Edisi 02 Agustus 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 145 2st Year

Panama prosecutor: Jailed American admits 5 slays PAGE 6

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Monday, August 2, 2010

Kuta carnival could become international tourism event PAGE 8

Movie tax cuts ‘help struggling California economy’ PAGE 12

AFP PHOTO / photoshelter.com / Genevieve de Manio

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US president Bill Clinton, is pictured during her marriage ceremony with Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010 in Rhinebeck, New Yotk. Chelsea Clinton married her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky, ending weeks of secretive build-up about the former first daughter’s wedding.

Chelsea Clinton weds at exclusive New York estate Associated Press Writer RHINEBECK, N.Y. – It was high society inside and high security outside as Chelsea Clinton wed her longtime boyfriend at an elegant estate in a Hudson River village where several prominent guests were spotted beforehand, but the husband-and-wife-to-be stayed out of sight.

WEATHER FORECAST

The wedding site, a Beaux Arts riverside estate called Astor Courts, was sealed off from the general public. Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a statement announcing that their daughter exchanged vows Saturday evening

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JAKARTA

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YOGYAKARTA

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Associated Press Writer

SURABAYA

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Rescue workers struggled Sunday to save more than 27,000 people still trapped by massive flooding in Pakistan’s northwest that has killed over 900 people and destroyed thousands of homes, officials said.

The effort has been aided by a slackening of the monsoon rains that have caused the worst flooding in decades in Khyber-

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with investment banker Marc Mezvinsky, and a few photographs were later released to media outlets.

Chelsea Clinton, wearing a strapless white gown with a full skirt and silver beading around the waist and carrying a bouquet of

white flowers, was escorted down the aisle by her father. The former president and the groom wore dark suits, while the mother of the bride wore a fuchsia dress.

The event was the culmination of weeks of secrecy and buildup that

drew onlookers to the small village of Rhinebeck, 90 miles north of New York City.

It is estimated that hundreds of guests gathered at the historic estate near the end of a near-perfect summer day of warm temperatures, blue skies and cottony clouds. The ceremony was conducted by a rabbi and a reverend as Chelsea Clinton is Methodist and Mezvinsky is Jewish, and included a poem by Leo Marks titled, “The Life That I Have,” according to the family.

Thousands trapped by Pakistan floods; 900 dead Pakhtoonkhwa province. But as flood waters have started to recede, authorities have begun to understand the full scale of the disaster.

The death toll from the flooding has risen to 903 people, said Mujahid Khan, the head of rescue services for the Edhi Foundation, a private charity. The worst hit areas have been the districts of Swat and Shangla, where more than 400 people have died, he said.

Continued on page 6

AFP PHOTO/A. MAJEED

Pakistani soldiers (foreground and R) use boats to evacuate local residents in the flood-hit Mohib Bhanda area in Nowshera district on July 31, 2010.

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International

Monday, August 2, 2010

Bali News Padma Tiga shrines at Besakih, worship of God as Tri Purusha Besakih Temple poses the biggest temple in Bali. According to the Charter of Besakih, it is known as the Sari Padma Bhuwana or axis of the world symbolized with lotus flowers. Therefore, Besakih Temple becomes the center to purify the world along with its entire contents. Similarly, Besakih Temple is the hub of activity for Hindu religious ceremonies. In this temple every 10 years is organized the Panca Bali Krama ceremony, while every 100 years is held Eka Dasa Rudra ceremony.

Besakih Temple spiritually constitutes the source of holiness and safety for the Hindus.

The most important buildings in Besakih Temple are Padma Tiga shrines (Padmasana). They are located in the complex of Penataran Agung Temple. Those shrines consist of three buildings in the form of Padmasana, standing on a single altar.

A religious and cultural observer, Ida Bagus Gede Agastia, said that the sacred shrines of Padmasana Tiga in Besakih Temple denoted a place of worship to Tri Purusha comprising the Shiva, Sada Shiva and Parama Shiva (God Almighty).

Anniversary of the Padmasana Tiga was held every Purnama Kapat or full moon falling around September. It had something to do with the ngapat tradition. Sasih Kapat or Kartika coincided with the moments when flowers were blooming kartika penedengan sari.

Padmasana was built on one altar or yoni.

Ida Bagus Agastia said the Padmasana shrine stood for the abode of God. The word Padmasana was derived from the words padma and asana. Padma means lotus and asana means seat or throne. So, Padmasana means an abode to sit or a lotus throne. Lord Shiva—the Almighty One and the Omnipotent symbolically enthroned on the seat or lotus throne or Padmasana.

Padmasana denoted a symbol of purity with astadala or eight-leaved lotus. Bali Dwipa or Bali Island was

envisioned by the ancient Hindu rishis as a Padmasana, seat of Lord Shiva, God Almighty with His eight magic power (eight-omnipotence) stretching into the eight directions (asta dala) of Island Bali along with its respective ruling gods.

Lord Ishvara was in the East direction residing in the Lempuyang Temple; Brahma in the South dwelling in Andakasa Temple; Lord Mahadeva in the west (Batukaru Temple), Vishnu in the North (Batur Temple), Maheshvara in the Southeast (Goa Lawah Temple); Rudra in the Southwest (Uluwatu Temple); Shankar in the Northwest (Puncak Mangu Temple); Sambhu in the Northeast (Besakih Temple); and Shiva was residing in the middle, on the altar of the Besakih Temple with His Tri Purusha namely Parama Shiva, Sada Shiva and Shiva. Tri Purusha was revered in Padmasana Tiga in Besakih.

“Padmasana Tiga shrines denote the essence of the padma bhuwana emitting holiness to all directions.

On that account, it is an important source of holiness that is necessary to maintain as a source of life,” he observed.

Meanwhile, the development of Besakih Temple and other Sad Kahyangan temples are based on the Padma-mandala conception or lotus flower with multi-layered strands (Catur Lawa and Astadala). Besakih Temple is sari padma mandala or

padma bhuwana. Gelap Temple, Kiduling Kerteg Temple, Ulun Kulkul Temple and Batumadeg Temple are the Catur Lawa. Meanwhile, Lempuyang Temple, Goa Lawah Temple, Andakasa Temple, Uluwatu Temple, Batukaru Temple, Mangu Temple, and Batur Temple are the Astadala. Those temples are highly sanctified and become a single unity. The temples themselves serve as the center of sanctity and safety for Hindu devotees.

In the meantime, a lecturer of Hindu Dharma Institute of Denpasar (IHDN), Ketut Wiana, said that Besakih temple served as the upstream of Bali or Bali Rajya.

Besakih Temple served as the head or the soul of the Island of Bali. It was in accordance with the location of Besakih Temple in northeastern of Bali. Northeast was the direction of the rising sun along with its rays as one of the forces of nature created by God became the source of life on earth. Besakih Temple also served as the upstream of various temples in Bali.

Wiana added, in the Padmasana Tiga God was worshiped as Sang Hyang Tri Purusha— Three manifestations of God as the soul of the universe. Tri means three and purusha means soul. God as the Tri Purusha is the supreme soul of the three layers of universe namely bhur loka (the lowest sphere), bhuvah loka (central sphere) and svah loka

(upper sphere). God as ruler of the lower sphere was called Shiva or Ishvara. As the soul of the middle of nature, God was called Shiva and Sadha Shiva and as the supreme soul of the upper sphere, God was called Parama Shiva or Parameshvara.

The rightmost Padma shrine was the abode of Lord Parama Shiva, namely God as the soul of Svah Loka. The shrine was usually decorated with black clothes because the highest sphere (svah-loka) was unattainable by sunlight so it was black.

Padma shrine located in the middle was symbol of the veneration to Lord Sadha Shiva. Clothing worn by the padma shrine was white. It represented the color of ether. Meanwhile, the leftmost padma shrine was symbol of worship to Shiva, the God as the soul of Bhur Loka embellished with red clothes. It was in Bhur Loka the Lord put His creations in the form of stavira (plants), janggama (animals) and humans. On that account, Padma Tiga shrines were means of worshipping God as the soul of the Tri Loka (Bhur Loka, Bhuvah Loka and Svah Loka).

Therefore, in the rwa-bhineda (elementary dualism) conception, Besakih Temple served as Purusha (universal cosmic male), while Batur Temple as Prakriti (the Mother Nature).

According to Wiana, the black attire on Padma Tiga shrines was not the symbol of the Lord Vishnu, but Parama Shiva. In Rig-Veda Mantra was stated the existence of Almighty God including the universe was a quarter sections only.

The rest was outside of the universe.

Existence outside the universe was very dark, because it was not reached by sunlight. God was also

omnipresent outside the dark universe. God as Supreme Soul who was present outside the universe was called Parama Shiva. Parama Shiva was in the state of Nirguna Brahman or without properties.

Human being was impossible to describe the attributes of the God Almighty. Meanwhile, Padmasana located in the center, dressed in white-yellow was symbol of God in the state of Saguna Brahman. It meant that God had shown abstract features to create a sacred and prosperous life. Then, white symbolized purity and yellow symbolized welfare. In the meantime, the red cloth of the leftmost Padmasana did not symbolize the Lord Brahma. The red color depicted the existence of God in the state of activity for Utpati (generating), Stithi (operating) and Pralina (decomposing). In this regard, Lord Shiva manifested into Trinity.

Meanwhile, within the complex of Besakih Temple, the manifestation of God as Lord Brahma was worshiped at the Kiduling Kreteg Temple, Lod Vishnu at Batumadeg Temple and the Lord Ishvara at Gelap Temple. At the level of Padma Bhuwana temple, Lord Vishnu was worshiped at Batur Temple symbolizing the ruling gods in the north. Lord Ishvara was worshiped in the Lempuyang Temple symbolizing the ruling gods in an easterly direction and Lord Brahma was worshiped at the Andakasa Temple symbolizing the ruling gods in the south direction. In the meantime, at the level of customary village or desa pakraman, the Trinity gods were revered at three village temples known as Kahyangan Tiga temples. (08)

Prompt action of Jemberana to handle rabies Negara (Bali Post)—

Bali Veterinary Agency declared Jemberana as an endemic area of rabies disease in dog. It was known after Jembrana Regency sent 10 samples of dog’s brain on last July 23 through Jemberana Agricultural, Forestry and Maritime Services for laboratory testing. In fact, based on

the lab results it was known the 7 samples tested were positively contaminated by rabies disease.

In order to prevent the spread of rabies disease to broader areas, last Saturday (Jul 31), Rabies Disease Control Team from Jemberana Agricultural, Forestry and Maritime Services took prompt action by exploring the first target at Yehembang

Village, Mendoyo subdistrict and eliminated 77 dogs.

Field Coordinator of Rabies Elimination in Dog, I Wayan Sueastika, said that Yehembang Village was an area where the samples of dog taken were proven to be positive to rabies, particularly at the Wali Hamlet amounted to one dog and another at Pasar Hamlet.

According to him, implementation

of the elimination to wild dogs did not encounter many difficulties since his party had made socialization in advance accordingly to the village officials.

“Owners of the pet dogs who have performed vaccination should mark their dog by label or a belt worn around the neck. By doing so, the elimination team would be easier to distinguish which dogs to be elimi-

nated,” he hoped.

Sueastika said the elimination and socialization of his team would be continued to more villages by targeting two subdistricts namely Pekutatan subdistrict (Gumbrih and Medewi Village), while at Mendoyo subdistrict (Yehembang and Yehembang Kangin Village). (120)

z Founder : K.Nadha, z General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti z Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, 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. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Bali News

International

Sacred Items Being Taken

Police Had Difficulties in Finding Evidence, Needs Pretima Photos Police succeed in revealing robbery cases with tourists as victims in some villas at Gianyar were not all. Now their homework started in investigating the pretima (religious statues) robbery been happening lately. The robbers seem to be mocking the police to work harder to capture them. So what have the police done so far?

According to Bali Post notes, coming in 2010 the pretima robbery cases increased in Gianyar. Approximately seven pura (Balinese Hindu temple) were victims and Police haven’t found its way out in revealing who have done it. Even last Sunday, in a night the robber went through three pura in Samplangan Village.

Police admitted are having difficulties in finding the robber. First they want to find the evidence which is the missing pretima yet this is hard as the kind and model of the pretima is hard to find. “We are having difficulties in identifying the kind and model of the Pura

pretima stolen,” Head of Gianyar Police Sector, Great Adjunct Police Commissioner I Ketut Suardana confirmed last Saturday (31/7).

In the future, the Pura guardian should document the pretima so the kind and model will be known.

At least with a photo, it is clear what is to be found. The problem now is the police never seen the pretima straight away and to find it is hard as there are many kind or model of this sacred item in Bali, “If there’s a photo of it, at least finding the evidence will be easier.”

Besides documenting it, Suardana through his lower staffs,

has asked village officials and pura guardians to increase supervision for the pura and its surroundings.

To anticipate, police needs residents’ involvement to protect the place’s safety including swakarsa safeties in every village.

Suardana is now forming a special team in revealing this case as this has been an uncomfortable situation for the residents. Instruction to shoot on location maybe can be done if needed. Also alarm system for the pretima saving which has been socialised to the Regent and connecting officials is hoped can be done to anticipate another similar case. (kmb16)

Balinese women:

In devotional services through the arts Beauty can stop everyone’s eyes flickering. Beauty of the kid song can lullaby a baby. Similarly, beauty also can toss the imagination, soothe the mind and draw people to get near. Bali has many sources of that beauty offering the charm of nature, culture or adventure.

By maintaining traditions inspired by Hinduism, Balinese people go on running in harmony with the time. In other words, they do not feel inferior because of inheriting those traditions. Beauty in the form of various dance movements has been introduced since early ages. On seeing a dance staged, a toddler may watch it attentively or its fingers move and move as if imitating the movement of the dance.

Virtually all customary villages in Bali have gamelan troupe. This troupe plays important role in expressing their entertainment arts and accompanying every ritual activity.

This existence gives opportunity to villagers from child to adult to express their artistic talent especially in dance, drama and gamelan arts.

Young girls under twelve or elementary school age have a chance to participate in performing Rejang Dance. By wearing white and yellow costumes and floral decoration on head, they dance beautifully accompanied by gamelan music.

Rejang Dance is one of the sacred dances performed in relation to the organization of temple anniversary

or odalan. Other than putting a basic love to their tradition, they also show devotional service or ngatur ayah through the arts.

When they grow older, right on entering secondary school, they join customary village youth club or Sekaa Taruna. Here, with their male friends and their brothers and sisters start to learn about organization.

Many things can be learned through this organization. Since it has affiliation to customary village, they can learn about the making of some simple oblation under guidance of senior oblation maker and various traditional arts. In Bali, this youth club actually play important role in preparing young generation to maintain their valuable cultural heritages or to prepare themselves for inheriting customary responsibility.

With their male counterpart, here the young girls also learn to play drama or more complex traditional arts. Popular genres of performance showed are pure entertainment and the one in combination with sacred dance. The latter usually features Calonarang. This magical drama involves a combination of male and female players. In essence, this Calonarang drama highlights the endless fight between truth and untruth symbolizing by sanctified effigies or tapakan like Rangda and Barong. By and large, it is also associated with ritual events at local temple.

In the following stage, when

woman gets married she will enter the new organization, namely customary village. Having learned much about ritual works, it is now the time to practice them in wider social life. They should attend some socio-religious activities when the events engage the members of customary village. At this stage, household mother can remain to show her devotional service through the arts other than social works. Through the arts, they may join the drama or individual psalmodic singing or pasantian.

How is about their private life?

It is normal as others. They also have opportunity to build career in their profession. In modern life with heterogeneous professions as today, woman also works as men do. Traditions do not impede them to reach outstanding achievement in self-employee or office job. If they work at daytime, some social works will be held at the evening.

Tradition is not something obsolete. Even, it retains abundant inspirations to create something new and creative that is advantageous for modern life. However, traditions should also be reviewed and adjust to the current condition without leaving behind its core. Tradition does not hinder women to get their career achievement. Even, it stays to give them a channel to express their spiritual sense through devotional services. (BTN/punia)

Monday, August 2, 2010

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Post-flood plan of Public Work Services:

Making sewerage network at upstream, retarding basin hampered by land Flood disaster experienced by Denpasar residents deserves to get the attention from all components of society. Specifically the ranks of Denpasar Municipality have a duty to provide the comfort for citizens when the rainy season arrives. Moreover, in recent years, flooding has become a regular disaster at some points of the culture-based city. It was proven by the rain flushing Denpasar, last Wednesday (Jul 28) night until Thursday (Jul 29) early morning, undoubtedly made some points in Denpasar engulfed by flood.

Ironically, some areas becoming regular destination of floods were re-immersed. What action will Denpasar Municipality take in the future?

After the floods hit Sidakarya Village and some regions of Denpasar at the beginning of last 2009, similar disaster happened again. At least, 12 points of location were engulfed by flood. As a result of this incident, two schools were forced to dismiss their teaching and learning activities. Both schools were elementary school SD 11 and SD 13 Padangsambian.

Students at both schools were given days off because their schools were submerged by floods and mud remained to covered most parts of the walls. In addition, the Agency of Regional Disaster Management (BPBD) of Denpasar recorded at least four cows owned by residents drifted to the death.

The more serious condition even afflicted one of the residents of Jalan Kebo Iwa, Gang Citarum, West Denpasar, namely Nengah Kari. His kamulan taksu shrines were eroded by the flood. As consequence, no single unit of his shrines was left. Four units of his sacred shrines were destroyed by the floods. Besides, his kitchen and bathroom also collapsed and eroded by the water of Buana River.

In response to these events, the ranks of Denpasar Municipality immediately held a meeting led by the Secretary of Denpasar Municipality AA Rai Iswara with other relevant agencies. In the meeting, related agencies were required to take strategic measures to provide an emergency action in handling the disaster.

The Head of Denpasar Public Works, I Ketut Winarta, met in his office, last Friday (Jul 30), said the handling of floods in Denpasar had been carried out in synergy with other relevant agencies. Moreover, the river area belonged to the authority of provincial government. On that account, his party would remain to make coordination with its superior.

However, in the near future there had been a program to make sewerage

network at upstream of local settlement in the region of Jalan Pura Demak. It would connect the Teba River and emptied out into Badung River by passing through Buagan Dam. “This sewerage network will be able to reduce the overflowing water into the settlement area,” said Winarta last Friday.

In keeping with Winarta’s opinion, one of the residents of Jalan Pura Demak, Wayan Budi, recognized the sewerage network at the upstream of local settlement would help reduce the water flowing into the territory.

Because, the position of this new residential area was lower than the riverbed. “This location had indeed been low, so it’s hard to avoid the flood,” said Wayan Budi.

Apart from sewerage network, Winarta would also conduct a basic dredging on the riverbed of Mati River located in the northern part of the settlements of Jalan Pura Demak.

At this moment, the dredged riverbed was only undertaken in the southern part. “We have not dredged the riverbed in the north of the settlement,” explained the official from Tabanan.

Meanwhile, in relation to the development plan of retarding basin in the downstream of Denpasar City seemed difficult to be materialized.

The plan was still hampered by the availability of land. At least, this flood prevention project would need 15 hectares of land. In the meantime, the land used for the retarding basin development project located in the vicinity Subak Dadas, Jalan Gunung Soputan, Padang Sambian Kelod was entirely the property right of community. “That’s why we still encounter an obstacle in the matter of land,” said Winarta.

The idea on the making of retarding basin, Winarta added, actually had been initiated within the past few years. In following up of the plan, Bali Province would help finance the land acquisition used for parking lot of the water since it would cover two regencies. If 15 hectares of land available, possibly it would be divided into five hectares each to Bali Province, Badung Regency and Denpasar City.

Burden of the land acquisition was fully delivered to regional governments, while all constructions required would be helped by Working Unit of Housing and Settlement Development (P2P), Department of Public Works through the funds of the national budget.

“We hope that this development could be realized. However, it needs time and understanding of the community because retarding basin planned to be built will provide tremendous benefits, not only for handling floods, but also supporting the raw water of Municipality Waterworks (PDAM) and recharge area of the city,” he said. (ara)

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Monday, August 2, 2010

News

International

Israeli warplanes hit Gaza after new rocket attack AFP

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Israeli warplanes launched two pre-dawn raids on tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday after Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel.

The Islamist Hamas movement ruling Gaza linked the flare-up of violence to Arab foreign ministers’ support for the principle of direct talks with Israel, saying Palestinians were “paying the price for (their) great error.”

A spokesman for the Israeli military confirmed the strikes targeted two tunnels used to smuggle arms into the Islamist Hamas-run enclave.

Palestinian medics said one person had been lightly injured in the overnight strike on the tunnels.

Late on Saturday, Gaza militants fired a second rocket on Israel in two days, with the makeshift projectile exploding near Sderot, causing damage at a university building but no casualties.

Israeli cabinet minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer told army radio that the army was “not going to sit there with its arms crossed in the face of these attacks,” but that its response would be measured.

“We do not want to set off an escalation because that is exactly what Hamas wants, which is why our response is hard but limited,” he said.

Hamas meanwhile condemned the “Israeli aggression” and reiterated its opposition to the relaunch

of direct peace talks between the Western-backed Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Israel.

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo last week had lent their support to the principle of talks while leaving their timing up to Abbas, as international pressure mounted on the Palestinians to return to face-toface talks.

“Our people in Gaza are paying the price for the great error and political mistake committed by the Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee against the Palestinian people,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said.

He also criticised a letter from US President Barack Obama warning that Abbas’ failure to return to direct talks could harm US-Palestinian relations. Palestinian officials had revealed the contents of the letter on Saturday.

“The letter from Obama to Mahmud Abbas revealed the falsehood of Obama’s policies and disappointed the Palestinian people. It deliberately harms the interests of our people in favour of those of the Zionist enemy and America.”

Hamas, which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Israel, the United

AFP

Palestinian children play close to one of two smuggling tunnels damaged in two pre-dawn Israeli air strikes

States and the European Union, is pledged to Israel’s destruction and has adamantly opposed peace talks since they began in the early 1990s.

Israel routinely launches air strikes after rocket attacks from Gaza. The strikes rarely kill anyone, but on Friday a raid killed a senior

Hamas military commander.

That strike came after a rare military-grade rocket fired from Gaza slammed into the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon, damaging parked cars and shattering the windows of an apartment block but without wounding anyone.

Hamas vowed revenge for Friday’s raids that also wounded another eight people.

The Islamist movement has ruled Gaza since it drove out forces loyal to Abbas in June 2007, splitting the Palestinians into hostile rival camps.

Aussie PM struggles with election campaign AFP

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard struggled Sunday to put her election campaign back on track after a poll showed her heading for defeat following a series of damaging leaks.

But just as she moved to re-focus attention for the August 21 election on policy, her campaign was overshadowed by claims her predecessor Kevin Rudd was once used by rival politicians as a “double agent” to leak information about his own party.

Gillard, Australia’s first woman prime minister, who came to power just five weeks ago in a party coup against Rudd, unveiled plans Sunday for a low-fee pensions scheme that would help boost flagging retirement funds.

“It’s part of the sharp contrast between a re-elected Gillard government and what (opposition leader) Tony Abbott would do if he was elected prime minister,” she said.

The centre-left leader pledged that if her Labor Party is re-elected, workers on average incomes would see their retirement savings grow by 40,000 Australian dollars (36,000 US) under the new superannuation

scheme.

Gillard, who is seeking a mandate of her own after facing criticism over the manner in which she seized power, conceded that her battle to keep conservative Abbott out of power was a tough one.

“This is the fight of my life,” Gillard said late Saturday after the new poll suggested Abbott’s Liberal

Party had for the first time picked up an election-winning lead over Labor.

Labor’s support slumped to 48 percent against the Liberal/National coalition’s 52 percent, Saturday’s Nielsen poll showed, a six-percentage point shift away from Labor which had until Saturday led in all polls.

AFP

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (centre) mingles with locals as she arrives to make policy announcements.

Gillard’s plunging popularity came in a week peppered by leaks from the cabinet room that undermined her position on introducing paid parental leave and raising pensions.

Rudd, who is recovering in hospital from gallbladder surgery, has denied claims he was behind any of the leaks.

But his spectre hung over Gillard’s campaign when ex-Liberal foreign minister Alexander Downer was quoted as saying his party “mercilessly” used Rudd to leak compromising information to media about Labor a decade ago.

Rudd threatened legal action over the claim, while his former deputy Gillard lambasted the opposition over what she branded a “disgraceful political attack” on the ailing Rudd.

“These are serious allegations... they are completely and utterly false,” a spokesman for Rudd said.

Downer issued a statement saying his comments had been “misinterpreted” and that he or his party had not used Rudd as “a so-called ‘double agent’ to leak material against other members of the Labor Party.”

But the latest political bombshell overshadowed Gillard’s superannua-

tion announcement, which was intended to be a return to business-asusual.

Unleashing another blow against her, a group of smaller mining firms launched a new advertising campaign against Gillard’s 30 percent resources profits tax that she agreed with three giant mining companies last month.

The smaller firms — which say the scheme is unfair to them, a position supported by Abbott — however said the campaign was not politically motivated.

Abbott, a devout Catholic and former health minister, has seized on the flow of leaks to say Labor “does not deserve to be re-elected” after three years in office during which he claims it bungled policies.

An election defeat for Gillard would put paid to plans to introduce the tax on iron ore and coal mines, to introduce carbon-trading to fight climate change and to build a 43 billion Australian dollar broadband network. Abbott meanwhile brushed off criticism of his constantly shifting positions on policy, including whether climate change exists, on paid parental leave and on industrial relations.

Hotel Activities 5 Tri Hita Karana Training at Harris Resort Kuta Monday, August 2, 2010

International

IBP

KUTA - On Tuesday, 20 July 2010, Harris Resort Kuta invited the team from Tri Hita Karana (THK) to give training to the Management about the concept and program. During the training, three assessors from Parhyangan division, Drs.I Ketut Wiana,M.Ag, Pawongan division Prof.Dr I Wayan Windia, Palemahan division - Dr.KG. Dharma Putra.M.Sc gave brief presentation from each of THK section to the committee and players of Harris Resort Kuta. The purpose of training is to bring more knowledge and awareness to the players and Management of Harris Resort Kuta to better support the THK program. Last year Harris Resort Kuta won the Gold of Tri Hita Karana Tourism Award of 4 stars Hotel.

New Lobby Lounge at Sofitel Seminyak Bali IBP

SEMINYAK - Sofitel Seminyak Bali keeping its commitment to transform every stay into a unique and unforgettable experience with the Sofitel ‘art de vivre à la française’.

Following the Fitness Center expansion, the hotel just opened the new concept Lobby Lounge on Sunday (18/7). The lounge located on

3rd floor, right on top of the lobby.

Covering more than 440 squaremeters area, the Lobby Lounge offers a spacious library or reading area with more books selection, internet corner, TV area and game corner where the children can play various games on a wide LCD TV. Yet the best things are the snack bar for guests to order drinks and light food, and the Cigar Terrace.

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

Offering a selection of cigars from around the world, the terrace is a perfect place to enjoy the high-end lifestyle with a sip of cognac or good wine and an outstanding view to lush tropical garden from the balcony.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the Lobby Lounge is surely offering the hotel guests another facility to savor the French luxury during their stay at Sofitel.

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

Royal Danish & Norwegian Mimpi Resort Jimbaran, Bali Phone +62.361.701 070

Consulate General of Japan Jalan Raya Puputan No. 170 Renon, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.227 628

The Czech Republic Jalan Pengembak No. 17 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.286 465

Honorary Consulate of British Jalan Tirta Nadi No. 20 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.270 601

France Consulate Agency Jalan Merta Sari Gang II No. 8 Sanur, Bali Phone +62.361.285 485

Swiss and Austria Consulate Jalan Patih Jelantik, Komplek Pertokoan Istana Galleria Phone +62.361.751 735

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

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.

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

Honorary Consulate of Brazil Jalan Legian No. 186, Bali Phone +62.361.757 775

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.

Honorary Consulate of Thailand Jalan Raya Puputan Renon 81, Denpasar, Bali Phone +62.361.263 310

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

Phone : 222 142.

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

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

6

Monday, August 2, 2010

News Firefighting plane crashes in Canada AP

VICTORIA, British Columbia – A Canadian waterbombing plane battling wildfires deep in British Columbia’s interior crashed on Saturday, search and rescue officials said.

Capt. Marguerite DoddsLepinski, the public affairs officer at the province’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Victoria, said it was believed that the plane had two crew members on board. Their fate is currently unknown.

Dodds-Lepinski said two searchand-rescue aircraft from Vancouver Island are on the way to the crash site about 160 miles (260 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver and about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of the

town of Lytton.

The plane was chartered by the provincial government from Conair in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Conair spokesman Rick Pedersen said that investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada would soon be headed to the site.

Pedersen, however, said he could not, at this time, release any information concerning the type of aircraft involved, or its crew.

As of Saturday, 318 forest fires were burning across British Columbia, with the largest covering 10 square miles (25 square kilometers).

Air tankers hired by the provincial Ministry of Forests, along with helicopters and heavy machinery are supporting at least 1,000 firefighters on the ground.

AP –

Detainee identified by authorities as William Adolfo Cortez of Texas, walks upon his arrival in Panama

Panama prosecutor: Jailed American admits 5 slays AP

PANAMA CITY – A jailed U.S. man has admitted killing five other Americans so he could take over their businesses and other properties in a Panamanian resort area, a government prosecutor said Saturday.

The man’s wife refused to talk with investigators and asked for legal assistance from the U.S. Embassy, the official said. The embassy was closed Saturday and U.S. officials could not be located for comment.

The couple, William Dathan Holbert and Laura Michelle Reese, were arrested earlier this week when they tried to enter Nicaragua from Costa Rica and were sent back to Panama in shackles for questioning in the slayings of two Americans and the disappearances of three other U.S. citizens and two Panamanians.

In testimony Friday, Holbert “acknowledged that he killed five people” — the five missing American citizens, Assistant Prosecutor Angel Calderon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “He has explained what he did, how he did it and why he did it,” said Calderon, who added that Holbert denied killing the two missing Panamanians.

Local media reported that a public defender was present for Holbert’s questioning, but didn’t report the lawyer’s name, so no independent comment was available on Calderon’s description of the prisoner’s statements.

The case began when authorities

found the bodies of a woman and a man buried behind a hostel run by Holbert in an area of small islands in Bocas del Toro, a Caribbean archipelago popular with tourists.

The woman was identified as Cheryl Lynn Hughes, 53, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, who had lived in Panama 10 years and was reported missing by friends and relatives in late March. The man was Bo Icelar, who disappeared in late November and was described by a friend as the former owner of a gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Authorities in North Carolina say Holbert had owned a landscaping business in that U.S. state until six years ago, when he divorced his wife, sold the company and filed for bankruptcy.

Holbert disappeared soon after and allegedly sold a house he didn’t own and a car he had stolen. Police say he used aliases to elude authorities in at least six states.

Calderon quoted Holbert as saying he established friendships with Icelar and Hughes by posing as a potential investor, then shot each in the head, buried them and took over their money and other properties.

But Holbert said his first killings in Panama occurred about three years ago,

when he fatally shot a U.S. citizen named Mike Brown, his wife and small son in the head, the prosecutor said.

Holbert said he also had developed a friendship with Brown, describing him as a fugitive sought American authorities on drug trafficking charges who was living under an assumed name, Calderon said.

“Seeing that he had a lot of money and bank accounts, he shot him in the head,” the prosecutor said.

Calderon said Holbert told investigators about two spots on his property in Bocas del Toro where he buried the Browns and experts would examine the site next week to verify the information and exhume the bodies.

Holbert and his wife used false names and citizenship papers while living in Panama. Holbert posted as a Dutch citizen, William Cortez-Reese, and his wife went by the names Jane or Jeane Cortez.

When Holbert and his wife arrived Thursday at Panama’s Judicial Investigation Department, they refused to answer questions from journalists. Holbert said he would talk only to Panamanian authorities.

“The people in Panama are very friendly and I like living here,” he said.

AP – FILE —

A Conair water bomber flies past a wildfire burning out of control after dropping fire retardant

Thousands...

From page 1 The disaster comes as the residents of Swat are still trying to recover from a major battle between the army and the Taliban last spring that caused widespread destruction and drove some 2 million people from their homes. About a million of those people are still displaced.

Authorities have deployed 43 military helicopters and over 100 boats to try to rescue some 27,300 people still trapped by the floods, said Rehman, the disaster management spokesman. At least 115 people are still reported missing in Swat and Shangla, he said.

As rivers swelled in the northwest, people sought ever-shrinking high ground or grasped for trees and fences to avoid getting swept away. Buildings simply crumbled into the raging river in Kalam, a town in the northern part of the Swat Valley, local TV showed.

But some residents stepped up their criticism of the government’s response on Sunday. The military has deployed 30,000 army troops who had evacuated 19,000 trapped people by Saturday night, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.

But the scale of the disaster has strained the resources of a government already grappling with a faltering economy and a brutal war against the Taliban.

Even people like Sehar Ali Shah who were rescued by the government complained that authorities didn’t provide shelter that would allow them to stay until the flood waters receded. “My son drowned, but I don’t see the government taking care of us,” said Shah after returning to his half-submerged house in the city of Nowshera.

“The government has not managed an alternate place to shift us.”

Authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from Swat and Shangla, but the collection effort has been hampered by mud and debris from destroyed houses, said Khan, the Edhi Foundation representative.

The floods have caused an acute shortage of fruits and vegetables in the northwest because many of the hardest hit areas were the key centers of production, said Khan. The threat of disease loomed as well as some evacuees arrived in camps with fever, diarrhea and skin problems.

The U.S. delivered 380,000 food packages, four rescue boats and two water filtration units to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said Rehman, the group’s spokesman. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has also announced it will provide 12 prefabricated steel bridges to temporarily replace some of the spans damaged by the water.

International

Indonesia Today In this photo taken on Friday, July 30, 2010, a girl stands among Ahmadiyah followers offering Friday prayers at Manislor village in Kuningan, West Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 30, 2010. The minority Islamic sect told followers Friday to prepare for war after rock-throwing mobs attacked one of their mosques in central Indonesia, calling its members heretics. The weeklong violence in Manislor peaked Thursday after more than 500 hard-liners from the Islamic Defenders Front, known as FPI, clashed with 3,000 Ahmadiyah sect followers.

AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

RP271 billion needed to solve neglected children problem Antara

DEPOK - Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al-Jufri said Rp271 billion would be needed to solve the problem of neglected children.

“Neglected children in the country now total 5.4 millions so a lot of funds will be needed to deal with the problem,” he said here on Saturday.

He said in 2010 the number of street children in the country under the supervision of the ministry of social affairs reached 160,000 or four percent of the total number of neglected children. They obviously were not developing well because they had no home, were not protected and had no access to education, health and other facilities.

The minister said by 2014 or at the end of the term of the present cabinet it was hoped Indonesia

would be free of street children who now numbered 230,000.

Salim said the government would conduct a program to empower the parents of street children in cooperation with parties providing lodgings for the children who could then also enjoy some education.

He said one of the factors contributing to the existence of street children was encouragement from parents who pushed them to live off the streets, and therefore empowering the parents was important.

“Parents must be empowered so that their economic condition im-

proves,” he said.

Although the government had already freed students from school fees, students still have to meet other school needs such as books and uniforms which were still burdensome for many parents. Salim emphasized the importance of homes for the children but until now his office could only give assistance in stages as the existing need was higher than the government’s capability.

The problem of street children did not only exist in Jakarta but also in regions across the country.

Referring to East and West Nusa Tenggara, Salim said the two provinces now had a significant number of street children reaching around 20 percent of the total number of neglected children in the regions.

NTB to invite 82 foreign envoys to World Food Day event Antara

MATARAM - The government will invite 82 foreign ambassadors and diplomats to attend the commemoration of the 30th World Food Day 2010 which will be held on Lombok Island, NTB, on October 16.

“It was agreed at the preparatory meeting of the World Food Day 2010 commemoration that we will organize a diplomatic tour for around 82 ambassadors,” Pending Dadih Permana, head of the NTB provincial agricultural office, said here Saturday.

Based on a decision of Agriculture Minister Suswono, Lombok was chosen to be the venue of the national event of the World Food Day, he said.

Apart from attending the function, the foreign invitees will be taken on a tour of NTB’s tourist objects and economic centers.

The commemoration will be centered in Puyung village, Central Lombok District, Lombok Island.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Food Day 2010’s theme will be “United against Hunger”.

The FAO said that with an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.

The UN body has declared 16th October as World Food Day which is observed in remembrance of launching of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.

In November 1979, The First World Food Day (WFD) was launched by FAO’s Member Countries on its 20th General Conference.

Monday, August 2, 2010

7

RP13 trillion flows into Indonesia in July Antara

JAKARTA - Bank Indonesia has recorded around Rp13 trillion worth of foreign capital flowed into the country in July.

“In July if I am not mistaken between Rp13 and Rp14 trillion worth of foreign capital has come to the country,” the central bank acting governor, Darmin Nasution, said here on Saturday.

He said the inflow of foreign capital occurred after investors saw Asia’s prospects are brighter than the US and Europe.

“In the world with good communication facilities like now flows of funds always occur. Most of them used to go to Bank Indonesia Certificates (SBI). Now as a regulation requiring a minimum one month holding has been in place (much of the funds do not only go to SBI),” he said.

Darmin said the funds entered mostly through state debentures (SUN) and shares. “Dozens of trillions of rupiahs or above one billion US dollars directly go to the SUN and shares. SBI total position has not changed from last month,” he said.

He said the good Asian economic growth was also the cause

of the appreciation in Asian currencies including the Rupiah.

On Friday the Rupiah appreciated to Rp8,950 against the US dollar. Bank Indonesia meanwhile continued monitoring the movement as exporters had already complained about it.

“Exporters gruntled because the US dollar value continued to be dented in the past few days,” he said.

Darmin said the rupiah appreciation occured because economic fundamentals in Asia were indeed stronger than in Europe and the US. “It will not be good if they are too strong but we are determined to maintain it,” he said.

Trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the rupiah appreciation would increase the cost to be borne by exporters.

“We must try to reduce exporters’ cost of production. So we must lower high cost economy including cost of processing, restitutions and others,” she said.

The minister said the government would maintain the rupiah exchange rate. “We will keep it balanced. What is important is its stability and that is the task of BI,” she said.

Top batik fashion designer Iwan Tirta passes away Antara

JAKARTA - Top traditional batik designer Nusjirwan Tirtaamidjaja or popularly known as Iwan Tirta passed away at 8.35 am here on Saturday at the age of 75 because of ill health.

“We have yet to hear from the doctors what exactly caused his death but he was treated for lung infection and heart problems,” his personal secretary, Sutisna, said at Tirta’s home on Jalan Panarukan 25, Menteng, Jakarta.

Iwan Tirta who was born in Blora on April 18, 1935 had been treated at Abdi Waluyo hospital in Menteng since July 21 and had undergone haemodialysis six times.

“Initially he would be taken to the Army Gatot Subroto Hospital but he said it was too far so he was taken to Abdi Waluyo.

He was fine when he was first taken to the hospital and could still make jokes,” he said.

Sutisna who had worked for Iwan for 35 years said the designer had three brothers from different mothers.

Iwan Tirta was to be buried near his mother’s tomb at Karet

Bivak cemetary later on Saturday.

A number of public figures including Women’s Role Minister Amalia Sari Gumelar were seen paying their last respects to the deceased.

While he was a child Iwan said he wished to be a diplomat. His father, the late Moh Husein Tartaatmidjaja, who was a member of the Supreme Court from 1950 to 1958 supported him and allowed him to study law at the University of Indonesia.

Iwan graduated in 1958 and once became a lecturer on international law before pursuing further studies in London at School of Economics and School of Oriental and African Studies.

After returning to Indonesia he became an associate professor at the University of Indonesia. He later went to the US to study at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut and graduated in 1965. But when he returned to Jakarta in 1970 he was interested in studying batik.

Since then he dedicated his life to the development of the traditional batik painting art and eventually became a nationally and internationally renowned batik fashion designer.

8

Internationa

Monday, August 2, 2010

Bali Today Kuta carnival could become international tourism event Antara

Kuta – Kuta Carnival which will be held on September 29th through October 3rd 2010 could become an international tourism event. Morgan Made Suartha, the head o the committee of the event, said “we hope that Kuta Carnival could become a fix event in the world tourism calendar because the event is being held in the heart of tourism in Bali which is Kuta.”

All elements of society take part in the event and the committee consists of people from various backgrounds, such as tourism businessmen, government officer and even the army.

Morgan explained that the event was started after Bali suffered the Bali bombing tragedy in 2002. In order to attract tourists visit Bali, the Balinese cooperate with expatriate in Bali created the Kuta Carnival.

“We wanted to show that Kuta is still worth to be visited by tourists. Kuta Carnival could be used as the momentum to resurrect tourism in Bali and to build better image on Bali,” Morgan added.

Kuta carnival can also use as the promotion media to promote tourism in Bali. The theme for this year Kuta Carnival is Heal the World.

There is great hope that the theme

will send the massage to all people in Bali to act to heal the island especially in tourism.

While that head of Badung Cultural and Tourism Department, Made Subawa, said that the government and the people must cooperate to carry out Kuta Carnival successfully.

“We don’t want Bali to become the destination yesterday but we must make Bali as the destination tomorrow. We must prepare everything because Kuta is the heart of tourism in Bali,” he added.

People crowded at Food Festival that held on the sideline of Kuta Carnival.

Kuta Carnival that will be held for the eight times this year is hope to be the agenda on International tourism calendar.

http://blog.baliwww.com

New lifestyle property to hit Kuta Beach A combination of hotel and mall IBP

Bali Post/Yudi Karnaedi

CEO of PT Indonesia Paradise Island, Hariyadi B. Sukamdani (holding microphone) explained about the Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort.

DENPASAR – A new lifestyle property will crowded the area in front of Kuta beach. This property that combining hotel and mall is calls Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort.

The project, according to CEO of PT Indonesia Paradise Island, Hariyadi B. Sukamdani will give a different aura for Kuta because not only this kind of concept is a new thing, he claimed that the project also will try to solve the traffic jam that happens in Kuta beach road. ‘’We will not only build a lifestyle resort but also provide a solution for the traffic jam that happens in Kuta beach. Our project including the 1,000 vehicles parking area so people don’t have to worry anymore about parking space because we already thinking it while doing this project,” explain Sukamdani.

He stated that in order to build the project, his company have to invest around Rp600 billions.

He optimistic the whole project

will finish on 2012 while the Beachwalk –the mall area- will finish in the middle of next year.

According to Sukamdani, the Beachwalk will consist of 200 exclusive shops and restaurants. While, the hotel that consist of 200 units of rooms will be as exclusive as the stores and manage by Starwood with its Sheraton brand.

Sukamdani expressed his optimistic view that this property will become the favorable place for local and international people because it offers a new concept of living. He also said that in viewing the growth numbers of tourists that visiting Bali in these couple of years, he predicting that in the next years to come Bali tourism will able to rise around 15 – 20 percent per year. ‘’Bali is so promising in the next year to come. Not to mention that Bali will become the most favorable destination because Thailand still in conflict.

I will say that the economic growth in Bali to increase around 15 percent and that include the tourism industry,” he stated. (kmb18)

al

Monday, August 2, 2010

Balinese Culture Archaeological heritage in Bali Archaeological researches in Bali have found a number of archeological heritages, which belonged to prehistoric and historic remains. Prehistoric remains proved the earliest of the people’s life, started from hunting and food gathering through cultivation up to mastering the advanced technology.

Such remains indicated the struggle and the achievement of the people’s life gradually, after adapting and exploring their environment its natural resources for their life, because the nature was still quite dangerous. On the other hands, the remains also demonstrated the relationship of the prehistoric Balinese people to those who lived in Java, Sumatera etc, even to the South-East Asian people.

The most important of the prehistoric live in Bali is the invention of the metallic technology along with the megalithic tradition. During the advance technology the Balinese people have produced several kind of bronze goods for ritual purpose such as kettledrums and for daily uses as well such as axes etc. Mastering the advance technology, Balinese people have succeeded to develop stone moulds in the village of Manuaba (Gianyar) for casting bronze kettledrum. The humanmask decoration, showed a remarkable similarities to the decorations of the huge kettledrums found in the village of Pejeng not so far of the east of Manuaba, but the stone moulds of Manuaba are small in its size.

It should be noted here that bronze kettledrums were not only found in Bali, but also in Java, and Eastern Indonesian Island. Another bronze moulds made of clay were also found in West Java, but not for producing kettledrums, but for making spearheads, axes, etc. Regarding the humanmask decorations, which were founds

on the kettledrums of Pejeng, on the stone moulds of Manuaba and on the number of the sarcophagi found in Bali, was regarded as symbol of the leader’s or the ancestor’s spirits. The people believed that the spirit, who were abode on the top of the mountain or on the inaccessible place have the magic power for protecting the living society.

When Hinduism have spread widely in Indonesia, the people believed to the sacred mountain as the place of the Hindu pantheons and the ancestor’s spirit as well. Based on this conception, then the people built their temples on the mountain area such as as Pura Besakih on the slope of Mount Agung.

Along with the development of the metallic industry, the megalithic tradition increased not only in Bali, but also in Sumatera, Flores etc. Several kinds of megalithic remains were founds there namely menhirs, dolmens, menhirstatues, stepped pyramids etc. It is a matter of facts that the megalithic tradition have strongly influenced the people’s life and it is not surprising any more that living megalithic tradition could be found until to present day in Nias, Toraja, Bali and Eastern Indonesians Islands. In Bali, the megalithic remains, exe the sarcophagi are regarded as sacred monuments and functioned for worshipping thje Hindu Trinity, the local deities and the ancestor’s spirit (Sutaba 1984).

Researches on the advanced technology and on the megalithic tradition in Bali in particular, have made conclusions that Balinese people have build their social organization headed by the leaders. The well organizations have made favorable conditions for mastering the advance technology.

Then the social and cultural development became the solid foundation for facing the new era when Hinduism ar-

rived in Bali (Sutaba, 1930).

Bali have got Hindu-Budhis influences nearly at the 9 century A.D. as Proved by the finding of clay stuphikas and seals beared Budhis formula, near the village of Pejeng, Gianyar. Then a pillar inscription was rediscovered in Blanjong Sanur (Badung) which mentioned the name of the king Kesari Warmadewa. This inscription was originated from c.10 century A.D. Since this period, Hinduism was spread widely in Bali and went deeply into the life of the Balinese people and then survived until today. Having well developed social organization and cultural life before the arrival of Hinduism, have led the Balinese people successfully modified the new elements in accordance with their characters and became the new one beared Balinese identity.

The wellknown king of Bali is a couple royal named king Udayana and his wife Gunapryadharmapati (c.10 century A.D), then succeeded by their families. During the ancient history of Bali, a number of temples were built nearly in the whole island.

In these temple several kinds of historical remains were preserved e.g. statues, inscriptions etc. As the follower of Hinduism, Balinese people regard the temples including the remains in them as sacred monuments for worshiping the Hindu pantheons, the local deities and the ancestor’s spirit as well. This religious function was the responsibility of the Balinese people for keeping the monuments in well conditions and the welfare of the living society.

Based on the evidence found in Bali there ere thousand tamples, which then named Bali as “The Island of Thousand Temples” or “The Island of Paradise”. (BTN)

Base Satay (Satay Sauce)

INGREDIENTS: 500 gr raw peanuts, deep fried (2 min.)

5 cloves garlic, peeled 8 – 10 bird’seye chilies 50 gr kencur root, peeled and chopped 50 gr palm sugar, chopped 2 ltr fresh coconut milk 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce 2 ea lime leaves 1 tbsp fresh limejuice, squeezed 1 tbsp shallots, fried PREPARATION: 1. Combine peanuts, garlic, chilies and kencur in a food processor and puree, or grind coarsely in a stone mortar.

2. Place in heavy sauce pan with coconut milk, sweet soy sauce and lime leaves. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking, for 15 minutes.

3. Add limejuice and sprinkle with shallots just before serving as a dipping sauce for satay. Season to taste with salt. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

Back to nature: River snail served with Balinese cherry potato

Aside from retaining a beautiful view and challenging attraction like rafting and splashing, river also poses a habitat of various food sources. There are fish, crab, shrimp and snails. Balinese people may call the latter as ungun or river snail. This snail has two forms, namely ordinary snail and half snail.

The half snail shapes like carapace of turtle. Its flesh is open and has a piece of thin bone. When boiled, its flesh will easily get released from its carapace, while the ordinary one should be taken out by pin, needle and so on.

When their delicacy is combined with sabrang or Balinese cherry potato, they will have typical flavor.

Its shape is much smaller than common potato and its leaf resembles to that of broadleaf thyme (jinten).

Apart from combined with river snail or chicken, this cherry potato is also good if cooked as single vegetable. It is usually sold at traditional market or village stalls.

Ingredients: 2 handful river snail, 250gram sabrang or cherry potato (peeled) and 800ml water for gravy.

Ground spices: 6 cloves shallot, 3 cloves garlic, 2 small chilies, 1 candlenut, 2 tbsp grated coconut (ground with other spices), 1 slice turmeric, 1 slice aromatic ginger and 1 slice galangal Others: 1 pc salam leaf, 1 tbsp palm oil and ½ tsp salt.

C.045 ibp

Method: · Cleanse thoroughly the river snail and cherry potato and drain. · Pre-heat the palm oil on the frying pan. Stirfry the ground spices until smelling fragrant. Add some water and wait until boiling. · Put the cherry potato and river snail together into the pan. Add salt, salam leaf and please wait until the cherry potato is cooked. · Take out and it is now ready to serve. (BTN/ punia)

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10

Destinations

Monday, August 2, 2010

International

Taman Ayun Temple IBP

Taman Ayun Temple is a Royal Temple of Mengwi Empire and it is located in Mengwi Village, Mengwi sub district, Badung regency and about 18 Km north side of Denpasar town. It is strategically located beside of major roadway between Denpasar to Singaraja. It is set on the land which is surrounded by the big fish pond and look like a drift on the water. It owns the beautiful temple building with multistoried roof and Balinese Architecture. The wide beautiful landscape garden in front courtyard to welcome all visitors who come and visit this temple.

It is a beautiful place to visit on your vacation in Bali.

Pursuant to Papyrus Chronicle of the Mengwi (Lontar Babad Mengwi), the temple which is now referred by Taman Ayun Temple that it had been newly sanctified in the year 1634 M and it is named with Taman Ahyun Temple. The word of Ahyun is coming from from the root word Hyun meaning a temple is founded in the park (pool with the beautiful garden) which can fulfill the desire. The word Ahyun is then changed into Ayun word. Taman Ayun Temple is one of

Hindu Temples in Bali become tourist destination which has been visited by many tourists from local and foreign. This temple is usually visited by tourist once having a set tour to Tanah Lot Temple due to this temple is the same route of the Tanah Lot Temple Tour.

The function of Taman Ayun Temple is a place to pray the god in their manifestation. It is according to the content of Babad Mengwi and the existence of temple building structure, especially the temple that is located in third area (Jeroan).

According to Astadewata, the special God is worshiped in Taman Ayun Temple is the God in manifestation as a Wisnu God which his palace located in top of Mangu mount. In papyrus of Usana Bali mentioning that one of Dewa Catur Lokapalas carry through its worship is Meru Pucak Pangelengan that is a temple building with 9 multistoried roofs. Pitara God is a holy soul deity of ancestor who is also referred as the other names of Hyang Pitara or Dewa Hyang. Pitara God is obliged to be worshiped by clan heir (Prati Sentana) in the form of temple ceremony which the same

http://marchouliston.com

meaning as by the ceremony to the god. The worshiping existence to Pitara God in Taman Ayun Temple can be searched and proved by pursuant to the existence of temple

International Bali Post Classifieds BALI CENTRAL CANOPY

g

www.solo-cctv.com

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

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

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

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Monday, August 2, 2010

11

BUSINESS China now world’s number two economy

Greek tourism reels from fuel shortage, strike blows Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse

BEIJING - China has moved ahead of Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy, a senior central bank official said in an interview published Friday.

Yi Gang, a vice-governor of the People’s Bank of China and also the head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), did not explain how he had arrived at the figures, according to the comments posted on the SAFE website.

“China is actually now already the world’s second-largest economy,” Yi said in an interview with China Reform magazine.

China has powered out of the global crisis on the back of a stimulus package worth 586 billion dollars and state-backed bank lending, with its economy growing 10.3 percent in the second quarter and 11.1 percent in the first half.

China’s gross domestic product in the first six moths stood at 17.284 trillion yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

That comes to 2.5324 trillion dollars, using the central bank’s average monthly exchange rates.

Japan is due to release its first-half GDP figure in mid August.

AFP PHOTO

Chinese girls look at a tower of gold bars worth of 260 million yuan (38 million USD) displayed at a shopping mall in Beijing on July 30, 2010. China’s gross domestic product in the first half stood at 17.284 trillion yuan (2.5324 trillion USD) as China has moved ahead of Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy, a senior central bank official said in an interview published.

IMF lowers Spain growth forecast, warns of ‘fragile’ rebound Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - The IMF on Friday lowered its 2011 growth forecast for the Spanish economy to 0.6 percent from the 0.9 percent it foresaw in April and warned the recovery “is likely to be weak and fragile.”

“The particular challenges facing Spain will likely make the recovery slower and more fragile than in the euro area,” the IMF said in its latest report on the country’s economy.

The International Monetary Fund’s growth forecast for Europe’s fifth-largest economy for next year was lower than the 1.3 percent expansion predicted by the Spanish government, which is under pressure to close its public deficit.

The IMF listed a deflating property bubble, a “dysfunctional” labor market, heavy private sector indebtedness, weak competitiveness, “anemic” productivity growth and a “banking sector with pockets of weakness” as the challenges faced by the Spanish economy.

“Not only does each factor pose a challenge by itself, but, together, they may create a vicious cycle of negative feedback,” the IMF said in the report.

“The central scenario is one of a long and gradual adjustment of the various imbalances in the economy.”

Spain scraped out of recession during the first quarter when it expanded by 0.1 percent from the previous quarter and the government expects it will expand by 0.3 percent this year.

The IMF predicts the Spanish economy will contract by 0.4 percent this year. It forecasts growth of 1.7 percent in 2012 and of 1.9 percent in both 2013 and 2014 and of 1.8 percent in 2015.

Spain was the last major world economy to emerge from

recession and concern over its weak growth prospects has fueled market worries that it may struggle to rein in a public deficit that shot up to 11.2 percent of GDP last year, the third highest level in the eurozone after Greece and Ireland.

The country entered its worst recession in decades during the second half of 2008 as the global financial meltdown compounded a crisis in the Spanish property market, which had been a major driver for growth in previous years.

“What needs to happen now is that the economy as a whole has to move away from its past reliance on the housing sector and produce more tradable goods,” said IMF mission chief for Spain, James Daniel.

“Together with concerted and continued progress on structural reforms, especially in the labor market, we see no reason why Spain should not be able to return to good levels of growth in the medium term.”

The government has introduced the steepest spending cuts since Spain returned to democracy following the death of conservative dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975 in an effort to slash the public deficit.

The cutbacks include a freeze on pensions and a fivepercent pay cut for civil servants.

The government has also adopted an overhaul of the labour market that will make it easier and cheaper for employers to dismiss workers in an effort to fight an unemployment rate that has hit 20 percent.

Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has also announced plans to raise the country’s retirement age to 67 from 65.

Daniel said if the austerity measures are complemented by a reform of the pension system, “this will put Spain’s public finances on a sustainable path.”

ATHENS - Disaster has struck Greece’s crucial tourism industry at the peak of a summer season badly needed by its recession-hit economy with a national fuel shortage compounding weeks of on-off work unrest.

A strike wave against austerity policies, a violent May protest in which three people died in a firebombed bank and unionist action targeting cruise ships and flights have made for a calamitous season, operators say.

And additional disruption caused to tens of thousands of travellers by the fuel holdup caused by a trucker walkout could not have come at a worse time for a sector which makes up nearly a fifth of the troubled Greek economy.

“The situation is absurd... we face a barrage of cancellations,” said Andreas Andreadis, chairman of the Panhellenic Hotel Confederation. The strike came as thousands of Greeks embarked on vacation with many of them unsure whether they would be able to return.

“I’m going to the island of Lefkada but I don’t know whether I’ll be back, maybe I’ll have to leave my car behind,” said one motorist filling up at a gas station.

A broad range of businesses from tourism car rentals to fruit growers were badly hit by the trucker protest which began last Sunday against plans by the government to liberalise the tightly-controlled freight sector.

The truckers on Friday decided to maintain their protest, ignoring warnings by the government that strikers who continue to defy the law would be prosecuted and that their operating licenses could be forfeit.

The authorities were forced to use military vehicles and petrol station trucks to alleviate the shortage but supplies were unlikely to return to full capacity before Monday.

The truckers say that boosting competition in the freight sector by reducing new licence charges is unfair to existing operators who have already paid high start-up fees running up to 300,000 euros (391,000 dollars).

The plan is part of a reform programme that the government committed to in May in exchange for a 110-billion-euro (143-billion-dollar) bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund and European Union to stave off debt default.

The country’s leading unions have staged six general strikes and several protests since the start of the year against wage and pension cuts ordered by the Socialist government which came close to bankruptcy earlier this year.

The main Greek port of Piraeus that links the mainland with islands popular with holidaymakers has also been repeatedly blockaded by protesters this year while a work-to-rule action by air traffic controllers in late July caused widespread flight delays.

With its back against the wall, the Greek government in June promised to compensate travellers stranded in the country by labour unrest.

But officials have so far given no details on the level of compensation nor how it would be paid.

“The present situation is turning into a disaster for the country, the economy and tourism,” the association of Greek tourism entreprises (SETE) said in a statement this week.

The fuel shortage was discouraging tourists from neighbouring Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia from driving to Greece, SETE added.

Before the fuel trouble struck, Greek hotels faced a threepercent fall in bookings and a drop in proceeds of 10-12 percent, Andreadis said.

“A fall of one percent in tourism proceeds corresponds to 200 million euros in lost income for the country and 1,000 job losses,” he told Flash Radio.

“And this is the worst showing in Europe, all our competitors including eurozone countries such as Spain and Portugal have increased their proceeds this year.”

12

Monday, August 2, 2010

Entertainment

International

Movie tax cuts ‘help struggling California economy’ Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES – A year-old program granting movie studios tax breaks for filming in California has saved jobs and should yield two billion dollars in direct spending, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said.

In a statement released Friday, the governor said the program was “creating and retaining tens of thousands of jobs and generating spending in California.”

“This is exactly why I fought so hard for tax credits in last year’s budget,” Schwarzenegger said.

“Just the first two years of this incentive will generate two billion dollars in direct spending, with even more to come.”

The program, passed last year, allows the state to give up to 200 million dollars in tax breaks to production companies in its first year, and up to 100 million a year thereafter through the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

It was intended to help the state battle its ballooning deficit and keep jobs and money from the massive movie industry in California.

In its first year, Schwarzenegger

said, 77 projects benefited from tax breaks, including 51 feature films, seven television series and 14 made-for-television movies. He said the program had generated over 730 million dollars in wages paid in-state and that beneficiary projects had hired 18,200 crew members, 4,000 cast members, and over 100,000 extras for movies and television series.

In recent years, production companies have flocked away from Califor-

nia and US entertainment industry capital Los Angeles, taking advantage of tax breaks offered by other states, including Georgia, Louisiana and New Mexico.

The Milken Institute estimated in a recent report that the state has since 1997 lost 10,600 jobs in the entertainment industry and another 25,000 jobs indirectly related to the industry, a total loss for the state of around 4.2 billion dollars.

A year-old program granting movie studios tax breaks for filming in California has saved jobs and should yield two billion dollars in direct spending, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — seen here in June — said.

AFP/Getty Images/Michael Buckner

Spike Lee screens film Snooki of ‘Jersey Shore’ arrested in NJ beach town that includes oil spill Associated Press Writer

Associated Press Writer

SAN DIEGO – Spike Lee screened some of his new HBO documentary that includes a look at the massive BP Gulf oil spill and says no one from the oil giant is speaking to him.

The director showed about 90 minutes of “If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise” at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in San Diego on Saturday. The film is a follow-up to “When the Levees Broke”

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. – “Jersey Shore” cast member Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has been arrested in the New Jersey beach town where the MTV show is based.

Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd says Polizzi was arrested at around 3:25 p.m. Friday and charged with disorderly conduct after other beachgoers reported she was bothering them. Polizzi was processed at police headquarters and released on a summons.

about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

It picks up with the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl victory and chronicles the impact of the spill on people who have yet to fully recover from Katrina.

When asked if BP cooperated he said, “Nobody was speaking to me from BP.” A call to the BP press office wasn’t immediately returned. He also called on President Barack Obama to “bring the hammer” on BP and make the company pay.

AP Photo/Richard Drew, file

MTV spokeswoman Emily Yeomans declined comment on the arrest, which came one day after the premiere of the show’s second season.

Telephone messages left for SallyAnn Salsano, executive producer at “Jersey Shore” production company 495 Productions, and Pam LaLima, co-executive producer, were not immediately returned. The show focuses on the escapades of a group of hard-partying, 20-something Italian-Americans at a shore house.

FILE - In this July 27, 2010 file photo, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi , a cast member of MTV’s ‘Jersey Shore’ reality series is shown at the New York Stock Exchange.

Madonna in Paris to direct her new movie Associated Press Writer

PARIS – The Material Girl is illuminating the City of Light, where she’s shooting her latest film, “W.E.” Dressed all in black and heavily accessorized in dark shades, a hat and a patterned scarf, Madonna directed Saturday’s shoot in Paris’ tony 6th district.

The 51-year-old singer made her directorial debut in 2008 with “Filth and Wisdom,” about a Ukrainian cross-dressing punkrocker.

Madonna is not the only U.S. star to film in the French capital this summer. Last week, Woody Allen was shooting his “Midnight in Paris” on location near the Pantheon and in a park behind Notre Dame cathedral. The film, starring Owen Wilson, also includes a performance by France’s first lady, model-turnedsinger Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano,File

FILE-This July 10, 2010 file photo shows director Spike Lee entering Cipriani’s for the wedding of Carmelo Anthony and LaLa Vasquez, in New York.

U.S performer Madonna, during the filming of the movie ‘W.E’, which she is directing, in Paris, Saturday July 31, 2010.

AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Life Style

International

Monday, August 2, 2010

13

Japan mobile phone makers to roll out ‘augmented reality’ Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ

In this picture taken on July 29, 2010, a showgirl poses in a cage during the 8th annual China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (ChinaJoy).

Sex sells at China computer game show Agenec France Presse

SHANGHAI - At the door to a major computer game expo in Shanghai, visitors are greeted by columns of Chinese girls in white boots and miniskirts, the name of a computer parts maker emblazoned on their chests. A bit farther on, amid the blaring music and pulsing lights, 40 more models in bikini shorts, tiny tanktops and hard hats shill for an online security company, handing out small locks in boxes designed to resemble condom packs.

Government regulations announced in July barring online gaming companies from using sex to promote their products had little impact at ChinaJoy, the country’s largest annual digital entertainment exhibition which ends Sunday.

“The most eye-catching part of the exhibition is the show girls,” said Feng Gong, senior director for Internet portal Zol.com.cn, which is owned by US broadcaster CBS Corporation. “The pretty girls and products complement each other and the combination is just perfect,” said Feng, whose company is sponsoring a Miss ChinaJoy pageant, which allows website users to vote for their

favourite booth model.

Video games taking a backseat to show girls is a phenomenon at exhibitions across Asia, but participants say China is taking it to a new level.

“I’ve been to shows in Japan and Korea before, they don’t have as many show girls,” said Jay Jiang, a marketing planning director for Shanda Games.

“For foreign companies, it’s more about exhibiting products. Often a senior executive will make a product presentation, but we invite players onstage to compete with the show girls,” he said.

The NASDAQ-listed company said it had more models than any

other exhibitor at its TV game showinspired booth where 100 girls sat surrounded by flashing lights, waiting to join contests such as who can blow a vuvuzela the loudest. Duanmu Wenlin, a top executive for China Mobile’s game division, said China’s IT industry was a relatively open business environment and — as a woman — she saw nothing wrong with using models to promote games.

“Our show girls wear bumblebee outfits,” she said, gesturing to hostesses in yellow and black striped dresses with wings on their backs.

“We hope they will be like fairies who accompany fans through an adventure in our games.”

TOKYO - The “Terminator” had it, US fighter pilots use it and it’s the next hot feature on Japanese smartphones — “augmented reality” which peppers the world around you with useful bits of information.

Imagine wearing high-tech glasses and having small, cartoon speech balloon-style tags pop up within your field of vision, overlaying realworld objects and buildings to describe what you’re looking at.

That is essentially what Japan’s two largest cellphone operators are about to offer their millions of customers, except they will use the cameras and screens of smartphones plus vast online databases.

By harnessing the power of the Internet and bringing it more deeply into people’s everyday lives, they plan to change the way we perceive reality and move a step closer to digitising our world view — literally. Japan’s NTT DoCoMo is set to launch “chokkan nabi”, or “intuitive navigation”, in September to help people find their way around megacities such as Tokyo and Osaka and other places in Japan.

“You just need to focus on a street, a building or a particular spot with your camera-equipped cellphone to see if there is a bank, a

restaurant, a supermarket or other location,” said a DoCoMo official.

“Labels or signs indicate, for example, the distance to a chosen restaurant, schedules, menus, etc ...

With a simple gesture, you can switch back to a conventional map in two dimensions.” The service has so far registered some 600,000 points of interest throughout Japan, including restaurants, shops and train stations, which can be searched through user-defined criteria.

The technology, developed with map maker Zenrin, uses a global positioning system (GPS) and sophisticated software to place virtual tags on real-world objects and also provide directions to places outside the user’s direct view. It also links with micro-blogging site Twitter, which has been wildly successful in Japan, so that its users can spot each other in real time and real space, and tweet comments about where they are.

Japan’s number two mobile operator KDDI, meanwhile, has developed a platform that allows users to scan for example a CD advertising poster with their camera phone to gain additional material, such as an extract from a song. The service will then offer the user the option to buy a download of the song with just two clicks, or can guide them to the nearest real-world CD shop.

AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO

Picture taken on July 14, 2010 shows an employee of Japan’s second largest mobile communicator KDDI displaying the prototype model of an Augmented reality (AR) mobile phone at the Wireless Japan exhibition in Tokyo. The mobile phone displays an animated character in the camera captured image.

Soaring e-book sales speak volumes Agence France Presse

HONG KONG - After years of lurking in the literary wilderness, the e-book market has exploded with online retailer Amazon.com’s digital volumes recently overtaking sales of their hardcover counterparts. The increase in sales has come as Amazon slashes the price on its Kindle device amid heavy competition from

AFP PHOTO / MIKE CLARKE

Apple’s multi-purpose iPad and ereaders from Sony and bookstore giant Barnes & Noble.

Underscoring the growth, Hong Kong’s massive book fair, an annual event attended by almost one million people, wrapped up last week with visitors exposed to a brand-new section: digital reading. Beijing-based Hanvon Technology unveiled a blackand-white tablet reader that comes

Visitors look at books as they attend the Hong Kong Book Fair in Hong Kong on July 21, 2010. After years of lurking in the literary wilderness, the e-book market has exploded with online retailer Amazon.com’s digital volumes recently overtaking sales of their hardcover counterparts.

with 5,000 Chinese and English book titles pre-installed for about 3,400 Hong Kong dollars (440 US).

Readers can download thousands more titles for as little as 20 Hong Kong dollars each on the device, which also lets users enlarge the typeface, take notes and look up words in the dictionary.

“One (print) book might cost you 100 Hong Kong dollars or more, and then you have to find a place to store it,” Hanvon employee Bo Bo Wong told AFP. “With this, you can have thousands and thousands of books in one place,” she said. Mainland companies such as Hanvon, Acuce and Tianjin are taking on the likes of

Apple and Amazon by pushing content tailor-made for the vast and rapidly growing Chinese digital market.

The total value of digital publications across all platforms overtook that of traditional print publications in mainland China for the first time last year, the General Administration of Press and Publication said last week.

According to the South China Morning Post, a recent survey by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science found that nearly a quarter of the 20,000-plus people it surveyed now do most of their reading digitally.

14

Sport

Monday, August 2, 2010

International

Inter blanks Man City 3-0 in friendly Agence France Presse

BALTIMORE - Nigerian winger Nsofor Victor Obinna scored one goal and set up another to lead reigning European champion Inter Milan past 10-man Manchester City 3-0 in a football friendly on Saturday.Obinna opened the scoring in the 38th minute and fired a shot in the 54th minute that deflected off the leg of Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott and into the net, the Englishman helpless to deny the goal.

Cristiano Biraghi finished the scoring in the 74th minute, blasting home a 35-meter shot into the upper left corner of the goal.

“I am really pleased with the performance of the team. They played really well,” Inter manager Rafael Benitez said. “Our idea is to improve

AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM

Milan boss Allegri rules out Beckham return Agence France Presse

LONDON - AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri admits David Beckham is unlikely to return to the San Siro for another loan spell.

Beckham was at the Emirates Stadium to watch his former teammates draw 1-1 with Arsenal in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, but the veteran England midfielder has been sidelined since March with a ruptured Achilles and Allegri doesn’t expect him to feature again for the Italian giants.

Although the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star missed the World Cup as a result of the injury, he still intends to play on in America with LA Galaxy.

But Allegri believes Beckham’s age could hinder the 35-year-old’s rehabilitation significantly enough to preclude a third loan stint with Milan.

Asked if Beckham would be back in Italy, Allegri said: “I don’t think so. He is now recovering from a very bad injury and at that age I think it is very difficult to come back “But it has been a great pleasure to see him here.”

Niang to Fenerbahce

Marseille striker Mamadou Niang is set to complete an eightmillion euros move to Istanbul giants Fenerbahce, according to reports in the Turkish press Sunday.

Sengalese striker Niang topped the French top flight scoring charts with 18 goals last season as Marseille finally ended their long wait for the league crown.

Although his current contract

Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany (L) vies with Inter Milan’s MacDonald Mariga during a friendly match in Baltimore on July 31, 2010.

Inter won 3-0.

IBP/afp

runs until 2014, reports in Hurriyet and Vatan said the striker, following talks held between the clubs in Paris on Saturday, has agreed a three to four year deal with an annual salary of 2.5 million euros.

According to Vatan the 31-yearold will be unveiled by the Istanbul club on Friday. Fenerbahce were not immediately available to confirm the reports.

Fenerbahce recently signed another Senegalese striker in Issiar Dia. French-born Dia, 23, was signed on a four-year contract from French Ligue 1 side Nancy.

said. “It’s difficult for the referees. It’s split-second. But there was no intent there.” City, playing the final match of a pre-season US tour, used reserve goalkeeper Joe Hart in the first half and starter Shay Given in the second.

“Certainly playing a man down was too hard too overcome,” Given said.Inter forward Mario Balotelli, the 20-year-old striker whom reports have linked to a possible move to City, was not in uniform.

The match attracted 36,569 spectators, the largest crowd of City’s US tour, to the home pitch of American football’s Baltimore Ravens.

Henry sets up two goals, gets two on-field greeters Agence France Presse

Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri

our fitness and also give time to our young players on the pitch. We got to do both.” Manchester City, which will open the Premiership campaign against Tottenham in two weeks, was without manager Roberto Mancini, who departed Friday because of a family illness and was replaced by assistant Brian Kidd.

The English Premier League side went down a man in the 21st minute when Patrick Vieira, a Senegalese-born Frenchman, was given a red card for a hard foul against Marco Materazzi.

“Pat was going for the ball,” Kidd

HOUSTON - French star Thierry Henry was grabbed and jumped upon by two spectators who ran from the stands during the New York Red Bulls’ 2-2 Major League Soccer draw with 10-man Houston Dynamo on Saturday. The former Barcelona and Arsenal star, who set up Colombian Juan Pablo Angel on both New York goals, received his greeting from overexhuberant fans after Houston’s Brian Mullan equalized in the 90th minute to lift Dynamo to a draw.

Moments after the goal, the spectators ran onto the field and confronted Henry at midfield in his US league debut, having already played twice for the Red Bulls in international exhibition matches last week.

“I don’t even know what happened,” Henry told the Houston Chronicle. The crowd began laughing as stadium security guards tried in vain to grab the men who ran onto the field, one of them jumping on Henry’s back and both evading capture for a while with speed and elusive feints.

Eventually they were apprehended but the comical scene could have easily been a nightmare similar to the infamous incident involving tennis star Monica Seles being stabbed in Germany had the trespassers been wanting to harm Henry.

“It’s a good thing that they weren’t coming to harm (Henry),” said New York midfielder Dane Richards. “That (guard) missed so many tackles from those guys.

They are there to protect the players, but it wasn’t there.” Even with the incident, Henry said he was pleased at the atmosphere of excitement that surrounded the match.

“It was great,” he said. “The pitch was great, the grass amazing. I saw some people were in the Arsenal jerseys and some people were in the Barcelona jerseys. It is great. It was a great atmosphere.” Henry made the key pass to spark goals from Colombia’s Angel in the 10th and 58th minute, put two shots on goal and another off the crossbar in the 42nd minute but he could not claim a victory over a team that has not won since May. “The result was a bit bad for us because of the late goal,” Henry said.

“I think Juan Pablo and I played well.” The Red Bulls, now 8-6 with three drawn, opened the scoring when

Henry set up Angel in the 10th but the Dynamo equalized on a Brad Davis penalty kick in the 24th minute.

Davis went high on a second penalty kick in the 39th minute as the teams reached half-time deadlocked, although Houston’s Lovel Palmer was ejected in the 44th minute for a hard foul, leaving Dynamo a man down for the second half.

Angel’s second goal put the Red Bulls ahead 2-1 with 32 minutes remaining but Mullan snatched a victory for the visitors away at the death, Houston moving to 5-8 with five drawn. The match came amid reports New York will sign Mexican defender Rafael Marquez, released Saturday from his contract by Spanish champion Barcelona. The Red Bulls have called a Tuesday news conference to announce a player signing.

Bob Levey/Getty Images/AFP

Thierry Henry #14 of the New York Red Bulls drives past Andrew Hainult #31 of the Houston Dynamo in the second half at Robertson Stadium on July 31, 2010 in Houston, Texas.

Sport

International

Monday, August 2, 2010

15

Marquez decisions Diaz to keep crown, wants Pacquiao Agence France Presse

LAS VEGAS - Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez kept his World Boxing Association lightweight throne on Saturday with a unanimous 12round decision over Juan Diaz, then called out Filipino star Manny Pacquaio. Marquez took a rematch of a slugfest from last year by judges’ scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, improving the 36-year-old fighter’s record to 51-5 with one drawn. Diaz fell to 35-4.

Marquez twice lost to Pacquiao and while the Asian superstar has been unable to land a blockbuster fight with unbeaten US veteran Floyd Mayweather, Marquez is hoping he might have a chance at a third swing in the ring with “Pac-Man”.

“The trilogy is what I want. It’s what the people want,” Marquez said. “I will be ready for another fight in December, hopefully Pacquiao.” While Pacquiao looks to fight Mexican Antonio Margarito in November, Marquez said his hunger to face the Filipino legend is greater than his desire to rule as World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization lightweight king.

“That’s true. That fight is more important for me,” Marquez said. Marquez dispatched Diaz in the ninth round in February of last year and this time was faced with a more tactical boxer-styled foe. The result, however, was the same.

“That first fight was a war. This was a bit more tactical,” Marquez said. “He wanted to box a bit more but we came out ahead.

He’s a great fighter. He knows some tech-

nique. But tonight technique was in our favor.”

Marquez staggered Diaz with a left uppercut in the fourth round, cut the challenger’s lower lip in the ninth and owned the fight almost from start to finish. “I fulfilled the game plan, used my jab, but Juan Manuel Marquez is a great fighter,” Diaz said. “He was the better man.”

Having lost four of his past six fights and with plans to start law school in October, Diaz might be looking at the end of his ring career at age 26. “I have to reconsider all the facts,” he said. “We will have to see. I have put up a hell of a fight for 10 years.”

Since losing to Marquez in his hometown of Houston, Diaz split two fights against countryman Paul Malignaggi, winning a unanimous decision last August but losing by unanimous decision four months later.

The only fight for Marquez since beating Diaz some 17 months ago came last September when he stepped up to welterweight and lost to undefeated US star Floyd Mayweather by unanimous decision.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (L) hits Juan Diaz in the fourth round of their bout at the Mandalay Bay Events Center July 31, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marqez retained his WBA and WBO lightweight championship belts with a unanimous-decision victory over Diaz.

Sharapova rallis to reach WTA Lemaitre completes European sprint double final against Azarenka Agence France Presse

STANFORD - Russian star Maria Sharapova is poised to capture her third title of the year and a rankings milestone after beating Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday in a WTA Bank of the West semi-final. Fifth seed Sharapova rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over the Polish third seed, advancing to Sunday’s championship match of the 700,000-dollar hardcourt event against eighth seed Victoria Azarenka.

If Russian beauty Sharapova defeats the Belarus star who turned 21 on Saturday, she will rise from 15th in the world and achieve her best ranking since returning from a shoulder injury in May of last year.

Azarenka ousted Australian top seed Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3, to qualify for her third final of the season. Azarenka has yet to win a title in 2010 and is 1-2 lifetime against Sharapova. “I will have to be prepared,” said Azarenka, who has won 10 of her past 12 matches.

Sharapova has won 17 of her past 20 matches and overcame a sluggish start with a sizzling finish, firing four aces and making all eight of her unforced errors on double faults but none of them coming in the third set.

Azarenka, who ousted 2009 Stanford winner Marion Bartoli of France in the quarter-finals, improved to 18-5 this season on hardcourts, the surface where she has won her three career WTA titles.

Azarenka, ranked 18th, has stressed her return skills and pounced upon French Open runner-up Stosur’s second serves to take command.

“I’m pretty good on the return,” she said. “That’s the big key. I have been practicing reaction on the return. If you react well you can return well.” Stosur, in her sixth 2010 semi-final, leads the WTA with 37 match triumphs this year but could not claim the crown in her first event since cracking the rankings top five, losing to Azarenka for the fourth time in

Agence FRance Presse

ed Jacobsohn/Getty Images/AFP

Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts after missing a shot against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during the semifinals of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford University on July 31, 2010 in Stanford, California. J as many meetings.

“She has had such good results. I’m so happy at how I played against her,” Azarenka said. “I started to move a litle better as the match went on and I improved my defensive game and that helped my offensive game move forward.”

Azarenka broke Stosur three times in the first set for a 5-2 edge and held at love to claim the set, then kept the Aussie at bay in the second as well. “She played well and it wasn’t my best day,” Stosur said. “She punished me when I was being too conservative.”

BARCELONA Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre completed the sprint double at the European Championships here on Friday by following up his 100m triumph with victory in the 200m.

Britain’s Christian Malcolm took second place in a tight finish, with Lemaitre’s compatriot Martial Mbandjock claiming the bronze.

“I really had to dig deep to win,” said Lemaitre. “Even when I crossed the line, I didn’t think I’d won. Christian Malcolm was really very, very strong. He ran a great bend. I had to wait for the result on the electronic board to see that I’d won.”

A characteristically stunning late burst down the straight saw Lemaitre cross the line in a time of 20.37sec, with Welshman Malcolm just 0.01sec behind in 20.38.

“He has lots of talent, it’s great for Europe to have athletes capable of competing with the United States and the Caribbean,” said Malcolm.

On Wednesday, 20-year-old Lemaitre tasted victory in the 100m ahead of Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis and Mbandjock. Lemaitre succeeds Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu, who also achieved the 100m-200m double in 2006, and the young Frenchman will now target a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay.

Lemaitre’s exploits also prompted a congratulatory message from French president Nicolas Sarkozy. “The head of state conveys to him (Lemaitre) his pride at these exceptional and extraordinary

AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA

France’s Christophe Lemaitre (4th from top) wins the men’s 200m final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on July 30, 2010. performances,” read a statement from the Elysee Palace.

The breakthrough that Lemaitre has made in Barcelona has raised hopes that he will go on to challenge the giants of the sport in the near future, but he insisted he has plenty of work to do.

“I’m still young. I still have time to progress,” he said. “I’ll keep training and gaining experience at the big championships and meetings. I don’t know if I can reach the same level as (Usain) Bolt or (Tyson) Gay but I’ll give everything that I have.”

16

Monday, August 2, 2010

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

Sport

Hamilton denies title hopes are fading Lewis Hamilton is confident his world championship hopes are not fading away on the back of continued frustrations for his McLaren team. The world championship leader has seen Red Bull Racing and Ferrari enjoy a speed advantage for the last few races - and has found himself almost two seconds adrift of pole position at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

AFP PHOTO / POOL / CHRISTOPHE KARABA

McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton leaves the pits of the Hungaroring circuit on July 31, 2010 in Budapest, during the qualifying session of the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix.

Petrov not thinking about future VITALY Petrov plans to banish thoughts about his Formula 1 future until the end of the season - despite an impressive performance in Hungary boosting his chances of remaining at Renault next year. The Russian outqualified team-mate Robert Kubica for the first time this season to grab seventh on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix and set his sights on adding more points to his tally.

And with Renault bosses having asked for Petrov to deliver exactly what he has produced in recent races, the Russian said he had no doubts how competitive he would be at the Hungaroring.

“I knew I would be quick here because I know this track,” he said.

“When you know this track, you just need to learn the set-up to be driving in F1, but the rest is fine. So I knew I would be quick here. “But about the future? I don’t want to say anything about that. I will just wait until the end of the year and then we will see.”

Petrov reckoned he had the potential to go even faster in qualifying, but still says he takes some satisfaction from starting ahead of his teammate.

“It was still possible to be quicker but anyway we are quite happy, the car is in top 10 so this is the most important thing,” he explained. “To start ahead of Robert means some-

thing, but not a lot “The most important thing is that I am happy with the car, happy with my results and happy with things around me that have happened. When you sit in the car you never think you must beat this guy or somebody else, you just do you work.”

Petrov said his target for the race is to finish in the top 10 – and more importantly not make any mistakes. “First of all it will be a difficult first corner because it is very tight,” he said. “Then, just who is doing the best tactics will win. You always want to finish in the top ten and do a clear race without some mistakes, without problems. This is the target.”

Renault f1’s Russian driver Vitaly Petrov drives at the Hockenheimring circuit on July 23, 2010 in Hockenheim, during the first free practice session of the Formula One German Grand Prix.

AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ

But although well aware his situation is far from ideal, he is upbeat that McLaren can fight back – and will get a boost whatever the FIA does on the flexi-wing controversy.

“I don’t feel it [the championship] falling away from us,” said Hamilton.

“If we continue for the rest of the season and we are more than one second behind, then inevitably it is going to be very hard for us to win the championship. “But I think Martin [Whitmarsh, team principal] has made it clear that something will be sorted or made clear [on front wings], so we can either change our approach or someone else changes their approach.”

Hamilton says his desire to succeed now is just as strong as it was earlier in the season – and is unmoved by news that a number of bookmakers have now installed Sebastian Vettel as favourite for the title.

“My determination is as high as it could be,” he said. “I am pushing as hard as I can with the team - it is the same for me and Martin and everyone in the team. We want to win the championship, it doesn’t matter if a bookie says we won’t or someone else says we will. We will do everything we can and everything in our

power to win the championship.

“You don’t really think about the championship until the moment when it really, really matters which is when you are just about to win or just about to lose it. So for me I take it race by race and try to get as many points in the races.

That has always been my approach, I don’t think of critical results or how that affects the championship.”

Team-mate Jenson Button also reckons his title challenge will not be too badly dented in Hungary, despite a disappointing qualifying session.

“I’ve made it difficult again in qualifying,” he said. “Starting 11th, it is never easy when you are that far back, but there is still everything to play for. “The first four cars seem to have very good pace, but anything can happen as we have seen many times this season - and we have performed as a team very well, especially on a Sunday.

“I think we can still have a good race. It is tough starting so far behind Lewis, he is the guy leading the championship from myself, and finishing behind Lewis would hurt my championship hopes at this point of the season, that is obvious.