Edisi 18 Februari 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 34 2st Year

Over 65 reporters face spying charges in Iran: rights group

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Russia says missile delivery to Iran delayed AFP

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MOSCOW (AFP) – The delivery of advanced Russian-made S-300 air defence missiles to Iran has been delayed for technical reasons, a senior Russian official told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday.

“The delay is due to technical problems. The delivery will be carried out when they are resolved,” Alexander Fomin, deputy head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, was quoted as saying.

Russia’s contract to sell the S300s to Iran has raised hackles in the United States and Israel, which believe that Tehran could use the sophisticated air defence missiles to defend its nuclear facilities against attack.

Western powers suspect that Iran is seeking to build an atomic bomb under the guise of its civilian nuclear energy programme, although Tehran says the programme is peaceful in nature.

Neither the United States nor Israel have ruled out air strikes in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Analysts say that S-300s could greatly complicate such air strikes.

Fomin, whose service oversees Russian arms exports, made the comments in an interview with Interfax while attending a defence exhibition in New Delhi, DefExpo India 2010.

He did not clarify what the technical problems were or how long it would take to fix them, Interfax reported.

Russia has been secretive about the Iran missile contract, but

Interfax has reported that it calls for Moscow to sell Tehran five batteries of S-300PMU1 missiles for around 800 million dollars (530 million euros).

The S-300PMU1 — codenamed the SA-20 Gargoyle by NATO — is a mobile system designed to shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles. Iran has expressed frustration with the delay in the missile delivery, and last week a top Iranian military commander said Tehran would build its own air defence missiles that would be even better than the S-300s.

Fomin’s comments about the delay come at a time when Russia’s once-warm relations with Iran have become strained amid the international dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

On Tuesday, Russia joined the United States and France in criticising a new push by Iran to step up uranium enrichment, and Moscow said it could not exclude a new round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The prime minister of Iran’s arch-foe Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited Moscow this week in a bid to get Kremlin support for new sanctions.

Moscow has long had close ties with Tehran and is building Iran’s first nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian city of Bushehr.

AFP/File

File photo of a Russian-made S-300 air defence missile being tested.

Indonesia charges people smuggling boss with boating offence Agence France-Presse

SERANG - A notorious Indonesian people smuggler who was arrested last year as he tried to bring 255 Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Australia in a boat was charged with sailing offences Wednesday.

Abraham Louhenapessy, 50, also known as “Captain Bram”, could face up to two years’ jail if convicted for sailing without a licence,

prosecutor Fransiscus Pakpahan told the Serang District Court.

“He also hired people without expertise as boat crew,” he added.

Louhenapessy was captaining the Jaya Lestari 5 with the ethnic Tamil migrants on board when it was intercepted off Indonesia in October as it tried to reach Australia. The migrants have refused to disembark unless they are guaranteed refugee status in third coun-

tries, and remain at the port of Merak in southwestern Java.

When asked why the suspect was not facing stiffer charges related to people smuggling, Pakpahan said: “The police investigating the case didn’t mention trafficking”.

Indonesia does not have a law against people trafficking even though it is a major transit route for migrants wanting to reach Australia illegally.

Canberra has been pressing

Jakarta to do more to dismantle the smuggling networks and has been closely following the Louhenapessy case. He was arrested shortly after being released from jail last year having served 20 months in prison for immigration offences.

Two crew members told the court the migrants had boarded the boat after it set sail from Selat Panjang port in Riau province near Singapore.

Continued on page 6

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International

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Bali News Keep Water Properly WATER has very important meaning for the Hindus. Water is not merely for the sake of life—drunk, used to cleanse the body, irrigate the fields and used for cooking, but also for spiritual purification. Water that has been invoked any strength to Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa or God, and given a soul with a spell, will become holy water (Tirtha Amerta). It is this holy water used to carry out any spiritual purification and so on.

“The importance of water for life makes the Hindus highly glorify the water. As a matter of fact, predecessors of Hindu have left indigenous wisdom to glorify the water. Such important indigenous wisdom continues to be interpreted and its spirit is revitalized to maintain the water,” said religious observer Gusti Ketut Widana and environmentalist from the State University of Yogyakarta Dr. IGP Suryadarma, last Tuesday (Feb 16).

Gusti Widana said, in the context of maintaining the sanctity or sacredness of water, the Hindu knows the concept of interpreting natural forces scientifically—in this case, water. On that account, it is known as Lord Vishnu, a manifestation of God as the ruler of water. Thus, water is truly made sacred and used properly. Even, at the water sources such as springs, lake, sea or ocean is erected a shrine or temple. As consequence, it is known by the name of Pura Ulun Suwi, Pura Ulun Danu, and Pura Segara and so on.

In order to harmonize the environment of the lake (water of the lake), Hinduism knows a ceremony called Danu Kertih and for the sea is called

Samudera Kertih. Because the water serves as source of life—without water there is no life—so please keep water properly.

Similar opinion was delivered by IGP Suryadarma. Ground water is not separable from the evaporating sea water and then fell into the rain.

Rain water was captured by trees on the mountain, and then absorbed into the ground. In order that rain water does not flow away into the sea, farmers save it through farming activities. Through farming culture, water is well-managed to produce food, mainly rice. Not only rice, water sources are also found in fruits such as juicy-watermelon, cucumber, orange and so forth. Therefore, if wish the water remains well maintained, agriculture must be secured together, while never denudes forests and attempt to plant lots of trees continuously.

“Similarly, agriculture does not just produce food, but it contains cultural values. If we want to make the cultural values harmonious all the times, all components must be involved in empowering the agriculture of Bali. Each living person needs to eat. Food is produced from

agricultural activities. Therefore, all parties should be involved in guarding and promoting the agriculture,” said the lecturer from Marga Tabanan.

For example, in order to make farmers remain loyal to farming activities, the government should provide tax incentives. Similarly, among tourism sector should contribute to the preservation of agricultural and forest conservation.

Therefore, visitors to Bali are also interested in seeing the preservation of nature—in this case the agriculture. Frequently, the authorities take advantage of mountain water for the benefit of clean water.

Thus, agricultural activities play very large role in the underground water supply. The fields of agriculture will supply water into the soil.

If the water or river is not channeled to the rice fields, water will flow into the sea for granted. As a result, urban land progressively turns dry and results in hot air, while this condition ultimately leads us to crisis of underground water. To make the water supply remain available in the soil, it is required to make catchment wells. (08)

DKP Disciplines Dozens of Expired Banners Denpasar (Bali Post)—

The issues that often highlighted because of polluting the city’s appearance was the existence of a number of banners, billboards, pamphlets, stickers, banners which are not installed in place. Even, some banners installed have expired. The proof, in the discipline action performed by Denpasar Sanitation and Landscaping Services (DKP), last Tuesday (Feb 16) found quite a lot of expired banners that were installed at public space.

Head of DKP Office of Denpasar, I Ketut Wisada who led the direct control, said there were about 10 expired banners and billboards. Generally, the validity of their installation permit have long expired, but not dismantled by their owners. “All expired banners have

been dismantled because they are very disturbing the beauty of the city,” said Wisada.

The discipline, he said, meant to create the city faces beautiful.

Moreover, Denpasar City became a destination often visited by tourists.

Therefore, the appearance of the city might always be beautiful to be viewed by the public and tourists.

Other than billboards and banners, his party would also clear the stickers embellishing the public facilities, such as electric poles, traffic light poles and others.

Against those illegal stickers, Wisada claimed to have made various efforts, including calling the installer by disguising as customer.

“We’ve been trying to call the advertiser by pretending to be customers, but never succeeded because the installer tends to play the hide-

and-seek,” said.

In addition to these efforts, Wisada said, his office had made coordination with village heads. In essence, he expected the community took part in watching their region. For example, if they happened to encounter the advertiser they were expected to prohibit him right away. “Frankly speaking, when it’s stuck in that way it will be very hard to clean,” said former Assistant II of Denpasar City Government.

Previously, the municipality civilian security guards (Trantib) once summoned the advertiser of stickers and pamphlets at public places. Even, some perpetrators could be subject to fine by misdemeanor. Unfortunately, the installers of those illegal stickers are difficult to monitor during the installation. (kmb12)

Police Seize 15,000 Pills of Fake Ecstasies Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Supriyanto, a guy from Muncar, Banyuwangi, East Java, now has to deal with the police. He was arrested because of proven to save tens of thousands of ecstasy. However, the ecstasy pills were allegedly false. Ultimately, police were checking over the authenticity of the ecstasy in Bali Office of the National Agency of Drugs and Food Control (BPOM).

Chief of Narcotic Unit of Denpasar Metro Police, I Nyoman Sukasena, last Tuesday (Feb 16), explained the results of preliminary examination related to the existence of 12,000 pills of ecstasy, allegedly the evidence was false. “We think them false because they have no drug content,” said Sukasena last Tuesday.

The arrest of Supriyanto took place at Kedonganan, last Tuesday (Feb 16) morning. Supriyanto was suspected by police to be a drug dealer. It was known after the police got the information.

They went right away for investigation in the field and existence of the relevant person was known at the scene.

Police raided the house of Supriyanto. There, police found 15 thousands fake pills of ecstasy. The evidence was placed in a box. Ultimately the evidence and Supriyanto were herded into police station for further investigation. “We make sure the authenticity of the evidence first. On that account, we take it to the Bali Office of BPOM to determine its authenticity,” he said.

Meanwhile, in separate places, forces of Narcotic Unit of Denpasar Metro Police also arrested a suspected drug dealer of ecstasy category. She is Vina Rizky Utami, 29, living on Jalan Siligita, Nusa Dua, South Kuta. The woman who worked as a waitress was arrested for pocketing an ecstasy in spotted color, last Friday (Feb 12).

The process of ambush, said Sukasena was by fishing the suspect. A police officer was pretending to be a buyer. Well, the suspect was arrested as soon as it pulled out her evidence. “We suspect she is a dealer, but her capacity is small. Now, we are still developing the case.” (kmb21)

Denpasar Regional Leader Election

Deadline of Administrative Correction on February 26 Denpasar (Bali Post)—

The urge of Badung House in order the candidate of deputy mayor to resign immediately from his office in the civil servant, in truth still have a long enough time. The reason, the deadline for correction on administrative requirements can be performed until February 26, 2010. When it comes to the time limit, each candidate of the mayor and deputy mayor still lack for the administrative requirements, they are automatically disqualified.

This matter was revealed by a member of the Denpasar Electoral Commission (KPUD) I Made Ariawan Payuse when commented on the administrative requirements of one of the candidates, namely Wayan Subawa, at his office last Tuesday (Feb 16). As has been known, the ranks of Badung House urged Subawa who is now serving as Regional Secretary of Badung Regency Government immediately to deliver his resignation from his current position.

Payuse Ariawan said administrative completeness as requirements to be defined as a candidate for mayor was very important. If this condition was not met, then the Electoral Commission had the right to abort the candidate concerned.

Affidavit of resign from his current po-

sition must not be approved by the Regent. Mayoral candidate was enough to submit the receipt of resignation letter from relevant agencies. “This is enough for us at the Electoral Commission for further process,” said Payuse.

Similarly, it equals to the certification of bankrupt and not bankrupt from the Commercial Administrative Court. Even though, it is only the receipt of the Commercial Administrative Court of Surabaya is enough to complete the administrative requirements. “In principle, the Electoral Commission does not want to be constrained by policy of any other agency,” explained Ariawan Payuse last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, for individual candidate, they must submit a list of maximum support on last Wednesday. Individual candidates registering for the upcoming local elections in next May 2010 is the pair of AA Ngurah-Wayan Gede Agung Gunawan, however they only managed to gather legal support amounting to 2,987 supports out of the 32,000 supports submitted. The pair of candidate is obliged to meet their shortage. Individual candidates should submit a 4 per cent of the population of Denpasar (594,639 inhabitants), namely amounted to some 23,760 of support. (kmb12)

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Bali News

International

The Regent Fails To Finish The Piping Project in 2009 Amlapura (Bali Post) —

Chairman of Commission II of Karangasem Parliament Nyoman Oka Antara, on Tuesday (16 / 2) considered Regent Geredeg to have failed in completing the Water Piping Project. The Regent promised that the project for the four districts can be completed in 2009, while in fact it has not been fulfilled and the benefits assured are not there.

In contrary, said Oka Antara and several other members of the Commission II, Wayan Sumatra and Gede Tamu Sugiantara, besides having to only complete 85 percent of the project, a number of roads were also destroyed.

The formerly excavated parts of the road for pipe installation have not been repaired or covered with asphalt up until now, causing the former quarrying site washed away by floods. Parts of the road have been changed into a river, and have at least caused three accidents with two of the victims suffered fractures. The accidents occurred in Temega St r e e t , P a d a n g k e r t a m a i n l y caused by the uncovered hole on the stree’s body.

Commission II of Karangasem Parliament invited Head of Public Works (PU) Ir. Wayan Arnawa to a working meeting yesterday, in relation to the number of complaints received from the community about the damaged roads.

Head of PU Arnawa admitted the Regent of Karangasem I Wayan Geredeg had declared his capability and confidence in finishing the project for 4 districts namely: Manggis, Karangasem, Abang, and Kubu, by the year 2009. Because Regent stated so, as a subordinate, his party has tried to implement it despite there are still technical problems to be solved such as the absent of construction planning.

The initial special allocated fund (DAK) to be utilized for the project from the central government was IDR 59 billion. However, along the way, it had been reduced by 10 billion and leaving the project with 49 billion.

Out of the 49 billion fund, more than 29 billion has been used for the clean water supply projects for the four districts, while the another 19 billion has been utilized for the Karangasem Public Hospital.

After the tender process of the

water piping project has been approved for more than 27 billion, it turned out that only a little time left for the vendor. As a result, only 85% of the work is completed. The new pipe is currently being installed, while improving formerly excavated road is has not been done. The water drainage is also yet to be done. ‘’For the 2009 fiscal year is over, the vendor’s work is postponed and they are being paid 84 percent of the whole contract,’’ he said.

Arnawa said that the rest of the project is planned to be continued this year. Earlier, Chairman of Karangasem Parliament, I Gede Dana also considered clean water piping project in 2009 have failed to benefit the society in many aspects.

Although the money has already been paid out, people have not been able to enjoy the so called clean water from the project. (013)

Dishub in Action Two Cars Were Towed Denpasar (Bali Post) –

In enforcing violators of the traffic law, the Department of Transportation (Dishub) for Denpasar City is back in business by charging any undisciplined parked vehicles.

In its action on Tuesday (16 / 2) , the team led by the Head of Dalop Division I Ketut Sriawan, S.E., was successfully imposing action against at least nine offenders. Of all offenders, two had their vehicles towed because they did not come when called with a loudspeaker by officers, while seven other vehicles were only given fine tickets by the officers.

I Ketut Sriawan found while leading the team said that the activities were carried out routinely by various ranks of Dishub officers in Denpasar. Yesterday’s controlling routine targeted Jalan Gatot Subroto, which becomes favorite spot for parking viola-

tors. Even though the inspection is often done, there are still many offenders caught. ‘’Public behavior is difficult to change, because everyone does not want to be bothered,’’ said Sriawan.

Two of the towed vehicles were considered to have violated regulation No. 5 of 2005. The two vehicles towed were a mini truck with registration number DK 9905 FE and a Toyota Kijang DK 1049 WD, both found parked on inappropriate spots. In addition to the two towed vehicles, Dishub also issued fine tickets for four wheeled 7 vehicles yesterda. The seven vehicles were only fined because the owners were willing to immediately move despite to have parked on forbidden spots. “If the owner is present, we would only give a fine ticket,” he said, adding that common violations committed are illegal parking.

“It seems the community’s

safety concerns are still very low. They should have known the danger of illegal parking,” explained Sriawan.

Meanwhile, the 7 vehicles which were given tickets are: Kijang DK 1888 YE owned by Ketut Kastawa, Suzuki DK 684 EX owned by Pande Koming Suarnaya, Toyota Rush DK 817 BD, BMW owned by Dewa Ayu Sri Yudhari, Pick-Up Car DK 9663 AM owned by Eddy Darmadi, Honda Jazz DK 1047 AI owned by Ni Nyoman Nuraini, dan Hyudai DK 1273 GI owned by Suwandi.

“The inspection is our regular activity, because we are working on reducing level of accidents in Denpasar City, “said Sriawan.

Meanwhile the data from the Control and Operation Division Dishub Denpasar in 2009 there were 28 vehicles towed and 386 tickets issued with the money collected as much as 7 million rupiah. (Kmb12)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

3

Sanglah Hospital Receives Five Drowned Victim from Aru Maluku Denpasar (Bali Post)

Sanglah Hospital’s Mortuary, on Tuesday (16 / 2) at 7:30 a.m., received five bodies of the Dholfin speed boat victims which sank in Aru Sea - Tual Maluku sea on Wednesday (27 / 1). Head of Sanglah Hospital, dr. I.G.N.A Putra Wibawa accompanied by Head of Forensic Department of Sanglah Hospital, dr. I.B. Putu Alit, SpF.DFM and Coordinator of the Forensic Service Installation of Sanglah Hospital, dr. Dudut Rustyadi, SpF said five bodies had been sent to them because Sanglah Hospital is one of the (Disaster Victim Identification) DVI teams. “Because Sanglah Hospital is the closest DVI hospital team to Maluku, the body were sent here,” said Putra.

Among the five bodies, one of them is a Mr. X (unidentified) and four others were: Lhu Chang Gui (36), Zhao Jia Hui (42), Chen Qiu Shui (54) and Sadam (54). The four identified victims were citizens People’s Republic of China.

The body of Sadam is planned to be sent to Jakarta while three other bodies will be cremated. The body of Mr. X will be fatherly autopsied by Sanglah Hospital Forensic Team. Dudut added from preliminary physical examination, it is known that Mr. X was aged between 18-21 years old and was of Mongoloid race proven by the

head index examination and incisors shape. He was 178 cm tall and weighed 45 kg. His body is in blackish green condition, already decayed and hairless. “The body could not be examined immediately because it was sent frozen. So we should wait for the body to melt back before holding the proper autopsy,” said Dudut. The purpose of the autopsy is to identify and determine the cause of death, determining the mechanism of death, time of death and finding objects causing the death. “The autopsy of Mr. X’s body is conducted to confirm the cause of death of the drowned victim in the Aru Sea,” said Dudut.

Based on the information from Maluku Aru Island Police, added Alit, the Dholfin Speed Boat that sank contained 33 passengers, one of them survived while the rest are assumed to be dead. Out of the 32 people, only five bodies of the victim were found. “Out of the 32 people, 28 were foreigners and 4 were Indonesian citizens,” said Alit. The body is temporarily deposited in the Sanglah Hospital’s Mortuary while waiting for further action.

“What clear is for Sadam’s body to be sent to Jakarta while the three other bodies that have been identified will be cremated,” said Alit. (kmb24)

After Harvesting Season, Corn Prices Declined Semarapura (Bali Post) —

The recent corn harvesting season has not fully able to give happiness for farmers from Nusa Penida as corn prices plummeted to approximately 3 thousand rupiah per pound. While in reality, their harvested crops were decreased due to the unproductive seeds given by Bali provincial government.

Therefore, farmers are forced to keep their corn harvest until July or August 2010 when corns are believed to be in high demand.

There will even be a possible increase in corn price up to two hundred percent. ‘’We are not willing to immediately sell the crop when prices areplummeted because we will certainly loss our opportunity for profit,’’ asserted a Nusa Penida citizens, Made Suryana, on Tuesday (16 / 2) .

Suryana said that Nusa Penida farmers have always been doing the calculation in that system. So, they can not sell their crop directly, but some time after

theharvest. But they must first assure that there will be an increase in corn demand and that it would be save to sale at a later time. ‘’It has always been like that.

After harvesting season, prices will fall,’’ he said.

The difference is, this harvesting season came late after experiencing two failures due to prolonged drought. According Suryana, corn prices during harvesting season is approximately IDR 6 thousand per 2 kilograms.

Double price improvement occurred in July and August, even up to September in some cases. ‘’The price could reach 24 thousand per bushel or container containing 4 pounds,’’ he added.

Previously, Nusa Penida farmers had suffered losses after trying to plant corn seeds from governor’s assistance program because they were unproductive.

Many corns were defective compared to the local white corn which is usually planted by the citizens. (kmb20)

4

News

Thursday, February 18, 2010

International

US warships in Hong Kong in sign of easing tension AP

HONG KONG – Five American warships docked for a port call in Hong Kong on Wednesday in a sign that recent tensions between China and the U.S. may be easing after flare-ups over an arms sale to Taiwan and the Dalai Lama.

Carrying some 5,000 sailors, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and four other ships arrived in Hong Kong waters for a four-day rest stop after spending five months in the North Arabian Sea as a base for air combat missions in Afghanistan, the USS Nimitz public affairs office said in a statement.

Political analysts see Beijing’s approval of the port call as an indication that the Chinese government doesn’t want to let Sino-U.S. relations deteriorate further, hampering cooperation on the global economy and other issues.

With its abundance of foreignerfriendly restaurants, bars and shops, this former British colony has long been a favored stop for U.S. warships, and Beijing has continued the tradition after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule.

China blocked a long-scheduled port call by the USS Kitty Hawk in November 2007 at the last minute, denying thousands of sailors a Thanksgiving reunion with families and friends who had flown to the city. Some analysts viewed the move as retaliation after the U.S. Congress awarded its highest civilian honor to the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader —

whom Beijing views as a separatist — is also at the center of recent SinoU.S. tensions. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to see President Barack Obama on Thursday in a meeting condemned by the Chinese. That meeting — along with trade disputes, alleged Chinese cyber-spying, and the announcement of a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its territory — have made for rough relations.

Yet Beijing has allowed the USS Nimitz carrier strike group to stop in Hong Kong — despite a threat to suspend military-to-military exchanges after the Taiwan arms sale.

It also hasn’t followed through on another threat to retaliate against U.S. companies involved in the sale.

The commander of the strike group declined to comment on the politics behind the port call on Wednesday.

“For us, this is a routine port visit,” Rear Adm. John W. Miller told reporters. “We requested the port visit through normal channels and we’re certainly delighted that we received permission from (China’s) Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be able to come in.”

It’s unclear if Chinese military officials based in Hong Kong will visit the U.S. warships. Miller said he is hosting a reception on the ships Wednesday evening, but referred questions about the guest list to the U.S. consulate general in Hong Kong. Consulate general spokesman Matthew Dolbow said it is policy not to reveal guest names.

AP

U.S. Marine Mark Sashegyi of Miami,Fl., patrols in front of an aircraft onboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz

AP

A U.S. Marine from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment peers out from a hole in a wall

Afghan official: Taliban using human shields AP

MARJAH, Afghanistan – Taliban fighters are increasingly using civilians as human shields in the assault on the southern town of Marjah, an Afghan official said Wednesday as military squads resumed painstaking house-to-house searches in the Taliban stronghold.

About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive around Marjah, which has an estimated 80,000 inhabitants and was the largest town in southern Helmand province under Taliban control. NATO hopes to rush in aid and public services as soon as the town is secured to try to win the loyalty of the population.

With the assault in its fifth day, insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, said Gen. Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.

“Especially in the south of

Marjah, the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof or in a second-floor or thirdfloor window,” Ghori said. “They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians.”

The Marjah offensive is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a major test of a retooled NATO strategy to focus on protecting civilians, rather than killing insurgents.

Ghori said troops have made choices either not to fire at the insurgents with civilians nearby or had to target and advance much more slowly in order to distinguish between militants and civilians as they go.

Even with such caution on both

the NATO and Afghan side, civilians have been killed. NATO has confirmed 15 civilian deaths in the operation. Afghan rights groups say at least 19 have been killed.

In northern Marjah Wednesday, U.S. Marines fanned out through poppy fields, dirt roads and side alleys to take control of a broader stretch of area from insurgents as machine gun fire rattled in the distance.

The Marines found several compounds that had primitive drawings on their walls depicting insurgents blowing up tanks or helicopters, a sign that Afghan troops say revealed strong Taliban support in the neighborhood.

A day earlier, Marines and Afghan forces moving by land from the north had succeeded in linking up with U.S. units that have faced nearly constant Taliban attack in the four days since they were dropped by helicopter into this insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

Cluster bomb ban closer to ratification: UN AFP

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – The United Nations announced that a 30th country had signed on to the international convention banning cluster bombs, paving the way for the document to come into force on August 1.

“The United Nations received today the 30th instrument of ratification for the Convention on

Cluster Munition,” said a statement from Secretary General Ban Kimoon’s press office.

“The Secretary-General welcomes this major advance on the global disarmament agenda, and notes that the Convention’s entry into force just two years after its adoption demonstrates the world’s collective revulsion at the impact of these terrible weapons,” according to the UN statement.

“Cluster munitions are unreliable

and inaccurate. During conflict and long after it has ended, they maim and kill scores of civilians, including many children,” the UN said.

The munitions can also impair post-conflict recovery by making roads and land inaccessible to farmers and aid workers, the statement added.

Burkina Faso and Moldova were the 29th and 30th countries to sign on for ratification after the Conven-

tion was opened for signature in Oslo in December 2008.

“The short time it took to reach this milestone shows that governments have a strong desire never to see these terrible weapons used again,” said Steve Goose, arms division director at Human Rights Watch.

The convention prohibits the use, production, and trade in cluster munitions and requires assistance to vic-

tims of the weapons.

“In light of this new international law, it is especially important for former users of the weapon — such as the United States, Russia, and Israel — to reexamine their positions, which put questionable claims of military necessity above the well-documented humanitarian damage cluster munitions cause,” Goose said.

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

Thursday, February 18, 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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News

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Over 65 reporters face spying charges in Iran: rights group AFP

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – More than 65 journalists, bloggers and writers have been detained in Iran since last June’s disputed presidential polls and could be tried on charges of “spying” for the foreign media, a New York-based media rights group said Tuesday.

“The picture (in Iran) is pretty gloomy,” Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) told a press conference here as he presented a worldwide 2009 survey titled “Attacks on the Press in 2009” and highlighted the detentions in Iran.

Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian correspondent for Newsweek who was jailed in Iran in June and released four months later, also told reporters that more than 100 journalists, bloggers and writers had been arrested at different periods since the elections, including the more than 65 who were still behind bars.

“They can all be accused of spying for the foreign media,” he said, noting that spying carries the death penalty in Iran.

“The government has no respect for the privacy of individuals,”

Bahari said. “The strategy of the Iranian government is to make everyone’s life, especially journalists’ lives, insecure.”

And in an alarming development, Mahoney said Iranian authorities were now using online social networks such as Facebook to target journalists and dissidents.

“The Iranian government is now using (Facebook) to go after and find dissidents and journalists, mining their data, seeing who their friends are,’ he added. “They are turning the technology that should liberate the press against the press. This is a worrying trend.”

Mahoney said the CPJ was “monitoring more and more closely the government’s attempt to censor and filter content online, to surveille journalists, to get into their contact books and generally try to disrupt their ability to use the internet as a tool for

freedom of expression.”

Last week, the United States also accused Iran of trying “a near total information blockade” to deal with anti-government protesters, calling the move unprecedented.

Based on US monitoring of networks and other information, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said it appeared that “Iran has attempted a near total information blockade.”

He added that his statement was based on US monitoring that showed the phone network was taken down, text messages blocked, satellite television jammed and the Internet “throttled.”

An Iranian opposition supporter gestures next to a burning police motorcycle set on fire during clashes

AFP/File –

King Tut likely had club foot, killed by malaria: study AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The celebrated pharaoh Tutankhamun had a club foot, walked with a cane and was killed by malaria, a study that harnessed modern genetic testing and computer technology to lift a veil on the secrets of ancient Egypt showed.

Researchers from Egypt, Italy and Germany used DNA testing to draw “the most plausible” family tree to date for Tutankhamun and computerized tomography (CT) scans to determine that the pharaoh and his forebears were unlikely to have had the feminine physiques they are depicted with in 3,000year-old artifacts.

They analyzed DNA taken from 11 mummies, including the boy king himself, and scanned all but one of the mummies to determine if they were related, look for evidence of genetic disorders and infectious diseases, and determine what killed Tutankhamun at the age of 19.

Tutankhamum — who is often referred to as King Tut — died just nine years into his reign, which lasted from 1333-1324 BC. “Many scholars have hypothesized that Tutankhamun?s death was attributable to an accident, such as a fall from his chariot or a kick by a horse or other animal; septicemia or fat embolism secondary to a femur fracture; murder by a blow to the back of the head; or poisoning,”

AFP/DDP/File –

A replica of the death mask of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun is on display in 2009 at an exhibition

the study said.

But genetic testing found evidence that Tutankhamun had been infected with plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes an often deadly form of malaria.

The scans and genetic fingerprinting carried out on Tutankhamun also showed he had several disorders, some of which ran in the family. They included a bone disease and a club foot.

So rather than the majestic ruler that Tut is often depicted as, the pharaoh was probably “a young but frail king who needed canes to walk because of the bone-necrotic and sometimes painful Koehler disease II, plus oligodactyly (hypophalangism) in the right foot and clubfoot on the left,” the study said.

Tut’s many disorders probably weakened his immune system over time, and the researchers believe he might have died when, in his immuno-deficient state, he sustained a “sudden leg fracture, possibly introduced by a fall,” which snowballed into a life-threatening condition when he contracted malaria.

Using genetic fingerprinting, the researchers also lifted the veil on another mystery surrounding King Tut: his lineage.

Using partial Y-chromosome information, the researchers determined that Akhenaten, the controversial pharaoh who ruled from around 1351-1334 BC and tried to radically transform religion in ancient Egypt, was Tut’s father, and

that Tutankhamun’s mother was Akhenaten’s sister.

Tut also sired two children, both girls, but they died in the womb, the study found.

But the researchers, led by Zahi Hawass of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, found no evidence that Tutankhamun and his father had feminine physiques as depicted in artifacts from the era.

“It is unlikely that either Tutankhamun or Akhenaten actually displayed a significantly bizarre or feminine physique,” the study said, noting that “ancient Egyptian kings typically had themselves and their families represented in an idealized fashion.”

The study represents another step in blending science and history into “molecular genealogy” and “pathogen paleogenomics of the Pharaonic era,” the authors said.

But it also raises ethical questions, in particular about when it is right to disturb the dead for a scientific study or examination, said

Howard Markel of the University of Michigan in an editorial accompanying the study.

Tut probe shows power of technology — but raises questions too Tutankhamun’s “brief reign, youthful visage, and premature death, as well as the rediscovery of his remains and tomb in 1922 (by British archaeologist Howard Carter), have fascinated Egyptologists and other historians alike for decades,” Markel wrote.

“But we have to take into account the respect that most societies have for their dead before we disturb the deceased with the wonders of 21st-century science,” Markel told AFP. Among cases where “paleo-pathology” would be justified are when a study “might improve health or might change our perception of a historical era, which I think this study does,” Markel said, adding that the study into Tutankhamun was conducted “with meticulous attention and respect for the dead.”

Indonesia...

From page 1 “Several smaller boats filled with migrants approached our boat. The migrants then came onto our boat and told us to take them to Christmas Island (Australia),” crew member Ramses said. Louhenapessy has reportedly brought more than 1,500

asylum seekers to Australia since he emerged as a key organiser of Indonesia’s peoplesmuggling operations in 1999.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has said he is “well-known to Australian and Indonesian authorities” as a people-smuggling kingpin.

International

Indonesia Today

Thursday, February 18, 2010

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Indonesian group prefers gold as dollar loses shine Agence France-Presse

AFP PHOTO/Bay ISMOYO

Presiding judge Kusno (background 2nd L) reads his verdict on giant French retailer Carrefour’s trial in Jakarta on February 17, 2010 on conducting monopoly practices. French retailer Carrefour won an appeal against an antitrust ruling that had fined the company 2.7 million USD and ordered it to sell an Indonesian subsidiary.

Carrefour wins appeal against Indonesia antitrust ruling Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - French retailer Carrefour on Wednesday won an appeal against an antitrust ruling that had fined the company 2.7 million dollars and ordered it to sell an Indonesian subsidiary.

Indonesia’s Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) in November ordered Carrefour Indonesia to sell its stake in Alfa Retailindo after it ruled it had breached competition rules by capturing more than half of the market.

But South Jakarta District Court judge Kusno ruled there was insufficient evidence that Carrefour had a monopolistic position.

“We grant the appeal of Carrefour. Carrefour cannot be proven to have breached the KPPU’s rules on conducting monopolistic practices,” he told the court.

Carrefour lawyer Ignatius Andy said: “We feel blessed by the court’s decision. The judges have been very diligent”.

“It was proven that Carrefour doesn’t conduct monopolistic prac-

tices, Carrefour doesn’t do abusive actions from a dominant position, and Carrefour doesn’t press the suppliers,” he added. KPPU official Mohammad Reza said that the antitrust body was “most likely” to appeal to the Supreme Court.

“We believe that Carrefour controls about 58 percent of the modern retail market, which enables them to conduct monopolistic practices by pressing their suppliers,” Reza said.

Carrefour, the world’s second biggest retailer, bought Alfa in 2008 for 674 billion rupiah (72.7 million dollars). It has 45 stores across Indonesia while Alfa has 30.

Australia asks AGO to stop news on death penalties Antara

JAKARTA - The Australian government has asked the Indonesian Attorney General to curb sensitive announcements to the Australian people like death penalties.

“Just now, an Australian embassy official came (to the Attorney General’s Office/AGO), asking to stop sensitive news like death penalties involving Australians for narcotic offences,” Head of the Legal Information Center Didiek Darmanto said in Jakarta Tuesday.

Especially, he said, that Australia is currently busy with a general election.

It may be recalled that three Australians

grouped in “Bali Nine”, are on the death row, but they have filed a judicial review. They are Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, and Scott Rush.

Three other Australians were also on death row, but their sentence following a judicial review had been changed to life imprisonment. They are Mattew James Norman, Tan Duc Than Nguyen, and Si Yi Cen. Earlier, the AGO has said that six on death row were ready for execution. They are Meirika Franola (narcotics), Gunawan Santosa alias Acin (narcotics), Bahar bin Matsar (murder), Jurit bin Abdullah (murder), Ibrahim bin Ujang (murder) and Suryadi Swhabuana (murder).

According to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) by December 31, 2009, a total of 112 were on death row, including 43 who were still considering a judicial review and clemency.

Nineteen are asking for clemency to the head of state, 25 filing a judicial review, 17 to appeal to the Supreme Court, and eight filing an appeal. In 2009 two on death row had passed away in a Cirebon jail, namely Benged Siahaan on May 26, 2009 due natural causes, and Edith Yunita Sianturi in the Tangerang women’s jail due to natural causes.

Thus a total of 107 are on death row, but six escaped and still at large.

JAKARTA - Guided by a Scottish-born convert to Islam, a group of devout Indonesian Muslims is shunning “worthless” paper money in favour of gold and silver coins for their daily transactions.

The followers of Sheikh Abdalqadir as-Sufi — born Ian Dallas — trade goods like food, medicine, clothes and phone cards with gold dinars and silver dirhams in line with a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Their anti-modern views sit uneasily with the naked capitalism of Indonesia’s teeming capital, the financial and political centre of one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

“History has proven that, since the prophet Mohammed, the value of one gold dinar for thousands of years has always been equal to the value of one goat,” said 33year-old Kurniawati, who runs a shop in southern Jakarta.

Hoping to follow the example of Mohammad and the first generations of Muslims, the sheikh’s followers do their shopping with dirhams worth around 30,000 rupiah (3.20 dollars) and dinars worth 1.43 million (153 dollars).

And they want the government — or preferably a worldwide Islamic caliphate — to replace paper currencies with the dinar that was used, in the words of the sheikh, “until the incursions of the kafir financiers in the Muslim lands”.

Wakala Induk Nusantara (WIN) is the body responsible for regulating the issuance and distribution of the dinar in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Coins minted in Indonesia are also in circulation in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, WIN official Riki Rokhman Azis said.

The number of dinars on the local market more than doubled in 2009 to 25,000 pieces, reflecting the movement’s growing popularity, he said.

“We decided to mint silver and gold coins in Indonesia following a fatwa issued by Sheikh Abdalqadir as-Sufi in Cape Town of South Africa, banning Muslims from using paper money,” Azis told AFP. Abdalqadir, a former playwright and actor who converted to Islam in the late 1960s, bitterly opposes modern capitalism and advocates a return to forms of Islamic law practised by the first generations after Mohammed.

These include seventh-century systems of trade and, in particular, the requirement of “zakat”, or obligatory sharing of wealth, which he says must be done with gold or silver if it is paid in money.

Recent global economic upheavals, with their origins in the US mortgage and derivatives markets, have confirmed in the eyes of the sheikh that the final victory of Islamic finance is at hand.

In a blog on his website dated February 7, the sheikh pronounces the “historical, demonstrated end” of capitalism, and claims Western governments are using the threat of terrorism to distract people from this failure.

“It is time for the enslaved billions of our world today to fear no more the exploding shoes and underpants of the idiot agents of capitalism and to learn what Islam really is,” he writes.

One of the key elements to being Muslim, he continues, is “following the messenger in all trade and contracts with honour (and) ... with real-value instruments of exchange like gold and silver”.

Some Muslims have countered that a world economy based on gold coins would lead to a powerful cartel of gold-producing countries, while others have noted the potential for market chaos if gold replaced the greenback.

But for the sheikh’s followers, such issues seem remote compared to the straightforward injunction to obey the Koran and emulate Mohammed.

“At least four people on average shop here every week with dinars, mostly buying things like rice, cooking oil, soap and clothes,” said Kurniawati, a mother-of-three who also runs a dinar exchange service.

She became convinced of the wisdom of using dinars after her husband gave her a wedding dowry in gold coins eight years ago.

“A gold coin was worth 400,000 rupiah in 2002 but now it’s at 1.45 million,” she said proudly.

Several dinar users expressed a belief that gold never lost value, even though the currency has dropped 14 percent over the past year, according to rates tracked on local website Gerai Dinar.

The rupiah, meanwhile, has gained 29.17 percent against the US dollar since February 2009, while inflation last year was a record low of 2.78 percent. Consumer prices rose 11.07 percent in 2008.

Despite its recent gains, dinar users expressed a deep distrust of the rupiah, which tanked during the 1998-1999 Asian economic crisis.

“The value of the dinar and the dirham always goes up because the price of gold never falls,” said food vendor Faturrahman.

“The price of food in rupiah, in contrast, is always rising. It gives me a headache as my income is becoming smaller and smaller.”

8

Internationa

Thursday, February 18, 2009

Bali Today Bali bomber seeks clemency in Indonesia Agence France-Presse

DENPASAR - A bomb maker convicted over the 2002 attacks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali which killed 202 people has filed for presidential clemency, an official said Tuesday.

Zaenal Abidin, 39, also known as Sarjiyo and Sawad, was found guilty of assembling the bombs used in the nightclub attacks and was sentenced to life in prison in 2004.

He submitted an appeal for clemency on January 25, Denpasar District Court spokesman Posma Nainggolan told AFP. “He’s asking the president to reduce his life sentence to a (shorter) prison sentence,”

Nainggolan said.

“His appeal will be submitted to the Supreme Court and then forwarded to the president this month.”

The Bali bombings, blamed on regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, killed 164 foreigners including 88 Australians, as well as 38 Indonesians.

Three other Islamist fanatics were executed in November 2008 for their roles in the bombings.

Forest secured Forest Squatters Denpost

JEMBRANA - Forest Protection Task Force of Jembrana has secured an illegal logger during his action in the protected forest area of Sarikuning, Melaya, on Monday (15 / 2) afternoon.

The logger was Ketut Satrem (63) from Berawan Tangi, Tukadaya, Melaya. The suspect was caught while harvesting beans in the protected forest area of Sarikuning, Melaya, about 4 km from the border of the forest.

The suspect worked on a 50 acre area of the forest since last December. While the suspect was harvesting the beans, one of the forest protection officers in the Sarikuning region provided info to the forest department and other task force officers to move and secure the suspect.

From the suspect’s hand, there were a sickle, plowing equipment and a few other agricultural tools found. The sus-

pect has made his own hut in the woods that had been torn down by officials.

Jembrana Police Chief, AKBP R Ahmad Nurwakhid accompanied by Head of Criminal Division AKP Ketut Suparta, on Tuesday (16 / 2) said the suspect is now in Jembrana police custody and has been charged with Article 50 paragraph 3 letter (a) and Article 78 paragraph 2 of Act no. 41 of 1999, threatening him with 10 years of imprisonment.

Nurwakhid said this illegal forest logger is being secured and investigated as a form of commitment to maintain the forest of Jembrana as the ‘lungs’ of Bali and hopefully teach a lesson for other uncaught offenders.

“The Police force is highly supportive to implement steps in prohibiting citizens to enter the forest. In the future, we will create a joint team to strengthen the forestry team,” he said, accompanied by Suparta. (021)

http://img2.imageshack.us

Complaints among the tourism associations on the length of service for visa on arrival (VoA) to tourists at the arrival terminal of Ngurah Rai Airport was responded by Bali House.

House to call airport authority to improve VoA Services Bali Post

DENPASAR — Complaints among the tourism associations on the length of service for visa on arrival (VoA) to tourists at the arrival terminal of Ngurah Rai Airport was responded by Bali House. Head of Commission I of Bali House, Made Arjaya, last Tuesday (Feb 16) immediately invited relevant ranks at the Ngurah Rai Airport to fix the service system in the arrival terminal.

“We will invite the Immigration, Customs and Excise and other related parties next week,” he said when contacted via phone.

His party would like to get a clear description from related parties whether the counter of VoA services needed adding or there was solution to fix the service system in foreign tourists arrival. It was intended to fix the Bali tourism image in the eyes of foreign tourists.

At separate location, Deputy Head of Commission IV of Bali House, Ketut Kariyasa Adnyana, said though Bali Provincial Government did not get a single penny from the contribution of VoA deposited by Ngurah Rai International Airport to the central government, the Government of Bali could urge the central government to increase the equipment there. Moreover, Gov-

ernor of Bali in his statement before the mass media leaders have already hinted at shooting the crowdedness at the arrival terminal by video camera to be sent to President SBY. “Frankly speaking the matter of lines in the arrival terminal was very severe. It is impossible for foreign tourists to wait for the VoA for whole day. Even, their son was crying hysterically because of the long wait for the VoA on the counter,” he said. Not to mention there was no special bus service for tourists to have a city tour in the event of flight delay.

In addition, the Ngurah Rai International Airport did not have a transit hotel as Soekarno-Hatta Airport Cengkareng. If foreign tourists benighted at the airport, they got a problem to find out a hotel to stay that night at the nearest place.

“This is a consequence as a tourist destination, if there is crowdedness at the airport regional government will only receive the impact while the foreign exchange earnings will be more precisely brought to the central government,” he said. Based on the last record, the revenue of foreign tourism reached IDR 27 trillion, while revenue of VoA in 2009 reached IDR 240 billion.

It is recognized the lack of VoA counter at Ngurah Rai airport terminals because of too many

spaces are used for commercial needs. As if there were impression, the more spaces leased for commercial outlets and more prosperous the employees would be. “We’ve always got the impression as if there were mafia at the airport. They put more emphasis on commercial aspects than on services,” said Kariyasa.

From these long queues, as if there were a sense of how to make foreign tourists being in long queue at the arrival terminal spend as much as possible before having holiday in Bali.

Actually, technical problems such as VoA matters should not be too difficult to be addressed if there was sincerity of all parties at the Ngurah Rai International Airport to provide quick and convenient services for foreign tourists. Not otherwise, it is deliberately made complicated and lengthens the time line so that they can linger in the arrival terminal so that they can spend more of their money.

Previously, Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) IB Ngurah Wijaya admitted often to get complaints from foreign parties and guests. The complaint, according to Deputy Chairman of ASITA Bali Ketut Ardana, because of the limited counter at the arrival terminal so that foreign tourists should enter into a long queue just to get the VoA. (029)

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Thursday, February 18, 2009

Balinese Culture

Three Indigenous Wisdoms in Human-Animal Relation Nature is so kind to its dwellers, namely plants, animal and human. It has provided all things or sustenance required for the survival around the clock. All require the presence of one another. However, human being is the most determining elements among the three because he is the only creature bestowed with the capability of thinking.

One of the basic principles in Hinduism is the belief in the soul. All creatures are brought to life by vital energy or soul (atman). It represents the fragment of God (Brahman). Since material body bonds them, they could not identify their pure self. Human being endowed with power, words and mind has dominant role in maintaining the relations. He considers God dwells inside all creatures. On that account, he respects them all as equal creation.

Animal particularly cattle, for instance, has helped human being in living their life. Cow has provided him with the power to plough his soil in the rice field or garden, milk for children and adult, and its dung for fertilizing the soil. Meanwhile, other cattle give human some eggs or fleshes.

As a means of thanksgiving, Hindu devotees in Bali celebrate a day in 210

days as special ceremony to their cattle.

It is called Tumpek Kandang falling on Saturday Kliwon Wuku Uye. On that day, the Hindus in Bali will celebrate it by presenting some oblations showing a deep gratitude for being given with the energy assistance, healthy drink or delicious food. The same respect is given to cultivated plants that are honored through Tumpek Pengatag or Bubuh (Saturday Kliwon Wariga) and human itself has birthday (otonan) celebrated once in 210 days on the same day as his birth, not birth date (on the same date). From the morning, girls or household mothers will be busy preparing everything for the ritual. It would be a great chance if you could see the Balinese perform the procession.

Since human being has a mind, there is an opportunity for him to get reunion with God because he can think and learn about God. This denotes another belief of Hinduism, namely moksha.

Meanwhile, animal and plant do not have this opportunity. However, human being can provide help for this purpose in order the soul of animal and plant can reach higher level in their next life.

Dharma Caruban manuscript describes the correct way to slaughter animals and to take plants for the use of rituals. Before slaughtering them,

they are given particular mantra in the hope they could reach higher level of life in the next reincarnation. This treatment is equally given to any plants, fish (ekapada), fowl (dwipada) and fourlegged animals (catur pada).

Regarding to this human-animal relation, there is another manuscript, namely Darmaning Pemaculan or Shri Tattwa, describing about spiritual farming-related activities, ranging from how to build different sizes of dam, land cultivation and plant’s disease eradication to rituals held in each phase of the activity. In handling plant’s disease, local farmers remain to say prayers in order God or His manifestation keeps the animal properly, not disturb the plants. As the compensation for the animals, devotees will present proper food (lelabaan). Otherwise, the farmers will set up trap or natural poison.

When getting in touch with human life, all animals are treated as God’s creation and communication maintained.

Human offers thanksgiving oblation for the help extended; invocation for better life when animals are in use for rituals ingredients; acknowledgment and repressive action to plant diseases if they attack human plants. In short, he remains to give proper treatment as equal God’s creation. (BTN/punia)

Bebek Menyayad (Duck Curry)

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

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

Ingredients: 1 whole duck, weighing about 2 kg 8 cups coconut milk 2 lemon grass, bruised 2 salam leaves 1 tbsp salt 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed fried shallots Spice paste: 12 shallots, peeled and sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 4 red chilies 2.5 cm galangal (laos), peeled and sliced 2.5 cm kencur, peeled and sliced 5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced 2 tsp coriander, crushed 3 candlenuts 1 tsp dried shrimp paste ¼ tsp black peppercorns, crushed pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 cloves 3 tbsp oil Preparation: Cut the duck into 12 pieces and pat dry.

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

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

Godoh

(Fried Bananas) Overview: Fried bananas is popular throughout Southeast Asia, where they are abundant and inexpensive. The slow frying technique used in this recipe ensures that the bananas remain crisp after cooking.

Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour 2/3 cup water ¼ tsp salt 8 small finger bananas Oil for frying Preparation: Place rice flour in deep mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour, and add water and salt. Whisk vigorously until batter is evenly smooth for coating and not too thin (if too thin, add more rice flour).

Peel bananas and cut in half lengthwise. Dip into batter to coat generously. Heat oil in wok or deep fryer until moderately hot. Add bananas and fry slowly until golden brown and crispy. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove bananas from oil, drain on paper napkins and dry well. Can be served with until, here used as a dip. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

9

10

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Destinations

International

Puri Agung Karangasem PURI Agung Karangasem or Karangasem Palace is one of palaces exist in Amlapura Town, east part of Bali owns the unique building architecture. If we see from palace ichnography, Puri Agung Karangasem owns two types those are the older shares with traditional ichnography and the at new building own the modern ichnography even its building name use the modern name like Maskerdam from word Amsterdam, London, Betawi, Yogya and others. The buildings are mostly decorated by Chinese architecture. The door is decorated by Barong Sai ornament and other basreliefs ornament at door leaf is fully patterned from china.

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A lot of tourist have visited this place and from Denpasar town only 2 hours to the east way. (www.balistarisland.com)

What to See? The ichnography at ancient building is still following the traditional pattern of Puri/palace. It is starting from the entrance south part of palace which is called Bancingah or Ancak Saji, then step into the middle area call Jaba/Petandakan/ Pamengkang and it is referred by last Loji, the king residence. The building form types are still keep-

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

11

BUSINESS Crisis forces 17 million Asians into deep poverty: ADB, UN

The US Treasury building is seen in this March 23, 2009 file photo in Washington, DC. China’s holdings of US Treasury bonds tumbled in December, allowing Japan to take over as the top

Agence France-Presse

holder of Ameri-

MANILA - Seventeen million Asians have fallen into extreme poverty due to the global financial crisis, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations said on Wednesday.

can government debt, according to Treasury data

And another four million could this year slip into the same situation due to the effects of the slump, officials from the two organisations said at the launch of a joint report on poverty alleviation in Manila.

This is on top of the 900 million people in Asia who are already living in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than 1.25 dollars a day.

Asia had shown great progress in bringing people out of poverty in recent years, ADB vice-president Ursula SchaeferPreuss told reporters.

“But gains are being reversed due to the economic crisis,” she said.

UN under-secretary General Noeleen Heyzer said that people in the export and tourism sectors in Asia had lost and were still losing their jobs due to the crisis, which swept across the globe in late 2008.

Less foreign investment, aid and remittances from overseas workers were further hurting Asia’s poor, Heyzer said.

The report said more women, who form the majority of Asia’s low-skilled and temporary workforce, than men had been forced back into extreme poverty due to the crisis.

UN assistant secretary-general Ajay Chhibber said the Asia-Pacific was doing quite well in areas such as infrastructure in achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals that are aimed at bringing people out of poverty.

“But it lags woefully behind in social issues,” he said.

Even Latin America and Eastern Europe had better “social protections” than Asia such as pensions and unemployment insurance, Chhibber said.

Only two to three percent of gross domestic product in Asia goes to such social protections, he said, adding that this figure should ideally be four to six percent.

This meant large numbers of Asians could fall back into poverty during the crisis or even during natural disasters, he said.

Upbeat Australia launches free trade push Agence France-Presse

SYDNEY - Australia will resume stalled talks with China within days as it pursues an ambitious free-trade push following its strong recovery from the global downturn, Trade Minister Simon Crean said.

He said discussions with China would open in Canberra next week, while Australia was also in talks with Japan and South Korea and was studying a deal with India.

He said Canberra and Beijing were strongly committed to free-trade negotiations which stumbled on technical issues before diplomatic ties suffered a series of setbacks last year.

“The key market access areas of these negotiations have been difficult, and negotiations have taken longer than we would have hoped,” Crean told Australia’s Foreign Correspondents’ Association on Tuesday.

“But high-level political commitment on both sides remains.”

Rapidly industrialising China has become Canberra’s biggest trading partner with deals worth 76 billion Australian dollars (68 billion US) over the past financial

year as it sucks in vast quantities of Australia’s resources.

Vice premier Li Keqiang recommitted China to a free-trade deal in October during a fence-mending visit after the arrest of an Australian mining executive and a row over a visit by exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.

Australia relied heavily on Asia as it became the only advanced economy to avoid recession during the downturn, with Japan, China, South Korea and India its top four export markets.

Australia’s free-trade deal with the 10nation ASEAN came into force last month, and it will start negotiating a trans-Pacific pact with the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, Peru and Vietnam in March.

However, Crean also stressed Australia’s commitment to a world trade pact under the Doha round of negotiations, which has missed repeated deadlines.

Treasury secretary Ken Henry last week declared the global downturn over as official data showed unemployment fell to 5.3 percent in January, its third successive drop.

released on February 16, 2010.

AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER

China seen flexing financial muscle amid US tensions Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - China may be flexing its financial muscle by cutting back on its massive holding of US Treasury bonds as tensions rise between the two powers on multiple fronts, some analysts say.

China slashed its bond holding by 34.2 billion dollars or 4.3 percent to 755.4 billion dollars in December, fueling the biggest drop in the foreign purchase of short-term US bonds, according to Treasury data released Tuesday.

It was also the biggest drop in Chinese bond holdings since August 2000 and allowed Japan to regain its position as the top holder of American government debt after a 15-month hiatus.

Japan’s holding increased to 768.8 billion dollars in December from 757.3 billion dollars the previous month, said the Treasury’s latest international capital data report.

The decline in the Chinese holding came amid deteriorating relations with the United States amid problems in several areas, and after Beijing expressed concern about the ballooning US fiscal deficit.

Some analysts believe Beijing may be flexing its financial leverage on US President Barack Obama’s administration.

“The last few months of net sales of US Treasuries by China might also contain a subtle economic and political message to the US,” Eswar Prasad, a trade policy professor at Cornell University and former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division, told AFP. “Chinese leaders are deploying their reserves to try and pressure the US to stop haranguing China about its currency and trade policies and to back off from interference in its domestic political and human rights issues,” he said.

In the latest US-China dispute, President Barack Obama’s administration rebuffed Beijing’s demand to cancel his meeting this week with the Dalai Lama.

The deepening public spat over Tibet, a row over US arms sales to Taiwan, China’s dispute with Google and trade and currency disagreements, come

at a key diplomatic moment, as Obama seeks Chinese help to toughen sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

“While China may reduce its holdings of US debt in order to send a signal to Washington — though this is not necessarily the only reason it would do so — it has no intention of selling debt to the point that it wrecks the US economic recovery, since doing so would destroy China’s own economic and socio-political stability,” analysts at US think tank Stratfor said in a note to clients.

China is highly dependent on US export markets and invests the bulk of its nearly 2.4 trillion dollars in foreign exchange reserves in US bonds.

The United States receives a large volume of low-cost imports from China while Beijing’s Treasury bond holding virtually finances the snowballing US budget and current account deficits.

Nicholas Lardy, a China expert at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, told AFP that the December drop in China’s Treasury bond holdings was “very small” and one should not read too much into it.

Beijing also holds more than 400 billion dollars in US agency debt such as those of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, effectively making its bond holding much larger, to about one trillion dollars, he pointed out.

In addition, Lardy said, the Treasury data might not include securities held in “street names.”

China has consistently raised concerns about the mushrooming US debt, fearing it could erode the value of the dollar and its Treasury holding.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner traveled to Beijing in June last year to reassure Chinese leaders, saying their money is “very safe” despite the US budget deficit, which he pledged to cut.

Obama, who inherited a US economy on the brink of collapse, is scheduled to sign an executive order Thursday establishing a bipartisan commission to study ways to reduce the deficit, which could hit a record 1.556 trillion dollars by the end of the 2010 fiscal year on September 30.

12

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Entertainment

International

Jessica Simpson Slams Billy Corgan Dating Rumors JESSICA Simpson has played down rumors she’s dating Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, insisting she’s enjoying life as a single girl. The odd couple sparked reports of a romance in December after the stars were snapped together during a night out.

Simpson later revealed they had teamed up in the studio to record a new song, but refused to publicly address the dating claims. Corgan also failed to put a stop to the rumors last week when he dodged questions about the status of their relationship.

When asked if he was dating “Jessica”, the 42 year old told Eonline.com, “Jessica Rabbit? She’s a cartoon character. I don’t know if you knew that. They did such a good job on the movie that you swore she was real.”

However, Simpson has dismissed the speculation in a new interview, telling Allure magazine, “I’m on my own, and it’s nice.” The singer/actress, whose previous partners include Nick Lachey, John Mayer and football quarterback Tony Romo, admits she is looking for “an artistic man” to date. She says, “It will show you the colors of my character, the person that I fall in love with next. I don’t even have a type!

I don’t have a physical type.

I have an emotional type.”

Sean Penn Calls On President Obama For Continued Haiti Support ACTOR Sean Penn has urged President Barack Obama to keep the American military in Haiti for as long as possible - because the country is like a war zone in the aftermath of January’s earthquake.

Looting of stores and homes has been rife in the capital Port-au-Prince since the disaster, and U.S. troops were sent to the Caribbean nation to help relief efforts and keep order on the streets. More than 7,000 officials were pulled from duty over the weekend, amid claims by U.S. General Douglas Fraser that “the need (for military) has decreased.”

However Penn, who has set up a fundraising organization in the wake of the disaster, is urging Obama to keep a large troop presence in Haiti.

He tells Larry King, “Right now you have a million displaced people.

I would say 750,000 are in dire need of either medical aid or food and almost all in terms of shelter. In this case, there’s no question. I think this is the most noble mission likely that the United States military has been involved in since World War II, but I support the military in right wars or unright wars. The problem is the use of the military and the misuse of it at times.”

“In this instance, this is the most efficient force in the country. And I would plead to our president that he keeps the United States military there for longer than I understand is currently planned.”

AP Photo/Andy Paradise

Lady Gaga performs at the Brit Awards 2010 at Earls Court exhibition center in London, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010.

Emotional Lady Gaga sweeps UK’s Brit Awards FLAMBOYANT chanteuse Lady Gaga swept the U.K.’s Brit Awards Tuesday winning three categories and offering an emotional tribute to Alexander McQueen, the British fashion designer who died last week.

Gaga collected awards for best international female artist, best international breakthrough act and best international album for “The Fame,” and performed at the ceremony wearing a towering white wig and lace veil — complete with ornate lace eyebrows.

At points, the singer appeared overcome with emotion and paid tribute to McQueen as she collected her first prize — referring to the designer by the name Lee. “Thank you to Lee McQueen,” Gaga said, her voice strained. Gaga, a friend of McQueen, recently wore his iconic lobster-claw shoes in her “Bad Romance” music video. The designer was found dead Thursday after apparently committing suicide.

The awards are the British equivalent of the Grammys, with most winners selected by a vote of more

than 1,000 industry members.

U.S. rapper Jay-Z also claimed an award, for best international male, during a ceremony at London Earl’s Court arena. Other international nominees had included Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Jay-Z, Michael Buble and Shakira. British boy band JLS claimed an award for best domestic breakthrough act, while recently split rockers Oasis won a one-off prize when their “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” was named best British album of the last 30 years. Kasabian

were named best British band.

Former “Take That” member and solo artist Robbie Williams received a special award for contribution to music. Prince Harry addressed the ceremony in a recorded video message, giving the show — which has sometimes taken a raucous turn in the past — a royal stamp of approval.

Harry, third in line to the British crown, praised the awards as a celebration of “all that is totally wonderful and unique about British music.”

Sandra Bullock ‘Scared’ Of Life After The Oscars SANDRA Bullock’s Academy Award nomination has left her feeling “scared” - because she doesn’t know where her career will take her next.

Bullock picked up her first Oscar nod earlier this month for her role in The Blind Side, and is facing stiff competition from previous winners Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren, as well as hot newcomers Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe.

However, although she is honored to be selected as a potential winner of Hollywood’s leading accolade, Bullock admits the nomination is daunting - and she has turned down any future projects until the Oscar buzz calms down.

She says, “I think it scares me more than anything because you think, ‘What do I do now?’ I don’t know what could possibly compare to this moment or this energy so I’ve decided not to look at work until this is all over so I can make a real judgment. I’d like to work hard for another 10-15 years, so if this is what that means, bring it.”

Life Style

International

Backdropped

by Earth’s horizon and the blackness of space, a portion of the International Space Station is featured in this image provided

by NASA and photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station Monday Feb. 15, 2010.

AP Photo/NASA

Astronauts unveil phenomenal new window on world Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In a highly anticipated grand finale to their mission, astronauts opened the shutters on the International Space Station’s new observation deck Wednesday and were humbled by “absolutely spectacular” views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of windows. The $27 million lookout opened each of its seven eyes one window at a time as the crews of the station and shuttle Endeavour carried out their third and final spacewalk.

It was the moment everyone had been waiting for: The round central window — the largest ever flown in space — was the first exposed as astronauts inside cranked open the shutter as they sailed 220 miles above the South Pacific. “As expected, the view through window seven is absolutely spectacular,” space station commander Jeffrey Williams said. “When we have the others around it open, it will give us a view of the entire globe. Absolutely incredible.”

Mission Control set the night’s mood by beaming up a recording of Jimmy Buffett’s “Window on the World.” “I don’t think space station’s ever going to be the same after this,” Mission Control said in a congratulatory call. The astronauts closed the round shutter covering the window, which measures 31 inches across, after three minutes to test the mechanisms. They repeated the process until all the windows were checked, opening the last two as the linked shuttle and space station flew above France and Greece.

It was a satisfying conclusion to this construction mission for the 11 astronauts. Though Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken completed a multitude of other chores

during Tuesday night’s spacewalk, including opening valves on an ammonia coolant line they previously installed on Tranquility, a new room that the astronauts connected to the space station last Friday.

“Great job raising the curtains on the bay window to the world,” astronaut Kay Hire called out to the spacewalkers.

“I look forward to the view from inside,” Patrick said. Mission Control wanted the shutters opened while the spacewalkers were still floating outside so the two men could intercede if something jammed. Behnken and Patrick stayed a safe 10 feet or more from the windows while the shutters were raised. The last thing NASA wanted was to have one of them inadvertently kick a window or bang it with a tool bag. The observation deck is part of Tranquility, a more than $380 million addition. Space shuttle Endeavour delivered the European compartments last week.

The Italian-built dome — 5 feet tall and nearly 10 feet in diameter — is designed to offer sweeping 360-degree views of the home planet and outer space, as well as the space station itself. It’s not just for the crew’s viewing pleasure; a robotic work station will be in-

stalled early Thursday, providing direct views for astronauts when they operate the station’s big mechanical arm.

Six trapezoid-shaped windows encircle the dome. In the middle is the circular window. During normal operations, the space station crew will be able to keep the round window unshuttered most of the time, along with a couple others. But the windows facing along the direction the outpost is orbiting will need to be closed, except during robotic operations, to protect the fused silica glass against micrometeorite strikes.

Each window has four panes.

The shutters swung open when the spacewalkers were back inside. The nearly six-hour excursion ended a little early because of the risk of elevated carbon dioxide levels in Behnken’s suit; he was fine, but flight controllers did not want to take any chances. Endeavour and its crew of six will depart the space station Friday and return to Earth on Sunday.

The next shuttle visit has been delayed. Discovery had been scheduled to blast off in mid-March with spare parts and science experiments, but a string of unusually cold weather stalled preparations. The launch is now targeted for April 5. Only four more shuttle flights remain.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

13

Tut’s ills won’t kill fascination, historians say Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO – It turns out Egypt’s beloved boy-king wasn’t so golden after all — or much of a wild and crazy guy, for that matter. But will research showing King Tut was actually a hobbled, weak teen with a cleft palate and club foot kill enthusiasm for a mummy that has fascinated the world for nearly a century?

Not likely, historians say, even though the revelations hardly fit the popular culture depiction of a robust, exotically handsome young pharaoh, or a dancing “how’d-youget-so-funky” phenom a la Steve Martin. The comedian parodied Tut on “Saturday Night Live” during a blockbuster King Tut traveling exhibit in the late 1970s, which packed U.S. museums and spawned a miniindustry in Tut tchotchkes.

“This is one sick kid,” Egyptologist Emily Teeter, assistant curator at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, said after learning of the research. It shows that, based on DNA tests and CT scans, Tut had a genetic bone disease and malaria, which combined with a severe broken leg could have been what killed him about 3,300 years ago at age 19. The results appear in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association. They cast doubt on popular theories about what did him in, even though falling off a chariot or being murdered by a sneaky palace foe fit the royal image better than a raging infection.

The findings stem from the most rigorous research yet on a mummy that has fascinated the world ever since his largely intact, treasurefilled tomb was found nearly 90 years ago. But historians say the new evidence will likely only intensify public interest in King Tut because it brings the boy ruler down to Earth. “It makes him all the more human and all the more fascinating,” said Dr. Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan. Tut has long been big business.

The 1970s Tut exhibit drew millions of visitors to U.S. museums, and a popular revival including artifacts from his tomb and others’ has been traveling around the United States for the past several years and is currently at San Francisco’s DeYoung Museum.

Egypt’s economy depends a great deal on tourism, which brings in around $10 billion a year in revenues. The King Tut exhibit at Cairo’s Egyptian Museum is one of the crown jewels of the country’s ancient past and features a stunning array of treasures including Tut’s most iconic relic — the golden funeral mask. Another tourist destination is Tut’s tomb tucked into the desert hills of Luxor’s Valley of the Kings. In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it and the trove of fabulous gold and precious stones inside, propelling the once-forgotten pharaoh into global stardom. Hundreds of tourists come daily to the tomb to see Tut’s mummy, which has been on display there since 2007.

Though historically Tut was a minor king, the grander image “is embedded in our psyche” and the new revelations won’t change that, said James Phillips, a curator at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.

“Reality is reality, but it’s not going to change his place in the folk heroism of popular culture,” Phillips said. “The way he was found, what was found in his grave — even though he was a minor king, it has excited the imagination of people since 1922.” The new research led by Egypt’s top archaeologist, Zahi Hawass, bolsters previous theories that Tut’s father was likely the Pharaoh Akhenaten, and that Tut’s mother was Akhenaten’s sister.

That incestuous lineage would explain some of his ailments, including the bone disease that runs in families and is more likely to be passed down if two first-degree relatives marry and have children.

AP Photo/Amr Nabil

In this Feb. 15, 2010 photo, tourists crowd around the golden mask of Egypt’s famous king Tutankhamun at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt’s famed King Tutankhamun suffered from a cleft palate and club foot, likely forcing him to walk with a cane, and died from complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria, according to the most extensive study ever of his mummy.

14

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sport

International

Durant leads Thunder to seventh straight victory Reuters -

OKLAHOMA CITY - Kevin Durant extended his impressive scoring streak with another 25point haul as the Oklahoma City Thunder won for the seventh time in a row, a 99-86 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Fresh from participating in his first All-Star game, Durant racked up 25 points for a 26th straight game, the longest such run since Allen Iverson completed the feat for 27 successive games in the 2000-01 season.

The third-year forward top all scorers despite shooting a mediocre 9-for-28 from the field, but he also contributed a game-high 14 rebounds to spoil the debut of Dallas’s new acquisitions.

Dallas traded for high-scoring forward Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood and reserve DeShawn Stevenson during the All-Star weekend but the reinforcements could not prevent the

Mavericks (32-21) from suffering a sixth loss in their last eight games.

Butler made just 4-of-16 shots and had 13 points while Dirk Nowitzki paced Dallas with 24.

“We didn’t make shots,” Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd said.

“I think we started pressing. It just didn’t work out.” Oklahoma City surged ahead in the third quarter by scoring 14 straight points to pull ahead 73-59, a lead that swelled to 17 early in the fourth. Point guard Russell Westbrook recorded 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds to go with 17 each from forward Jeff Green and reserve James Harden.

The Thunder started slowly and

were 10 points adrift after the first quarter but erupted for 40 points in the second to take a 56-54 halftime advantage. After under-achieving for several years, the youthful squad is in the thick of the Western Conference playoff mix while extending their longest win streak since 2004, when the franchise was located in Seattle.

Meanwhile, Mavericks center Erick Dampier exited the game with less than three minutes left due to a dislocated finger that could force him out for several games. His absence will put extra pressure on new big man Haywood, who had seven points and six rebounds in his first outing with Dallas.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, left, looks for a teammate to pass to as he is defended by Dallas center Erick Dampier, right, in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. Durant had 25 points as Oklahoma City won 99-86.

Venus eases through in Dubai, Nalbandian wins first competitive Wozniacki made to fight match after hip surgery Reuteres -

Reuters -

DUBAI - Defending champion Venus Williams eased into the third round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki had to recover from 1-5 and save a set point to defeat Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 7-6 while second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova received a walkover when Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues withdrew with a back injury.

Israel’s Shahar Peer lined up a meeting with Denmark’s Wozniacki with a decisive 6-2 62 win over 2009 runner-up Virginie Razzano of France.

Williams needed to be patient against an opponent who struck several spectacular winners but failed to find consistency in the face of some strong serving and baseline play from the third-seeded American. Williams broke for 4-2 after Lisicki struck two double faults and then netted a forehand. Another break at 5-2 sealed the set, but Williams faced more of a challenge in the second as Lisicki held a break point at 0-0 and three more at 2-2.

Williams once again broke to lead 4-2 with a forehand winner and although Lisicki hit a winning return in the next game to recover the break she then netted a back-

BUENOS AIRES - Former world number three David Nalbandian made a winning return to the circuit from hip surgery when he beat Italian Potito Starace 6-2 7-6 in the first round of the Buenos Aires Open on Tuesday.

The 2002 Wimbledon finalist celebrated after his first competitive match in nine months as if he had won a final and said the victory was a weight off his shoulders and answered his own questions as to how he would cope.

“You don’t know how you’re going to react in particular situations like being 4-4 or having your service broken,” Nalbandian told a news conference. “It’s more that uncertainty than playing well or badly (that concerned me),” he said. Second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, fresh from winning the Brasil Open on Sunday, crushed Ricardo Mello of Brazil 61 6-2 but local fans were more interested in Nalbandian’s return.

The Argentine said playing in front of his home crowd helped to counter the fact that clay was not his favourite. His comeback was not helped by the weather, a torrential rainstorm interrupting play straight after he had taken the first set on Monday evening.

“Yesterday I hit my (service) returns better, today the ball was faster and the wind did not help,” he said. “But it was a good come-

(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Venus Williams returns the ball to Germany’s Sabine Lisicki during the 3rd day of Dubai Tennis Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. hand on break point to give Williams a 5-3 lead. Williams told reporters: “She was really going for it and playing aggressively, but I definitely was able to get a feel after the first set for what she was doing.” Russian Vera Zvonareva, playing her sixth match in six days after winning the Pattaya title in Thailand on Sunday, thrashed Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-0 6-0.

In contrast, sixth-seeded Serb

Jelena Jankovic struggled before overcoming Aravane Rezai of France 4-6 6-4 7-5 and Chinese eighth seed Li Na was stretched before winning six of the last seven games to overcome Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 7-6 2-6 6-4. Fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva was forced to retire against Daniela Hantuchova due to a shoulder injury with the Slovak leading 6-4 1-1.

back. I hesitated very little, hardly at all. I’ll take things day by day.

I’ll need four, five, six tournaments to (start) getting the rhythm of the circuit.”

A fresh Nalbandian, winner of the season-ending Tour Finals in 2005, raced into a 4-0 lead in Monday’s opening set but was made to work harder on Tuesday although he clinched the second set bu dominating the tiebreak, which he took 7-2. Nalbandian had been due to make his comeback at Auckland in January but pulled out after straining a stomach muscle in training and also missed the Australian Open.

The 28-year-old hopes to play well in Buenos Aires, where he won the title in 2008, and then represent Argentina in the Davis Cup world group first round tie with Sweden from March 5-7.

Argentina will be without U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in Stockholm. He is recovering from a right wrist in jury that affected his performances in Australia. Another local favourite, Juan Ignacio Chela, also cheered the home fans with a 7-6 7-5 win over Richard Gasquet, who was looking for a fresh start under new Argentine coach Gabriel Markus after the Frenchman’s doping suspension woes. Spaniard Carlos Moya, winner in Buenos Aires in 2003 and 2006, beat Italian qualifier Filippo Volandri 6-2 7-5.

Sport

International

Thursday, February 18, 2010

15

Real sunk by Makoun’s spectacular goal for Lyon Reuters -

LYON, France - A spectacular goal by Jean Makoun gave Olympique Lyon a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday, handing the Spaniards their first away defeat in this season’s competition. Lyon picked up a third successive home win over Real in the Champions League after the Cameroon midfielder drove a stunning 25-metre shot into the top corner of the net in the 47th minute.

Real, who last reached the quarter-finals in 2004, dominated possession but failed to create many chances despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s efforts up front. The Madrid club, hoping to reach the final in May at their own Bernabeu stadium, host Lyon in the second leg on March 10.

“Lyon were physically very strong, they ran a lot and prevented us from playing our game. We weren’t able to find the solutions,” Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini told reporters.

“This is a bad result for us as we conceded a goal and weren’t able to score one. We’ll have to put our game in order in the second leg but I have confidence in my players and I am sure we are able to do it,” he added. Lyon coach Claude Puel said his players could not be complacent despite having a slight

advantage.

“We played a really good game tonight against a good team and we managed to play at a higher level both individually and collectively,” he told reporters. “I just slightly regret that we did not score a second goal after the break. The most important part of the job is still to come.

There is a second leg and the only positive result is to qualify,” he added. Nine-times European champions Real took control in the first half without seriously threatening home goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Ronaldo tried to set up Gonzalo Higuain in the box with a clever back-heel but Lyon’s defenders reacted more quickly than the Argentine striker. Sidney Govou went close for Lyon with two early volleys and the hosts almost broke the

deadlock before the interval when a superb long-range volley by Cesar Delgado hit the post. Makoun put the home team in front soon after the restart and Lisandro Lopez almost made it 2-0 when he shot just wide.

Lloris then saved a deflected shot by Ronaldo and another attempt by Higuain from close range to keep a clean sheet.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, left,challenges for the ball with Lyon’s Jean II Makoun of Cameroon during their Champions League round of 16 soccer match in group E, Tuesday, Feb. 16 , 2010, in Lyon stadium, central France.

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (right) and AC Milan’s Daniele Bonera battle for the ball during their Champions League, round of 16, first leg match at the San Siro, Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb.16, 2010. At left is David Beckham.

(AP Photo / Martin Rickett)

Ferguson credits Rooney for United’s win in Milan Reuters -

MILAN - Alex Ferguson thanked his lucky stars for having Wayne Rooney in red-hot form after Manchester United came away from AC Milan with a 3-2 victory in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday.

United were fortunate to be level at 1-1 before the England striker headed two second-half goals.

“It’s devastating form, they just couldn’t handle him second half. I thought he was marvellous,” United manager Ferguson told a news conference before being asked to compare Rooney to the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. “His basic ability is as good as the players you talk about. What we said he has to do is improve his goalscoring and now that he is... he must be regarded alongside these players.”

Seven-times champions Milan took an early lead through Ronaldinho and really should have at least doubled their advantage before Paul Scholes equalised with a fluke goal that hit his

standing leg nine minutes before the break.

Clarence Seedorf pulled one back for the hosts five minutes from time and United’s Michael Carrick was sent off for two bookings in injury time meaning he will miss the second leg on March 10.

“I think we could have lost a few goals tonight.

The first 20 minutes was a bad period for us. For 20 minutes we lost composure. Once we got going, we played well,” Ferguson said. “We could have been 2 or 3 down. But I don’t think it was fortunate.” Milan’s rookie boss Leonardo disagreed with Ferguson and felt United had been lucky.

“I think we didn’t score the goals we deserved. Manchester United managed to take 100 percent of their chances,” the Brazilian said, ruing several chances which only just missed. “It’s a question of centimetres unfortunately. You can’t play 90 minutes at the same rhythm we started the game with. I can’t criticise my side. Scholes’ was a very lucky goal. I don’t think to win 2-0 at Old Trafford is a totally impossible thing.”

(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

Late Barry equaliser lifts Man City up to fourth Reuters -

LONDON - Gareth Barry scored five minutes from time to give Manchester City a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Tuesday and lift Roberto Mancini’s men above Liverpool into fourth place in the Premier League. City moved on to 45 points from 25 matches, one ahead of Liverpool who have played one game more.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis said his side, reduced to 10-men after 53 minutes when skipper Abdoulaye Faye was sent off, were denied victory by a poor decision from referee Alan Wiley.

Wiley disallowed what would have been a stoppage time winner from Ryan Shawcross, ruling that the defender fouled goalkeeper Shay Given as he headed home from a long Rory Delap throw-in. “We should have beaten them at the end, the goal at the end was a good

goal and its been taken away from us by a poor decision,” said Pulis.

“It is pretty poor really, you just hope you get the same as other clubs. You just hope for parity, and we haven’t got that tonight.”

Faye was shown a straight red card for bringing down Emmanuel Adebayor as the striker collected a long ball from the back.

Despite that blow, Stoke took the lead when City failed to clear after 72 minutes and a mishit hoof from Adam Johnson fell to Glenn Whelan 20 metres out whose shot beat the diving Given.

City failed to create a real scoring chance until midfielder Barry scored their equaliser late on. A long ball into the Stoke box was headed on by Adebayor and after Barry’s hooked shot hit a post, his second effort from the rebound beat goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

(AP Photo/Simon Dawson)

Manchester City’s Gareth Barry , centre, shoots the ball past Stoke City’s Thomas Sorensen, right,during their English Premier League soccer match at the Britannia stadium, Stoke, England. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010.

16

Thursday, February 18, 2010

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

Sport

Kubica pleased with Renault’s progress

Jorge Lorenzo could yet miss the final pre-season test in Qatar as well as next week’s Sepang sessions due to his hand injury

Lorenzo could miss rest of testing JORGE Lorenzo could yet miss the final pre-season test in Qatar as well as next week’s Sepang sessions due to his hand injury.

The Yamaha rider suffered a fracture in his right hand and a displaced thumb when he fell while training on a motocross bike last Thursday. He had surgery in Barcelona immediately and has to wear hand protection for up to six weeks while he recovers.

Yamaha has already ruled out Lorenzo’s participation in the Sepang test next week, but hopes he will be back in action for the Losail test on 18-19 March. However Lorenzo’s spokesperson Hector Martin told the official MotoGP website that the recovery may take longer than had been first hoped.

“At the moment there are serious doubts as to whether Jorge will be fully recovered for the Qatar test,” Martin said. “We must wait and see how his injury and rehabilitation go after he has his stitches removed, which will be next Friday or Monday.”

The traditional pre-season test at Jerez has been removed under this year’s truncated winter schedule, with the field only getting the two Sepang tests and the days in Qatar before the first round, which takes place at Losail on 9-11 April.

ROBERT Kubica says he has been pleased with the progress made by his Renault team in testing, despite a discreet showing in the opening two sessions. Renault was one of the first teams to unveil its 2010 challenger, with which the French squad is aiming for a strong season after a few disappointing years.

Kubica, joining the team from BMW Sauber, believes the team is heading in the right direction. “Although the bad weather has affected our track time, we’ve made a lot of progress, particularly last week in Jerez where we found some good performance,” said Kubica. “What is important is that the car is not too sensitive and that makes it easier to find a good set-up.

“There are a few things still to come for the other tests that will make me feel even better in the car and which will also make it quicker, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

The Pole, who has only raced with BMW Sauber in Formula 1 so far, admitted he is already feeling at home with his new team.

“It already feels like home and it’s a nice group of people to work with,” he added. “I had an idea of what Renault would be like before I joined and it has been just as I expected. The team is very motivated and looking Robert Kubica says he has been forward to the big challenge we pleased with the progress made have ahead of us to bring by his Renault team in testing, Renault back to the front of the despite a discreet showing in grid.” the opening two sessions “Everybody is working hard and it was nice to see such a quick response from the guys in the factory to make the changes we needed after the Valencia test in time for Jerez.”