at the hospital The others wounded ranged in age from 15 to 50, and were to be treated and released.

Detectives say the gunman was given a handgun by another man and then opened fire. No arrests had been made by early Sunday.

Australia to ‘throw book’ over Barrier Reef oil disaster Agence France Presse

Sailors stationed aboard Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat refuel a Sea Harrier during an exercise in the Indian Ocean. At least 95 Indian sailors are still being held by Somali pirates after they seized nine small ships off the lawless African coast last month, the Indian government has said.

lease that the shooting happened outside a fast-food restaurant around 9:15 Saturday on Canal Street, which runs along the edge of the neighborhood at the heart of the city’s tourism industry.

Investigators believe one of the victims, a 17-year-old boy, was the gunman’s target because of a dispute

SYDNEY – Australia Sunday said a Chinese ship that crashed and leaked oil at the Great Barrier Reef took an illegal route, vowing to “throw the book” at those to blame for the near environmental catastrophe.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the Shen Neng 1, which remains stuck after grounding last Saturday, broke the law after veering 15 nautical miles (30 kilometres) from the shipping lane.

“It is quite clear this vessel went on a course that was unlawful,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane, after an aerial tour of the ship.

“We’ll be throwing the book at those responsible.”

He said Australia would also

seek compensation for the smash, which leaked two tonnes of oil and threatened a major disaster at one of the world’s foremost and most delicate ecological sites.

Workers are pumping nearly 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the ship, which was carrying 68,000 tonnes of Australian coal to China, after using chemical dispersants to clear up the initial three-kilometre (two-mile) slick.

“The Australian government will ensure that the full force of the law is brought to bear on those responsible,” Albanese said.

“And we will also ensure... compensation is paid with regard to the cost of cleaning up.”

Australian police also said three men would face charges over another bulk carrier, which strayed through

the world heritage-listed marine park last week, as officials pledged to crack down on ships taking short cuts through the reef.

One South Korean man and two from Vietnam are facing charges after the Panama-flagged MV Mimosa used an unidentified shipping route without asking permission.

The maximum penalty is a fine of 220,000 dollars (205,000 US).

“The Great Barrier Reef is an extraordinary natural wonder as well as an important economic driver for Queensland and the nation,” said Environment Protection Minister Peter Garrett.

“That is why we take very seriously any action which puts at risk the health or the unique values that see it afforded protection on the World Heritage List.”

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

General Info

Monday, April 12, 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

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Monday, April 12, 2010

News 7.1-magnitude quake strikes off Solomon Islands Associated Press Writer

ADELAIDE, Australia – A powerful earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands on Sunday, but a monitoring agency said a tsunami was not expected.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.1-magnitude quake hit southwest of the island chain’s Kira Kira island in the South Pacific. The temblor’s epicenter was about 130 miles (210 kilometers)

southeast of the capital, Honiara.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a destructive wave is not expected. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The Solomon Islands is a country of nearly 1,000 islands that lie on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world’s quakes occur.

Haitians relocated to new camps as rains loom Associated Press Writer (AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah arrive at St Pancras Station in London as they start the Labour Party’s election campaign Tuesday April 6 2010. Britain goes to the polls in a general election on May 6

UK election becomes a family affair Associated Press Writer

LONDON – One wants to dispel the notion that he’s half-man, half-machine. The other wants to banish the notion that he’s too posh for office. So in a break with tradition, the men fighting to become Britain’s prime minister are turning to their wives for help.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his challenger David Cameron both have image problems that they’re tackling in a way the British electorate isn’t used to seeing: by dispatching their spouses to the campaign trail.

The Labour Party’s Brown is seen by some as a cold, distant grouch. Enter Sarah Brown, his articulate and approachable spouse, to add a warm, human dimension.

Conservative leader Cameron — fighting some voters’ perception that he is a spoiled rich kid from Britain’s most elite private school — has deployed his sunny wife Samantha to soften his “posh boy” reputation, despite the fact she herself is a distant relative of King Charles II. The result is a British campaign in which the candidates’ spouses are in the spotlight as never before, giving the race a bit more of a U.S. flavor, reminding voters of how Michelle Obama’s appeal helped her husband move into the Oval Office.

For an unpredictable election in which polls suggest no one party may win an outright majority, the candidates are using every advantage they can muster.

Many of the millions of undecided voters targeted by the campaigns are

women, who worry about what the ballot will mean to their families.

“Using their wives is a cheap way of trying to appeal to women,” said Steven Fielding of Nottingham University who recently conducted a poll among working class women. “They try to make their partners out to be nice family men and husbands but this isn’t a way to connect with working class women who may vote. A lot of these women are just trying to make ends meet.”

Sarah Brown is a former public relations executive who is traveling the campaign trail with her husband. She provides regular updates on Twitter — she has more than 1.1 million followers — allowing a peek behind No. 10’s famous black door.

She provides an open counterpoint to Brown, who was once accused of ignoring a question from concerned mothers on what his favorite cookie is. (The eventual answer: anything with chocolate, but he’s trying to cut down.) She, on the other hand, draws a picture of a cozy home life, telling the world how they watch movies, dote on their children, and go for walks together. In a column for the Mirror, Sarah Brown revealed their young sons, John and Fraser, surprised their dad with “a lovely big hug” after he announced the election call.

“The issue that Brown is trying to overcome is the impression he’s halfman, half-machine,” said Andrew Hawkins of polling firm ComRes, “and for David Cameron to demonstrate that he is principled and there’s some substance under the style.”

Samantha Cameron is also trying to show her husband as a normal guy — despite the fact that her background is even more aristocratic than his. Like many of the voters her husband is wooing, she’s a working mother — the creative director of an upmarket retailer — who looks after two kids and has another on the way.

But things don’t always go to plan: SamCam, as she’s known in the tabloids, was chided in the British press for popping in to visit her father, Sir Reginald Sheffield, just before a campaign stop last week. The Times reported that “her attempts at classlessness were slightly undermined” when she had lunch at his 3,000-acre Thealby Hall estate.

Justine Roberts, the founder of Mumsnet, a parenting Web site that attracts a large, vocal audience — and put the cookie question to Brown — said the notion that women will vote for a candidate because they have an affinity with his wife is insulting.

CORAIL-CESSELESSE, Haiti – The first of 50,000 earthquake victims that officials fear are most threatened by Haiti’s looming rainy season were relocated Saturday as nonprofit groups scrambled to receive them.

Adults and children living at the Petionville golf course walked up a steep hill with their belongings and climbed into buses that rumbled off to yet another temporary home.

They wore yellow wristbands that indicated their departure time and new neighborhood: CorailCesselesse, an extremely dry and dusty area about nine miles (15 kilometers) north of Port-au-Prince.

Among them were Elvina Serin and her four brothers, who got repeated calls from United Nations officials reminding them to leave Saturday.

“They told us we were going to have water and bathrooms and that there’s going to be a school nearby,” Serin said with a smile.

She is one of the 7,500 people that U.N. and U.S. officials recommended be relocated within 10 days because they are at high risk

of flooding or mudslides in the makeshift camps at the Petionville golf course.

A dozen families were moved Saturday, and 250 families are scheduled to be relocated Sunday as the first of a total of 6,000 people to be shifted to the new camp over the next two weeks, according to aid groups.

“It has been a challenge because we’ve had less than a week to prepare,” said Laura Bank, a spokeswoman for World Vision.

It is unclear where the remaining 1,500 people in high-risk areas will be moved, because there is no room for them at the CorailCesselesse camp, which covers nearly 11 square miles.

A lot of time was lost searching for adequate land, Liz Satow, World Vision’s acting response manager, said in a statement this week.

“Now we’re faced with a delicate balance to move fast for the sake of the displaced communities, but not so fast that we overlook their rights,” she said.

Haiti’s rainy season officially begins May 1, but scattered showers already have made people skittish, and for good reason.

Thailand...

From page 1 The unrest marked Thailand’s worst political violence since 1992 and the United States urged both sides to show restraint.

The protesters called on the country’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej to intervene to prevent further bloodshed.

“Did anybody inform the king that his children were killed in the middle of the road without justice?”

Reds leader Jatuporn Prompan said.

“Is there anyone close to him who told him of the gunfights?”

Although he has no official political role, the hospitalised king is

seen as a unifying figure. During a 1992 uprising he chastised both the military and protest leaders, effectively bringing the violence to an end.

Thai flags, red roses and incense sticks were placed on pools of blood where protesters were killed or wounded.

Subdued tourists mingled with protesters below buildings pocked with bullet holes, some taking photos, a few yards from a clump of ruined cars with their windows smashed in. Shopkeepers nearby swept up glass from a shattered door.

International

Indonesia Today

Monday, April 12, 2010

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Some 1,005 houses seriously damaged by Aceh quake Antara

BANDA ACEH - A 7.2-magnitude quake rocked Aceh province on Thursday, and caused serious and minor damages to 1,005 houses in Simeulue and Aceh Singkil regencies.

AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY

Members of Indonesia’s branch of the Falungong spiritual movement, also known as “Falun Dafa”, meditate during a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Jakarta on April 10, 2010. The group meditated outside the embassy in the Indonesian capital urging China’s government to stop persecuting its members in China. Falungong is banned in China and rights groups have accused Beijing of persecuting its members.

President advised to exert maximum power to eradicate corruption Antara

JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should do everything in his power to eradicate corruption and declare a state of emergency for the purpose, a non-governmental orgnization (NGO) leader said.

Ismet Hasan Putro, chairman of the Professional Civil Society (MPM), said here Saturday the president should soon declare a state of emergency to fight corruption in the country and support the imposition of severe sanctions on those quilty of curruption.

“The Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force the President has set up is unable to overcome the judicial mafias, and other forms of

curruption. The president must use all his powers and encourage the imposition of severe sanctions on corrupters, including the death penalty or life sentences,” Ismet said during a discussion themed “Dreaming about Eradicating Corruption.”

Ismet said judicial mafia practices had been going on for a long time, had become rife and were being engaged systematically at the country‘s law-enforcing institutions.

He said the penalties so far meted out to corrupters were too light and had little deterrent effect. Citing an example, he said a corrupter caught red-handed stealing billions of rupiah was only sentenced to five years in jail.

In China, he said, corrupters were

invariably sentenced to death. “As a result, corruption now rarely happens in China,” he added.

The discovery of a money laundering case involving tax officer Gayus Tambunan should serve as wake-up call for the government to reform the country‘s law system, he said.

Meanwhile, a sociologist at the University of Indonesia (UI), Thamrin Amal Tamagola, said he did not support the idea of sentencing all corrupters to death.

He argued the question of life and death was one between man and God. But he agreed corrupters should be given life sentences with the extra penalty of community service, doing menial jobs such as cleaning roadside gutters or public latrines.

Secular Indonesia outraged over Aceh mob justice Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Indonesia on Friday promised a full investigation into the public humiliation, mob beating and possible caning under Islamic law of two people suspected of having an adulterous tryst.

The offences allegedly took place Wednesday after a 36-year-old teacher and a 28-year-old housewife were accused of having extramarital sex in Aceh province, where religious police enforce sharia or Islamic regulations.

They were dragged from the woman’s home by an angry mob, paraded naked through their village, tied to a post and beaten almost to death, and now face nine lashes each in public, police said.

It is the latest incident to expose the conflict between local sharia

provisions and rights enshrined in the secular constitution of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

“This is a barbarous crime and obviously against our rule of law,” an official at the justice and human rights ministry said.

“We will order police to launch an immediate probe and to take firm and concrete action against the perpetrators.” Nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s 234 million people are Muslims, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the religion.

National human rights commission chairman Ifdhal Kasim urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to clarify that rights guaranteed under the constitution take supremacy over local regulations, including religious ones.

“This can be a bad precedent for other regions which have similar tendencies and which try to put religious values above the country’s constitution,” he told AFP. “The directive should mention that Indonesia is a secular country and everything should be based on the constitution.”

Aceh, one of the most deeply Islamic areas of the vast archipelago, adopted partial sharia law in 2001 as part of an autonomy package aimed at quelling separatist sentiment.

Last year the outgoing provincial government passed the Qanun Jinayat, a bill allowing adulterers and other religious offenders to be put to death by stoning. It has not been signed into law by Governor Irwandi Yusuf and officials in Jakarta have asked for it to be withdrawn.

According to data obtained from the coordinating unit of Aceh disaster and evacuee handling agency in Banda Aceh on Friday, the total number of houses seriously damaged in Aceh Singkil had reached 124, and 43 in Simeulue.

Reports said that 207 houses had been damaged not so seriously, and 631 lightly in Simeulue.

The quake which struck at 5.15 am local time cause four persons heavily injured and eight lightly, and there were no fatalities.

On Simeulue island, 110 nautical miles from the west coast of West Aceh the most seriously ridden by the quake included Simuelue Timur , Tepah selatan and Tepah Barat subdistricts.

Indonesia conveys condolences on Polish President‘s death Antara

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government expressed deep condolence over the death of Polish president Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria Kaczynski in a plane crash.

The death of President Kaczynski is a great loss to the people of Poland and the world, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Jakarta said on Saturday.

The Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also expressed his deep condolences over the incident to the government and people of Poland and pray for the victims.

Russian news agency Itar-Tass

reported, that the Polish president had been confirmed dead and at least 86 others were also killed in the accident, citing the Ministry of Emergency Response.

The plane crashed while approaching the destination airport in the city of Smolensk. The accident occurred at approximately 1.5 kilometers from Smolensk airport due to heavy fog conditions.

Polish senior official said that the Polish military leader and head of the presidential household were also in the plane together with President Lech Kaczynski and his wife and several families of other senior officials.

KPK bans Nunun Nurbaeti to travel abroad Antara

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has banned Nunun Nurbaeti Daradjatun to travel abroad because of her involvement in the alleged bribery case involving some parliamentarians.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi confirmed the ban when asked by ANTARA here on Saturday. “That is true. We have banned her from leaving abroad,” he said in his short message to ANTARA. Johan did not tell the exact date of the issuance of the ban saying only that it was produced at the end

of March 2010. “(The ban has been effective) since the fourth week of March,” he said. He did not either tell about the content of the ban.

A source said KPK issued the ban on March 24, 2010. KPK meanwhile has also issued a travel ban for Ahmad Hakim Safari MJ alias Arie Malangjudo because of their involvement in the case linked to the election of Miranda S Goultom as a central bank‘s senior deputy governor in 2004. KPK bans the two from travelling abroad for a year.

Nunun Daradjatun is the wife of former vice national police chief Adang Daradjatun.

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Internationa

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bali Today BFC promotes Indonesia films in US Antara

DENPASAR - The Bali Film Center (BFC) will hold an exhibition in Los Angeles and California, promoting a number of Indonesian tourist destinations and objects which could serve as backgrounds for movie making.

Manager of BCF Ineke disclosed in Denpasar Saturday that the exhibition on the location of a film making with the support of the Industry Ministry will be held from April 15 to 17, 2010.

“BFC will present the film making locations throughout Indonesia including those which UNESCO has also used, namely Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko temples,” she said.

She also said that encouraging and supporting film making in tourist locations and resorts are the quickest ways of promoting and introducing Indonesian tourist spots and destinations to the world.

She said BFC has arranged meetings with several film industries, studios and companies to identify and offer film and television for development and promotion in a number of locations in Indonesia.

The Indonesian government, she added, has made a strategy to

secure film projects in the country, the success of which was proven by the recent presence of Columbia Pictures in the production of “Eat, Pray, and Love” in Bali starring Academy Award Winner Julia Roberts.

In Los Angeles, she added, BFC will show a film “Merah Putih” (Red and White) which had earned an appreciation from the American Film Directors Association. Produced by Margate House, the war film against a background of the situation in 1947, described a fight for freedom in the life of three young cadets.

BFC, she added, is a private organization with a commitment to promote Indonesia as a location for film making and film production center, both domestic and international projects. Set up in 2002, this organization provided the first access to contacts for foreign producers, film companies and film studios with an interest in film making in Indonesia.

http://api.ning.com

One of famous destination that located in Bali Island. The Bali Film Center (BFC) will hold an exhibition in Los Angeles and California, promoting a number of Indonesian tourist destinations and objects which could serve as backgrounds for movie making.

Udayana regional military RI, Peru to increase economic, command gets new chief technical cooperation Antara

Antara

DENPASAR - Army Chief of Staff Gen George Toisutta on Friday installed Brig Gen Rachmat Budiyanto as new chief of the Udayana regional military command replacing Maj Gen Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan.

Budiyanto was previously chief of staff at the Siliwangi regional military command which

oversees West Java province.

Pandjaitan will later take up a new post as the secretary of the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs.

In his address Gen Toisutta said the Udayana regional military command assumed increasingly formidable tasks as its jurisdiction covered the provinces of Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara which made up a

IBP/Edi

chain of islands.

The geographical condition could be regarded as national wealth which made the region one of the world’s main tourist destinations, he said.

“Yet experience shows that the region is also susceptible to many violations, ranging from legal violation, drug trafficking to terrorism of international scale,” he said.

He said the Udayana regional military command also must be at the forefront of the battle to defend the country’s sovereignty particularly in East Nusa Tenggara bordering East Timor.

“One of the ways (to achieve the goal) is intensifying defense in the land territory bordering the neighboring country,” he said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen George Toisutta on Friday installed Brig Gen Rachmat Budiyanto as new chief of the Udayana regional military command replacing Maj Gen Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan.

DENPASAR - Indonesia and Peru have signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement to increase the two countries’ relations.

The agreement was signed Friday afternoon in Peru, the head of information, social and cultural affairs of the Indonesian embassy in Peru, Yogi Istadi, told ANTARA from Lima, Peru, here on Saturday.

The document was signed by the director general of America and Europe of the ministry of foreign affairs, Retno L Marsudi, and Quesada Inchaustequie, the vice foreign affairs minister for Asian, Pacific, African and Middle Eastern Affairs, at the Indonesian embassy in Lima.

“The agreement will be the umbrella for various other bilateral cooperation agreements in the economic and technical fields,” Istadi said.

He said the agreement would also be the foundation for the implementation of Indonesia-Peru Joint Commission meetings to discuss and explore other cooperation possibilities to increase the two countries’ relations in the field of trade, investment and technical fields.

The signing of the agreement was

one of the results of the bilateral talks between the Indonesian and Peruvian delegations.

Indonesia and Peru marked their 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. “In the framework of the commemoration, Indonesia has held traditional batik and woven cloth exhibitions in Lima last April 8,” he said.

Istadi said the two countries had long built trade cooperation. The two countries’ delegations hailed the growth in trade between the two countries so far.

“In the midst of international financial crisis the two countries’ bilateral relations continued to show growth,” he said.

In 2009 trade between the two countries reached US$87.6 million which was up 0.98 percent from 2008.

In view of that the two delegations agreed to seek ways to further improve the trade.

In the meeting the two countries’ delegations also discussed mutual support in international fora including for the 2011-2014 membership in the UN Human Rights Council as well as “with regard to Peru’s nomination as a UN Security Council member for 20182019 and for Indonesia’s nomination for 2019-2020,” he said.

al

Monday, April 12, 2010

Balinese Culture

Telkomsel held STAR Program IBP

DENPASAR – The Star program which stands for “SikaT hadiahnya kejAr taRgetnya” or achieves the target to gain the prize is filled with billion of rupiah of prize money. Telkomsel will give the prize to outlets, credit sellers or the similar product throughout Indonesia.

Gideon Eddie Purnomo, the VP Channel Management Telkomsel, said “for the first stage or we called it Star 1, we will give the prize to 30 outlets and it include tour package to Bali.”

The program was called FASTER and it was started in 2004. The program is very successful in increasing the sales whether it is in stores or by personal sellers.

The lucky sellers received many prizes such as six Toyota Avanza cars and 36 motorcycles. The winners spread

throughout Indonesia such as in Banda Aceh, Medan, Jambi, Bengkulu, Bandung, Tasikmalaya, Cirebon, Yogyakarta, Purwokerto, Surabaya, Kediri, Malang, Pontianak, Balikpapan, Palangkaraya and Kupang.

While the winners of Star 1 will receive 38 motorcycles, 260 units of credits where each of them worth 1 million rupiah, 260 units of 500,000 rupiah worth of credit, and 3,200 units of 25,000 worth of credits.

Gideon said that Telkomsel also prepare prize over 1.4 billion rupiah of credits or Mkios. The prize will be given to the sellers who can sell the most products and credits of Telkomsel from January 1 st through February 28th 2010.

“The Star 1 is very successful and we will continue the program with Star 2,” he added. In order to join the Star 2 program, outlets throughout Indonesia must register with the format

Daftar#Frontliner name#Outlet name#district#City#Regency#Keyword for each area and send it to 1818.

For Bali and Nusa Tenggara area, the keyword is STARBLN. After getting the identity number, the sellers can collect star point by activating simPATI and kartu As cards. For every simPATI M@X activation which worth 10,000 rupiah, the seller will receive 1,000 rupiah bonus.

The star point also will be added if the card owners recharge their card by buying the credits.

“In order to give the chance to all outlets throughout Indonesia, we divided the program Star 2 into three periods, the first one started on April 1st through June 30 th , July 1 st through September 30 th , and October 1 st through December 31 st 2010,” Gideon said.

The winner will be announced on January 18th 2011. In addition to the grad prize, Telkomsel also will give bonuses and souvenirs to the sellers.(iah)

Udang Pantung Kuning (Lobster in Yellow Sauce) OVERVIEW: A real gourmet treat from Bali, this could also be made with huge prawns. In Bali, coconut chunks are roasted directly on charcoal, then the charred skin scrapped off and the flesh grated for making the coconut milk.

INGREDIENTS: 4 sml lobsters, weighing about 500 gr each or 1 kg large prawns 5 cups water 2 lemongrass, bruised 2 fragrant lime leaves 4 cups coconut milk few drops white vinegar fried shallots to garnish SPICE PASTE: 5 red chilies, seeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 7 shallots, peeled and chopped 5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped 5 cm ginger, peeled and chopped 4 candlenuts 1 ½ tsp coriander ½ tsp dried shrimp paste toasted 1 sml tomato, peeled and seeded 2 tbsp oil 1 ½ tbsp tamarind pulp 1 salam leaf 1 lemon grass, bruised PREPARATION: Prepare spice paste by grinding or blending all ingredients except oil, tamarind, salam leaf and lemongrass. Heat oil, add spice paste and all other ingredients. Cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes, then cool.

Wash lobsters and leave whole. Bring water to the boil, add lobsters and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lobsters, plunge in iced water for 1 minutes, then drain and remove meat. Return shells to the pot of water, keeping lobster meat aside.

Add spice paste, lemongrass, lime leaves and vinegar to the water with the shells and simmer until 4 cups of stock remain. Add coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain stock and return to pan. Add lobster and simmer for 1 minute. Serve garnished with fried shallots and accompanied by white rice.

Helpful hints: if using prawns instead of lobster, peel the raw prawns and put prawns shells 4 cups of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then combine this stock with coconut milk, prawns and all other ingredients, simmering until cooked. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

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Monday, April 12, 2010

Destinations

Tanah Lot Temple

http://i409.photobucket.com

TANAH LOT TEMPLE is located in coastal side of Beraban countryside, Kediri sub district and Tabanan Regency. It is situated in 30 Km in west side of Denpasar town and about 11 Km in south side of Tabanan town. The temple is built on the rock with 3 acre size and reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is just 20 meters from the coastal lip. This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sunset. At some nooks of coral reef around Tanah Lot Temple there are holy tame snake in black and white color where according to the local society believe that it as a deity property and as the guard of the temple from the bad influence.

The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of two words that are Tanah word interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is meaning the small island floating on the sea. The location is now called as Tanah Lot has been used at a Megalithic period as a place that looked into holy, proven from the existence of menhir. Pursuant to environmental condition, hence the structure of Tanah Lot Temple is built at irregular reef plain of its angle which is only consisted of one plain yard as Jeroan.

The function of this temple can be realized from the function of the main temple building which is located in the temple main area. In this place, there is a main temple to worship the god in form of Dewa

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Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. The media of worship to this god is the temple building with 5 storied meanwhile the 3 storied temple building in north part of this area is purposing to worship to Dang Hyang Nirartha.

In order to know the status of Tanah Lot Temple can be realized from the temple history, function and also incoming devotee existence pray when temple ceremony is held. In this case can be realized as follows: Tanah Lot Temple as dang Kahyangan(the big Holy Temples in Bali ), because the history and the Penyiwi (The people taking care of the temple) are from the local people from Tabanan regency and surrounding area no athwart skin, there is only small skin, but this sea water snake very noxious but snakebite case are very seldom happened, because the sea water snake generally very passive.

As a favorite tourism destination in Bali, Tanah Lot owns a magnificent view in particular at the sunset time where the sun slows down to the earth stomach. Every visitor who is paying a visit to this place will be marveled to see the beauty panorama of Tanah Lot. Beside of this temple, there are other temples which can be seen on your visit to Tanah Lot like Batu Bolong Temple, Batumejan Temple and Enjung Galuh Temple. (www.balistarisland.com)

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Monday, April 12, 2010

11

BUSINESS U.S. regulators consider 2nd find against Toyota Reuters

AFP PHOTO/KHALIL MAZRAAWI

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn speaks during a joint press conference with Jordan’s Central Bank governor Umayya Tukan (not seen) in Amman on April 4, 2010. IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said on Saturday that public debt in the advanced economies is set to increase significantly and reversing the rise would be a “tremendous” challenge.

DETROIT - U.S. safety regulators may seek a second penalty against Toyota Motor Corp for knowingly delaying a massive recall over defective accelerator pedals, after imposing a record $16.4 million fine against the automaker on Monday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a April 5 letter to Toyota, said Toyota’s recall of 2.3 million vehicles in January for faulty accelerator pedals came at least four months after the automaker had determined there were safety defects in the vehicles.

NHTSA may pursue a second fine based on documents submitted by Toyota, which indicated there were two separate defects in the recalled pedals, the letter showed. The agency said Toyota would have faced a fine totaling $13.8 billion if not for caps set by U.S. law.

The proposed $16.4 million civil penalty against Toyota is the maximum allowed by U.S. law and the largest that the U.S. Department of Transportation has ever sought.

“Here, the gravity of Toyota’s apparent violations is severe and potentially life-threatening,” NHTSA Chief Counsel O. Kevin Vincent said in the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters.

U.S. law allowed a $6,000 penalty for each defective vehicle sold by Toyota, adding to $13.8 billion. Due to a law that limits individual fines against a manufacturer, the maxi-

mum the government could seek was $16.375 million, Vincent said in the letter.

Toyota has until April 19 to decide whether to appeal that penalty for the first official finding that the world’s largest automaker violated U.S. safety regulations.

“If Toyota will not agree to pay the demanded penalty, NHTSA will refer this matter to the U.S. Department of Justice with the recommendation that the Attorney General commence a civil action in federal court ...,” Vincent said.

The New York Times first reported the NHTSA letter.

Automakers are legally obligated to tell U.S. safety regulators within five days if they determine a safety defect exists.

U.S. safety regulators said in proposing the record fine against Toyota on Monday that the automaker’s own records showed that it had issued repair notices for the sticky pedal problem in Canada and Europe in September but did not take action in the U.S. market until January.

The agency continues to investigate Toyota recalls, including one in October 2009 for floor mats that can jam the gas pedal and cause uncontrolled acceleration. NHTSA has said that additional fines are possible.

Previously, the largest fine was $1 million against General Motors Co for failing to promptly recall windshield wipers in 2002-2003 model vehicles.

IMF warns high public debt “tremendous” Greece may use EU challenge

safety net if needed

Reuters

CAMBRIDGE - IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said on Saturday that public debt in the advanced economies is set to increase significantly and reversing the rise would be a “tremendous” challenge.

Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, also said that global economic recovery is still sluggish and uneven and needs continued policy support in many advanced economies.

Growing concerns about the ability of governments to finance the high level of public debt after the financial crisis, particularly in the case of Greece, have been making investors jittery in the past few months.

Strauss-Kahn said public debt in the advanced economies is forecast to rise by about 35 percentage points on average, to about 110 percent of gross domestic product in 2014.

“Reversing this increase will be a tremendous challenge — let alone reducing debt below pre-crisis levels, which may be needed to leave enough fiscal space to tackle future crises,” he told an economic conference at Cambridge University.

“Therefore, for the next decade or two, cyclical upswings should be used to reduce public debt, rather than finance expenditure increases or tax cuts.”

Strauss-Kahn’s speech was disrupted by protestors, who climbed to the balcony above the screen by where he was standing and threw a banner that read: “IMF is part of the problem,

not the solution.”

The IMF head said that in Europe, as well as at a global level, policy coordination was important to secure economic growth.

“I recently spoke about this, in the context of Europe, where a broader framework of policy cooperation — encompassing monetary, fiscal, financial and structural issues — is needed to bolster economic growth. But something similar is also needed on the global scale, to secure growth that is balanced, and hence sustainable,” he said.

Strauss-Kahn mentioned an idea that targeting higher inflation could leave more room to lower interest rates in the face of a deflationary recession, proposed by his colleague at the IMF. “I think this is an interesting idea that merits serious discussion. But it is not the principal question for monetary policy, and should not distract us from more important concerns.”

He also said the global economy now appeared to be on the path to recovery.

“Though it remains sluggish and uneven, and in need of continued policy support in many advanced economies. Moreover, the costs of the crisis — low growth, high unemployment and sharply higher public debt — will take many years to overcome,” he said.

Reuters

ATHENS - Greece may use an EU/IMF safety net if needed, Prime Minister George Papandreou said in an interview with a Greek newspaper to be published on Sunday.

“The question remains whether this mechanism will convince markets just as a gun on the table. If it does not convince them, it is a mechanism that it is there to be used,” Papandreou was quoted as saying in an advance copy of To Vima’s Sunday edition.

Euro zone finance ministers, the European Central Bank and the European Commission will hold a teleconference on Greece on Sunday, days before Greece auctions 1.2 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in total of six- and 12-month T-bills on April 13.

Asked if Greece could afford the euro and if it could be forced out of the single currency area, Papandreou said: “The euro is not to blame for our problems. Greece belongs in the euro zone. Any other scenario is ridiculous.”

Asked about Germany, which has so far been very reluctant to come to the rescue of its debt-laden partner, Papandreou said: “Like all European countries, Germany has its own internal problems due to the international crisis.”

“But it is a delusion to believe the solution to these problems can be found outside or at the expense of the rest of Europe.

Germany’s prosperity depends on the prosperity of its main trading partners which are the European countries.”

AFP PHOTO/ LOUISA GOULIAMAKI

Laid-off employees of Greek courier service Interattica wait for negotiations at the company’s headquarters on April 9, 2010. Greece may use an EU/IMF safety net if needed, Prime Minister George Papandreou said in an interview with a Greek newspaper to be published on Sunday.

12

Monday, April 12, 2010

Entertainment

International

‘Designing Women’ star Dixie Carter dies at 70 Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – “Designing Women” star Dixie Carter, whose Southern charm and natural beauty won her a host of television roles, has died at age 70.

AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 file photo, Dixie Carter arrives with husband Hal Holbrook for the 80th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. ‘Designing Women’ actress Dixie Carter, who used her charm and stately beauty in a host of roles on Broadway and television, has died. She was 70.

Carter died Saturday morning, according to publicist Steve Rohr, who represents Carter and her husband, actor Hal Holbrook. He declined to disclose the cause of death or where she died. Carter lived with Holbrook in the Los Angeles area.

“This has been a terrible blow to our family,” Holbrook said in a written statement. “We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy.”

A native of Tennessee, Carter was most famous for playing wisecracking Southerner Julia Sugarbaker for seven years on “Designing Women,” the CBS sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1993. The series was the peak of a career in which she often played wealthy and self-important but independent Southern women.

She was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for her seven-episode guest stint on the ABC hit “Desperate Housewives.”

Carter’s other credits include roles on the series “Family Law” and “Different Strokes.”

She married Holbrook in 1984.

“Date Night” takes early lead at box office Reuters

LOS ANGELES – “Date Night,” a romantic comedy starring sitcom staples Steve Carell and Tina Fey, narrowly claimed an early lead at the weekend box office in North America, according to preliminary sales data issued on Saturday.

The 20th Century Fox film earned $9.3 million during its first day of release across the United States and Canada on Friday, just ahead of last weekend’s champion “Clash of the Titans” with $8.4 million, said tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

The studios will issue estimates for the three-day period on Sunday morning, and Warner Bros.’ “Clash of the Titans” could well repeat at No. 1 if male youngsters outnumber the couples targeted by “Date Night.”

Both are on track to earn in the mid$20 million range for the weekend.

“Date Night” stars Carell (“The Office”) and Fey (“30 Rock”) as a suburban couple pursued by crooks in a case of mistaken identity. The film was directed by Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) and generally liked by critics.

“Clash of the Titans,” the latest action film to jump on the lucrative 3D bandwagon in the wake of the success of “Avatar,” has earned $92 million after its first eight days. Fri-

day sales slid a hefty 68 percent from opening day, in line with expectations for the epic.

Rounding out the top five were former champion “How to Train Your Dragon” with $7.1 million in its third weekend of release; and the Miley Cyrus drama “The Last Song” ($3.6 million), and filmmaker Tyler Perry’s sequel “Why Did I Get Married Too?” ($3.5 million), both in their second weekends.

20th Century Fox is a unit of News Corp, and Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. “How to Train Your Dragon” was produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc and released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. “The Last Song” was released by Walt Disney Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co. “Why Did I Get Married Too?” was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

IBP/ist

A scene from the Date Night movie starred by Steve Carell and Tina Fey

The two had met four years earlier while making the TV movie “The Killing of Randy Webster,” and although attracted to one another, each had suffered two failed marriages and were wary at first.

They finally wed two years before Carter landed her role on “Designing Women.” Holbrook appeared on the show regularly in the late 1980s as her boyfriend, Reese Watson.

The two appeared together in her final project, the 2009 independent film “That Evening Sun,” shot in Tennessee and based on a short story by Southern novelist William Gay. The middle of three children, Carter was born in 1939 in McLemoresville, Tenn.

Carter was the daughter of a grocery and department store owner who died just three years ago at 96.

She said at the time of his death that he taught her to believe in people’s essential goodness.

“When I asked him how he handled shoplifting in his new store,

which had a lot of goods on display, making it impossible to keep an eye on everything, he said, ‘Most people are honest, and if they weren’t, you couldn’t stay in business because a thief will find a way to steal,’” Carter said. “‘You can’t really protect yourself, but papa and I built our business believing most people are honest and want to do right by you.’”

Carter grew up in Carroll County and made her stage debut in a 1960 production of “Carousel” in Memphis. It was the beginning of a decades-long stage career in which she relied on her singing voice as much as her acting.

She appeared in TV soap operas in the 1970s, but did not become a national star until her recurring roles on “Different Strokes” and another series, “Filthy Rich,” in the 1980s.

Those two parts led to her role on “Designing Women,” a comedy about the lives of four women at an interior design firm in Atlanta.

Carter and Delta Burke played the sparring sisters who ran the firm.

The series also starred Annie Potts and Jean Smart.

The show, whose reruns have rarely left the airwaves, was not a typical sitcom. It tackled such topics as sexism, ageism, body image and AIDS.

Miley Cyrus Buys First Home LOS ANGELES - Miley Cyrus has bought her first home and plans to spend the summer renovating the Toluca Lake spread in Los Angeles, so she can officially move in when she turns 18 in November.

The actress/singer has reportedly spent $3.4 million on the estate and she can’t wait to call it home - once she and her mother have redesigned the interior.

And Cyrus admits it’s going to be a tough summer because the pair has completely different views on home style.

She says, “My mom is, like, an interior designer...so my mom’s gonna help me do all of that stuff, but we have pretty much the most opposite taste of any two human beings on the planet, so I have a feeling there’s gonna be some fist fights in (furniture store) Ikea.

I want everything on the floor and really zen and my mom likes chandeliers. I wanna be able to touch stuff in my house and not be afraid of breaking it.”

IBP/ist

Miley Cyrus

Life Style

International

A partial view of the starboard wing of the space shuttle Discovery. Two astronauts from the US shuttle Discovery began a second spacewalk early Sunday as part of efforts to replace a depleted ammonia coolant tank outside the International Space Station.

AFP/NASA/File

Astronauts take 2nd spacewalk to replace tank Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Astronauts struggled with stiff bolts while attaching a big new tank full of ammonia coolant to the International Space Station on Sunday, their second spacewalk in three days to accomplish the job.

The 215-mile-high action unfolded on the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13.

Spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson called out directions as a robot arm lifted the 1,700-pound, refrigerator-size storage tank into place. One of the robotic snares got caught on the handling pin for the tank, but quickly was freed.

Then Mastracchio and Anderson had trouble bolting down the new tank on the sprawling framework that serves as the backbone of the space station. They tried using a pry bar on the mechanisms, but that didn’t work and Anderson retreated to the air lock to get more tools.

“Push, push, push, push, push. A little more,” one of the spacewalkers said as they tried to force the bolts.

“You guys want to take a breather for a minute?” shuttle commander Alan Poindexter asked from inside.

“You guys just take it easy, relax your hands.”

The astronauts advised Mission Control to start coming up with a long-term solution in case the bolts would not cooperate.

The slot for the tank was emptied earlier in the spacewalk, when Mastracchio and Anderson popped out a nearly empty ammonia tank that had been on the space station for eight years. The ammonia is circulated through radiators to cool space sta-

tion electronics.

Removing the old tank also had its share of difficulty. One side of the boxy container got hung up on a mechanism, and Anderson had to tug it loose.

“I’m really getting good at this,” Anderson said as the tank popped out.

He had to use a pry bar during Friday’s spacewalk to get the new replacement tank out of space shuttle Discovery.

As the spacewalkers were moving the old tank toward the robot arm for capture, Anderson got caught on a pit pin and lanyard. “Jiminy Christmas,” he grumbled, freeing himself.

“Just go slow. It’s fine. There’s no rush,” astronaut Dorothy MetcalfLindenburger assured him from inside.

With the spacewalkers serving as lookouts, the robot arm placed the old tank on a space station rail cart for temporary storage. “Keep it coming ... beautiful,” Anderson said. The men strapped the tank down with several tethers.

Monday, April 12, 2010

13

Activision countersues ‘Modern Warfare’ execs Associated Press Writer

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Two former studio heads overseeing last year’s blockbuster video game “Modern Warfare 2” were fired for insubordination and trying to poach key employees from Activision, the gaming giant alleged in court filings.

Activision on Thursday countersued former Infinity Ward executives Jason West and Vince Zampella, who sued Activision for more than $36 million in March.

West and Zampella’s lawsuit claimed they were fired so Activision could avoid paying them hefty royalties for their work on the popular “Call of Duty” franchise.

Activision’s filing seeks to show the firing was justified and claims the men met with a key gaming rival, which it says was one of several violations of their employment contract.

Infinity Ward is the studio behind last fall’s record-breaking release, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” and other games. “Modern Warfare 2” was No. 1 last year and has become one of the best-selling video games of all time.

The breach of contract suit claims West and Zampella held up development on other “Call of

Duty” games to try to gain more money. The company is seeking to withhold additional payments to the men, who they claim also kept bonuses from Infinity Ward employees.

The men “morphed from valued, responsible executives into insubordinate and self-serving schemers who attempted to hijack Activision’s assets for their own personal gain and whose actions threatened both the future of the Call of Duty franchise and future of Activision’s (Infinity Ward) studio,” the complaint states.

West and Zampella’s attorney, Robert M. Schwartz, called the countersuit’s claims “false and outrageous.”

“None of the false claims of insubordination or breach of duties had any negative affect on Activision — none,” Schwartz said in a statement. “Modern Warfare 2 has been the world’s most successful video game.”

The lawsuit alleges the bonuses were withheld in an attempt to try to leverage other key employees to leave Santa Monica-based Activision.

Schwartz denied that claim, calling Activision’s suit a tactic to withhold bonuses from other Infinity Ward employees.

AP Photo/Activision

In this video game image released by Activision, a scene from ‘Modern Warfare 2’ is shown.

US doctor takes live ammo from soldier’s head Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – A U.S. military doctor removed a live round of ammunition from the head of an Afghan soldier in an unusual and harrowing surgery.

Doctors say a 14.5 millimeter unexploded round — more than 2 inches long — was removed from the scalp of an Afghan National Army soldier at the Bagram Air Field hospital last month.

When the Afghan soldier, in his

AP Photo/U.S. Air Force

20s, arrived at the base, doctors thought it was shrapnel or the spent end of some sort of round, said Lt. Col. Anthony Terreri, a radiologist deployed from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

But as he reviewed a CAT scan of the soldier, he realized it was a much bigger problem, according to an Air Force news release this week on the case.

He immediately went to inform neurosurgeon Maj. John Bini, also of Lackland. Bini had the operating room evacuated; the surrounding hall-

This March 18, 2010 photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a Computerized Axial Tomography Scan (CAT) which shows the placement of a 14.5 millimeter high explosive incendiary round which was removed from the scalp of an Afghan National Army solder at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, in Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

ways were secured, and he and anesthesiologist, Maj. Jeffrey Rengel, put on body armor for the surgery.

Bini and Rengel were joined in the operating room by a member of a bomb disposal team. And after Bini removed the round from the patient’s head, the bomb technicians took it away.

Bini said that while there have been similar cases of unexploded ordnance being removed from patients, this was the first such case he knows of in the Afghanistan war, which started in late 2001. In the past 50 years of modern warfare, there have been fewer than 50 cases of this type, he said.

The patient, who officials did not identify by name, is continuing to improve, the Air Force statement said.

14

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sport

Nowitzki scored 39 points to lead Mavericks Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Dirk Nowitzki scored 39 points to help the Dallas Mavericks rout the struggling Sacramento Kings 126108 on Saturday night.

The lopsided victory, combined with Denver’s loss to San Antonio, moved the Mavericks into sole possession of second place in the Western Conference playoff race.

Dallas is one game ahead of Denver with two games remaining for both teams. The Mavericks visit the Clippers on Monday night and conclude the regular season Wednesday at home against San Antonio.

The Mavericks clinched the Southwest Division with a victory Friday night in Portland and can finish no worse than the fourth seed.

Jason Kidd had his second triple-double of the season and the 105th of his career, finishing 11 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Jason Terry scored 25 points, and Caron Butler had 15 for Dallas, which has won three straight.

Carl Landry scored 30 points, and Tyreke Evans had 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Kings, who have lost nine of 10 games and own the third worst record in the NBA. Omri Casspi had 15 points, and Jason Thompson added 12.

Nowitzki connected on jumpers from short and long range in scoring 22 points in the third quarter. The perennial AllStar forward had the final 11 points for the Mavericks, who took a 100-79 lead into the

International

Querrey downs Odesnik to reach Clay Court final Agence France Presse

HOUSTON, Texas – Third-seeded Sam Querrey reached the final of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships with a victory over Wayne Odesnik, who was playing with the threat of a drugs ban looming.

Querrey, who said before the match that he would “refuse to lose” to Odesnik, triumphed 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 75, Saturday, rallying from a third-set deficit to deny Odesnik his second straight trip to the final.

Odesnik pleaded guilty in an Australian court on March 26 to importing human growth hormone into Australia.

He has denied taking the banned performance enhancer and is playing pending an investigation by the International Tennis Federation that could result in a suspension.

Regardless of the outcome of the ITF’s probe, Querrey said Odesnik owed the sport an apology.

“I think you have to wait and find the verdict at the end of it all,” Querrey said. “Yeah, he should apologize.”

Odesnik referred all questions about his case to his lawyer.

Odesnik, who lost in the final here last year to Australian Lleyton Hewitt, made the most of Querrey’s struggles with his big serve, but surrendered the match along with his own serve in the final game.

In the final, Querrey will face

Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, who beat sixth-seeded Argentinian Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 6-2.

Querrey, who said before the match he would “refuse to lose” to Odesnik, shook hands with his compatriot at the end of their match, but he was brusque with him during the contest. When Querrey questioned an Odesnik ace in the first-set tiebreaker, Odesnik said, “It was good.”

Querrey retorted: “I don’t need your input, buddy.” When Odesnik questioned a line call in the third set, Querrey said: “It was only out a good four inches.”

Odesnik had the upper hand after breaking Querrey in the fifth game of the third set, but Querrey broke back in the sixth game and overcame two double faults to hold his serve in the seventh.

“I had two double faults in that game and then it was deuce,” Querrey said.

“I said ‘whatever, hit it as hard as I can and see what happens.’ It worked.”

Odesnik won only one point in the final game as Querrey closed it out with an overhead.

Querrey will be gunning for his second title of the year against Chela, who reached his first final since 2007 in Acapulco, where he beat Carlos Moya.

“It would be a big joy, it would mean a lot,” Chela said of a possible title.

“This would be my fifth title. It would be great to win here.”

(AP Photo/Robert Durell)

Dallas Mavericks’ guard Jason Kidd (2) dribbles up court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, April 10, 2010. fourth quarter.

Nowitzki had with 40 points Friday night an 83-77 win at Portland, and once again was the dominant for Dallas. He made 12 of 20 shots, had seven rebounds, and converted all 13 free throws.

Nowitzki broke his previous franchise record of 60 straight free throws in the third quarter and has hit 68 in a row. He hasn’t missed a

free throw since the second quarter of a March 29 game against Denver.

Evans continued his quest to join Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only rookies to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Evans is assured of those marks in assists and rebounds and needs 24 points in the final two games to reach the point total.

Holyfield stops Botha in eighth round Reuters

LOS ANGELES – Former four-times heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stopped South African Frans Botha in the eighth round to win the World Boxing Federation title in Las Vegas Saturday.

Holyfield, 47, floored the 41-year-old Botha with a right early in the eighth and although the South African was able to get to his feet, referee Russell Mora later stopped the fight The fight was Holyfield’s first in Las Vegas since 2003. He improved to 43-10-2 with 28 knockouts.

(AFP/Getty Images/File/Matthew Stockman)

File photo of Sam Querrey, who reached the final of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships with a victory over Wayne Odesnik, who was playing with the threat of a drugs ban looming.

Sport

International

Monday, April 12, 2010

15

Barcelona could rewrite history books, says Messi Agence France Presse

MADRID – Lionel Messi said the current Barcelona team could write more chapters in the club’s history following their 2-0 win over Real Madrid in Saturday’s ‘El Clasico’ at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barca became the first Spanish side to win a La Liga, Kings Cup and Champions League treble last season and are on for the double this time round having safely made the semi-finals of the Champions League while Saturday’s victory over Real puts them in the box seat in the league.

“The title is not won and there are some tough games left but this was an important step and we can continue making history,” said Messi.

“The team showed that we are superior to any opponent if we want to be, however you have to do it on the pitch and we did tonight. It was a really important win but now we have to carry on.”

Messi followed up his four-goal blast in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final win over Arsenal with a 32nd minute opener, for his 40th goal of the season in all competitions, before Pedro

Rodriguez, in the 55th minute, added a second as Barca went three points clear of Real at the summit.

It was a fourth successive Clasico win for Barca and their coach Pep Guardiola while Messi continued his knack of scoring against Real having netted twice in the 6-2 drubbing at the Bernabeu last season.

Saturday’s game was billed as the Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo show but the Argentine played down the battle saying the match was about gaining the upper hand in the title race.

“It was not between him (Ronaldo) and me,” said Messi. “It was simply that Barca were superior to Madrid. We are back at the top again and we have an advantage.”

Messi now has 27 league goals to top the goalscoring charts in La Liga while he is also the leading marksman in the Champions League with eight goals following his four against Arsenal.

AFP PHOTO/Pedro ARMESTRE

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (L) vies with Real Madrid’s defender Raul Albiol (R) during the ‘El Clasico’ Spanish League football match Real Madrid against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on April 10, 2010.

Inter exposed after draw at Fiorentina Agence France Presse

ROME – Inter Milan dropped two precious points after being held to a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina on Saturday and will lose top spot

in Serie A should Roma win their home match against Atalanta on Sunday.

A goal eight minutes from time from Per Kroldrup earned the Viola a deserved point after Inter had

come from behind to snatch the lead in the second half.

Prolific strike duo Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o had each steered home right-wing centres to cancel out Keirrison’s early strike in an ab-

AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Inter Milan’s Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o shoot and scores agains Fiorentina during their Italian Serie A football match on April 10, 2010 at Florence’s Artemio Franchi comunal stadium. The match ended 2-2.

sorbing end-to-end contest.

The result means Inter go two points clear of Roma having played a game more, while Fiorentina move up a place to eighth.

“After going ahead we gifted Fiorentina a second goal but these things happen in football - you’re often most vulnerable after scoring,” said Inter sporting director Marco Branca, who spoke as coach Jose Mourinho is boycotting the Italian press.

“We aren’t bothered what Roma do against Atalanta.” Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli thought the draw was a fair result.

“Inter have strength of character and will always fight to the death.

They put us under a lot of pressure and it was difficult to hold out.

Their second goal was annoying because they shouldn’t have been able to break from our corner.”

With Fiorentina’s Peruvian left winger Juan Vargas injured and top scorer Alberto Gilardino only fit enough for the bench, Inter began the match on the front foot with Wesley Sneijder having a 20-yard shot tipped around the post.

From the resulting corner Milito had a glorious chance to put Inter ahead but the Argentine could only hit the post.

The Nerazzurri were soon made to pay as Fiorentina sliced through their defence in the 11th minute.

Riccardo Montolivo waited for

the right moment to release the marauding Gianluca Comotto, whose squared centre was slammed high into the net from eight yards by Brazilian prospect Keirrison.

Jose Mourinho’s men responded by dominating possession but could find no way through the wellorganised Viola backline.

The elusive Sneijder fizzed a 25yarder a foot wide, Maicon sliced a volley horribly off target and Esteban Cambiasso, Cristian Chivu and Eto’o all blasted well over from distance before the break.

The home side continued to be dangerous on the counter-attack though and two minutes after the restart Stevan Jovetic almost doubled the lead but, slipped in by Montolivo, the Montenegrin screwed his finish wide of the far post.

Just as it seemed Inter had run out of steam, they turned the game on its head with two copycat goals in six minutes.

On 75 minutes Sneijder sprayed the ball wide to Maicon, whose first-time cross from the right was steered home by Milito, before substitute Mario Balotelli delivered the perfect centre for Eto’o to score.

Inter’s celebrations lasted but a minute, however, as goalkeeper Julio Cesar missed another cross and defender Kroldrup scrambled home from six yards to snatch a potentially telling point.

16

Monday, April 12, 2010

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

Sport

Lorenzo: Set-up bigger issue than injury

LOSAIL - Jorge Lorenzo believes his injured hand is in much better shape for the first MotoGP race of 2010 than he had previously feared, but says discomfort with his Yamaha’s set-up is now holding him back.

AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI

Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo of Fiat Yamaha Team races during the 2010 MotoGP free practice at the Losail International Circuit in Doha on April 10, 2010. The MotoGP season kicks off under floodlights at the Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend.

Melandri baffled by awful form LOSAIL - Marco Melandri admitted he had no idea how to turn his form around after qualifying last for the season opening Qatar Grand Prix.

The Italian has struggled with the latest Honda since returning to the Gresini team over the winter, and has resigned himself to an equally poor race tonight.

“I am really disappointed,” said Melandri, who finished in the top five in the championship in all of his three previous seasons at Gresini. “I just can’t get a feeling for the chassis or the engine and everything we try seems to be in vain.

“We put the soft tyre on and went slower and at this moment in time I am completely out of ideas as to what we can do.

Maybe we need a magic wand that we can wave at the bike and everything slots into place.

“We’ll see what the race is like but I don’t expect it to be a good one for us.”

Melandri’s team-mate Marco Simoncelli qualified two places ahead in 15th, despite crashing early in the session.

“Unfortunately the session didn’t start well with the crash, which meant I needed a few laps to regain my confidence and set back the whole programme,” said the former 250cc champion.

“It is a shame because we really needed to get through a full session.

I just went into the corner too hard trying to avoid [Hiroshi] Aoyama I braked too late and lost the front when I tipped it in.”

Team boss Fausto Gresini promised his squad will do all it could to lift its riders, and remains confident that the package will ultimately come good.

“Unfortunately at the moment things are not progressing in the right way and that was added to to-

day by a crash for Simoncelli, which came just as he was improving,” said Gresini.

“It is a difficult time for him and even more so for Melandri who cannot get the potential out of his bike at the moment.

“We can’t do anything but try our best to work out how we can help him. We have faith in the riders, the engineers and Honda and we are sure that the results will soon come that our effort and enthusiasm deserve.”

AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI

Italy’s Marco Melandri of San Carlo Honda Gresini Team races during the 2010 MotoGP free practice at the Losail International Circuit in Doha on April 10, 2010. The MotoGP season kicks off under floodlights at the Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend.

The Spaniard broke a bone in his right hand during a training accident earlier this year, and had to miss the second test of the winter at Sepang.

He had insisted that the Losail weekend was just be about gathering consistent points while still not fully fit, rather than trying for victory, but said his physical condition was better than expected so far.

“Luckily for me the hand is quite good,” said Lorenzo after taking third on the grid behind Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. “It’s much better than at the test.

“Now the problem is that the bike doesn’t work so well, especially on the rear tyre. So now we are struggling quite a lot to get faster and to get close to Casey and Vale.”

Despite feeling he might not have the speed to win, Lorenzo vowed to give his all in tomorrow night’s race.

“The bike will maybe not improve tomorrow, so I’ll fight with what I have,” he said.