Edisi 13 Agustus 2010 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 154 2st Year

Giant panda has second set of twins in Japan

Price: Rp 3.000,-

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Friday, August 13, 2010

Goa Lawah tourist object gets recovered, dominated by Europeans

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Russia steps up fire battle near nuclear site Agence France Presse MOSCOW - Russia on Thursday stepped up efforts to halt wildfires near its main nuclear research site, as President Dmitry Medvedev said one quarter of its crops have been lost in a record heat wave. The fires have also raised alarm that burning forests could raise up radioactive particles in land still contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster but the authorities warned against any panic.

Paris Hilton sued for $35M for wearing wrong hair PAGE 12

WEATHER FORECAST CITY

TEMPERATURE OC

DENPASAR

23 - 31

JAKARTA

24 - 33

BANDUNG

19 - 29

YOGYAKARTA

22 - 31

SURABAYA

24 - 33

SUNNY

BRIGHT/CLOUDY

Medvedev also reported success in containing the fires that have killed over 50 people and destroyed entire villages, saying he has given orders to lift the state of emergency in three of seven regions.

But he warned that many farms were on the verge of bankruptcy after one quarter of the country’s crops have been lost due to the heat. “We have a very complicated situation because as a whole in the country around a quarter of the grain crops have been burned,” Russian news agencies quoted the Kremlin chief as saying in the southern town of Taganrog.

“Unfortunately many farms are on the verge of bankruptcy on account of the death of the harvest.”

Medvedev also said he had lifted the state of emergency in Vladimir, Voronezh and Marii El regions, while the siatuation remained complicated in another four — Mordovia, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan regions.

Russia is battling what experts say is the worst heatwave in its

millenium-long history which has affected nearly all areas of life and may cost it one percent of gross domestic product, or 15 billion dollars.

Fires also blazed in neighbouring Ukraine, with the emergency services working to put out a two-hectare (five-acre) peat bog fire 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Chernobyl.

Russia sent a special firefighting train and 70 more people to join over 3,400 firefighters battling to douse wildfires close to its top nuclear research centre in Sarov, a town in the Nizhny Novgorod region still closed to foreigners as in Soviet times.

While no blazes had been registered on the territory of the nuclear research centre itself, a nearby nature reserve has been on fire for around a week. The nature reserve is located in nearby region of Mordovia and tree leaves and pine needles on the surface are now burning and smouldering, said Mikhail Turkov, a spokesman for the emergencies ministry’s Volga regional branch.

Continued on page 6

AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV

Russian firefighters cut trees as they prepare to extinguish a fire at a forest near the village of Tokhushevo, some 50 kms outside Sarov on August 11, 2010. A new wildfire broke out Wednesday near a major nuclear research centre in the Russian town of Sarov, causing the plant’s management to ask firefighters and troops to reverse their withdrawal.

Finding Themselves at the “Eat Pray Love” Premiere NEW YORK – The journey of discovery that is “Eat Pray Love” finally ended at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on Tuesday, Aug. 10, as the film of the best-selling novel premiered.

Both the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, and her onscreen persona, Julia Roberts, smiled for the cameras and greeted the men that helped make the cinematic version of Gilbert’s quest for spiritual meaning come to life. There was Javier Bardem, whose appearance in “Eat Pray Love” comes late in the flick, as our heroine finishes her quest in Bali; Billy

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0361-225764 AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Indonesian Ministry of Culture Director General of Marketing, Dr. Sapta Nirwandar, left, and Indonesian actress Christine Hakim attend the the world premiere of ‘Eat Pray Love’ at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010 in New York.

Crudup, who plays Gilbert’s first husband, whom she leaves behind in New York City; and Richard Jenkins, the American that helps her understand the spiritual path while in India. Writer-director Ryan Murphy, who also happens to produce and create the television show “Glee,” joined in the festivities as well, both at the theater and the after party held at the Metropolitan Club.

Roberts, who showed off her ultra-slim physique in a black mini-skirted suit, insisted to reporters at an earlier press conference that she actually did gain weight during the “eat” section of the film, set in Rome.

“Ryan keeps telling people that I put on ten pounds!” she chuckled. “It was a little less than that, but I loved every pound. And everyone said, ‘Oh, it’s going to drop right off in India,’ but I didn’t get that memo. That didn’t happen.”

Continued on page 6

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International

Friday, August 13, 2010

Bali News Request of bus ticket rises by 50 percent Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Reservation of bus ticket on entering the Ramadhan month went up drastically reaching 50 percent. Rise of the ticket bookings was predicted to have an impact on the rates of bus ticket up to 75 percent.

Sri Adnyani, a ticketing staff of Bandung Express 2 executive bus, estimated the rise of bus ticket fare actually had begun to happen at the end of July 2010. The rise of such bus fare was valid for all bus vehicles.

“The increase of bus fare occurred gradually until the peak of Idul Fitri holiday homecoming. At the moment, the bus fare imposed remains the normal price. Nevertheless, ticket reservations for homecoming passengers will stay to refer to the prevailing rates on departure time,” said Sri Adnyani in Denpasar, last Wednesday (Aug 11).

According to her, passengers making the bus ticket reservation for their homecoming would possibly go through an increase in price. She told that advance booking could not guarantee to get ticket at a cheaper price.

“Generally, passengers that made ticket reservation far in advance have already known if the bus fare to be

paid is pursuant to the prevailing rates. When making a reservation they only got a receipt. Afterward, they will be given the ticket on the departure date at the price in accordance with prevailing rates,” she explained.

Sri Adnyani also added the fare of bus ticket for Denpasar-Jakarta route today was around IDR 330,000 per person, while during the homecoming season could be IDR 550,000 per person. In the meantime, the bus fare for Denpasar-Yogyakarta route was IDR 215,000 per person, DenpasarBandung at IDR 325,000 per person, Denpasar-Surabaya at IDR 135,000 per person and DenpasarMalang at IDR 135,000 per person.

“Most bus tickets are booked by families and then followed by office workers. Families tended to booked tickets in advance in order they could get seats in sequence.

Meanwhile, most of bus ticket reservations are intended for the departure on the fourth days before and third days after Idul Fitri holiday,” she observed.

Related to the routes taken by most passengers, Sri Adnyani said that they consisted of Denpasar to destinations like Yogyakarta, Solo, Malang, Jakarta and Bandung. Occurrence on the rise of the bus ticket reservations when entering the Ramadhan was also recognized by other bus ticketing agent, Wahyuni.

Although her party did not know yet how much percent of the increase happened to the bus ticket during the Idul Fitri season, but it could be ascertained there would be an increase during the next homecoming flows.

“We sell bus tickets based on daily standard prices. If passenger departs today of course he will get the current prevailing price,” she explained. (par)

Denpasar lacks for lifeguards Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Long stretch of beach in Denpasar reaching 9 kilometers requires adequate number of lifeguards. Unfortunately, the availability of lifeguards in Denpasar seems far from adequate. It is proved by the fact that Denpasar Government Tourism Office (Dispar) has only 15 personnel of lifeguard (Balawista) to maintain the stretch of beach owned. Moreover, the equipments available are also incomplete.

It was recognized by the Head of Denpasar Government Tourism Office, I Putu Budiasa, when met on the sidelines of the inauguration of Mayor-Deputy Mayor of Denpasar, last Wednesday (Aug 11). He said up to these days his department lacked for lifeguard

officers. The number of lifeguard owned by Denpasar was only 15 personnel. Actually, the need of lifeguard personnel for such a long beach was more than that.

He explained, with a long coastline of more than 9 kilometers Denpasar should have at least 20 officers of lifeguard. This shortage could not be added immediately because it had something to do with the budget. “Ideally, on seeing the condition of the beach in Denpasar it will be required 20 officers of lifeguard. In the future, we will add the lifeguard to reach the ideal number as needed,” he said.

Besides, he added that several coastal areas such as Serangan Island indeed required lifeguards.

This coastal area had started to be visited by many tourists that mostly

liked surfing. “We are going to set up another post with 5 personnel of lifeguard,” he asserted.

More tragically, the Denpasar lifeguards had not had other sufficient supporting facilities.

Dispar Denpasar recorded up to date only had one fiberglass boat used to monitor the overall Sanur Beach area. “Up to these days, we do not have a rubber boat, but in the near future we will propose the additional supporting facilities,” he continued.

In addition, the 15 personnel of lifeguard only had a single post at Sunrise Beach area. “For the other coastal area like Padang Galak we indeed do not establish a post because it is prohibited to swim at the area,” continued Budiasa. (kmb12)

AFP PHOTO / SONNY TUMBELAKA

Participants compete in a “Makepung” or bull race with domestic water buffaloes in the town of Jembrana on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on August 8, 2010. Over 220 water buffalo teams took part in the annual competition locally known as “Makepung” which started in 1960.

Dozens of midwife in Badung get VCT and PMTCT training Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Dozens of midwife scattered throughout Abiansemal, Petang, and Mengwi subdistrict, Badung, received training on the intensity improvement of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and Prevention Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT). The HIVAIDS prevention effort was held by Bali International Women’s Association (BIWA) in cooperation with Kerti Praja Foundation, Pelita Ilmu Foundation, Bakti Husada, and the Badung AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA).

President of BIWA Melly St Ange on the sidelines of the event held in the Kapal Regional Hospital said that midwives served as the spearhead in the keeping and preventing the diseases threatening the health of women in the urban outskirt and remote areas.

“The two-day training aims to give more knowledge to midwife. By the training they are expected to have capability of analyzing pregnant women suspected or infected by HIV/AIDS disease and to provide reference for patient to visit special clinic of HIV/ AIDS prevention,” said Melly St Ange, last Wednesday (Aug 11).

Aside from knowing more profound about HIV/AIDS preventive method, especially in pregnant women, the training costing tens of millions of rupiahs was also expected to increase the professionalism of the midwife in serving the community.

“The training will be conducted sustainably because based on the data obtained, the number of midwives in Bali reaches more than 1,000 people,” she said.

On that occasion, she also appealed to higher officials in Bali, especially their spouse, to help the humanitarian programs organized by BIWA. “We do hope the wife of higher officials or local officials to share a little happiness with people needing the assistance. Foreign society really cares about our society, why do not we participate in doing the same thing?

Even, many foreign residents established a foundation in their home country just to help our society,” she said.

Chairman of KPA Badung represented by the Head of the Family Planning and Welfare Family, I Made Lison, expressed his sincere gratitude to BIWA that had extended financial assistance for the training in the midst of the increasing mortality rate on account of HIV/AIDS in Bali.

“Until June 2010, HIV/AIDS case in Badung has reached 591 with mortality rate of 62 people. A part of the case afflicted pregnant women.

Therefore, we do hope the training provided by BIWA to the midwives could increase their intensity to report the HIV/AIDS or our society being vulnerable to this disease to be immediately referred to special clinic,” he explained.

The training attended by dozens of midwives was also followed by the Association of Nusantara Orphanage Observers (APPAN) Ari Murti who was also concerned about the outbreak of HIV/AIDS, Vice President of BIWA, Marianne Vertegaal and representatives of the KPA, Elly Swandewi M. (par)

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Bali News

International

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Friday, August 13, 2010

Transaction in SVF 2010 reaches 3 billion Boosting up hotel occupancy rate Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Sanur Village Festival (SVF) 2010 managed to grow the creative economy. Evidently, the transaction during the execution of the fiveday festival taking place on August 4-8 reached around IDR 3 billion.

Chairman of the SVF Committee, Ida Bagus Sidhartha Putra, said that number represented the circulation of money during the implementation of festival as well as from the food tenants and booths selling various products of small medium enterprises (SMEs) participating in the fifth festival. Likewise, it included the vendors selling their goods at the area around the SVF on Jalan Pantai Segara Sanur.

“We will persistently endeavor to enhance and involve more parties in the SVF next year,” said Sidhartha, last Wednesday (Aug 11). According to Sidhartha, such annual event also raised the occupancy rate of hotels in Sanur and the surrounding areas as well as raised the level of spending by tourists that stayed in Sanur. However, his party had not obtained the exact numbers of the increase.

“I received information from a number of owners of restaurants, shops, and hotels in Sanur area, there was a significant increase during the implementation of SVF,” he said.

He expected the implementation of the next year’s SVF could be better, especially in displaying the products of creative economy constituting one of the mainstays of Sanur as a major tourist destination.

“I hope with such conditions Sanur could increasingly have higher competitiveness and remain a destination always offering something new and fresh by managing the existing potential,” he said.

He stated SVF has an identity that was inseparable from the local culture.

Armed with local cultural and spiritual value of arts, Sanur development would remain under control and always remember the kawitan or its origins.

Meanwhile, Yudha Bantono, one of the SVF event coordinators, said the artists coalesced into the activity known as The Art Kampong were satisfied because it could bring the arts activities closer to the general public. The concept of moving studio in the SVF arena was favored by visitors wishing to know more closely about the activities of artists in the studio.

“The fine arts program always becoming the part of the SVF is expected to accelerate the creation of better work,” said Yudha while adding, the implementation of this year’s festival was filled with performances like poetry reading, theater, contemporary dance and music, as well as cultural arts documentary film screenings. The measure was welcomed by a number of artists collaborating with one another. (par)

Image of traffic police operations in 2010

Expected Increase Public Trust Denpasar (Bali Post) -

During the next month, Sat. Poltantas Poltabes Denpasar held image operations in 2010. The purpose is to increase trust and service to the community. In addition, members of the Traffic Police Poltabes Denpasaris also expected to be professionals in performing their duties in the midst of society.

The chairman of Poltabes Denpasar Kompol Tri Wahyu Cahyono, Wednesday (11 / 8) yesterday said the operation started from 9 until August 29, 2010. For nearly a month, many activities that will be . ‘’Of course, we served in a transparent manner and no act of bribery or bribed,’ he said.

Described, an activity carried out later on, ranging from law enforcement, handling lakalantas (traffic accident) quickly, social-

ization on the importance lakalantas, installation the banner in some places and distribution of brochures. In fact, knowledge is also done interactive traffic problems in the electronic media.

By the implementation of this operation, the expected road users are more disciplined and orderly in road traffic. If the occurrence of an accident, the public quickly and of course the police report will also quickly make handling. ‘’That is, fast, responsive and precise in handling cases of shellac,’ he said.

Related to banner installation and distribution of brochures, would be conducted in stages.

The banner containing the appeal, installed at several strategic points. Where, Communities c a n r e a d i t c l e a r l y. ‘ ’ We ’ v e started banner pairs. Until now there are 14 banners already installed,’ he added. (Kmb21)

IBP/doc

Tourists are enjoying their time on banana boat. Many attractions provided by tourisms businessmen in Bali could attract the tourists to visit the island. It also could affect hotel number of occupancy rate in Bali.

Jalan Raya Singaraja-Seririt prone Mega Bank employee mugged Singaraja (Bali Post)

After a quiet, Jalan Raya Singaraja- Seririt prone re-action mugging. On Tuesday (10 / 8) night, an employee of Mega Bank Branches Singaraja, Ni Luh Eka Martini (27) became victim of a mugging when passing highway.

More precisely, it occurs in the region Seririt Village Kalianget District. When the victim was about to leave homes in the village of Banjar Dinas Kelod Busungbiu by riding a

Honda motorcycle DK 6220 UC. Unaware victim followed by motorcyclists. Once in the Village area Kalianget closed by motorists and immediately took the victim’s bag.

Struck with a sudden attack, the victim was thrown from a motorcycle.

A number of motorists who happened to pass it and then help with the victims who suffered cuts and abrasions in the collapsed state of shock due to an emergency room in the City Seririt. While the thief ran

away with high speed towards the direction of the City Seririt. Marauder successfully carried off a black bag containing the victim’s office safe keys, money and mobile phones.

Seririt Kapolsektif AKP Wayan Wetem, SH, said the company immediately giving chase to the thief.

But the perpetrators have not been found. From the description the victim stated that motorists who use a helmet grab binoculars and wearing a dark jacket. (Kmb15)

Orthopaedi (MDs), Not Just For Broken Bones Denpasar (Bali Post) -

Number of cases of traffic accidents that occurred during this course requires serious treatment.

Moreover, the wound suffered by not only one type of injury. Many of the traffic accident patients admitted Sanglah hospital injured body parts, ranging from head injuries to broken bones. For such cases, there are areas that deal with the field of Orthopaedi. But for the case of a fracture, ordinary people apparently not familiar with the term MDs (orthopaedi). Most cases of bone fractures appears to doctors who treat the image of a broken bone is a doctor too.

In fact for the case of a fracture of his own knowledge that there are MDs. This knowledge is not only handle cases of bone fractures but also the surrounding muscles, nerves, and joints, said the Chairman of the Association of Physician-NUSRA MDs Bali, Prof..

Dr.dr. I Ketut Siki Kawiyana, SpB.SpOT (K), Wednesday (11 / 8) yesterday. For the case, according Siki at Sanglah Hospital just for example, the case of MDs at least there are about 40-50% of patients who entered the IRD. Most patients with injuries caused by traffic accidents or work accidents, he said.

MDs services primarily for fractures in the view of society leads to actions that bear on the operation cost. Many cases now is more like going to the shaman broken bones for the treatment and no doubt there are some that heal.

Opinion on these things, Siki admits sometimes there are some health practitioners who are not good at providing information about cases of bone fractures. Actually for the severity of the fracture cases were divided into three, namely cases of unnecessary surgery, cases that required surgery and inoperable cases but not re-

quired, said Siki.

Continued cases can be cured by the shaman may be a case of unnecessary surgery or inoperable but not required. This is where the actual role of the physician to provide appropriate information for the community, he said. He emphasized that if the case should be operated like a broken bone or a broken thigh bone away it will not be cured without surgery.

About the necessity of cooperation between doctors with alternative medicine practitioners by Siki fractures can not be done. Stated if it is with traditional birth attendants, upgrading can still be done, because for the science content is not all there is in terms of disease but also the physiologic. But for the case of MDs, it is the case of illness, so can not upgrade for the shaman broken bones because all action must be in accordance with the competence, explained Siki.

(Kmb24)

4

News

Friday, August 13, 2010

International

Australian opposition vows uranium for India AFP

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia’s opposition Thursday vowed to sell uranium to nuclear power India if elected this month and cautioned against over-reliance on China, the country’s top trading partner.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and his conservative, opposition rival Julie Bishop debated foreign policy for the first time ahead of knife-edge August 21 elections, laying out contrasting visions.

Smith touted his government’s record since taking office in 2007, saying Labor had restored “neglected” ties with the United Nations and key countries in the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Australia had withdrawn combat troops from Iraq while maintaining good relations with the United States, which Smith described as “the bedrock of our strategic security and defence arrangements”.

It had also played a key role in establishing the G20 as the premier international economic institution, which he said was “the most significant achievement of Australian foreign policy since APEC became a leaders’ meeting”.

“This is the century of the AsiaPacific: economic, strategic, security, military, influence is moving in our direction,” Smith said.

When prime minister, Kevin Rudd saw China as a key partner and the Mandarin-speaking former diplomat

made ties with Beijing a priority of his rule, cut short by a June coup which rudely forced him from office.

But Smith said Labor was not “starry-eyed” about relations with China, which were strained by the jailing of a Rio Tinto executive in Shanghai and decision by Australia to grant Uighur dissident Rebiya Kadeer a visa.

“There have been tensions in the relationship with China because we do, as different countries and different people, share different values and virtues,” he said.

Bishop described China as a country fraught with challenges and said some poorer nations in the region were “over-reliant” on Chinese aid, implying they had been forced to open up to Chinese investment in exchange for assistance.

But she rejected an official assessment that “conventional warfare with China” was the nation’s greatest long-term security threat and said “ongoing military, strategic co-operation with China is essential”.

Bishop put Japan, the United States and Indonesia at the centre of the Liberal-National coalition’s foreign policy, and urged greater engagement with India, Australia’s

eighth-largest trading partner.

“We will reinstate the in-principle decision to sell uranium to India and we will resume a free trade agreement and greater defence co-operation: we are natural maritime partners,” she said.

Australia has 27 percent of the world’s uranium reserves but the centre-left Labor government has said it will be sold only to nations that are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which does not include India.

Bishop claimed that the abilities of Australian troops in Afghanistan had been undervalued and they could have taken the lead role in the restive province of Uruzgan when the Dutch contingent withdrew this month.

She left open the question of taking such an offer to US President Barack Obama, saying they would “be always open to a request from the United States to assist in ways that will ensure we are able to succeed in Afghanistan”.

Smith also stood by Australia’s 1,550-troop commitment in Uruzgan and Labor’s engagement with President Hamid Karzai government as the “elected government of Afghanistan,” despite accusations that it was corrupt.

“We are there in Afghanistan and in Uruzgan province because we have to do our bit to stare down international terrorism,” Smith said.

Turkish PM to step down if he loses 2011 elections AFP

age under a new leader.

The first test of strength for both parties will come in a September 12 referendum on a set of constitutional amendments curbing the powers of the military and the judiciary.

The AKP, which drew up the changes, says the amendments will boost democracy. The opposition charges that they are aimed to tighten the government’s grip on power and eliminate the system of checks and balances.

Many secularist circles in this predominantly Muslim country suspect the AKP of a covert plan to raise the profile of Islam, a charge that the government categorically denies.

ANKARA (AFP) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he will resign if his party fails to win general elections next year, the Anatolia news agency reported Thursday.

“If my party comes out as the second party in the 2011 elections — and I do not expect such a thing — I will step down from the party leadership,” Anatolia quoted Erdogan as saying in an interview late Wednesday with local television channels in the Black Sea town of Rize.

“I would hold myself responsible in the first degree for putting my party in that position,” he added.

The 56-year-old leader added that next year’s elections would be the last time he would be standing, in line with a party decision limiting lawmakers’ tenure in parliament to three terms at most.

He did not specify whether he would also leave the Justice and Development Party (AKP), but said he could practice politics in civic bodies, think tanks or media organisations. The AKP, the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist party, will be seeking a third term in the 2011 elections, after coming to power in 2002 as an untested political force.

Recent opinion polls have suggested that the AKP is losing its popularity, with the AFP/File main opposition party bridging the gap be- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip tween them as it attempts to polish its im- Erdogan

AFP/BHP Billiton/File

File photo of BHP Billiton’s OlympicDam copper and uranium operation at Roxby Downs in South Australia.

Spain says Moroccan demonstators blockade enclave AP

MADRID – A Spanish police official says Moroccan demonstrators are blockading the border with the Spanish enclave of Melilla, preventing all trucks from entering it.

Thursday’s protest is going ahead even though the two countries’ kings spoke by telephone Wednesday to try to ease tensions following a series of incidents between Spanish border police and Moroccans.

The police official said the border crossing itself is quiet because the demonstrators have apparently erected their blockade further inside Moroccan territory. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Melilla is a centuries-old Spanish city of some 70,000 people on Morocco’s northern coast. It depends heavily on Morocco for products such as fresh fish, fruit and vegetables and construction materials.

Ugandan rebels said to kill 255 in central Africa AP

NAIROBI, Kenya – A rights group says a Ugandan rebel group known for committing atrocities has killed at least 255 adults and children in the past 18 months in Congo and Central African Republic.

Human Rights Watch says in a report released in the U.S. on Wednesday that the Lord’s Resistance Army killed the victims after they tried to escape, walked too slowly,

or were unable to bear the heavy loads they were forced to carry.

The group said the killed were part of almost 700 adults and children abducted in the two countries.

The LRA began its attacks in northern Uganda more than 20 years ago and has since spread to Congo, Sudan and Central African Republic. It has no known agenda except killing and kidnapping to swell its ranks.

Hotel Activities

International

Friday, August 13, 2010

5

Kudeta 10th Anniversary IBP

KUTA - Kudeta, the restaurant and lounge which located at Kayu Aya street No. 69, Seminyak will celebrate its 10th anniversary on August 14, 2010. The live performance

by The Brand New Heavies on the mushroom shake - DJ Donie One from Australia will surely entertaint people who joint the party.

The theme for this party is KDT

in Wonderland to celebrated its first decade in the restaurant and lounge industry. The first decade will be pictured as the wonderland to a journey down to rabbit hole, enter a world of wonder, where nothing is as it seems, and the athmosphere is filled with magic.

The entry to the party will start on 1 PM with general admission IDR1.2 million and limited pre-sale cost IDR1 million. *

Singapore Airlines in Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa IBP

NUSA DUA - Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa marked another great success as Bali’s leading MICE hotel by hosting ‘’Singapore Airlines Bali Top Agents Award Presentation Dinner 2010'’. The event was held on July 30, 2010. Despite Bali’s inclement weather, organising teams from both the hotel and the airline meticulously planned the event down to the very last detail. ‘’This year, we choose Nusa Dua

Beach Hotel & Spa as the venue because of our similar mindset towards customer service and stringent attention to detail. Also, our track record of past accomplishments achieved together, made the choice of venue an easy one,’’ claims Kevin Peeris, State Manager for Bali, Singapore Airlines.

The top 3 agents, Anta, KCB Tours and Tobali, were conferred special recognition by receiving the top agent award based on their financial sales during the year of

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

2009-2010. ‘’Together, we managed to replicate our world renowned service in the air and delivered it on the ground,’’ says Peeris. ‘’We are proud to support this great event which appreciates the efforts of tourism industry in Bali and Indonesia as a whole,’’ commented Reto Torriani, General Manager of Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa. One of the first five star resorts to grace Bali’s southern peninsula, the resort strives to deliver memorable social events and receptions in the heart of Bali. *

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

News

Friday, August 13, 2010

Extreme tourists set off to walk through Africa AFP

KHARTOUM (AFP) – From Cape Town to Khartoum, extreme tourists Guillaume and Enora have trekked off the beaten track on foot, surviving on less than two dollars (1.5 euros) a day on a journey that will take them three years to complete.

Unlike compatriots who have crossed the African continent by car in the Dakar rally, or by motorbike or bicycle raising money for a cause, these French tourists decided to trek through jungles and deserts in a professed bid to better understand humanity.

“In the beginning we walked for the adventure, and then we tried to understand Africans’ strange attitude towards us,” said Guillaume Combot, 31, a former French parachutist who studied psychology in Canada and had once tried to become a monk at the SaintBenoit-du-Lac in Quebec.

“We took off without really knowing why. I was a little lost and I knew that I just wanted to walk.

“The first stage was to try and understand Africa, the second stage was more broad, to try and understand humanity,” Combot told AFP while in Khartoum.

He said people didn’t understand the

motivation behind walking across the continent, particularly outside the cities and large towns.

“The question to us was always ‘why are you acting like you are poor, why are you pretending to be suffering?,’” he said, a little dispirited.

Together with his friend Enora Nedelec, 21, the pair left France for Cape Town in February 2009 with 3,000 Euros (nearly 4,000 dollars) in their pockets with the aim of walking back to Paris— an adventure that should take him three years, while she plans to end her journey in Jerusalem a little earlier.

Their budget gives them less than two dollars a day each to eat, drink, sleep and wash.

They venture off every day, not knowing when they’ll eat or where they’ll sleep.

“We wanted to colour every kilometre (mile) with emotion, which is something possible on foot but much more difficult when you are travelling faster,” said Nedelec, who put her midwifery studies on pause to discover the world on foot.

Travelling with backpacks, which at their heaviest were around eight kilogrammes (17 lbs), they often slept on mats in the open air.

Finding...

From page 1 AFP/Jiji Press –

Panda Rauhin

Giant panda has second set of twins in Japan AFP

Russia...

From page 1

TOKYO (AFP) – A giant panda born and raised in Japan has given birth to two cubs, her second set of twins, a zoo official said Thursday.

Nine-year-old Rauhin gave birth to a female and a male cub Wednesday at Adventure World zoo in western Wakayama prefecture — where she has spent her whole life — after mating naturally with a panda brought from China.

Rauhin was the first Japaneseborn panda to breed when she gave birth to twin cubs in 2008.

Her caretakers at the zoo conducted artificial insemination to improve Rauhin’s chances of breeding two years ago, but the new babies were born as the result of natural mating with the Chinese male panda, the zoo said.

However much she may have gained on the shoot, it is gone, for the 42-yearold actress looked as slim as ever, perhaps because of the spiritual effects that the journey of the movie had on her.

She reportedly has embraced Hinduism, and explained that her personal journey through the vagaries of Hollywood stardom has taken her to a place of calm enlightenment.

“I definitely knew that my life would continue to evolve until I found that place where I could fully occupy and live in, which is the home that I have now,” Roberts, the married mother of three, explained.

“The two pandas go together very well,” Adventure World spokesman Tadashi Ishikawa told AFP. “Giant pandas usually have a mating season only about three days a year, which makes it very difficult for them to breed,” he said.

“But the environment here seems to be good for our pandas.”

Captive giant pandas are known for their low sex drive, which is exacerbating falling numbers as their natural habitat in southwestern China is encroached on by development.

There are currently 10 giant pandas in Japan, eight of them at

Adventure World, but they all belong to China — including Japanese-born Rauhin.

China is to send another pair to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for a price tag of almost a million dollars a year, to be paid for over the next decade.

The money will be spent on wild animal protection in China.

An extension of the lease can be negotiated, and the Tokyo zoo can keep babies born to the pair for the first two years, although China retains ownership.

Ling Ling, the last panda owned by Japan, died of heart failure in 2008 at the age of 22 — the equivalent of 70 human years.

“I think that if you’ve gotten to a place in your life where you have found a capacity to eat and nourish yourself, and love and nourish your life in that way, that somewhere along the way you’ve figured out your own identity and how to pray and relate to an energy or a creation that’s more than you. Otherwise you can’t accomplish those other things.”

Others on hand from the film included Christine Hakim, Mike O’Malley, Arlene Tur, Jennifer Salt, T.J. Power and David Lyons. Fans of the book who joined the party were Phylicia Rashad, Shaun Robinson, Gail Simmons, and Josh Brolin.

“Two planes and two helicopters are currently circling over Sarov,” Turkov told AFP. “Reconnaissance is being constantly conducted from the air.” A firefighting train has been involved in putting out the fires, while a second train was on its way to the scene.

Two soldiers were killed by blazing trees as they strove to put out a fire close to the centre on Monday. Moscow had choked for days on acrid smog that seeped into apartments, offices, stories and even underground into the Moscow metro.

The city’s air was clear of smog on Thursday as the emergencies ministry said the total area of the wildfires in the Moscow region has been reduced by more than a quarter to 126 hectares over the past 24 hours as firefighting teams poured more than 1,000 tonnes of water over burning fires and peat bogs.

The total area of the fires across Russia was reduced by 10,000 hectares and nearly 50,000 people were battling fires in central Russia, the ministry said.

With fires also burning to a lesser extent in Ukraine, officials said the fire 60 kilometres from Chernobyl started on August 9 and will be extinguished on Thursday or Friday. “The fire presents no danger,” Viktoria Ruban, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian emergency situations ministry, told AFP. Concern remained over the radiation risk from burning forests still contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster after officials admitted on Wednesday forest fires hit hundreds of hectares of contaminated land.

Officials said that radiation was normal in the contaminated regions amid concerns wildfires could send a cloud of radioactive particles as far as Moscow.

International

Indonesia Today

Friday, August 13, 2010

7

Weather warning for Indonesia holiday season Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Extreme weather during Indonesia’s dry season this year is likely to continue in the weeks ahead and may disrupt the forthcoming holiday season, a climatologist said Wednesday.

The unseasonable downpours

were being caused by high oceansurface temperatures, which had unleashed the heaviest rainfalls in 12 years, said Soeroso Hadiyanto of the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency “In August and September, there will be heavy rainfall with lightning, strong wind and high waves.

Similar extreme weather also occurred in 1998, but this year’s rainfall is more intense compared with 12 years ago,” he said.

The weather will affect areas across the Indonesian archipelago, from Sumatra in the northwest to Papua in the east, he said.

Indonesia’s President Susilo

Police investigate terrorists of foreign funds Antara

JAKARTA - Police is still investigating the flow of foreign funds related to the terrorist network in Indonesia.

Currently, the members of special detachment 88 anti-terror police headquarters are still looking for a French citizen who allegedly planned bomb explosions because he was listed as an owner of the vehicle with police number B1600-KE used for car bomb at-

tacks.

The French citizen, known as an owner of the sedan, which planned the attack in Jakarta. The wife of French citizen is a Moroccan who allegedly sent funds for planning bomb attacks.

On Saturday, police had confis-

cated a sedan from a raid in Cikuda, Cibiru, West Java. In addition police also seized various chemicals to assemble a car bomb and arrested a suspected terrorist network identified as Fakrulroji.

“The terrorist network was planned to attack some areas such like embassies, star rated hotels in Jakarta, National Police headquarters, Mobile brigade police building in West Java, and even President Susilo Bambang Yudhono.

HIV/AIDS carriers in Mimika reach 2,302 Antara

TIMIKA - The number of HIV/ AIDS carriers in Mimika district, Papua province, has been recorded at 2,302 persons, Secretary of the National AIDS Commission (KPA)for Mimika, Reinold Ubra said.

Reinold said here on Wednesday that in the April - June 2010 period alone, a total of 110 new cases of HIV/AIDS carriers were found.

“In the April - June 2010 period, we found another 110 carriers in Mimika where most of whom contracted the disease through sexual contacts,” Reinold said.

He said that 109 of the carriers contracted the viruses through sexual contacts and one through intravenous drug injections.

The AIDS activist said that 75 of the cases had not yet shown clinical symptoms to develop into AIDS while the other 35 had shown the symptoms.

Garuda opens direct Jakarta-Tokyo flight Antara

JAKARTA - Garuda Indonesia Airlines (GA) announced its plan to open new direct Jakarta-Tokyo flights every day starting from August 31, 2010.

“Besides for route expansion, the plan is also aimed at meeting demands of the costumers, who are mostly businessmen,” Pujobroto, head of GA’s Communications division said here Wednesday.

The Jakarta-Tokyo flight 884 will start from Jakarta at 11.50 pm and arrive in Tokyo at 9 am local time, then flies back to Jakarta at 12.00 is back in Jakarta at 5.34 pm local time. The flight by Airbus 330-200 with a capacity of 222 passengers (36 executive class seats and 186

economy class seats).

GA President Director Emirsyah Satar, Pujobroto said, reaffirmed that the Japanese market is an essential and potential market for GA. GA has been flying to Japan for more than 48 years. “The direct flights served passengers with business trips between two countries in line with the trade improvement between two countries.” Emirsyah said.

Previously, GA flew to other Japanese cities from Denpasar such as Nagoya three times a week and Osaka five times a week. Now GA also flies from Tokyo to Denpasar every day.

Direct Jakarta-Tokyo-Jakarta flights will be the new new GA, “Garuda Indonesia Experience with Indonesian Hospitality” based on the

roots of Indonesian culture. It is equipped with the latest interior executive class, and fully reclining seats.

This plane also added with touch screen LCD; “state-of-art in-flight entertainment” system with Audio & Video on Demand (AVOD) that gives 25 film options, 250 audio tracks, and 25 video games for the passengers’ comfort during the trip.

After that, this flight also offers immigration on-board services so that passengers enjoy visa on arrival immigration document arrangements.

GA is a four-star airline company honored by Sky Trax London, an international rating airline company.

In 2014, GA is aiming for a further five star predicate from the same institution.

Bambang Yudhoyono Tuesday warned travellers and transport operators of weather disruptions, with millions of people expected to return to their hometowns for September’s Eid-al-Fitr holiday.

“The weather is currently unfriendly, we need to advise people to be careful,” Yudhoyono said.

A passenger ferry sank in stormy weather off Flores island on Monday, killing 10 people.

With more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia depends heavily on maritime services with fatal accidents common because of poor safety measures.

Real sector activities improving Antara

JAKARTA - Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) said national economy in the real sector had been improving as reflected in the private sector’s high external debts commitment.

BI’s Human Relations Bureau Chief Difi Johansyah said here on Wednesday that foreign debts of the private sector in the first semester of 2010 rose 92.4 percent to US$15 billion from that in the same period a year earlier which stood at US$8.2 billion.

“The increase in the private sector’s external debts reflected the improving development of the real sector,” Difi said.

In the meantime, the positive Indonesian economic prospect has also improved foreign confidence in Indonesia’s investment climate and encouraged foreign investors to invest in the country.

The increase in the relatively high new debt commitment compared to that in 2009 was mainly caused by the economic contraction in 2009 as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis.

“Now the new commitment has exceeded that in the same period in 2008 (before the subprime mortgage crisis) which stood at US14.8 billion and had significant impact on the national economy,” he said.

Thanks to the increase in the new commitment, two economic sectors have good prospects, namely the mining and query sectors as well as electricity, gas and clear water sectors.

This could be seen in the accumulation of the new commitment in the two sectors which respectively increased 404.6 percent and 121.4 percent.

The increase was thanks to, among other things, the increase in the coal demand from China and India, and from a number of new power projects.

He said that indication of the increased in the private sector’s activities was also reflected in the use of most of the new commitment for working capital which reached 49.0 percent.

Most of the new commitments (64.6 percent) came from creditors while the remaining 35.4 percent from holding firms or affiliated firms, he said.

Sexual violence accounts for 39 percent of child cases Antara

JAKARTA - About 39.18 percent of the 1,649 cases of child abuses were sexual violence, according to data available at the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA).

“Komnas PA is of the view that violence and child exploitation have exceeded human limits and constituted a dark side of the child protection in Indonesia,” Chief Commissioner of Komnas PA “Arist Merdeka Sirait said here on Tuesday.

The violent acts against children included murders, child trafficking and exploitations, he said. He said that Komnas PA had recorded a number of 69 kidnappings of babies with various modus operandi.

“Reportedly, a baby below one year old is sold at Rp10-Rp15 million,” Arist said.

Komnas PA in the January-June 2010 period recorded at least 676,849 child rights violations which included violence, abandoning, exploitation and legal conflict.

In 2009, the number of child cases reached 2,829,191, he said.

8

Internationa

Friday, August 13, 2010

Bali Today Industry development in Bali reaches 2% Antara

Denpasar – The development medium and large industries in Bali increased 2% during April through June 2010. The number was smaller than the national growth which was 2.39%.

Ida Komang Wisnu, the head of Bali Statistics Department, said that the most growth was in food and beverages industry followed by textile industry. However, the total production of food and beverages during April through June 2010 decreased 1% compared to the first three months of 2010.

Wisnu said that in the textile industry, the production increase 0.36% compared to the early months this year. He also said that the development of industry can give significant addition in equaling the economics condition nationally even if

the economics in Bali don’t have dominant role in Indonesia.

It is because industries affect the other sectors which are able to increase the economics condition and the welfare of society.

Even the industry in Bali is not play dominant role in Indonesia but it could support the national economics as well as Bali’s. The economics in Bali is highly supported by the tourism industry, farming and handicraft industry. For that reason, the industries which are directly connected with tourism can strengthen the economics condition in Bali.

Kuta attract night life entertainment investors Antara

DENPASAR – Kuta area in Badung regency is attracting investors especially those investing in night life entertainment. I Gusti Bagus Suwipra, the Manager Assistant of Boshe Bali, said “in the next few weeks, we will open Boshe VVIP Club Bali which has high tech sound system.”

He said that the karaoke will be officially opened on August 19th 2010 and the opening ceremony will be filled with the performances of many artists and one of them is Ungu. “There is great hope that the performance by Ungu will attract people to come to the karaoke. The visitors also can sing

in the karaoke room,” Suwipra said.

The Ungu band was chosen because they are one of the most famous band in Indonesia and it could attract many people to visit the place.

Suwipra said that Boshe in Bali is the second one after in Yogyakarta. In the karaoke, there will be also special night for the indie band in Bali who wants to promote their album.

“We will other situation to the visitors because there are many facilities in the club including a wide parking space,” he added. Other artists who will perform on the opening ceremony are Boshe Alian, Boshe Super Sexy Candy Girl, Star Seven, Live Band, and DJ Juno Fabianio.

The photo shows Kuta in the night.

Investors are showing their interest on Kuta to build nightlife entertainment. http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com

http://www.janstours.com

Balinese people praying at Goa Lawah temple. Besides being famous for its temple, tourists also visit Goa Lawah that located on Klungkung to see the cave. Goa Lawah Temple tourist object has got recovered by regaining more tourist visits within the past one month

Goa Lawah tourist site gets recovered, dominated by Europeans Bali Post

SEMARAPURA - Goa Lawah Temple tourist object has got recovered by regaining more tourist visits within the past one month. Because, during the period of July— August poses the peak season of foreign tourist visit, particularly those from Europe like Holland, Germany and France. Putu Juliadi, the operator of the Goa Lawah tourist object, when met not long ago mentioned that the daily average of tourist visits reaching to 150-200 tourists. Such amount was estimated to decline when entering September 2010. “As been known, September is the end of holiday season in Europe,” he said.

Unlike the visit of European tourists, the visit of Asian tourists such as from China and Japan even decreased.

Juliadi admitted not to know exactly why it could happen. “Obviously, the visit to Klungkung Regency is dominated by European tourists, especially from the Netherlands. It has relation to the ancient history. Moreover, the

visit to Goa Lawah Temple denotes a package included in the visit to Kerthagosa Hall of Justice and Semarajaya Museum,” he said.

However, he admitted the current peak season of tourist visit from European countries coincided with the pinnacle of execution of Ngaben cremation ceremonies organized throughout Bali Island. As a result, his party worried it would have an impact on the volume of waste in the environment of Goa Lawah Temple that also became the destination of meajar-ajar ritual or pilgrimage of the sanctified ancestral souls. Volume of garbage was feared to disturb the convenience of tourists. “Thankfully, the matter of rubbish could have been resolved. Apart from the attendants of Klungkung Cultural and Tourism Services, the local clean up service officers are also involved in maintaining of the sanitation around the Goa Lawah,” said Juliadi.

Incorrect issues

Meanwhile, every season

of ngaben cremation, the operator of Goa Lawah Temple always afflicted by incorrect issues about the levy charged per corpse. It was said the operator requested fee amounting to IDR 800 thousand per corpse. Juliadi did not reject the issue. He admitted to have been frequently complained and questioned by residents conducting ngaben ritual, especially those coming from outside Klungkung Regency. “I was often asked whether it is true that we really charge a fee worth IDR 800,000 per corpse,” he observed.

According to him, it certainly tarnished the image of Goa Lawah because in reality the operator only charged IDR 30,000 per entourage of ngaben ritual organizing the Meajar-ajar procession.

Such levy was used for covering the costs of clean up service.

“Meanwhile, the charge in the temple is only volunteer donation or dana punia. Its amount is based on sincerity of each devotee,” he added. (kmb20)

al

Friday, August 13, 2010

Balinese Wedding The pawiwahan (marriage, weddings of a Hindu couple) is a very important part of Balinese social life. The ritual generally takes place in the home of the groom, a further confirmation of the typical patriarchal inclinations of Balinese culture, and is per- formed by a priest.

The newlyweds to be, dressed in very colorful and refined garments, worn only for the day of the wedding, will withdraw in prayer in the family temple. This is followed by the presentation of offerings in the pelinggih and by a series of ritual gestures. A very typical moment in the ceremony occurs when the bride offers the groom several different beverages: a conventional way to reiterate that the woman. as a wife, commits herself to obeying her husband and to lovingly care for him for the rest of their lives.

Many Balinese marriages are still prearranged or negotiated, though young men may also “kidnap” their wives, and mixed-caste marriages are increasingly common. Marriage customs differ from caste to caste and village to village, but all Balinese marriage practices share fundamental similarities.

There are basically two ways to get married on Bali, ‘ngerorod’ and ‘mapadik’.

Ngerorod

This is marriage by elopement, in which the prearranged honeymoon precedes the wedding ceremony. Since it’s otherwise quite expensive to marry on Bali, ‘ngerorod’ is becoming more and more popular. It has particular appeal to the Balinese sense of theater. Balinese love a spectacular kidnapping in which friends of the suitor capture a woman in the fields, on the road, or down by the river.

Theatrics are paramount: she is expected to bite and kick her abduc-

tors in mock self-defense.

These days it’s more stylish and fashionable for the woman to be whisked away in a hired sedan, and more often than not she goes willingly. The couple then repairs to a friend’s house stocked with provisions, offerings, and the bride’s wardrobe. The woman’s infuriated father sounds the alarm demanding to know what has become of his daughter. A search party is organized which eventually returns unsuccessful and exhausted.

Meanwhile, the couple is consummating the marriage before special offerings (sesayut tabuh rah) have the time to wilt. These offerings alone make the marriage binding by customary law. Emissaries of the groom visit the bride’s father to argue the advantages of the union.

Begrudgingly, the girl’s father gives in, after a suitable bride price has been agreed upon. The groom’s father must finance and conduct the marriage ceremony, welcoming the bride as a new daughter into the family. The actual public wedding, within 42 days of the staged kidnapping, is only an official confirmation of their union. They are already married in the eyes of the gods.

Mepadik

This is marriage by consent, in which an upper-class couple conducts a formal courtship. Since daughters were once regarded as property useful for attaining a family’s social and political goals, high-caste families tried to wed a son to the daughter of a friend or relative so a blood bond would unite the resources of both families.

Under no circumstances may a woman “marry down,” i.e., take a commoner. The preferred marriage is through a parallel patri-cousin, the father’s brother’s daughter. It has been noted that Triwangsa couples

often get along so well because they are all first cousins. Traditionally, the man or his father journeys three times to the bride’s house with food and ‘sirih’. When the bride’s family visits, the groom’s father is obliged to give them food, ‘sirih’ is chewed (an ancient, ritualistic means of coming to agreement), and presents are exchanged. The groom then regularly visits the home of his prospective bride, presenting gifts and performing services for his future father-in-law.

The groom’s family arranges and pays for the wedding; the date set well in advance on a propitious day. Wedding guests are often entertained by professional storytellers and musicians. Enormously detailed rules govern dining and seating arrangements. Sometimes the bride’s family is not even invited.

The actual ceremony varies.

It could be very simple and short, presided over by a common temple ‘pemangku’, or it may be elaborate, expensive, and go on all day. Both the bride and groom dress in bright ‘songket’, with brocades of gold thread, and the woman’s hair is decorated with glittering gold flowers.

Usually the bride and groom offer food to one another, then simulate such domestic duties such as washing, cooking rice, and cutting bamboo. Prayers are intoned, and then the couple eats together in public, feeding each other. This is an important symbolic act, as in former times only married men and women were allowed to eat food together in public. The priest then performs a ritual purification and blesses the couple. Neither rice nor flowers are thrown. Today there could very well be a Western-style buffet reception held afterward where speeches are offered by members of the two families. (BTN/Doc)

Calonarang: The King, the Witch and the Priest At the beginning of 7th century, a Balinese prince becomes the king of Java, the great Erlangga. His mother, Mahendradatta, was a Javanese princess who ruled Bali with her Balinese husband, Dharmodayana, until the husband, suspecting her of practising evil magic, exiled her to the forest.

When Erlangga’s father died, leaving Mahendradatta as a rangda or a widow, she conspired to use her band of pupils trained in the black arts to destroy Erlangga’s kingdom. Her chief grudge against Erlangga because of fancied insults to her beautiful daughter, Ratna Menggali – the noblemen of Daha had refused her in marriage for fear of her mother’s evil reputation.

Calonarang (Erlangga’s mother who practising evil magic) went with her pupils to the cemetery and they prayed and danced in honour of Begawati, the deity of black magic, to help them destroy Daha.

The goddes appeared and danced with them, granting her permission, warning the witch, however, to preserve the center of the kingdom un-

touched. The witches danced at the crossroads and soon people fell in great numbers.

Discovering the cause of the epidemic, Erlangga ordered his soldiers to go and kill the witch. They stole into her house while she slept and stabbed her in the heart , but Calonarang awoke unhurt and consumed the daring soldiers with her own fire. The witch went once more into the cemetery and danced with her pupils, dug out corpses, cutting them into pieces, eating the members, drinking the blood, and wearing the entrails as necklaces. Begawati appeared again and joined in the bloody banquet, but warned Calonarang to be careful. The witches danced once more at the crossroads and the dreadful epidemic ravaged the land, the vassals of Erlangga died before they could even bury the corpses they bore to the cemeteries.

The desperate king sent for Mpu Bharada, the holy man from Lemah Tulis, the only living being who could vanquish the witch. Mpu Bharada planned his campaign carefully. He sent Bahula, his young assistant, to ask

for the witch daughter’s in marriage.

Highly flattered, the mother gave her consent and after a happy and passionate honeymoon, Bahula learned from his wife the secret of Calonarang’s power. The possession of a little magic book which he stole and turned over to his master. The holy man copied it and had it returned before the disappearance could be noticed. The book was a manual of righteousness and had to be read backwards. The holy man was then able to restore life to those victims whose bodies had not yet decayed. Armed with the new knowledge, he accused the witch of her crimes, but she challenged him by setting an enormous Banyan tree on fire by a single look of her fiery eyes.

Bharada foiled the enraged witch by restoring the tree, and she turned her fire against the holy man. Unmoved, he killed her with one of her own mantras, but she died in her monstrous form and Bharada, to absolve her of her crimes and enable her to atone for them, revived her, gave her human appearance, and then killed her again. (BTN/Doc)

Balinese Culture Cooked Vegetables with Grated Coconut (Urap) Ingredients * 8 oz fresh green beans * 8 oz bean sprouts * 4 carrots * 1 can bamboo shoots * ½ small cabbage * 1 cup fresh grated coconut * 1 small onion, finely chopped * ½ tsp. chilli sauce (sambal ulek) * 1 tsp. salt * 2 Tbs. lime juice * ½ tsp. dried shrimp paste (terasi) Directions Wash bean sprouts, pinching of any brown tail. Pour boiling water over bean sprouts, then rinse under cold water tap. Drain well.

String beans and cut diagonally or bite-size lengths and cook in lightly salted water until just tender. Beans should still be crisp to bite.

Scrub carrot and cut into thin strips, cook until tender.

Drain well.

Slice cabbage, discard the center stem. Blanch in boiling salted water for a minute or two, until tender but not limp.

Drain and refresh with cold water.

Cut bamboo shoots into strips the same size as the beans.

Place fresh grated coconut into a bowl, add onion, chili sauce, salt, lime juice and the shrimp paste which has been grilled for a few minutes, or heated in a dry frying pan. Mix thoroughly together.

Sprinkle this grated coconut mixture over vegetables, reserving some to garnish the dish when served.

Put vegetables in a steamer and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Put the steamed vegetables to a serving dish/platter and sprinkle with reserved grated coconut mixture. Use as an accompaniment to a meal, or as a salad by itself. (http:// asiarecipe.com)

Oseng-Oseng Wortel (Stir Fried Carrots) Ingredients * 250 g (8 oz) carrots * 4 Shallots * 1 Clove garlic * 1/2 Green or red chilli or * 1 pn Of chilli powder * 4 tb Good stock or 1 ts Dark soya sauce and 4 tb -water * 2 tb Vegetable oil

Directions Did my first cooking out of my new Indonesian cookbook last night. I fixed a stir fried carrot dish to back up a pork/soy stew (originally posted by Jen Kuiper) and plain white rice. Both are very easy to fix and quite good.

Here’s the particulars.

These are carrots, cut into matchsticks and cooked in a little oil or butter. The word wortel doesn’t sound Indonesian and isn’t. It is borrowed from the Dutch name for the carrot, since it was the Dutch who introduced this vegetable to Indonesia.

Peel, wash, and cut the carrots into small sticks. Slice the shallots and chilli. Crush the garlic. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or clarified butter. Saute the slice shallots and chilli for 1 minute, then add the garlic and the carrots. Stir continuously for a minute or so and then put in the stock, or soya sauce and water. Cover and continue to cook for 4 minutes. Uncover, taste, and add salt if necessary. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Serve hot. (http://asiarecipe.com)

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10

Destinations

Friday, August 13, 2010

International

Besakih Temple IBP

Besakih Temple is the biggest Hindu temple in Bali which the local people call Pura Besakih.

It owns beautiful view from the top of temple area where we can see the wide nature panorama until to the ocean so that way this temple is many visited by tourists from all over the world. Besakih Temple is located in Besakih countryside, Rendang sub district, Karangasem regency, east part of the island. It is located in southwest side bevel of mount Agung, the biggest mounts in Bali.

It is because pursuant to Agung Mount confidence is holiest and highest mount in Bali Island.

The Besakih’s name is come from the word of Basuki, the old language from Sanskrit Wasuki, and then it become the Ancient Java Language. In this Sanskrit, the Basuki means congratulation.

In mythology of Samudramanthana has mentioned that Basuki is a dragon that twines the Mount Mandara. The omission has come from tradition megalithic which had been indicated that it had to be sanctified place. It seems, the Besakih is coming from very old era which is far before the existence of Hinduism influence. Hereinafter, an Ancient Bali king of Sri Kesari Warmadewa found the Merajan Selonding Temple in this temple complex area.

He also commands to build the Blanjong Monument that is located in Sanur Village. The Besakih Temple complex is built pursuant to cosmos balance. It is based on the nature conception which

is disseminating the fundamental temple complex that is arranged to pursuant of the way direction.

So, this building can deputize nature as symbolic of the world balance existence.

As we familiarize, that the point direction way like East, South, West, North, and middle as center point and each direction is named by Mandala.

In Hindu philosophy, Panca Dewata is manifestation of Siwa God. Like Penataran Agung Temple as center, we find in its courtyard conception show the solidarity conception between the original Indonesia culture namely tradition megalithic in form of Punden Berundak-undak with the Hinduism concept. The ancient omissions which is existing in Besakih Temple complex can be classified into 2 types those are omission pertained by megalithic tradition and classic era. Besakih Temple beside as the altar for Hindu people in Bali, it is also as tourist destination which is a lot of visited by tourists.

Besakih Temple is located in the plateau area which is covered by the cool atmosphere and Mount Agung as a back drop. From the top of temple building, we can see the beautiful panorama of nature from the temple area to the ocean.

It is situated in cool area with the light breeze and unique temple buildings spread out in the temple complex will create the peaceful atmosphere. It is ideally for the people who did the meditation and now, the Besakih Temple is opened for tourist and it is the great place to visit in Bali.

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Friday, August 13, 2010

11

BUSINESS set for striking Gloom reigns as US Germany growth numbers recovery slows Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - World markets were thrown into turmoil Wednesday as investors worried that US growth — a key engine of the global economy — is coming coughing and spluttering to a halt.

Investors from New York to Tokyo poured money into safer assets after the Federal Reserve warned the US recovery would be “more modest” than expected.

In an effort to bolster market confidence the central bank on Tuesday announced a return to crisis-era stimulus spending. But the policy shift was seen more like a plumb line that revealed the depths of the Fed’s concerns.

“Investors are now rightly questioning the strength and sustainability of the recovery,” said Joseph LaVorgna, Deutsche Bank’s chief US economist.

And question they did. In New York the benchmark Dow index of 30 leading companies fell around 2.5 percent, its worst drop in nearly a month.

Individual US companies shed millions of dollars in value, continuing a downward trend seen in Asian and European bourses earlier in the day.

“Global equity markets were pummeled,” said Sam Stovall of Standard & Poor’s Equity Research, pointing to gloomy US trade data that darkened the mood further.

The US Commerce Department reported that imports to the United States increased by three percent in June, draining billions of dollars out of the US economy.

“This is spectacularly terrible,” said Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics, explaining that rising imports will eat into already anemic domestic growth.

That was enough to prompt analysts to slash growth forecasts across the board.

Deutsche Bank’s LaVorgna predicted US growth in this quarter would be limited to three percent, well down from the 4.6 percent previously forecast and raising doubts that sky-high unemployment can be trimmed soon.

Other economists made similar calls, slashing past estimates as well as predictions running deep into next year.

It is “bad news for real GDP growth in the US, which will be further reduced by the effects of rising imports,” said Christopher Cornell of Moody’s Economy.com.

News from China and Europe did little to settle nerves.

In China, key indicators showed

the world’s third-largest economy was slowing after the government moved to wind back massive stimulus spending, close inefficient factories, and curb soaring property prices and bank lending.

Analysts said the data added to mounting evidence that the Chinese economy was losing steam as the government aims to avoid overheating in the red-hot economy.

“I think the picture is pretty clear that the entire economy is slowing,” Ken Peng, a Beijingbased economist for Citigroup, told AFP. In London, the Bank of England cut its economic growth forecasts, predicting gross domestic product (GDP) growth would average about three percent over the next three years.

That was lower than the previous estimate of between 3.0-4.0 percent in May, owing partly to the impact of the government’s recent austerity budget that was aimed at slashing the public deficit.

“The onslaught of negative news prompted a worldwide selloff,” said Elizabeth Harrow of Schaeffer’s Investment Research.

FRANKFURT - Germany has got a massive boost from the global economy after the country’s worst postwar recession last year and with latest growth figures due on Friday, analysts are now bracing for the best.

The expected strong figures will be even more notable as fears grow that the United States and now China, the Asian powerhouse, are showing distinct signs of slowing, raising questions about the overall recovery.

“The German economy is bound to see its strongest quarterly growth rate since reunification” in late 1990, ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski said.

Europe’s biggest economy, and the number two exporter worldwide after China, Germany thundered ahead in the second quarter of 2010 and might surpass growth of 1.8 percent posted in the first three months of 1992.

Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires forecast on average a more modest quarterly rise of 1.4 percent and an annualised gain of 2.6 percent, solid numbers for western Europe.

“Even more important, however, whether growth is at 1.3 percent on the quarter or 2.0 percent is the fact that the growth momentum seems to be holding up well in the third quarter,” Goldman Sachs economist Dirk Schumacher noted.

Last week, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said: “We consider that both the second quarter and probably the third quarter are likely to be better than we had anticipated” for the full 16-nation eurozone.

Schumacher highlighted German job prospects as “the most important bit of information in that respect as it clearly shows that companies believe that this is a genuine recovery.”

Though German unemployment inched up to 7.6 percent last month, Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle has forecast the number of jobless will soon drop to less than three million.

A state-subsidised programme that let firms cut workers’ hours during the downturn has kept unemployment from spiking, something that could support consumption in coming months.

While an export surge pushed the German trade surplus up to 14.1 billion euros (18.3 billion dollars) in June, imports leapt to 72.4 billion euros, an all-time record since figures were first compiled in 1950.

In France, the second biggest eurozone economy, official data due Friday are expected to show a smaller rebound in activity but this might still be enough for Paris to reach its fullyear target of 1.4 percent.

That is currently Berlin’s official forecast too but it will probably be raised after a central bank estimate was revised higher to 1.9 percent in June.

German inflation could come in at a tame 1.2 percent this year, added Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, a level seen already in May and July.

The change of fortunes from 2009 is remarkable and is due in large part to the fact that Germany has become more competitive and its machine tools, autos and chemicals are highly valued worldwide.

South Korea freezes key interest rate at 2.25 pct Agence France-Presse

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

A South Korean worker attaches a banner on the window to advertise for a bank’s interest rate at a local bank in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010. South Korea’s central bank left its key interest rate unchanged Thursday amid slowing economic growth and worries about inflation a month after raising it from a record low.

SEOUL - The Bank of Korea Thursday kept its key interest rate unchanged at 2.25 percent, a month after unexpectedly raising it.

“The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Korea decided today to maintain the base rate at its current level (2.25 percent),” the bank said in a statement.

The bank last month jacked up the base rate from a record low of two percent, ending 16 straight months of standstill, in a bid to help curb mounting inflationary pressure.

It said last month the domestic economy has entered an

“accelerating” phase, forecasting it would expand 5.9 percent this year, the highest growth rate in eight years.

But consumer prices remain benign for now, rising 2.6 percent in July from a year earlier.

In the global economy, emerging market economies have sustained their favorable performance, while major advanced countries have largely continued their recovery trend, it said.

Unrest on international financial markets has eased but the heightened volatility of economic activity in major countries may act as a risk factor, the bank said.

“The upward trend of domestic business activity has been

maintained,” it said, adding exports have sustained their upward momentum as domestic demand has steadily increased.

“The domestic economy is expected to continue on an upward track, even in the presence of external risk,” it said.

Consumer price inflation has so far remained below three percent, but in the future, upward pressures are expected to build continuously owing to the increase in demandpull pressures, the bank said.

“Looking ahead, the committee will conduct monetary policy in such a way as to help the economy maintain price stability, while sustaining sound growth under the accommodative policy stance,” it said.

12

Friday, August 13, 2010

Entertainment

International

Judge removes herself from further Lohan hearings Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES - The Beverly Hills judge who sent troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan to jail has withdrawn from further hearings amid complaints over her handling of the case, officials said Wednesday. Judge Marsha Revel, who last month ordered Lohan to spend six months in jail and rehabilitation over a probation violation, was accused by prosecutors of having improper contacts with the actress’s defense team.

“She was having calls and discussions with people on the case and we were not present,” according to Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Jane Robison. Lohan’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Robison said Lohan’s case will now be overseen by Judge Elden Fox, although no new court hearings are immediately scheduled in the case.

Lohan, 24, is currently undergoing a 90-day rehabilitation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She served only 13 days of a three-month jail term behind bars for violating her probation in a pair of DUI cases.

FILE - In this June 6, 2010 photo, Paris Hilton arrives at the MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif. Hilton is being sued for allegedly wearing someone else’s hair.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Paris Hilton sued for $35M for wearing wrong hair AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

FILE- In this Thursday, May 20,2010 file photo, Judge Marsha Revel speaks during a hearing in a courtroom in Beverly Hills, Calif. Revel, the judge who sent Lindsay Lohan to jail, has removed herself from the case after a prosecutor complained she improperly contacted a rehab center about the actress’ court-ordered treatment.

South India star makes Bollywood’s most expensive film Agence France Presse

MUMBAI – He’s the evergreen bus conductor-turned-film star who is worshipped like a god in his native south India. Now the actor Rajinikanth appears to have a movie budget that befits his megastar status. The 60-year-old superstar’s latest film, the Tamillanguage “Endhiran”, has a budget of 1.65 billion rupees (35 million dollars), according to the movie’s official website.

That would make it the most expensive Indian film ever, beating Bollywood’s Hindi-language underwater odyssey “Blue”, which reportedly cost 750 million rupees, and “Kites” which starred Hrithik Roshan and was said to have been made for 1.25 billion rupees.

Shooting for “Endhiran”, which is due for release later this year, has taken the cast all over the world, from the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru to Brazil and the United States. “It seems a very lavish production from what we’ve seen from the stills,” leading film critic Taran Adarsh told AFP. The science-fiction fantasy, which will be released in Hindi as

“The Robot” and “Robo” in Telugu, also stars former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, who is one of Bollywood’s biggest names and the daughter-in-law of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. But the big draw is still likely to be Rajinikanth, the moustachioed action hero famous for his stylised acting who left a job on the buses to study drama in the then city of Madras in southern India in the early 1970s.

A star of more than 150 films, his presence on screen has been likened to a leaping tiger, and his fans are known to pray in front of life-size cardboard cut-outs of the actor for the success of his latest release.

“Rajinikanth is a very big star in India as well as in Japan, Malaysia, the US and UK,” said Adarsh, who writes for www.bollywoodhungama.com.

“He’s a good actor and caters to the masses.”

In “Endhiran” Rajinikanth plays the dual role of a scientist and a robot he creates that falls in love with Rai’s character. The film sees him team up with the director S. Shankar and the composer and lyricist A.R. Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work on the hit film “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Paris Hilton was sued Wednesday for allegedly wearing someone else’s hair. A company that manufactures hair extensions claimed the 29-year-old socialite breached her contract to wear and promote their product when she sported the fake locks of a competitor in 2008.

Hairtech International Inc. is seeking $35 million in damages — 10 times what she was apparently paid under the contract. The fraud and breach-of-contract suit cites the heiress’ partying as contrary to Hairtech’s marketing campaign.

The filing also claims Hilton missed a launch party for the hair extension line because she was serv-

ing a stint in jail in 2007. Hilton served 23 days in 2007 after she was caught driving twice on a suspended license while on probation for reckless driving.

The filing states the company’s lost $6.6 million on the launch party alone, although a jury or judge will have to decide whether Hilton owes any money if the case goes to trial. Phone

and e-mail messages to Hilton’s publicist Dawn Miller were not immediately returned Wednesday.

The case isn’t the first time Hilton’s role as a pitchwoman has gotten her sued. The producers of the film “Pledge This!” sued Hilton in 2008 in federal court in Miami, claiming she didn’t properly promote the film.

A judge ruled last year that she didn’t owe the roughly $8.3 million it cost to the make the film, which played in fewer than two dozen theaters.

The court is still deciding how much, if any, of Hilton’s $1 million fee for “Pledge This!” she may have to return to filmmakers.

Actor Michael Douglas to speak at Hong Kong forum Agence France Presse

HONG KONG – Actor Michael Douglas, famed for his role as corporate raider Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street, will speak at an investor forum in Hong Kong next month, organisers said Tuesday. Douglas — whose Oscar-winning performance became synonymous with the infamous phrase “greed is good” — will talk on topics including “filmmaking, nuclear abolition and the prevention of small arms proliferation,” said brokerage CLSA, which is hosting the event.

The annual forum draws chief executives, fund managers and other financial big-hitters from around the world. “We try to present newsmakers to our clients — people who are shaping the news or have a particular cause,” CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler told AFP. “We don’t expect (Douglas) to be speaking about finance or business.”

Controversial former US vice-presi-

AFP/File/Valery Hache

US director Oliver Stone (left) and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas are seen at the photocall of “Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps” at the film festival in the southern French town of Cannes.

dential nominee Sarah Palin spoke last year on terrorism, US economic policy and China. Other past speakers have included former US president Bill Clinton, ex-Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan, and South African Arch-

bishop Desmond Tutu.

Douglas’s September 15 speech will come a day after the first Asian screening of his reprisal of Gekko in director Oliver Stone’s new film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Life Style

International

Chicago skyscrapers are seen at dawn in Chicago, Illinois, on August 5, 2010. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, with nearly 3 million living within the city limits.

AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

Skyscrapers gleam in Australia’s remote ‘economic epicentre’ Agence France Presse

Friday, August 13, 2010

13

‘Lucy’ species used stone tools, fossil study says Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Two ancient animal bones from Ethiopia show signs of butchering by human ancestors, moving back the earliest evidence for the use of stone tools by about 800,000 years, researchers say.

The bones appear to have been cut and smashed some 3.4 million years ago, the first evidence of stone tool use by Australopithecus afarensis, the species best known for the fossil dubbed “Lucy,” says researcher Zeresenay Alemseged.

“We are putting stone tools in their hands,” said Alemseged (“Uhlems-uh-ged”) of the California Academy of Sciences, who reports the finding with colleagues in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature. Some experts urged caution about the study’s conclusions.

The study authors said the bones indicate the human ancestor used sharp stones to carve meat from the carcasses of large animals and other stones to smash bones to get at the marrow. One bone is a rib from a creature the size of a cow, and the other a leg bone from something the size of a goat. No stone tools were found at the site.

The researchers also called the finding the earliest evidence for

meat-eating among hominins, an evolutionary group that includes people and their ancestors.

The study authors attributed the tool use to afarensis because no other hominin is known from that time in the area where the bones were found. The skeleton of a young afarensis female, dubbed “Selam,” had previously been found about 200 yards away from the bone site. The Lucy fossil, which dates to 3.2 million years ago, was discovered in the same general area in 1974.

Alemseged said afarensis probably scavenged carcasses rather than hunting live animals, and ate the meat raw. The researchers said it’s not clear whether the stone tools were made or were simply stones that were used as tools. But they plan to look for evidence of tool-making.

Alemseged also said that as some afarensis stripped meat from a carcass, others probably stood guard to ward off other animals in return for some of the meat, which would indicate a degree of cooperative behavior.

Until now, the earliest sign of tool use dated to about 2.6 million years ago, also in Ethiopia. It’s not clear who used those tools. Some experts were unconvinced by the Nature paper’s arguments.

PERTH - As cranes swing across Perth’s skyline, busily erecting towers of steel and glass, Australia’s most isolated state capital is reinventing itself as the gleaming face of a mining boom. Static for a generation, new high-rises are now rapidly appearing across the cityscape, while the streets have had a cosmopolitan injection of hip shops, bars and restaurants, all built on rampant Asian demand for iron ore.

“Perth hasn’t seen this level of development for over 20 years,” Western Australia Property Council’s Damian Stone told AFP. “It’s dramatic, and reflects how the dynamic of the city itself has grown — we are now a world-class city and that has given us, for the first time in a long time, the confidence that we must play a decisive role in shaping our nation’s future.”

It’s a fact that has not been lost on Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard or her conservative opponent Tony Abbott who have both campaigned in Perth, on Australia’s far-flung western coast, ahead of

knife-edge August 21 elections.

Mining, a key driver of Australia’s enviable growth, looms large over politics and indirectly prompted Gillard’s axing of exleader Kevin Rudd in a June party coup, as a row over a new resources tax sapped his approval ratings.

Perth’s Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi believes the city’s transformation, sparked by major resources companies massively expanding their presence in the city, had seen two decades of growth take place within four years. “Perth is now a significant city globally,” she said.

It’s also, more than ever, a min-

ing city. At the peak of the boom in 2007 — an unprecedented period of prosperity when the average wage hit 75,000 dollars (69,000 US) — 70 percent of all leases in the city were mining-related.

Today, 20 percent of office space is leased by four companies: mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and oil and gas producers Chevron and Woodside Petroleum, all major players in the vast state’s resources industry. The jewel in the crown is BHP’s new 46-storey centre for its Australian operations, currently under construction in the middle of Perth’s business district.

AP Photo/Dikika Research Project

In a 2009 photo provided by the Dikika Research Project, project leader Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged excavates a freshly found 3.4 million years old Rhino fossil of a species that lived at the same time and place where the Australopithecus afarensis butchered carcasses using stone tools.

Huge ice island could pose threat to oil, shipping This Aug. 5, 2010 satellite image provided by NASA shows an ice island that has broken off the Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland. A University of Delaware researcher says the floating ice sheet covers 100 square miles (260 sq. kilometers) — more than four times the size of New York’s Manhattan Island.

Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/NASA

STOCKHOLM – An island of ice more than four times the size of Manhattan is drifting across the Arctic Ocean after breaking off from a glacier in Greenland. Potentially in the path of this unstoppable giant are oil platforms and shipping lanes — and any collision could do untold damage.

In a worst case scenario, large chunks could reach the heavily trafficked waters where another Greenland iceberg sank the Titanic in 1912.

It’s been a summer of near biblical climatic havoc across the planet, with wildfires, heat and smog in Russia and killer floods in Asia. But the moment

the Petermann glacier cracked last week — creating the biggest Arctic ice island in half a century — may symbolize a warming world like no other.

“It’s so big that you can’t prevent it from drifting. You can’t stop it,” said Jon-Ove Methlie Hagen, a glaciologist at the University of Oslo.

Few images can capture the world’s climate fears like a 100-square- mile (260-sqare-kilometer) chunk of ice breaking off Greenland’s vast ice sheet, a reservoir of freshwater that if it collapsed would raise global sea levels by a devastating 20 feet (6 meters).

The world’s newest ice island already is being used as a powerful em-

blem in the global warming debate, with U.S. Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts suggesting it could serve as a home for climate change skeptics. Researchers are in a scramble to plot the trajectory of the floating ice shelf, which is moving toward the Nares Strait separating Greenland’s northwestern coast and Canada’s Ellsemere Island.

If it makes it into the strait before the winter freeze — due to start next month — it would likely be carried south by ocean currents, hugging Canada’s east coast until it enters waters busy with oil activities and shipping off Newfoundland.

14

Sport

Friday, August 13, 2010

International

Argentina win erases World Cup woe, says Batista Agence France Presse

DUBLIN - Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Ireland has helped to get the “massive blow” of World Cup elimination out of their system, said coach Sergio Batista. The South Americans won 1-0 at the new-look Lansdowne Road thanks to a controversial first half goal from Angel Di Maria.

Ireland, without manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who watched the game from a Dublin hospital having undergone surgery earlier in the day, rallied late on but the visitors held out for victory.

“It was very positive, not just the result, but how we played,” admitted Batista, in charge of Argentina for the first time since the controversial exit of Diego Maradona. “We had an excellent team spirit and worked together as a group. It was good to get the massive blow of World Cup elimination out of our system, and we played the football I like, particularly in the first half.

“We tailed off in the second half, maybe on the physical side we were lacking a bit but even though I thought that, in the harder parts of the game we managed to hold on to the ball. “If I had to rate our performance, I’d give us 8/10 for first half. I’m definitely leaving happy.”

Di Maria’s 20th minute goal had more than a hint of offside, but Batista didn’t mention the controversy and pronounced himself happy with how his first 90 minutes with the squad went.

He said: “It was a big, important game for us and we talked about it in great detail since we got here, we had lots of chats

about how we’d approach it.

“We had some tiredness toward the end but that’s because some players are only in their pre-season. This victory is for them, and we’re happy with how it turned out.” Ireland assistant boss Marco Tardelli was in charge for the night, and said he was pleased with the performance, if not the result.

He said: “I am disappointed with the result, but I am happy for the young players, they played well and we did very well in the second half.

“In the first half, they lost concentration and maybe the goal was offside, but we must pay attention at that moment, because it’s impossible to concede a goal from a long kick out.

“I spoke to Giovanni after the game, and he told to me to congratulate the players, on the second half in particular.”

Ireland team doctor Alan Byrne said Trapattoni came through surgery successfully, and claimed he would be available for Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Armenia next month.

“He is expected to remain in hospital over the weekend, there is no date set for his discharge but he’ll absolutely be available for September’s game.”

British PM pays tribute to ‘incredible’ Beckham Agence France Presse

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron described David Beckham as an “incredible role model in sport” on Thursday after England coach Fabio Capello signalled the end of the player’s international career. “I’d just like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to someone who, I think, has been an incredible role model in sport,” Cameron said.

“We will all remember some of those great free kicks, some of those great moments that he’s been responsible for. “I’m sure lots of people will be sad that he’s not going to be playing for England again.”

But Cameron refused to be drawn on the way that Capello had announced his decision in a TV interview without first breaking the bad news to the player, currently with his Los Angeles Galaxy club in California.

“I’ve learned a few things from this job in the first three months and one of them is let the England football manager get on with managing the England football team, and hopefully he’ll let me get on with running the country,” Cameron said, after a speech about Britain’s tourist industry.

In an ITV interview before England’s 2-1 friendly win over Hungary on Wednesday, Capello said 35-year-old Beckham was “probably a little bit old” to figure in his plans as he rebuilds his team after a poor World Cup.

(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

David Beckham takes part in his first practice since returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy MLS soccer team, at the Galaxy’s practice facility at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010.

AFP PHOTO/ Peter Muhly

Argentina’s Angel Di Maria (L) vies for the ball against Ireland’s Paul McShane (R) during an international friendly football match at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on August 11, 2010.

Italian football is in crisis, admits De Rossi Agence France Presse

ROME - Following seven games without a win, no victories in 2010 and their dismal showing at the World Cup, Daniele De Rossi admitted that Italian football is in crisis. A new-look Italy began the Cesare Prandelli era with a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in London on Tuesday night as the new boss began where the previous coach — Marcello Lippi — had left off, with defeat.

There were five debutants in Prandelli’s first Italy selection including Mario Balotelli, then a teenager but who turned 20 on Thursday.

Prandelli’s formation was seen by many as an antiLippi team with the former Fiorentina coach going for an attacking line-up full of youth and energy, having consigned most of the remaining veterans from Italy’s 2006 World Cup victory to the scrap heap.

But while the then-holders’ World Cup campaign — in which they finished bottom of a group containing New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay — did not provoke any talk of crisis, this latest set-back finally has.

“Now we’re all saying it, Italian football is in crisis,” said De Rossi. “It’s hard (to imagine) that (good) Italian footballers are finished but we have to look for them, find them, wait for them and not criticise them after the first mistake.”

De Rossi’s sentiments at least confirm what Lippi had denied in South Africa, even following the humiliating 0-0 draw with part-timers New Zealand and ahead of the humbling 3-2 defeat to Slovakia.

“There’s no crisis and there’s no need for a crisis,” had said Lippi before his team limped meekly out of the competition. The stats, however, don’t lie and this is one of the worst ever series of results by an Italian national team.

Seven games without a win, and none of those precious victories in 2010, only once have Italy had to

AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Italy’s midfielder Daniele De Rossi answers to journalists during his press conference at the end of a trainning session at the Italian Football Federation technical center of Coverciano in Florence on August 9, 2010.

Italy is to face Ivory Coast in a friendly match in London on August 10. wait longer to end such a run.

Between 1958 and 1959, the only time when Italy missed out on World Cup qualification, the team went eight games without a success: three defeats and five draws.

The current team have lost three and drawn four of their last seven, matching the winless streak of 191011.

But De Rossi believes it’s not all doom and gloom and said that there is still hope ahead of the European Championships in 2012. “Yes, it’s been a horrible year,” added De Rossi. “Losing always hurts and even more so if it comes after other defeats, likewise for the criticisms. “But the defeats in June were of another kind, this time it went badly against a team that was physically intimidating and we did some good things.

“It’s too early to make a drama, we all need to understand that this is just the ‘good morning’ of a new era. There’s two more years before a judgement should be made.”

Sport

International

Friday, August 13, 2010

15

Zvonareva shrugs off rain to rally for win Agence France Presse

CINCINNATI - Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva waited through two rain delays totaling three and a half hours to pull off a come-from-behind victory Wednesday over Maria Kirilenko in the Cincinnati Women’s Open.

The two Russians needed a total of six hours, 54 minutes to complete their match. Zvonareva won 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), seizing the victory after a rain delay of two hours and 19 minutes that came with the 28th-ranked Kirilenko leading 5-2 in the third set.

When they returned to the court, Zvonareva won three straight games, and once she’d forced the tiebreaker she took control of that by winning the first three points. “I always believe in myself,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m down 5-0, I think I can win it.”

Zvonareva, who is scheduled to face 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta in

the third round, did know that the match was her longest in one day.

“Sometimes, they’re delayed to the next day, but as far as going back and forth in the same day, that’s the longest,” she said. Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva became the highest seed to be sent packing as she fell to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3 in another all-Russian clash.

“I had nothing to lose,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who’d lost her previous two matches against Dementieva. “I just wanted to enjoy the match, give her a good game and focus on the future.

“I’ve had a lot of chances in my

other matches against her, but on the deciding points, I would go for it and rush. This time, I tried to not make the same mistake and be more consistent. She didn’t really start well, and I tried to take advantage.”

Dementieva, ranked sixth in the world, blamed the steamy weather for what she described as the “worst match in a long time for me.” “I just felt like I wasn’t into the game,” she said. “My concentration wasn’t there. I just wasn’t ready 100 percent.”

Pavlyuchenkova next plays 13thseeded Israeli Shahar Peer, who moved on with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nuria Llagostera Vives.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP

Vera Zvonareva of Russia hits a backhand return to Maria Kirilenko of Russia during day three of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open on August 11, 2010 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

China’s golden pair to host Pacers get Collison, Posey in four-team swap wedding party on ice Agence France Presse

Agence France Presse

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - This April 9, 2010, file photo shows New Orleans Hornets guard Darren Collison driving against the Utah Jazz during the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Pacers acquired point guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey from New Orleans Wednesday in a four-team NBA trade that also includes New Jersey and Houston. The Pacers also said they sent Troy Murphy to the Nets, who sent guard Courtney Lee to Houston.

To complete the deal, the Rockets sent swingman Trevor Ariza to New Orleans. The Pacers had been searching for a point guard since TJ Ford fell out of favor last season with coach Jim O’Brien.

In Collison they get a rising young point guard who played well when Hornets starter Chris Paul was hurt.

Collison averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 assists as a rookie last season, including 18.8 points and 9.1 assists in 37 starts.

“We’re excited to add Darren to the strong core of young players already on our roster,” Pacers president Larry Bird said. “He’s a dynamic young point guard and we believe that he will be a key piece of our goal of building a team that the fans in Indiana deserve.”

Murphy played in 262 games for the Pacers, with averages of 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. “We are very pleased to add Troy to our roster,” Nets general manager Billy King said. “He is a quality power forward who has the ability to stretch the floor, and we feel that he will be a very positive addition to our frontcourt rotation.”

Posey has spent 11 seasons in the NBA with career averages of 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. New Orleans were able to move the remaining two years and more than 13 million dollars left on his contract.

The Rockets also were able to cut some salary. Ariza was due to make some 6.3 million dollars this season, the first of four years left on his contract.

BEIJING - China’s golden Olympic figure skating pair Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo fell in love on the ice. Next month, they will throw a long-delayed wedding party on ice, with several of the sport’s biggest stars. Shen and Zhao capped a 18-year storybook partnership with China’s first Olympic figure skating title in Vancouver in February. They then announced their retirement from the sport, and said they wanted to start a family.

Though they have been officially husband and wife since 2007, when they won a third world title, they never threw a wedding celebration.

That party will take place along with a gala performance in a Beijing gymnasium on September 4.

“Artistry on Ice” will feature Russia’s Olympic champions Yevgeny Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin, threetime US men’s champion Johnny Weir and two-time Japanese women’s world champion Mao Asada.

“Xue and I have always wanted to marry on the ice. It’s her dream, and now we have an opportunity,” Zhao was quoted as saying in the Global Times on Thursday.

“I hope we can give something back to the skating community now that we are retired,” he said. For every ticket sold, 10 yuan (1.50 dollars) will be donated to skating training programmes.

AFP PHOTO / FILES / Toru YAMANAKA

FILES) This file photo taken on March 21, 2007 shows Chinese skater Zhao Hongbo (L) hugging his partner Shen Xue (R) after their free skating pair event at the World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo.

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Friday, August 13, 2010

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

Sport

Ecclestone: ‘Worst circuit’ in F1 must make ‘significant improvements’ The Brazilian Grand Prix may have a contract until 2015, but all-powerful F1 commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone has warned that unless ‘significant improvements’ are made before then to the Interlagos circuit, he might not be prepared to honour it.

IBP/ist

The race in Interlagos circuit.

Sauber upbeat over 2011 budget PETER Sauber is confident his team will have increased financial backing to continue making progress next year. The Swiss squad has been mainly sponsor-less during the 2010 season after Sauber retook control of the team following BMW’s exit from the sport at the end of last year.

Sauber says he is optimistic the team will have more partners next year, with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s Telmex company having been rumoured to be interested in a deal with the Hinwil outfit.

“I believe that we will be at a competitive level,” Sauber told this week’s AUTOSPORT magazine.

“There is a good possibility for new partners and we are working very hard on that. “We’re sure we will have more colour on the car next year. I don’t know what basic colour - it depends on the sponsor.”

Sauber, whose team has scored 23 points so far this year, is also confident of more on-track progress in 2011, despite not having the same kind of budget as some of its rivals.

“We will get closer to the other teams,” he said.

“We are already close to Williams, sometimes behind, sometimes in front, and it’s the same with Mercedes. “That clearly shows that it’s possible with limited budget to go forward. The lap times are on a very good level.”

IBP/ist

Peter Sauber

With an ever-greater number of Middle and Far Eastern countries vying for the honour of hosting F1 – and offering increasingly large sums of government money in order to do so – it appears the Brazilian Grand Prix’s days on the sport’s annual calendar may be numbered unless ‘significant improvements’ are made to the São Paulo circuit’s dilapidated facilities.

Brazil has welcomed the top flight every year since 1972, and has produced some of the sport’s best and most successful drivers of the likes of the late, great Ayrton Senna, fellow multiple world champions Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi and grand prix-winners Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Carlos Pace – with hordes of knowledgeable and passionate fans to-boot.

On 28 of those 38 occasions, the race has been held at Interlagos, a circuit that has acted as a natural amphitheatre to some of F1’s most thrilling and nail-biting final acts, such as Lewis Hamilton’s last-gasp world championship triumph in 2008 and Kimi Raikkonen unexpectedly pinching the crown from under his McLaren rivals’ noses a year earlier.

Having been scathing in his denigration of Silverstone in recent

years, many paddock observers had expressed their incredulity that Bernie Ecclestone would conversely utter not a word of criticism about Interlagos, whose shabby, cramped and outmoded facilities pale in comparison with the state-of-the-art, plush venues that have sprung up in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain, Singapore and Abu Dhabi over the last decade or so. Now, however, the Formula One Management (FOM) chief executive has hinted that enough is enough.

“Long ago, in 1972, I believed in Brazil and brought F1 here,” the Englishman told the Estada de São Paulo newspaper, “but I can no longer be questioned by the teams about the worst circuit in the championship. The future depends on significant improvements.”

With the Football World Cup and Summer Olympics due to take place in Brazil in 2014 and 2016 respectively, Ecclestone added that he hopes the international spotlight that will necessarily fall on the South American country will act as an impetus to similarly update some of its other sporting pantheons – and if it doesn’t, then the contract ensuring Interlagos of a spot on the F1 schedule until 2015 could ultimately transpire to be worth little more than the paper it is written on.