Edisi 26 April 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 79 2st Year

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Monday, April 26, 2010

Shortsighted to oppose bank tax, IMF warns PAGE 11

Spitzer documentary premieres at Tribeca Film Fest PAGE 12

AP

Ribbons in the colors of the Thai national flag hangs in the foreground during a pro-government rally.

Thai protesters vow to hold key Bangkok sites AP

BANGKOK – Thai protesters occupying key areas of Bangkok vowed Sunday to fight until victory following a breakdown of negotiations and a televised appearance by the prime minister that offered no solution to the weekslong, sometimes bloody crisis.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva spoke in a nationally televised interview alongside the army chief Sunday, in an apparent effort to

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dispel persistent rumors of a rift between Abhisit and the military.

The broadcast came a day after Abhisit’s rejection of a compromise

offer by the so-called Red Shirts — who say the current government is illegitimate and are demanding new elections — dashed hopes that a peaceful way

could be found to end the standoff.

“We won’t go home until we win,” a protest leader, Khwanchai Praipana, told supporters following Abhisit’s appearance. He also urged protesters in provincial areas to confront police and military trying to stop reinforcements from entering Bangkok from provincial areas.

Continued on page 6

RI’s president to open WGC 2010 Indonesia has 40 percent of world geothermal potency IBP

DENPASAR – The potency of geothermal in Indonesia estimated around 28,000 MW or 40 percent from all the potency in the world.

Unfortunately, from those potency that existing in Indonesia only 1,189 MW that being used as power plant.

Chairman of The Organizing Committee World Geothermal Congress (WGC) 2010 Herman Darnel Ibrahim accompanied by President Indonesian Geothermal Association (INAGA) Dr. Ir. Surya Darma, MBA stated that during the press briefing of WGC 2010 on Sunday.

Herman said these days Indonesia hoped to increase their geothermal power plant by adding around 4,000 MW until 2015. It

is also estimated that by 2025, Indonesia will increase the geothermal use as electricity to 9,500 MW. To know the latest technology about this renewable energy, said Herman, the international geothermal association held the world geothermal congress every five year.

This year, the WGC is held in Bali and around 2,500 participants from 85 countries will attend this five days meeting. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open this world congress today. ‘’During this five days meeting we will sign contracts on geothermal projects around the world. There are several projects in Indonesia that also will be signed in this meeting,” explain Herman.

Continued on page 6

Chairman of The Organizing Committee World Geothermal Congress (WGC) 2010 Herman Darnel Ibrahim (right) accompanied by President Indonesian Geothermal Association (INAGA) Dr. Ir. Surya Darma, MBA during the press briefing of WGC 2010 on Sunday.

2

International

Monday, April 26, 2010

Bali News Dozens of Contract Employees Appeared Officials Silence Dispenda Gianyar (Bali Post) -

Dozens of names of contract workers are now back within Dispenda Gianyar. About sixteen names of contract employees will be assigned in a number of markets in the Gianyar regency. Unfortunately, these names appear just like that, without a clear transparent recruitment earlier.

Against this, some officials are calling since Friday Dispenda (23 / 4) until Saturday mum yesterday.

Head of Dispenda Gianyar even turn off his cell phone. From the amount of information collected, apparently officials at the start of the Head of Dispenda, Secretary, Head of PHR were out of town.

Sources of Dispenda mention that

they were in Borneo series of comparative studies.

Dozens of employees of a contract that is largely the appearance deposit of certain officials. They start from the individual Board Regional Representatives (DPRD) up to unscrupulous NGOs who entrust nephew. In fact, the truth of this care is recognized by a Member of Par-

liament which had been confirmed and is reluctant to be named.

This, of course, very unfortunate to stake claim the highest policy in Gianyar who admitted running a government which transparent. The discourse of transparency in the government district Gianyar is now only limited to just talk without proof. (Kmb16)

Factory operations for AMP Jungutan Paused Amlapura (Bali Post) -

Karangasem Legislative Chairman, I Gede Dana, S.Pd., Friday (23rd March) yesterday requested that the Regent of Karangasem IW Geredeg delay the mixing plant, asphalt plant operations (AMP) in Jungutan, Bebandem, Karangasem, until further test results or the results of studies from the Environment Agency Life (BLH) and Hyperkes KK. It was not until the troubling community who live around the factory, because of its impact in the long term to quality health and environmental unknown.

Gede Fund, said the Regent should be firm to the investor, even if the investment was their own or on behalf of the family. Case in the interest of the communities who live in Jungutan close factory, for the sake of the schools and the broader interests as well as environment, and not just calculate the interest and profits short term.

Gede Fund said that, after

receiving reports from members of parliament in two commissions which have previously been monitoring the location of factories and village administrator?s office and schools nearby. Chairman of Commission II Nyoman Oka Antara, accompanied by members of the Commission that previously fell into location of the plant, said it had reported the findings Sudden Inspection Board as to Jungutan. Where, members of parliament that the investigations and village administrator?s office monitoring, housing and schools to receive citizen complaints that when the machine is operated factory, thick smoke billowing accompanied by dust flying into space and even schools.

It’s almost same aspirations Jungutan including 55 residents from a number of Griya in front of the factory location. The tens where residents had previously Jungutan already complained to the Regent of Karangasem through an official letter stamped name and signatures of people complained. It also submitted a

complaint letter to the Governor and Chairman of the DPRD Bali, Karangasem and numerous Legislative Chairman Agencies including the Environmental NGOs in Denpasar.

Gede said funds, if the test results and the study proved there is no impact negative form of smoke that cause air pollution and the environment, Jungutan community should demand that live near factory, the factory location is shifted or moved to a safe location or industrial site or factory. It was to be consistent with the designation good spatial appropriate legislation and law Bali RTRWP Spatial district.

Gede Karangasem Regent Fund questioned the explan a t i o n I Wa y a n G e r e d e g and investors of PT Bayu Adi Manunggal uncontrollably, which is also Komang Funds G e r e d e g s i s t e r.

Komang According to Dana, if the plant was completely new limited two-month trial was, why hadn?t it produced hotmix? (013)

Dispenda Losing Billions of Luxury Vehicle Tax

Hundreds of Moge and Ferrari Have Not Paid Taxes Denpasar (Bali Post) -

There are sharp disparities between taxpayers ordinary vehicles with luxury vehicles such as motor gede (Moge) and luxury car Ferrari. Two types of luxury vehicles latter almost untouched by ordinary vehicles speeding ticket as appropriate. The reason the police vehicle registration when the vehicle has not been able to pursue her big CC. Head of Development and Supervision Dispenda Balinese Ketut Sudira to reporters on Friday (23 / 4) in Denpasar yesterday said it had to do data collection on Moge. In Bali there are currently Moge 800s. Moge is there that has the letters but most do not have papers.

Why? This Moge Moge is usually taken by fans in celebration as group every August 17. After tired around Bali, Moge is then sold to dealers. Strangely many Moge sold without papers. As for the pan motor vehicle, taxes from Moge or luxury vehicles that have been there the letters. The absence of these letters led to the loss of billions of rupiah in Bali Dispenda of vehicle tax for luxury cars.

Imagine a Moge that cost up to USD

500 millions, Tax vehicle reaches USD 18 million, 800 moge rough calculations that’s all the tax value of more than Rp 1 billion. How about a luxury car Ferrari? Previously, it is mentioned luxury car that has the letters. ‘’Yes if the letters would have been legally registered in Dispenda Bali,’’ he said. It has tried to explore the track of his letters to the Ngurah Rai Airport Customs. But the Ngurah Rai Airport Customs show of hands. Their reasons for luxury cars came through the Tanjung Periok Customs. Finally, the Bali Dispenda has further difficulty tracking these letters.

How is it similar with other luxury cars that cost above Hammer USD 6 billion? He could not give figures for how the amount. ‘’Generally, owners of luxury cars were mostly from Denpasar and Gianyar, but who knows in other districts also exist,’’ she said, asking journalists who follow the development of information last week to check the related part in Dispenda.

Currently local taxes reached IDR 1,004,102,725,335. From the largest amount comes from motor vehicle taxes and BBNKB. (029)

Pulukan forests were plundered, Pengawen Staff secured by Combined Team State, DenPost

Jembrana District Government already launched programs zero visit Jembrana forest to forest areas. Even Gede Winasa Jembrana Regent also has issued an instruction No. 2 dated March two years ago about the revitalization of zero visits to forest. But in Jembrana forest still kept guard looted although there are strict prohibitions citizens into the forest.

As one example of forest in protected forest areas Pulukan, Pekutatan since protected recent years has been planted with trees and very seductive. Forests in this region are like gardens and ready for harvest. A joint team from both the forest and police Pemkab Jembrana Jembrana holds routine operations and supervision.

Of supervision conducted this joint team finally succeeded in securing a pengawen Ketut Muliada (48) from Hamlet Temukus, Sharpening Duren, Pekutatan. He was secured on Thursday (22 / 4) afternoon when the coffee harvests in protected areas such Pulukan.

Muliada a daily ‘only works as a

laborer, said he was in the midst of change and loss of forest land area of 25 acres owned by residents who now Pulukan transmigration to Sumatra. “I change the crop loss was USD 1.5 million and I’m working on, there’s cacao, coffee, cassava and others,” said the grandfather of three grandchildren.

Officers caught the suspects when harvesting coffee and finally she could not move. Finally digelandang suspects to the district police with evidence of Jembrana coffee.

The suspect snared Article 50 paragraph 3 of article 78 of Act 41 yo 1999.

Jembrana district police Reskrim visible PPA police chief Ketut Suparta Jembrana permission when it was confirmed Friday (23 / 4) yesterday confirmed the arrest of the perpetrator. The team combined the forest and the police station to perform a followup of the forest region of Jembrana Regent Instruction No. 2 / 2010. “This operation will continue, and we hope the public is also aware of the importance of forests as the lungs of Bali,” he explained. (021)

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

Bali News

International

Feeding cows, Rija found dead Semarapura (Bali Post)—

Unfortunate fate was suffered by a 70-year-old resident of Timbrah Hamlet, Paksebali, Dawan, named Wayan Rija. He was found dead lying rigid in a hut at an estate situated at Mincidan Hamlet, last Friday (Apr 23) evening. At that time, Rija was about to move and feed his cows.

Allegedly, Rija died after being electrocuted by electric cable. Police were still investigating the case. “To be sure, after checking on the body of the victim in Klungkung Hospital, it was found no signs of violence,” said Chief of Dawan Police, Dewa Gede Artana, last Saturday (Apr 24).

According to Dewa Artana, the body of the victim was first discovered at 6:00 am Local Time by the son of victim, Kadek Sudiana, 35.

Sudiana was suspicious because until that afternoon his father (victimed) did not come home. Sudiana also do a search to his estate and finally found the victim was lying lifeless.

It was then informed to all surrounding residents and reported the case to Dawan Police. “In our conjecture, the victim was killed by electric shock.

At the scene, the sickle of victim was found bouncing away from the body of the victim,” pointed out Artana.

However, when examined in hospital, other than no signs of violence,

it was found no burns as electric shock on the victim as common signs. “For that reason, we are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the victim’s death,” he added. The examination of witnesses from the victims’ family has not been performed as they were still in sorrow. (kmb20)

Deceived IDR 50 million for job placement, victim report to police Gianyar (Bali Post)—

Kadek Edi Yustawan and Nyoman Arnawa, from Uma Anyar Hamlet, Pejeng Kaja, Tampaksiring, last Friday (Apr 23), went to Gianyar Police to report a fraud case committed by a job broker. As a result of the incident, the victim claimed to suffer a loss reaching IDR 50 million. Before the police, Arnawa confessed to have been deceived by someone named Wayan Sudiasa, 44, from Banjar Mancawarna, Sanding, Tampaksiring.

Sudiasa promised that he could find a job for his son, Yustawan, at PT ASDP Ketapang. However, it required cash worth IDR 50 million.

The incident happened about a year ago. This case was also dragging the name of Village Chief of Pejeng Kaja, Wayan Jana, who was visited by the victim asking for help in order he could find a job for Yustawan.

Victim himself was introduced to Sudiasa by Jana saying that he used

to find a job for other people. Shortly thereafter, around in March 2010, Sudiasa contacted the victim to carry cash amounting to IDR 50 million because there has been an appointment letter for a position at PT ASDP Ketapang, Banyuwangi.

After submitting the money, the victim, his parent and village chief were taken to Ketapang by Sudiasa to be registered to ASDP Ketapang.

Victims began to suspect because in Ketapang the officers only gave a piece of requirements form that should be completed by victims. On arriving home, the victims then asked for the money back IDR 50 million that had been handed over to Sudiasa, but the concerned instead extended the refund. Moreover, the reported sent a messenger to the victims and provided a check of Bank Sinar worth IDR 85 million. Unluckily, the bank refused it because there was no balance in it.

Victims immediately reported the fraud case under the pretext of

brokering a job to Headquarters of Gianyar Police.

Meanwhile, when asked for his confirmation about the matter Sudiasa said he merely served as an intermediary. The money was completely handed over to his friend named Mr. Putu. “I was just demanded to sign it at the time, while the money was completely taken by Mr. Putu who was said to be able to find a job,” he said.

The money given by the victim around 11:00 am Local Time. At that time, Arnawa came to his home with the money wrapped in a brown envelope witnessed by Wayan Jana (Village Chief of Pejeng Kaja) and Mr. Putu Darmawan. “I also feel to be cheated in this issue,” he said.

In the meantime, with the case had been handled by police, Sudiasa claimed to have contacted a friend, a resident from Negara and married to Ubud, who promised to immediately return the money given by the victim. (kmb16)

Left to bathe, tens of millions vanish Negara (Bali Post)—

Misfortune was experienced by Ni Nyoman Sueti, 60, a resident of Sebual Hamlet, Dangin Tukadaya, Jembrana. A cash amounting to tens of millions along with tens of grams of gold jewelry in her room were stolen last Saturday (Apr 24) morning when the victim was in the bathroom Victim immediately reported the incident to Negara City Police at around 7:30 pm Local Time. Information compiled, the victim put valuables such as jewelry in the room. Meanwhile, the money

amounting to IDR 25 million was saved in a black bag. At around 5:00 pm, Sueti showered however the back door was unlocked. Apparently, perpetrator was already looking at the situation and condition of the target. The suspect allegedly entered the house through the door and headed straight for the room where the money was stored.

Handbags and jewelry placed in the bedroom of victim vanished. Victim realized when she saw there were goods vanishing from it place. Having been checked over the bed, her money

and jewelry were missing. Aside from the money worth IDR 25 million, there were valuables like in the form of two pieces of gold jewelry, 10 gram of bracelet, 10 gram of necklace, two gold rings and a pair of crorot earrings weighing 6 gram. Total loss of the victim was estimated to reach IDR 35 million.

Chief of Negara City Police Erwin Pratomo, with permission of Jembrana Police Chief Ahmad R Nurwakhid last Sunday confirmed the report. He said the officers were still investigating the theft case. (sur)

Monday, April 26, 2010

3

Rabies increasingly threats Klungkung,

Without budget, village chief objects to be involved Semarapura (Bali Post)—

Once declared positive to rabies as of April 1, 2010, the deadly disease continued to threaten the Klungkung Regency because the dogs being positive to rabies had bitten a number of dogs belonging to residents nearby.

Associated with this matter, all parties should take measures to rescue the residents. Unfortunately, there were signs that village chief ‘objected’ to be involved for the rabies handling, especially for the elimination program until its burial. This attitude was kindled by the non-existence of budget for such a work.

The signs were seen during the socialization of Bali’s Regional Regulation on the Rabies Control in the Cultural Hall of Klungkung Regency not long ago. “It is impossible to involve the residents without any budget,” asserted the Village Chief of Pesinggahan, Wayan Murja, who was present on that occasion. He said during the elimination of wild dogs attacked by rabies, Murja admitted to have expended his personal account to pay residents being ready to bury the strewn dog carcasses.

For one area, such as at Goa Lawah Temple, he once disbursed a fund up to IDR 150,000. “Now, what will happen if Village Chief should spend IDR 400,000? You know the total salary of Village Chief is IDR 1.4 million a month. What can be done by salary worth IDR 1 million a month?” he questioned.

Reluctance on the involvement of the community component was also seen from the presence of participants in the socialization. Out of 144 invitations distributed among the village chief throughout the mainland of Klungkung Regency, subdistrict heads, heads of working unit of regional apparatus (SKPD), parliament and Commission B of Klungkung House, the majority preferred not to

attend. “If it indeed has prepared a budget for the program, ideally the Commission B of Klungkung House participated in the socialization. In fact, it did not. Do they have a shared commitment to provide budget for the rabies control?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, the Executor Duties of Head of Klungkung Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Maritime Services (KDP), Gusti Ngurah Badiwangsa, mentioned the main budget worth IDR 400 million was allocated in 2010 for the rabies management. However, it could not be disbursed at the moment. On that account, he did not blame if the village chief acted a bit apathetic. He also claimed to struggle for the budget amendments and allocated the operational budget for the elimination (from elimination up to burial of the dog). It cost IDR 10,000 / dog. Badiwangsa admitted the defense of Klungkung against the rabies had collapsed. For long time Klungkung had been surrounded by three regencies being infected by rabies such as Gianyar, Karangasem and Bangli. “It is hard to control the traffic of dogs because they are wild.

However, up to this date we can guarantee the VAR stock is safe, including the stock in the province,” he said.

He added the first rabies-prone village in Klungkung was Batutabih, Takmung. However, he said that Takmung has conducted the elimination the most frequently and regularly. “I also wonder, why Takmung can be attacked first,” he admitted. Meanwhile, he added the rabies was first brought by wild dogs of unknown origin. It bit four dogs owned by residents at Batutabih.

“Inclusively, it also bit local resident.

However, the dog has been eradicated and its head had been brought to lab.

In the meantime, the residents bitten by such dog have been given proper treatment immediately and till now they are safe,” he added. (kmb20)

Tabanan lacks for thousands of ballots Tabanan (Bali Post)—

A large number of defective ballots made Tabanan still lack for more than a thousand ballots papers which would be used in the upcoming regent and deputy regent election on May 4.

A member of Tabanan Electoral Commission, I Ketut Narta, last Friday (Apr 23), said at least 950 sheets of ballots were in a damaged condition after the folding and sorting.

Besides, the ballot order remained to need more 300 pieces. As a result, the Tabanan Electoral Commission still lacked for totally 1,250 ballot sheets.

Narta said there were some ballots printed with unclear and incomplete condition or affected by smudged ink. The lacking for 300 ballots were caused by the partner of printing house did not count them

accurately. Each ballot pack should contain 1,000 sheets, but many packs contained incomplete sheets. He claimed that Tabanan Electoral Commission had ordered 345, 322 ballots and 1,250 sheets were still lacking.

Against the deficiency, his party would coordinate with the partner to print again. For folding, his party deployed 20 workers from Tabanan Electoral Commission staff and daily workers at a cost IDR 50 per ballot, so that the funds required for folding the entire ballots was IDR 17 million more.

As schedule, the ballots would be distributed to each village (PPS) two days before the voting day. Additionally, his party also still lacked for form C6 denoting a notice to voters as much as 500 sheets and 1,000 voter’s cards. (kmb14)

4

News

Monday, April 26, 2010

International

New Zealand Anzac Day memorial marred by crash AFP

WELLINGTON (AFP) – Commemorations honouring New Zealand and Australia’s war dead were marred Sunday when a military helicopter heading to memorial services in Wellington crashed, killing three people.

The Defence Force said the helicopter was part of a formation heading to Wellington to take part in a flypast for ANZAC Day, the most significant day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand, when it crashed in rugged hill country just before dawn.

Across the two countries, tens of thousands turned out for annual dawn services marking the anniversary of the ill-fated landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli in Turkey in World War I. “I have received news that three members of the Royal New Zealand Airforce have lost their lives in a helicopter crash and that a fourth is seriously injured,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key told the service in Gallipoli.

“Their helicopter went down as it was travelling to take part in the commemorations for their fellow servicemen and women,” he told the thousands gathered to remember the bloody campaign.

“This tragedy is a stark re-

minder that our personnel still face great risks today as they serve their country.”

More than 10,000 New Zealand and Australian servicemen died in the failed eight-month campaign in Gallipoli, and ANZAC Day has become a symbol of their bravery and of a defining period in the two countries’ culture and shared development.

In Wellington, where an estimated 3,000 attended the ANZAC ceremony, army chief Major General Rhys Jones said the day was not a celebration.

“ANZAC Day is a time to remember and reflect on the sorrow, loss and sacrifice that is the obligation of nationhood, the cost of liberty and the price of freedom,” he said.

Australians marked ANZAC day at home, in cities around the world, and on the WWI battlefield of Villers-Bretonneux in France.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said ANZAC Day had shaped the nation’s memory. “It shapes deeply how we see the world, 100 years later it shapes still what we do in the world,” he told thousands at a Canberra service.

Rudd said the carnage of WWI — in which 60,000 Australian soldiers died — meant that Australia would no longer “leave ourselves to become mere cannon fodder for foreign generals.”

AFP

The salvaged bow of the South Korean warship PCC-772 Cheonan.

Torpedo ‘one of most likely’ causes for sunk S.Korea ship AFP

SEOUL (AFP) – A torpedo attack is among the “most likely” causes of the sinking of a South Korean warship near the disputed border with North Korea, the defence minister said Sunday amid rising tensions with Pyongyang.

AFP/File

A visitors sits in front of New Zealand’s national flag

Aides: Abbas may meet with Obama soon, no date set AP

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Aides to Mahmoud Abbas say the Palestinian leader could meet with President Barack Obama soon.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says the Palestinians requested such a meeting and were told by Obama’s envoy that the U.S. leader would see Abbas in the near future. Erekat said Sunday that no date was set.

Another aide, Yasser Abed Rabbo, told Palestinian radio that “there is talk about an invitation for President Abbas to visit Washington,” possibly next month.

The U.S. is trying to persuade the Palestinians to hold indirect talks with Israel and to end a 16-month breakdown in communications. The Palestinians are reluctant because Israel refuses to stop building for Jews in east Jerusalem, their hoped-for capital.

“A bubble jet caused by a heavy torpedo (attack) is thought to be one of the most likely things to be blamed, but various other possibilities are also under review,” Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young said.

Shortly after the vessel sank on March 26, Kim said a mine or a torpedo could have been to blame, but Seoul subsequently pulled back and has since been careful to avoid pointing the finger at Pyongyang.

Several unidentified sources have been quoted in recent days as saying

an underwater explosion was the cause of the sinking, but Kim is the first minister to make the link explicitly since a probe into the sinking began.

Kim’s comments come as an international inspection team prepares to reveal its findings after the bow of the 1,200-tonne corvette was raised from the seabed, where it had been for a month.

Initial inspections of the stern, salvaged on April 15, and the bow, which was raised on Saturday, indicate it was hit by the force of a blast,

officials say.

Live local television footage of Saturday’s salvage of the bow showed a hatch had come off its hinges and a chimney was missing.

“This means underwater weaponry like a torpedo did not directly hit the vessel but exploded under the ship or at a very close range,” an unidentified government official told Yonhap news agency Sunday.

Pyongyang has accused the South’s “war maniacs” of seeking to shift the blame for the tragedy to the North.

The disputed Yellow Sea border was the scene of deadly naval clashes between the North and South in 1999 and 2002 and of a firefight last November that left a North Korean patrol boat in flames

Al-Qaida statement confirms death of 2 top figures AP

CAIRO – An al-Qaida front group in Iraq has declared in a statement posted on the Internet that its two top figures have been killed.

The statement Sunday provided the first confirmation from the terror network of the Iraqi and U.S. governments’ claim April 19 that the two men were killed in a joint operation while hiding at a safehouse near the city of Tikrit, north of Baghdad A policeman stands guard at a checkpoint at the entrance to Sadr City, northeastern Baghdad April 24 ,2010

Reuters

International

General Info

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

Monday, April 26, 2010

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

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

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

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

Phone : 223 036 Fax : 268 690.

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

Phone : 222 142.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Monday, April 26, 2010

News RI’s president...

From page 1

AP –

A motorist drives past an overturned truck which was among several vehicles damaged

10 killed as tornado strikes Miss.; others injured AP

YAZOO CITY, Miss. – Tornadoes ripped through four states in the South on Saturday, leaving broken crosses in front of a flattened church, splintering houses and overturning vehicles as they killed 10 people, including three children.

One of the hardest hit areas was Mississippi’s Yazoo County, where Gov. Haley Barbour grew up. He described “utter obliteration” among the picturesque hills rising abruptly from the flat Mississippi Delta.

More than 15 other counties in Mississippi also had damage. The swath of debris forced rescuers to pick up some of the injured on allterrain vehicles the west-central part of the state. Tornadoes were also reported in Louisiana, Arkan-

sas and Alabama, and the severe weather continued to track eastward.

In Yazoo City, Malcolm Gordon, 63, stood with members of his family peering out at the neighborhood through a broken window.

Leader of notorious German colony dead in Chile AP

SANTIAGO, Chile – A former Nazi soldier who founded a secretive, commune-like colony of German immigrants died Saturday in a Chilean prison where he was serving time for child molestation and human rights abuses dating to the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

Paul Schaefer, 89, was being treated in a prison hospital for heart problems and other difficulties related to his advanced age, the corrections department said in a statement. The statement blamed his death on heart failure caused by severe constriction of the aorta.

Schaefer emigrated to Chile in 1961 and started the Colonia Dignidad, or Dignity Colony, a strictly regimented enclave 210 miles (340 kilometers) south of the capital, Santiago, that was home to several hundred Germans and Chileans.

According to witnesses’ testimony in court documents, Schaefer allowed Pinochet’s security forces to operate a clandestine prison on

the grounds where they detained, tortured and executed dissidents during the 1973-1990 military dictatorship.

Colonia Dignidad members say he ruled them cruelly as well. Married couples were forced to live apart, and children separated from parents. Residents were prevented from leaving. Those who angered Schaefer were subject to electric shocks, high doses of tranquilizers and long periods of isolation.

Many “became real slaves of Schaefer, like robots dedicated only to obey his orders and not displease him,” members said in a newspaper ad they took out in 2006 acknowledging human rights abuses at the colony and asking for forgiveness.

There were also dozens of allegations of child molestation, leading Schaefer to flee the country in 1997; he was arrested in neighboring Argentina in 2005 and extradited back to Chile the same year.

Schaefer was convicted in 2006 of sexually abusing 20 children who attended the colony’s school and clinic. He was sentenced to 20 years, plus three additional years for an il-

legal weapons conviction.

In two separate cases in 2008, Schaefer received more prison time for the torture of seven colony residents and for the fatal poisoning of a renegade security agent during the dictatorship.

He was also investigated for tax evasion.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Saturday that while Schaefer lived to serve only a fraction of his prison sentences, he will now face “a divine justice.”

Schaefer’s adopted daughter, Rebeca Schaefer, is asking for him to be buried in the German colony’s cemetery, but there was no immediate word on whether the community would allow it.

The spokesman for what remains of Colonia Dignidad expressed sadness at the passing of Schaefer “as a human being,” but said the enclave is not what it used to be under its former leader.

“Everything that exists today no longer has anything to do with the hierarchical, authoritarian system of those times,” Martin Matthusen told Cooperativa radio.

Darma added according to estimation, worldwide geothermal power capacity approached 10GWe at the end of 2006 and is expected to increase by another 2GWe by 2010.

WGC2010 took the theme “Geothermal: The Energy to Change the World” to show that a dream to change the world can be realize by using the renewable and environmental friendly energy.

According to Darma, the WGC 2010 will be highlighting several events, include high powered panel discussions, Chief Executive Officer summit, Exhibition and a Bali Declaration by the Congress participants. This declaration will be declared on the last day of the meeting.

WGC2010 is supported by many governments with high-level representatives attending from China, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, The Philippines, Uganda and USA. And also from international institutions and financial organizations such as The World Bank, UNEP and European Union.

Some of the speakers who will present in WGC2010 are among others the President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson; the Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dr. Darwin Zahedy Saleh; the president of International Geothermal Association (IGA), Ladislaus Rybach; the president director of Pertamina, Karen Agustiawan; the president of Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Company. (iah)

Thai protesters...

From page 1 Clashes have already killed at least 26 people and wounded nearly 1,000 others since the “Red Shirt” protesters began occupying Bangkok’s commercial center more than a month ago, closing down fivestar hotels and shopping malls, paralyzing daily life in the city and costing merchants millions of dollars per day.

The conflict has been characterized by some as class warfare, pitting the country’s vast rural poor against an elite that has traditionally held power.

“The solution process is ongoing but may not please everyone. The government, and not only the military, is preparing to be ready for what would lead to the next level,” Abhisit said in a short statement to the interviewer.

He did not specify whether the “next level” meant that security forces would move to clear out the Red Shirt enclave, but government and military leaders earlier have said that they could not remain in the heart of Bangkok indefinitely.

The program went off the air briefly, with the prime minister later blaming the disruption on “ill-intentioned people.” Thailand’s police force, army and other agencies are believed to be infiltrated by Red Shirt supporters, but it was unclear whether the opposition somehow disrupted the television signal.

The prime minister appeared on the broadcast with Thai army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda beside him.

Anupong, saying the crisis must be solved by legal means, also denied there were any significant divisions within military ranks.

“Being a huge organization, it’s possible but the number isn’t significant enough to say that the military is divided. More importantly, everyone strictly follows orders,” he said.

“We won’t use violence but as I’ve said earlier, the situation has escalated toward violence so the military will have to adjust its measures,” the army chief said. “As the PM said, if there is anything needed to bring back peace, we’ll do it.”

While stopping short of accusing the Red Shirts, Abhisit said that

rocket-propelled grenades fired in Thursday’s violence in the heart of the city’s financial district were launched from inside a protest site by “terrorists.” At least one person was killed Thursday, and 25 others died April 10 during clashes as soldiers unsuccessfully tried to clear the protesters from one of their camps.

Abhisit said that he initially underestimated the protest movement.

“I admit, I didn’t expect to see such a force ready to go this far,” he said.

The protesters, who claim the government took power illegitimately, had previously demanded Parliament be dissolved immediately, while the government said it would disband parliament in six months.

The Red Shirts softened their stance Friday, offering the government a proposed compromise of 30 days to disband the legislature in a move they said was aimed at preventing further bloodshed. But Abhisit rejected that offer.

The demonstrations have transformed some of Bangkok’s toniest shopping districts into a protest camp with barricades of tires and bamboo stakes.

Many in the capital have grown weary of the confrontation and the disruptions, and thousands of residents gathered at a park Saturday to demand the protests end. “Please stop the mob — I want a normal life,” read one sign.

The Red Shirts consist mainly of rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and pro-democracy activists who opposed the military coup that ousted him in 2006.

They believe Abhisit’s government is illegitimate because it came to power under military pressure through a parliamentary vote after disputed court rulings ousted two elected proThaksin governments.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Abhisit’s government has threatened to curtail the protests but has failed to follow through. Military units from the 200,000-strong army have been routed in several confrontations with the crudely armed demonstrators. The police have often melted away when faced with determined protesters.

International

Indonesia Today

Monday, April 26, 2010

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Government optimistic food production still rise Antara

AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY

Government officials of environmental departement visit PT. Pertamina Geothermal Energy in Kamojang on April 22, 2010. Indonesia has launched an ambitious plan to tap the vast power of its volcanoes and become a world leader in geothermal energy, and in so doing slash its greenhouse gas emissions. The sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands stretching from the Indian to the Pacific oceans contains hundreds of volcanoes, which could produce around 40 percent of the world’s geothermal power, or 27,000 megawatts (MW).

Road investment estimated Rp325 trillion Antara

CIREBON - The government has estimated a total of Rp325 trillion will be needed for road investment from 2010 to 2014 to support seven percent economic growth target.

“That is the estimate and that is part of the projected Rp10,000 trillion or around Rp1,500 trillion a year in funds for infrastructure development,” the director of roads and bridges of the ministry of public works, Hediyanto Husaeni, said at a media gathering here on Saturday.

He said around Rp1,100 trillion of the Rp1,500 trillion a year for the infrastructure development would be met by the government while the rest is expected to come from private parties.

“For road development we estimate a total of Rp325 trillion will be needed for the next five years,” he

said.

He said public works infrastructure development is carried out based upon an approach of regional infrastructure development for all communities and principles of sustainable development.

“In view of that we divide Indonesia into three zones namely the zone that has already developed, is just developing and being devoloped,” he said.

He said the zone that has already developed includes Java, Bali and Sumatra and that which is just development includes Kalimantan, Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara while that which is going to be developed includes Papua and Maluku islands.

He said total road development until 2009 reached 34,628 kilometers.

Roads categorized as heavily damaged total 320.24 kilometers while

those categorized as lightly damaged 4,014 kilometers and those categorized as good and moderate 16,694 kilometers and 13,092 kilometers respectively.

“A total of 506 kilometers of roads are still blocked namely 55 km in Aceh, 58 km in North Sumatra, 29.5 km in Central Sulawesi, 84 km in Maluku and 279.8 km in Papua,” he said.

He said in 2010 there are 38,669 kilometer national non-toll and 742 kilometer toll roads under the central government‘s responsibility.

Meanwhile there are 48,680 kilometer provincial roads and 288,185 kilometer district or city roads.

“This year we will add 4,000 kilometers more roads. This will be borne by the government. This will be a backlog because the budget this year is smaller than the needs,” he said adding the budget for this year was Rp16.6 trillion.

BKPM approves 20 foreign investment projects in Batam Antara

BATAM - The Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has approved in the first quarter this year 20 new foreign investment projects worth US$16.9 million in Batam, Riau Islands province.

The projects come from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, Norway, South Korea and the Netherlands, head of marketing and

public relations of BP Batam, Rustam H Hutapea, said here on Saturday.

Their businesses include ship building/repair, restaurant, recreation and trading.

Other businesses include electronic component, machinery/processing equipment/metal works, electricity control equipment, oil and gas mining supporting services, rubber goods, garments, housing, prop-

erty development, business consultancy and management, loading and uploading services, metal processing and metal goods.

He said the number of approvals this year was higher than in the same period last year which was recorded at 18. Meanwhile the value of investment projects approved this year rose 1.43 percent from US$16,649,493 in the same period last year.

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is optimistic the country‘s food production will keep increasing and even believes the country may be able to supply some of the world‘s food needs, Hatta Radjasa said.

The coordinating minister for economic affairs said here on Saturday that food resilience is a serious matter needing comprehensive and sustainable management.

“The government has conducted revitalization efforts, now entering the second stage, which are expected to be completed in 2014,” he said as a keynote speaker at a seminar on “Sustainable Business Competitiveness: The Next Challenge” held by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture at Grand Hyatt Hotel.

He said the efforts were expected to be able to boost national food resilience as well as to make the country able to supply part of the world‘s needs.

The efforts would help solidify the country‘s self-sufficiency in rice and also increase its self-sufficiency in corn, sugar and cow meat.

He said the government projected a growth of around 3.22 percent a year in the main food commodities

between 2010 and 2014 with corn production to grow 10.02 percent a year, soybean to grow 20.04, sugar 12.55 percent and cow meat 7.30 percent a year.

To improve food resilience the government is also conducting downstream sector development by building food industries, he said.

He said efforts to improve food resilience must also be supported by water supply resilience and in this context the government has kept improving catchment areas through forestation and management of water use in the areas, referring to the tree planting that has been done by the government along with community elements on two million hectares of land in the upper reaches of rivers in Java.

“Efforts to boost water supply resilience have also been done through increasing drinking water supply by PDAM,” he said.

RI warship captures four poaching Filipino boats Antara

SURABAYA - Indonesian naval patrol boat KRI Kakap-811 caught four Filipino fishing boats poaching in Sulawesi waters this week, a navy officer said.

The fishing boats and their crew had been brought to the Nunukan naval base in East Kalimantan for investigation, the Eastern Fleet‘s spokesman, Lt.Col.Toni Saiful said here Friday.

The captured boats were identified as FB-Conie 5, FB-Conie 4 FBConie 10, and FB-Philcon 3, he said.

“The boats did not have permits for fishing in the Indonesian economic zone. Their skippers and crew

members are all Filipinos,” he said.

When questioned, they confessed their offense. They sailed from General Santos in the Philippines for fishing operations in Indonesia, he said.

Indonesia is vulnerable to illegal fishing activities of foreign trawlers.

From January to March 2010, for instance, the Tanjungpinang immigration had deported a dozen foreign fishermen from Riau Islands, including 15 Thais, 17 Vietnamese, and two Malaysians, for poaching in the waters of Natuna Islands.

Lots of foreign fishermen on their trawlers have been poaching in Indonesian waters for decades. As a result; Indonesia suffers a loss of at least US$ 2.136 million a year.

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Internationa

Monday, April 26, 2010

Bali Today Now Targets Passenger Insurance

Provincial Government Failed to Keep Ngurah Rai Airport Contribution Bali Post

DENPASAR - Until this moment Bali Provincial Government struggle with the board to pursue contribution from Ngurah Rai International Airport failed continuously. Yet the struggle is already underway after years of regional autonomy in 2001. This time again turned on after there is an idea expressed by members of the DPD Lolak in a meeting with Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika some time ago to shoot through the passenger insurance. It was announced by Head of Development and Supervision of Bali, Ketut Sudira.

He mentioned the potential revenue to be fed quite large. There were about 8500 passengers each day. ‘’If every passenger charged Rp 10,000 only, how many billion in revenues can be obtained per year,’’ he said. What’s more profit from Ngurah Rai International Airport is the second biggest after Cengkareng Airport.

Recognized the struggle to ob-

tain this contribution has been made since 2001. Lobbying has been done several times to obtain the contribution of the central government. For foreign tourists to Bali without good road facilities, environmental and other facilities to prepare local governments will not mean anything.

Whereas for the construction of such facilities expenditure provincial governments billions of dollars a year.

Ironically, until now still nil contribution Ngurah Rai airport to regional treasury. Direct approach had done when the Head of PT Angkasa Pura I Nyoman Ngurah Rai Airport Suweca. We had obtained information that the gains from the airport entrance on State Budget revenues rather than taxes. Lobby the central government has done in the era of Governor Dewa Beratha with the

Chairman of the DPRD Bali IB Wesnawa in the era of the government of President Megawati. The answer remains the same that the profits obtained from the airport into the State non-tax revenue. Furthermore, this revenue will be distributed through the DAU and DAK throughout Indonesia.

But strangely Provincial Government South Kalimantan managed to obtain the contribution from the local airport. Once learned, the contribution from the airport was acquired after the government’s IDR 200 Billion invested through the extension of the runway. In addition Maros South Sulawesi also managed to obtain the contribution the airport through the imposition of the donation.

Responding to a question that the failure to obtain such contributions because of the government and the council did not make the regulation, he said the government and the council was not unable to make the regulations as a reference to the contribution acquired legal basis for fight for, but it does not exist. Lastly, Badung struggled to hunt through the park’s contribution but it failed.

How to crack the Law 28/2009 on regional income? It has also been explored. Parties PT Angkasa Pura I recommend investing in building a mall or hotel transit at around the airport as it is in Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta. It turned out that once learned, this advice difficult because of the hotel and mall are strewn around. (029)

Offer of slow train, costs high and stirs up Bali’s spatial layout Bali Province was offered a slow train to be utilized for tourist activity around Bali. With a slower train traveling to the entire coasts of Bali, tourists could enjoy much of the tourist objects in the vicinity. They started from the white sandy beaches to sunset at Tanah Lot. A number of temples situated close to the beach and many others would definitely attract tourists.

The offer rolled out by central government was indeed very tempting in the midst of disorderliness of transportation system in Bali. A spatial layout observer, Putu Rumawan Salain, last Saturday (Apr 24), declared that a number of project offers without a clear realization would not only kindle the impression of high costs but also disrupt the spatial system.

The real picture of the current transportation system is really messed up.

Public transportation system frequently attempted in fact fails to start because people prefer to use private vehicles. Then, it appeared the offer of Trans-Sarbagita meaning to resolve the traffic congestion at the areas being prone to traffic jams such as at Roundabout. Trans Sarbagita utilized two corridors. Corridor 1 starts from Jalan Puputan Badung, Jalan, Sudirman, Jalan Sesetan, Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, Campus at Bukit Jimbaran and GWK. Meanwhile, Corridor 2 starts from Batubulan-TohpatiUp Bypass Ngurah Rai until Nusa Dua. As consequence, it then appeared a worry where the presence of 20 buses

serving the Nusa Dua area passing through the Roundabout would aggravate the complicated traffic congestion at the point.

This region is known as the most jammed in Bali because other than due to dense traffic it is also worsened by the number of traffic lights at the next road section. Just have a look at after the Roundabout, namely at the Tuban T-junction is installed traffic lights again. Southwardly, at the Kedonganan T-junction is also installed the next traffic lights and so is at intersection to campus of Bukit Jimbaran. A member of Bali House from Nusa Dua Wayan Rawan Atmaja stated that to get to the location of Badung Civic Center at Sempidi it took him 1.5 hours.

“The traffic congestion has occurred for extraordinarily long time,” he said.

Amidst the pros and cons regarding to fly-over, the central government through the Minister of Public Works offered a project in the form of fly-over for the Roundabout area. However, there was no clarity up to this moment when this project could be realized.

From the observation of traffic con-

gestion at the Roundabout, it was not only caused by many vehicles. Such traffic congestion was also exacerbated by the many traffic lights at the area of Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai. For this area, there were a number of projects offered to resolve the problems. Later on, it would be designed a traffic light control system from one room so that when the traffic jams occurred or Sarbagita bus left the point, the traffic light could be setup green. This system required a budget worth IDR 5 billion. Before entering the Roundabout, at the Benoa T-junction the government had designed the first Serangan—Tanjung Benoa toll road. Detailed engineering design (DED) of the project had been made until the compaction of road on Serangan Island had been completed.

Investor party from Korea was interested in working on the toll project.

Again, a constraint was faced where BTID authority was not willing to release their land for the Serangan toll road and bridge. At the end, the project did not have any clarity when could be realized.

On that account, Rumawan Salain wondered, among the so many offers, what was the most suitable for Bali in accordance with the government programs making Bali clean and green.

“Let’s sit down together to examine all offers of transportation system, what exactly is the most feasible and necessary for Bali,” he said. He suggested not all project offers were accepted without any clarity. At the end, it would only waste money on studying it. He

Bali Post/Eka

Traffic jam now always happen in Bali due to the increase of vehicles. Bali Province was offered a slow train to be utilized for tourist activity around Bali. With a slower train traveling to the entire coasts of Bali, tourists could enjoy much of the tourist objects in the vicinity.

could not understand which one to choose either the busway system such as the one in Jakarta, slow train or Trans Sarbagita designed long time ago but never materialized up to these days.

Regarding to slow train, he said, it remained to be clarified whether it used a monorail system or it could be affixed to bypass road of TohpatiKusamba such as a railway system in Java. “All of it must be clear and never let use all lands for the railroad,” he complained. Unfortunately, every single road or system created would kindle a new growth there, for example, the establishment of terminal to support the railway system. From the railway station, passengers would get out and it would consequently require a station of transportation to collect tourists to the objects. Ultimately, this would trigger a growth of new development there.

If not anticipated, this condition would not only to spend a lot of land but also interfere with the spatial layout. It did not include the concerns of society with the more disturbances toward the sanctity / solemnity of people because of the slow train passing. This problem had to be resolved so the solemnity of devotees performing rituals on the beach would not be undisturbed.

Previously, the offer of slow train was delivered by the Spokesperson of Bali Provincial Government, Ketut Teneng, quoting the statement of Governor Made Mangku Pastika when he met with the central government officials in the midst of national workshop at Tampaksiring Palace. (sua)

al

Monday, April 26, 2010

Balinese Culture Needs Expanding, Marine Tourism Destination in Bali Marine tourism especially in Bali has excellent prospects to be a world destination. Secretary of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association (Gahawisri) of Bali Chapter, IB. Agung Partha, said to become a leading destination was required additional attractions, especially in the areas of marine tourism in Bali, including marine tourism areas in Eastern Indonesia.

He said the entrepreneurs of marine tourism as in Bali expected that all tourists could utilize the entire marine tourism services. However, the offer of marine tourism in Bali including in East Indonesia might not damage the natural beauty of the sea.

BTN/Doc

Marine tourism especially in Bali has excellent prospects to be a world destination. Secretary of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association (Gahawisri) of Bali Chapter, IB. Agung Partha, said to become a leading destination was required additional attractions, especially in the areas of marine tourism in Bali, including marine tourism areas in Eastern Indonesia.

Entrepreneur of marine tourism in Bali, including in Indonesia in general should suppress the negative impact of marine tourism, including the damage of underwater environment. Described, other than minimizing the damage of marine nature, marine tourism businesspeople with the government should attempt to create a new attraction in the areas of marine tourism in Indonesia. At the moment, a marine tourism destination popularly visited by many tourists in Indonesia comprised the Komodo Island, Tulamben, and other marine tourism object.

The waters having potency to become marine tourist destination needed increasing by new attractions. For example, government or tourism businesspeople could sink a ship. This ship would become a site of development of marine biota including coral reefs. The ship sunk on seabed would become a new tourist attraction.

Earlier in the 1940s had sunk the USS Liberty shipwreck at Tulamben. The ship was sunk in the colonial era. Up to these days, such sunk ship remains to become the main attraction at Tulamben marine tourism.

He hoped the old ships at Tanjung Priok could be drowned in Bali or East Indonesia region. This is done to create a new attraction in the area of marine tourism in Bali, including in Eastern Indonesia.

He assured, if the central government could sink old ships in the area of marine tourism in Bali and East Indonesia they would become an attraction for tourists. Diving participants from abroad would be challenged to enter into the space of ship that had been sunk on the seabed.

Up to this day, Agung Partha admitted that Bali indeed remained to have marine tourist attractions. However, they needed adding with a new attraction. Moreover, if Bali Provincial Government could lobby the central government to sink old ships at the area of Bali marine tourism. Automatically, the treasures of marine tourism of Bali will be getting richer and more interesting. (BTN/BP)

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

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

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

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

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

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Monday, April 26, 2010

Destinations

International

Padang Bai

http://upload.wikimedia.org

PADANG BAI (also Padangbai and Padang Bay) is a small port town in East Bali. Most visitors to Padang Bai are there to catch a boat to Lombok. It is though a charming little place in its own right and spending a night or two here will certainly not be time wasted.

There is good diving and snorkeling in the immediate area, and a number of operators are present to cater for those activities. This is also a fairly convenient base from which to explore some of the wider attractions of East Bali. Accommodation tends to be quite basic and aimed at the backpacker market.

You do not really need any transport within Padang Bai as everything is within walking distance. If you want to explore the surrounding area, motorbike rental and car rental are widely available.

The main beach is generally awash with colorful double outrigger fishing boats in the shape of a marlin. The front of the boat is shaped with the point of its mouth open wide and large eyes looking to the heavens. Either side of the main beach are two other hidden coves with nice,

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struction road for about 5 minutes and then descend. Be careful going down on the hillside track. While descending - weather permitting you should be able to see the largest mountain on Bali, Mount Agung on your left - a powerful sight. If you continue over the hill and follow the road, you will eventually come to a long, black sand beach.

If you need a break from the beaches, there are some temples to discover. These are not especially notable temples, but still worth a visit. Padang Bai has five major temples: Pura Dalem, located downtown, Pura Segara, located next to the beach in between town and the main beach, Pura Telagamas, Pura Silayukti and Pura Tanjungsari in the eastern end of Padang Bai. Of the five Pura Silayukti is the most notable, having been the home of the great Hindu sage Empu Kuturan and dating back to the 11th century, making it one of the oldest extant temples on the island. Just walk along the beach road to the end and up around the headland. Don’t forget to bring a sarong and a sash. (www.wikitravel.org)

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quiet white sand beaches: - Blue Lagoon Beach is a great beach for snorkeling. The coral reef is right up to the shore and is very pretty. Best way is to enter on the far left side, where there is a coralfewer canal that leads to the snorkeling site. There are two restaurants with reasonable food, showers, chairs and snorkeling gear. The beach is easily accessible. To reach Blue Lagoon Beach, head east on foot over the prominent headland at the eastern end of the main bay.

Follow the signs that say Blue Lagoon.

- Bias Tegul Beach, also called Pantai Kecil (Little Beach), is a beautiful white sandy beach and the best beach in Padang Bai. Good for swimming, though the currents can be strong. There are several restaurants, but they are not very good.

The beach is surrounded by a monstrous, unfinished resort. To reach the secluded Bias Tegul Beach, walk from the police station for 100 metres up the hill. Directly after Bamboo Paradise turn left (there’s a sign that says Bias Tegul) and climb the steep hill along a con-

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Monday, April 26, 2010

11

BUSINESS Shortsighted to oppose bank tax, IMF warns Reuters

Countries that weathered the global economic crisis with their financial systems relatively unscathed are being shortsighted by opposing a global bank levy, the IMF’s chief said on Saturday.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn suggested a bank tax would be helpful in preparing for crises that could strike anywhere and indirectly criticized countries that might think they would never feel the brunt of a downturn.

“The countries ... which are likely to implement (a bank tax) are the ones having had problems in the banking sector,” Strauss-Kahn said. “The others say, ‘We didn’t have a problem so we’re immune.’”

“Maybe it’s a bit shortsighted,” he added, without naming any countries.

Canada has taken a lead role in rallying opposition to a tax on banks, and antipoverty organization Oxfam zeroed in on it for that stance.

“It would be shameful if Canada blocks a tax that could provide hundreds of billions of dollars for countries that have been devastated by the economic meltdown,” Oxfam said in a statement distributed at IMF headquarters, where its semi-annual meetings were held.

“If the IMF can be on the side of the angels, why can’t Canada?” Oxfam asked.

The possibility of setting some kind of levy on banks split Group of 20 finance ministers at a meeting on Friday and carried on into the subsequent IMF gathering, where Strauss-Kahn faced questions about it from reporters.

He said that before the crisis it was likely that the United States, Britain and some European countries thought they could manage their way through safely, which proved to be incorrect because they were forced to fund massive bank bailouts.

“So I’m not sure that this kind of instrument — it’s true also for strong regulation — shouldn’t be applied everywhere,” Strauss-Kahn said in best diplomatic fashion.

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Friday that not only was he steadfastly opposed to a tax but also that he had persuaded some colleagues from other Group of 20 rich and emerging countries to join him.

There are other voices, notably in the banking industry, that want to stop the idea of a bank tax in its tracks.

The Institute of International Finance, which represents 390 firms worldwide, wrote to G20 finance ministers af-

AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn ter Friday’s meeting to lay out their case against a tax.

“The IIF sees no merit in the idea that any levy on the financial sector should be paid into general revenue. Neither do we believe that an ex-ante levy on the banking system should be used to finance the bailing out or recapitalization of failing institutions,” IIF Managing Director Charles Dallara said in the letter made public on Saturday.

Dallara suggested such a tax designed to fund future bailouts would only encourage excessive risk-taking, since it meant there would be cash on hand to rescue them in any case.

“That would contribute to the persistence of moral hazard and weaken market discipline,” he said.

Dallara said the IIF will propose measures for managing failures by winding up firms and suggested that would be a more useful approach than considering new taxes.

“We can no longer contemplate a world in which public or private sector funds are used to bail out or recapitalize failing firms.”

The IIF is to offer a paper on a proposed resolution arrangement to the Financial Stability Board, which is made up of G20 central bankers and regulators and coordinates financial reforms.

Greece races for rescue, some fear not enough Reuters

Finance leaders scrambled to secure aid for debtstricken Greece on Saturday and Canada cautioned that some European countries feared the 45 billion euros ($60 billion) under consideration was not enough.

Talks over Greece dominated annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, a day after Athens bowed to market pressure and asked to tap a rescue package from the European Union and the IMF. “Some countries think it’s not enough,” Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told reporters when asked about the amount of aid being negotiated.

“Some of the G20 countries, including some of the European countries,” he said when asked which countries were concerned. “There is concern about making sure that the package is enough so that it’s a one-time event.”

Flaherty said Group of 20 rich and emerging nations agreed that the Greece crisis could be contained, if dealt with quickly, with little risk of a spread across Europe.

Greece’s woes dampened optimism over a faster-than-expected economic recovery that otherwise might have been cause for congratulation at G20 and IMF meetings this weekend.

It focused attention instead on poor public finances across the advanced economies, a problem IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn listed among the top two threats to the global recovery.

Strauss-Kahn declined to answer repeated questions from reporters about Greece, saying only that details of the package would be disclosed after negotiations in Athens are completed.

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou earlier met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who stressed the need for a quick response to the crisis.

“Secretary Geithner encouraged them to move quickly to put in place a package of strong reforms and substantial concrete financial support,” the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.

That hinted at growing fears the Greek turmoil could lead to a broader crisis with state debt and must be cut off before it infects other euro-zone economies like Portugal and Spain.

Boris Schlossberg, director of currency research at foreign exchange trading firm GFT, said Greece was running out of time.

“If there’s no statement, if there’s no coordination, if they don’t get support from Germany, for

example, the euro will erase all the gains from Friday,” he said.

One of the obstacles to getting aid to Greece is that any money from Germany — the biggest single national contributor to the rescue package — requires parliamentary approval.

There is strong public opposition in Germany to the aid package which is a big issue ahead of a key regional election on May 9, 10 days before Greece has to repay a bond.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has invited parliamentary leaders for talks in Berlin on Monday to try to speed up the process. Schaeuble did not travel to Washington for the annual IMF and World Bank meetings due to health reasons, sending his deputy instead.

British Finance Minister Alistair Darling, asked by reporters if Germany was holding up a speedy resolution of the Greek crisis, noted Berlin was not represented at the meetings in Washington at the ministerial level.

“No one’s criticizing anyone,” Darling said.

“What I do think is that it is absolutely imperative that not only do the IMF reach agreement with Greece as quickly as possible but it’s also essential that the euro zone countries fulfill the obligations they’ve already agreed to in relation to making funds available to Greece.”

Many Germans are angry at the prospect of bailing out Greece, which has racked up a massive budget deficit and admitted past debt data were inaccurate. Some German newspapers on Saturday said the only option for Greece was to drop out of the single currency euro zone.

Papaconstantinou also met European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and Olli Rehn, the European Union’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner on Saturday.

Rehn said on Friday that financing for Greece should be ready in early May. It would be the first financial rescue of a member of the euro zone. Time is pressing with an 8.5 billion euro bond due to mature on May 19.

While Greece was clearly the hottest topic, it was not specifically mentioned in the communique released by the IMF’s steering committee following Saturday’s meeting.

In a statement that hit all the high notes of a familiar tune, the IMF member countries agreed to ensure sustainable public finances, address sovereign debt risks and adopt policies that would help rebalance the global economy. It offered no new proposals on how best to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis, which triggered the worst recession in the United States since World War Two.

People read newspapers hanging at an Athens kiosk on April 24, 2010.

Finance leaders scrambled to secure aid for debt-stricken Greece on Saturday and Canada cautioned that some European countries feared the 45 billion euros ($60 billion) under consideration was not enough.

AFP PHOTO / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI

12

Monday, April 26, 2010

Entertainment

International

Jennifer Lopez Continues World Domination at Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Style

WON’T Jennifer Lopez be disappointed if “The Back-Up Plan” bombs at the box office? After all, she’s been saturating the media with various appearances all week to pimp out her new film. AP only gives her film one and a half stars out of four.

The plot is thin and director Alan Poul “hits every obvious note, complete with pratfalls, pregnancy cliches and cheesy pop-music cues that signal the characters’ emotions in painfully literal fashion.” Maybe Jennifer will disappear for a while again after this one.

We’re getting a little tired of how phenomenally good she’s been looking lately, anyway.

Meanwhile Jennifer Lopez began her post-babies comeback late last year, with “Louboutins,” a dance-pop ode to shoes that didn’t exactly set the world on its heels - or kick her music career back into high gear for that matter. Luckily, she has “The Back-up Plan,” a romantic-comedy that hits theatres this Friday.

Lopez undoubtedly hopes that returning to the big screen in a genre where she’s been successful in the past will re-establish her as a major

movie star and reignite her star power.

After all, for the first half of the decade, two Jennifers pretty much dominated celebrity news headlines.

Aniston was our “Friend” and Hollywood’s version of the girl next door, while Lopez was the one that kept us guessing. She was the triple threat and the first artist to have a #1 album and #1 movie in the same week.

She was also the frequently married, Versace dress-wearing fly girl with the insured derriere. Hit or miss, for better or worse, J.Lo or Jenny from the Block, she was always interesting.

Take a look at some career highs and lows: “Selena” (Film) – Jennifer Lopez delivered a powerful breakthrough performance in this 1997 biopic about the late Tejano pop singer. Her portrayal of Selena earned Lopez a Golden Globe Nomination and established her as a leading lady on the big screen. Out of Sight – (Film) She was charming in “The Wedding Planner” and some of us thoroughly enjoyed her in the fluffy Cinderella story, “Maid in Manhattan” but Lopez was undoubtedly at her best in this romantic thriller. Playing opposite George Clooney’s irresistible criminal, Lopez was sexy, sharp, and totally kick*** as a US Marshal on his case. The pair has great chemistry together and their scenes are H-O-T. Aside from setting the bar for celebrity nicknames, JLO became a global brand. The album/ nickname solidified Lopez A-list status, allowing her to expand her empire with the launches of clothing lines and fragrances. The album itself topped the music charts (the same week that “The Wedding Planner” topped the box office) and gave us irresistible dance tracks like “I’m Real” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.”

Kelly Clarkson Scrutinized Over Cigarette Sponsorship ANTI-smoking protesters have taken aim at pop star Kelly Clarkson for lighting up a fuming feud in Indonesia by appearing in billboard ads for cigarette company Diarum.

The tobacco firm’s bosses are sponsoring the “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker’s April 29 concert in Jakarta - and they’ve splashed their L.A. Lights brand logo all over posters advertising the show.

The marketing ploy comes two years after Alicia Keys objected to a similar tobacco-fueled sponsorship deal in Indonesia. The “No One” singer insisted the cigarette logo was removed from all ads promoting her Jakarta concert, and U.S.-based anti-smoking groups want Clarkson to do the same.

Matt Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, tells the Associated Press, “If Kelly Clarkson goes ahead with the con-

cert, she is by choice being a spokesman for the tobacco industry and helping them to market to children. “She has the power now to turn this situation around and to send a clear message to Indonesian young people and, frankly, to the young people of the world.”

Film director Alex Gibney speaks during the opening news conference for the Tribeca Film Festival Tuesday, April 20, 2010 in New York.

AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

Spitzer documentary premieres at Tribeca Film Fest A much-anticipated documentary about former New York governor Eliot Spitzer premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Though many of those interviewed for the film were in attendance Saturday evening, the documentary’s subject was not. Director Alex Gibney, whose “Taxi to the Dark Side” won the 2007 documentary Oscar, interviewed Spitzer four times over the two years he spent making the film. Though it was billed as unfinished and doesn’t yet have a title, Gibney said the film was “mostly finished.” He made the film in tandem with author Peter Elkind, whose book “Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer” was recently released.

Ashley Dupre, the former call girl involved in the scandal, was not interviewed for the film. Gibney told the audience she asked for editorial control, which he refused. Dupre said in an e-mail that she didn’t want to grant an interview without “approval over the edit.”

“I didn’t think it was smart to participate after what I’ve seen with editing,” said Dupre. “I think everyone is trying to move on with their lives and by me participating in their project would only open old wounds.” Among those interviewed on camera were former CEO Cecil Suwal of the

Emperor’s Club VIP escort service and Spitzer rivals former New York Sen. Joe Bruno and Kenneth Langone, the former director of the New York Stock Exchange.

Gibney said he also discovered the identity of another prostitute, “Angelina,” whom Spitzer frequently visited. She wouldn’t be interviewed on camera, though, so Gibney hired an actress to read her answers in character. Spitzer’s wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, didn’t grant an interview for the documentary. Often sitting on a couch in a suit with his legs crossed, Spitzer looks directly into the cam-

era as he tries to explain why he continued to visit prostitutes before resigning in 2008. “You cave to temptations in ways that seem easier and perhaps less damaging,” he says.

The documentary tracks Spitzer’s meteoric rise in New York politics and his crusades against Merrill Lynch, AIG and the New York Stock Exchange. The film also raises questions about the investigation into the Emperor’s Club, suggesting that political motives may have been behind the investigation. Gibney said Spitzer had not yet seen the film but is expected to soon.

Bret Michaels Is ‘Awake and Talking’ After Brain Hemorrhage ROCKER Bret Michaels is reportedly awake and “in good spirits” after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Thursday night.

The Poison frontman, 47, was recovering at home in Texas from surgery to remove his appendix when a blinding headache prompted him to check into hospital, where doctors discovered he had suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

He was put in intensive care, where he underwent tests to determine the cause of the bleeding. He is now said to be in stable condition, “in good spirits” and “talking”, according to a new TMZ.com report.

Michaels, who is currently shooting reality show “Celebrity Apprentice,” has already scrapped a series of concerts following his appendectomy earlier this month.

“Celebrity Apprentice” star Donald Trump said he was “deeply saddened”, adding: “He’s a great competitor and champion, and I hope he will be fine.” A statement on Michaels’ official website reads, “There are several incorrect reports on Bret’s condition. Bret remains in critical condition at an undisclosed location. Further tests are being ran (sic) and information will be updated in the coming days.”

Life Style

International

Monday, April 26, 2010

13

Spanish hospital claims 1st full-face transplant Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Eric Risberg

In this April 21, 2010 photo, Islais Creek just before it is diverted underground near Glen Park in San Francisco. San Francisco is studying the best sites for unearthing these historic creeks, and officials say the first phase of projects would likely start in five to 10 years. Islais Creek, which starts in the city’s Glen Park neighborhood, and Mission Creek, which runs beneath the trendy Mission and South of Market districts, are likely the first candidates.

Plans percolate to revive some SF native creeks Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO – Riffling through old maps while researching a history project for San Francisco public schools, landscape architect Bonnie Sherk made a discovery: a century ago a creek coursed where two school campuses stand today. “There was Islais Creek, running where Balboa High School is now,” said Sherk. “All of a sudden it made sense: the school’s cafeteria had been flooding and the basements of homes in this neighborhood flood during heavy rains because they’re in this large watershed.”

Two wells have been drilled on the school campuses since Sherk’s discovery a decade ago, tapping the hidden creek’s water to irrigate community gardens, parks and street vegetation, while hopefully reducing the threat of floods. Now, as part of an estimated $4 billion sewer upgrade, Islais Creek and other streams that last saw daylight more than a century ago could flow openly once again through neighborhoods of one of the country’s most densely built cities. Such “daylighting” of urban creeks is being embraced in cities throughout the world. Seattle, Portland, Ore., Yonkers, N.Y., Providence, R.I., as well as Zurich are among many places reopening long hidden waterways. Resurrecting old creeks can help remove hundreds of millions of gallons of storm water from sewer systems each year — meaning fewer sewage spills and cleaner water.

Covered up during and after the Gold Rush when the city’s booming population created demand for housing, San Francisco’s many creeks were diverted and sent underground into the sewer system — parts of it still utilizing 1850s-era brick pipes.

The water is mixed with the waste and sent to a treatment plant before

being expelled into San Francisco Bay or the Pacific Ocean. Each year, these rain-swollen creeks often overload the system — and about a dozen times a year raw or partially treated sewage spews into the bay and sea.

Currently, Islais Creek, once the city’s largest, can only be seen in a park in the southern part of the city, where it flows into concrete sewer pipes.

The only place people can catch a glimpse of Mission Creek is in the basement of the San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal building, a massive brick structure not open to the public and currently owned by a pornography film company. “We want to partially restore the natural hydrology of San Francisco,” said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission, the agency in charge of the project. “It helps the sewer system by reducing flow, beautifies neighborhoods and can bring back natural wildlife that may once have lived in an area.”

San Francisco is studying the best sites for unearthing these historic creeks, and officials say the first phase of projects would likely start in five to 10 years. Islais Creek, which starts in the city’s Glen Park neighborhood, and Mission Creek, which runs be-

neath the trendy Mission and South of Market districts, are likely the first candidates. Both creeks flow toward the bay through densely packed neighborhoods, which could expose the water to pollutants such as auto runoff and garbage. Berkeley in the 1980s opened a stretch of Strawberry Creek in a public park. But after heavy rains the creek filled with a lot of debris. Still, regulators say with proper monitoring and natural filters, opening the creeks can actually improve overall water quality by reducing raw sewage overflows.

“Growing plants and vegetation along the creek banks can be very efficient in filtering pollutants and making sure the water going into the bay is better quality,” said David Smith, manager of Clean Water Act permits for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office in San Francisco. “There’s a lot of environmental benefit in turning streams back into living systems.”

Seattle has many urban creeks, most of which have had some sections reopened or restored in recent decades. These projects have improved water quality and reintroduced wildlife into a populated urban area, said Judith Noble, a strategic adviser for Seattle Public Utilities.

MADRID – A team of surgeons has carried out the world’s first fullface transplant on a young Spanish farmer unable to breathe or eat on his own since accidentally shooting himself in the face five years ago. It was the most extensive operation yet and the 11th known face transplant worldwide. During the 24-hour surgery, doctors lifted an entire face, including jaw, nose, cheekbones, muscles, teeth and eyelids, and placed it masklike onto the man, Dr. Joan Pere Barret told The Associated Press on Friday.

Transplant experts hailed the surgery, carried out late last month at Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron Hospital, as a significant advance. “It is a breakthrough. They are pushing the envelope and I am very happy for them,” said Dr. Thomas Romo, chief of facial and reconstructive surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

The Spanish patient, who was not identified, now has a completely new face from his hairline down and only one visible scar, which looks like a wrinkle running across his neck, said Barret, who headed the 30-member surgical team.

The man cannot yet speak, eat or smile, but he can see and swallow saliva, the surgeon said. He is expected to be able to eat and breathe on his own in about a week. “If you look him in the face, you see a normal person,” Barret said. “He sits up, he walks in his hospital room and he watches television.” Before the transplant, the 30-year-old patient had had nine surgeries and could only breathe with the help of a ventilator and get nourishment from a feeding tube. He also had problems speaking.

The 2005 accident, in which he shot himself with a shotgun, essentially destroyed his face from the eye sockets down, although his eyes and eyesight were unaffected. During the daylong operation, Barret said his team cut off the donor’s face below the eye sockets and attached the bone structure along with muscles and nerves to the recipient “in one piece.” “Imagine a skull. It is as if with a saw, we cut every-

thing just below the upper part of the eye sockets, as if we were sawing all that,” he said. Then, “everything attached to the mask is placed on the recipient.”

“It is a little bit like the movie with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage,” the surgeon said, referring to the 1997 thriller “Face/Off”, in which the face of the character played by Cage is grafted onto the Travolta character’s skull in an identity switch. Face transplants in the real world have gained acceptance since the first partial transplant almost five years ago in France. Patients don’t look like the dead people whose skin and facial features they now live with. And skeptical bioethicists and doctors groups have warmed to the idea for patients who have tried reconstructive surgery with little success. There have been 10 partial transplants worldwide, including in the United States, China and elsewhere in Spain, but this is the first full face transplant, Barret said.

The Spanish operation is similar to a near-total face transplant carried out by a team led by Dr. Maria Siemionow in 2008 in Cleveland, on a woman who was also shot in the face. But the Spanish case “seems to us to be more complex,” said Neil Huband, a spokesman for the UK Facial Transplantation Research Team, based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Barret would give no details about the donor except to say that doctors try to choose donors of similar weight, height, facial measurements and skin tone as the recipient. As in earlier operations, the Spanish patient had undergone psychiatric tests to determine if he would be able to confront having a totally new face, the hospital said.

Still, rejection is a possibility whenever someone receives an organ or cells from someone else because the body regards this as foreign tissue. Rejection, which can be life-threatening, can come on suddenly, within days or weeks of the operation, or occur years later.

Romo said the patient and doctors are certainly euphoric now but the patient is only beginning to recover and even three years from now his body could reject the face.

AP Photo/Vall d’Hebron Hospital

In this combo of computer-generated images released by the Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain on Friday, April 23, 2010, the various steps undertaken to perform a full-face transplant on a young male patient in late March 2010 are graphically illustrated. The hospital in Spain says it has carried out the world’s first full-face transplant, giving a young man who lost his in an accident a new nose, skin, jaws, cheekbones, teeth and other features.

14

Monday, April 26, 2010

Sport

International

Soderling threatens Spanish reign in Barcelona Agence France - Presse

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, right, gives a high-five to teammate guard James Harden, left, in the first quarter of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, against the Los Angeles Lakers, in Oklahoma City, Saturday, April 24, 2010.

Thunder even series with 110-89 blowout of Lakers Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Russell Westbrook added 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder evened their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 110-89 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night. For the second straight game, the Thunder capitalized on a significant edge at the foul line and on the boards despite the presence of the Lakers’ 7-foot tandem of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Oklahoma City never trailed after the opening 5 minutes and led by double digits for the final three quarters in a thorough dismantling of the defending NBA champions.

Bynum had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Gasol also scored 13 to lead Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant finished with only 12 points. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

After Durant clamped down on Bryant in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s 101-96 win in Game 3, the matchup between the NBA’s youngest scoring champion and the 2008 MVP never materialized this time around.

Instead, both superstars were on the bench for the entire fourth quarter while lineups of mostly reserves toiled away with little more than the final margin at stake. It was the Lakers’ largest playoff loss since Boston’s clinching 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the 2008 finals. Oklahoma City held a 50-43 rebounding edge and shot 20 more free throws — finishing 42 of 48.

There was plenty for another raucous Ford Center crowd to cheer

about, with Oklahoma City adding to its lead throughout. A huge ovation followed when Eric Maynor converted a double-pumping three-point play and when fellow rookie James Harden hit a 3-pointer moments later to push the advantage to 99-72, then hoisted three fingers over his head as he trotted back downcourt.

The Thunder bucked a trend of slow starts in the series, grabbing the lead early and increasing their advantage with a 12-0 run late in the first quarter. Westbrook had the first six points in the rush and Bryant headed to the bench for his first rest of the game while Oklahoma City surged to a 27-14 lead. Bryant had spent all of his time to that point deferring to his teammates and didn’t attempt his first shot until he drilled a 3-pointer with 9:07 left in the second quarter after L.A. had fallen behind by 15. The Thunder led by as many as 16, including after Bryant’s foul led to a four-point play by James Harden that made it 44-28, and it only got worse in the second half.

Lamar Odom made a brief bid to get the Lakers back into the game

with three straight baskets to cut the deficit to 76-61 late in the third, but Oklahoma City came right back with its own run of seven straight points.

The lead reached 86-63 after Durant hit three straight free throws, including one after Luke Walton drew a technical foul for arguing the initial whistle. Coach Phil Jackson had seen enough by then and kept Bryant, Gasol and fellow starters Ron Artest and Derek Fisher on the sidelines for the final period. The Thunder are still fighting against history. Only three of 52 eighth-seeded teams have ever pulled an upset against a No. 1 seed, and Jackson is 44-0 when his team wins Game 1 of any playoff series.

But who expected Oklahoma City, the youngest team in the league, to make it this far in the first place?

The team won only 23 games last season and made no significant freeagent acquisitions before its 27-win improvement that was the best in the league this season. Now, they’re guaranteed at least the chance to extend their season until Game 6 on Friday night back on their home court — and maybe beyond.

BARCELONA – Sweden’s Robin Soderling defeated Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-1, 6-4 Saturday to reach the Barcelona Open final where he will aim to smash a longstanding Spanish stranglehold at the claycourt event.

Second seed Soderling, the 2009 Roland Garros finalist, will be the first from his country to bid for the title at the Real club since Magnus Larsson a decade and a half ago.

He will aim to become the first Swedish winner at the tournament since Kent Carlsson 22 years ago when he tackles Spanish fifth seed Fernando Verdasco in Sunday’s title match. Verdasco, last week’s runnerup to Rafael Nadal at Monte Carlo, denied compatriot David Ferrer a third straight final here with a 6-7 (3/7), 75, 6-1 comeback win in his semi-final. Spaniards have played in the last 13 Barcelona finals dating back to 1997 and have won the trophy through Nadal (2005-2009), Tommy Robredo in 2004 and Carlos Moya in 2003.

“So far it feels very good. My form is getting better with every match. I managed to get some easy points on serve and worked the points well with my forehand,” said Soderling. “I’m moving better and feel like I’m getting pretty close to where I played my best tennis on clay last year.” Soderling, who opened his

clay campaign only this week after resting a minor knee problem, ran away against De Bakker, playing his first semi-final on the ATP Tour.

He took the first set in 32 minutes and reached 4-0 in the second before his 21-year-old opponent could react. De Bakker broke for the first time for 2-4 and threatened again with a break point in the final game, which Soderling saved. The second seed managed his third ace with perfect timing to bring up match point, quickly wrapping up the tie after 75 minutes. Ferrer lost title bids in 2008 and 2009 to Nadal as the four-time Roland Garros champion, who skipped this event, swept to his five straight titles. Verdasco was proud of his fightback effort.

“I’m very happy to be in my first final here. I’ll work to recover and hope not to wake up too tired,” said the world number nine.

Ferrer and Verdasco duelled for 66 minutes in their opening set before Ferrer took it in a tiebreaker.

Verdasco got back into contention in the second, which he won by breaking Ferrer twice after falling behind 2-3 on a break of his own serve. In the third, Verdasco was untroubled as he dominated to secure the victory. “The first two sets took two hours, but I gained confidence when I came back from a break in the second set,” said the winner.

US-Russia locked, Italy dominate Czechs in Fed Cup semis Agence France - Presse

PARIS – Seventeen-time Fed Cup winners United States were locked in a semi-final dogfight with Russia on Saturday while defending champions Italy looked on course to reach a fourth final in five seasons. Elena Dementieva downed Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-3 in Birmingham, Alabama, to lift Russia into a 1-1 tie with the US, who were once again missing both Williams sisters, in their semi-final.

Melanie Oudin had earlier defeated Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-3, smacking 18 winners and taking advantage of 39 unforced errors by Kudryavtseva to win in 78 minutes.

“I wanted to get out to 1-0 for my team. It’s really nice to win, I didn’t feel too much pressure,” said Oudin, who played in the US team which lost the 2009 final to Italy.

The indoor hardcourt matchup will be decided on Sunday, when Dementieva meets Oudin and Mattek-Sands will face Kudryavtseva. A closing doubles match will settle the outcome if the US and Russia split singles once again. In Rome, champions Italy took control of their semi-final against the

Czech Republic to lead 2-0. Italian Flavia Pennetta ground out a 6-4, 75 victory against Lucie Hradecka before Francesca Schiavone thrashed Czech number one Lucie Safarova 6-0, 6-2 on the Roman clay.

Italy were off to the perfect start despite the brief inconvenience of a rain delay. Pennetta, who won her first title of 2010 on clay in Marbella two weeks ago, took her time to get going and slumped to a 4-1 first set deficit before turning it around with five games on the trot.

The second set followed an almost identical pattern, with world number 15 Pennetta again going down 4-1 before hitting back to win that 7-5. The second singles rubber was a stroll for the experienced Schiavone, two places below her compatriot in the world rankings, as the world number 38 Safarova offered little resistance.

“We followed all the tactics and now we can enjoy this beautiful point,” said Schiavone. The pair will swap opponents on Sunday and if the Czechs mount an unlikely comeback a doubles rubber will be needed, in which Italy can field Roberta Vinci, who has never lost a Fed Cup doubles match.

Sport

International

Monday, April 26, 2010

15

Inter put title pressure back on Roma Agence France - Presse

ROME – Inter Milan came from behind to beat relegationthreatened Atalanta 3-1 at the San Siro on Saturday to leapfrog AS Roma at the top of the Serie A table. Goals from Diego Milito, Kenya midfielder McDonald Mariga and Cristian Chivu saw the champions claim three vital points in the title race after Simone Tiribocchi’s opener for the visitors.

In the day’s late game, Palermo ended AC Milan’s title hopes with a 31 success in Sicily. Inter now lead Roma by two points although the capital-based club can return to the summit if they beat Sampdoria at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Atalanta remain in the bottom three, two points from safety. “Today’s was an important victory and I’m really happy to be a part of this group,” said Mariga after making a rare Inter start. “It’s a great group with great players. I’m happy with how things are going and today’s goal was important. I’m even more happy because my mother came to Milan to see me tonight and I scored.”

The win allowed Inter to put Mario Balotelli’s shirt-throwing incident, against Barcelona in midweek, behind them although some fans demonstrated banners indicating they had not forgotten his petulant antics. It was the second week in a row in which Inter played before Roma and once again they managed to heap maximum pressure on their rivals. But following their Champions League exertions in midweek, coach Jose Mourinho rang the changes, with four of Tuesday’s starters on the bench and two left out altogether. Those who came in took time to settle down and it was one of them who was at fault for Atalanta’s fifthminute opener.

Thomas Manfredini played a long

ball forward from left-back and World Cup winner Marco Materazzi was illadvised in pushing up, trying to catch Tiribocchi offside. He failed and the forward buried a rasping drive from the edge of the box. Inter, though, gradually found their stride and took control but it was another mistake on 24 minutes that allowed them to equalise.

Wesley Sneijder hit a ball over the top on the counter-attack but it was heading straight for Paolo Bianco who should easily have cut it out. Instead it skipped off his thigh and Milito ran onto it before flicking a delightful lob over Ferdinando Coppola from outside the area with the goalkeeper in no-man’s land.

Inter took the lead 10 minutes before the break as Sneijder fed Samuel Eto’o on the left before missing his centre, only for Mariga to pop up and drill home from 10 yards. The hosts threatened to put the game to bed before halftime but Ivan Cordoba’s header was straight at Coppola and Eto’o blazed high over the bar at the back post on the volley.

A quarter of an hour before the end substitute Thiago Motta brought a sprawling save out of Coppola with an acrobatic volley from the edge of the area. Then 12 minutes from time Chivu made the points safe as he was given time and space to hit a drive from distance in off the post.

(AFP/Giuseppe Cacace)

Inter Milan’s midfielder Dejan Stankovic (R) challenges Atalanta ‘s midfielder Cristiano Doni during their Serie A football match at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Inter Milan came from behind to beat relegation-threatened Atalanta 3-1 at the San Siro on Saturday to leapfrog AS Roma at the top of the Serie A table.… Read more »

City stalemate ends Arsenal’s title hopes Agence France - Presse

LONDON – Arsenal’s already slim hopes of pipping Manchester United and Chelsea for the Premier League title disappeared after a goalless draw with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The point, which left third-placed Arsenal seven points

behind United with only six available from their remaining two games, was of more use to City. Roberto Mancini’s men are currently fifth and hope to overtake Tottenham for fourth place and therefore qualify for the Champions League next season.

City’s hopes of doing just that, which will hinge on a home game with

Tottenham next month, have been hit, however, by what appears to be a serious injury to goalkeeper Shay Given.

The Republic of Ireland international was carried off on a stretcher in the second half after hurting a shoulder making a save. Former Arsenal title winners Patrick Vieira and Kolo Toure were both in the City starting line-up.

Arsenal’s Niklas Bendtner (L) hits a shot while Manchester City’s Kolo Toure (C) closes him down during their Premiership match at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal’s already slim hopes of pip

(AFP/Adrian Dennis)

Emmanuel Adebayor began on the bench, however, on his return to the club he left acrimoniously before this season started, with the Togo forward barracked by a large section of the Arsenal fans.

Adebayor angered Gunners’ supporters earlier this season by running the length of the field to celebrate his goal in City’s 4-2 win over Arsenal at Eastlands in September. Robin van Persie was handed the Arsenal captaincy on his first start since suffering an ankle injury in November. Bacary Sagna, the Arsenal defender, headed wide from an early corner but opening exchanges saw no clear chances. Arsenal winger Theo Walcott was dazed when Vincent Kompany’s fair challenge saw his head hit the turf, but he was soon able to recover. City defender Wayne Bridge had already taken a knock and was replaced by Micah Richards just before the half hour mark.

Van Persie used his pace to get into a shooting position but Toure arrived just in time to block. Arsenal forced a couple of corners as the firsthalf neared an end but the second saw Mikael Silvestre head harmlessly over. Samir Nasri forced Given into

a save before van Persie found the side-netting with another effort from a similar position on the left. Van Persie headed a Nasri cross over as Arsenal began the second half looking like they intended to change that sorry statistic. On came Adebayor in the 51st minute to a hail of abuse after Vieira had been applauded off. The City striker had passed a pre-match fitness test on a thigh injury to make the bench and was soon the subject of a robust challenge by Alex Song.

Tomas Rosicky sent a drive from the edge of the box straight at Given, who hurt a shoulder tipping a Diaby drive round a post. The Irishman needed lengthy treatment and was eventually replaced by rookie Gunnar Nielsen, the Faroe Islands international, who was making his City and Premier League debut. Nielsen was far busier in the closing minutes than Given had been all game but kept his composure to ensure City went back to the north-west with a valuable point.ping Manchester United and Chelsea for the Premier League title disappeared after a goalless draw with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

16

Monday, April 26, 2010

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

Sport

Happy Hayden eyes more progress

Nicky Hayden says there is still work to do before he is fully competitive despite a significant step forward this year, but he admits he has been pleased with the way things are going so far.

The 2006 world champion struggled with the handling of the Ducati during the most part of last year, but began to make progress towards the end of the season. Hayden enjoyed a strong season-opening race in Qatar, where he was just pipped to a podium place by Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso.

Nicky Hayden says there is still work to do before he is fully competitive despite a significant step forward this year, but he admits he has been pleased with the way things are going so far

Rosberg: Schumacher will improve NICO Rosberg is not expecting to maintain his early advantage over team-mate Michael Schumacher all season - admitting that he never thought he would be able to deliver such strong form. The German has out-qualified and out-raced Schumacher in the first four races of the year - a feat that few people expected him to achieve.

But despite the early season form, Rosberg says he is taking nothing for granted in terms of how the rest of the year will pan out. “I’m happy to be ahead of him but I don’t know how long it will last,” Rosberg told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I would have been content to be at his level. Now I hope I can carry on fighting with him.” Rosberg has also reiterated how much he is enjoying working with Schumacher, having confessed to having some reservations about what life would be like alongside the seventime champion. “People probably have the wrong opinion on Michael,” he said. “I myself thought that it wouldn’t be a good thing to have him as team-mate, when instead I’m positively surprised about it.”

Meanwhile Mercedes hopes the longer wheelbase car it plans to introduce at the Spanish Grand Prix will help it get a grip on the weight distribution issues that it has encountered so far this season. The Brackley-based outfit is set to introduce a major aerodynamic upgrade to its W01 for next month’s race at Barcelona, and will also lengthen the wheelbase of the car.

Team principal Ross Brawn has revealed that the motivation for making the major wheelbase change has been prompted by the fact the team miscalculated the weight distribution

needs for the 2010 tyres.

“The problem is not actually the wheelbase per se, it is the weight distribution,” Brawn said about the motivation for the change. “We got the weight distribution wrong. When we got to test these tyres we realised we didn’t have the correct weight distribution and we went to the limit with what we could achieve with this car.

It is not the wheelbase as such, it is the weight distribution that is not what we wanted it. The tyres changed quite a bit... and we didn’t have the opportunity to test these tyres, and we didn’t have as good a guess of what was required as some of the other teams. So we will have a modification to the car at Barcelona which will give us a better range for the weight distribution that we can achieve.”

As well as helping with the overall handling of the car, the weight distri-

bution changes may well help iron out some of the understeer tendencies that have left Michael Schumacher struggling on his F1 return. Brawn also said that Mercedes will likely introduce a fully working version of an F-duct in the next few events, having begun experimenting with a blown rear-wing in China last weekend. “McLaren’s system, which is driver operated, is quite complicated to get to work properly,” said Brawn. “McLaren conceived that car to accommodate the system, and it is not so easy to put it onto [other] cars. What we had in China was a simple, passive system.

It is not driver operated, so it is not as effective as the McLaren system. We are still working on a proper system that we will have at Barcelona or Istanbul. It is complicated to get to work properly, but our aerodynamicists are working on it.”

Nico Rosberg is not expecting to maintain his early advantage over team-mate Michael Schumacher all season - admitting that he never thought he would be able to deliver such strong form

The Ducati rider admits he is feeling more comfortable on his bike this year, but reckons there is still progress to be made. “I would say it kind of started toward the end of last year, the middle of last year,” said Hayden during an Indianapolis GP teleconference. “We started to get some momentum going. I was faster than it really looked. We had some bad luck, some incidents, you know, where we didn’t finish some races that hurt us every time we tried to get momentum going. But, for sure, this winter the bike is a little bit different, and I just feel a lot more comfortable on it and also with the team. It’s the second year with the team after a long time on Honda’s. It was a big change last year.

I certainly didn’t adapt the way I wanted to. But this year things seem to be going a lot better.”

“The communication with the team is a lot better than it was last year.

I feel comfortable. I like the bike.

We’ve been quick testing, but we still got some areas we need to improve on. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The American says the changes made to his bike’s engine for this year have been key in helping improve his situ-

ation. “I would say the engine certainly is smoother,” he said. “And on the bottom, it just gives you a bit better feel when you open the power and try to accelerate out of the corner. This engine, you got more connectivity. You feel it better. But back to what I said a minute ago, I think a lot of it is just a second year on the bike and with the team. But the main thing for me, I need to go and be fast on a weekend that we show up on Friday and we don’t have, like Qatar, two days of testing.

And also like Malaysia, when I was quick.”

“We had already been there once in testing, and it wasn’t until the fourth day that I went quick. And that was one of my targets for this off-season was improve that. Really, I guess we’ll find out at Jerez if that’s the case.” And Hayden believes the satellite teams will also benefit from the easier-to-ride bike. “I think so. It’s hard for me to speak for anybody else. But I think we have a strong package. The chassis’ good. The engine’s good. We’ll wait to see, a little bit, what the engine rules, what happens three or four races down the road when engines start getting a lot of miles on them.