Edisi 15 Oktober 2010 | International Bali Post

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Friday, October 15, 2010

PAGE 8

Lambert vows no on-stage kiss at Malaysia show

Armed Chinese SWAT police stand guard on a street junction as a crime-deterrent measure, in Beijing on October 14, 2010. China described the Norwegian Nobel Committee as “biased” for giving its Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo, and said the award was tantamount to “encouraging crime”.

PAGE 12

AFP PHOTO/GOH CHAI HIN

China says Nobel prize tantamount to ‘encouraging crime’ Agence France Presse BEIJING - China Thursday denounced the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to dissident Liu Xiaobo as tantamount to “encouraging crime,” as state media said the award was part of a Western “ideological war” against Beijing. The comments came as China came under fresh pressure, with Norway criticising Chinese retaliatory steps over the award and Japan’s prime minister saying the jailed laureate should be freed.

WEATHER FORECAST

“Liu Xiaobo is a convicted criminal. Awarding the Nobel Prize to him is equivalent to encouraging crime,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters. Liu, 54, was sentenced last

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BANGKOK - Thailand’s fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is preparing to step up his political activities from exile ahead of elections next year, the opposition said Thursday. In a video link to a meeting of the Puea Thai Party on Wednesday, the former billionaire telecoms tycoon offered his assistance in the poll battle, said spokesman Prompong Nopparit. “He said he is ready to give

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December to 11 years in jail for subversion. He was awarded the peace prize last week by Oslo’s Nobel Committee for his advocacy of political reform and human rights in one-party China.

The United States and European Union have called for his release and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan weighed in Thursday, risking Beijing’s ire just as Japan and China seek to put a damaging diplomatic

spat behind them. “From the viewpoint that universal human rights should be protected across national borders, it is desirable” Liu be released, Kan told Japan’s parliament.

China broke off contacts with Tokyo last month after Japan detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose vessel collided with Japanese coastguard ships in waters claimed by both sides in the East China Sea. However, the two close trading partners later moved to patch up the row.

Continued on page 6

Thaksin to increase activities ahead of Thai polls: party advice about economic problems, advice to candidates during campaigns and advice about party policies,” Prompong said.

By law Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must hold an election by the end of 2011. Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, drew wide support from Thailand’s rural poor during office but was deposed by a military coup in 2006 and faces allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

The 61-year-old lives in self-imposed exile but he still has many supporters, particularly within the “Red Shirt” opposition movement, which was behind mass street protests in Bangkok in April and May. Thai courts have issued a series of arrest warrants for Thaksin on charges including terrorism — an accusation linked to the violent street rallies. The authorities have accused him of bankrolling the protests and inciting unrest.

Continued on page 6

AFP/File/Savo Prelevic

Former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, seen here in April.

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International

Friday, October 15, 2010

Bali News Sanctity of temple’s radius must be upheld absolutely MDP shores up Bali Provincial Government Denpasar (Bali Post)—

IBP/Eka Adhyasa

The truck is heavily damaged during a deadly accident in Jalan Uluwatu on Wednesday, October 13th 2010.

Dump truck incident at GWK kills six

Chief of Customary Village General Assembly (MDP) of Bali Jero Gede Putu Suwena and Vice Chief Ida I Dewa Gde Ngurah Swastha expected that Bali Provincial Government was undaunted to face the lawsuit filed by Pecatu community to the Supreme Court in relation to the Regional Regulation on the Regional Spatial Layout Plan (RTRW). According to both community leaders, the sanctity of the temple’s radius as far as five kilometers denoting the clause sued should be retained because it was remarkably crucial in the context of rescuing Bali.

“Sanctity of the temple’s radius should remain to exist. Let’s maintain this bijou Bali together. Investments may come in, anyone may come in. However, they should comply with the existing rules here,” said Suwena who was justified by Swastha to the Bali Post, Wednesday (Oct 13).

According to Suwena and

Swastha, Regional Regulation setting forth the clause regarding to radius of the temple’s sanctity posed a truly strategic legal product to save Bali. It was affirmed that the radius of the temple’s sanctity had also been made into bhisama (religious stipulation) created to fortify Bali from all destructions. Therefore, both sources of Bali Post expected that no single Balinese people would think of forwarding commercial interests without paying attention to the interests and the natural environment of Bali including the spiritual interests. “In this context, MDP Bali clearly supports the standpoint of Bali Provincial Government to maintain the Regional Regulation on the regional spatial layout plan,” said Swastha and Suwena compactly.

Furthermore, Swastha hoped that Balinese people should not misinterpret the radius of the temple’s sanctity. Within a radius of five kilometer, two kilometer and a panimpug (fifty-meter—ed) from the temple.

The dump truck accident losing its control and moving backward on Jalan Uluwatu, exactly near the grade of Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), on Wednesday (Oct 13), caused many casualties. It was reported that about 15 people were injured. Seven victims of them were rushed to Sanglah Hospital.

The first victim arriving at around 2:15 p.m. Local Time was referral from the Jimbaran Clinic. They respectively named Ali Mastur, 48, a resident of Jembrana, and Mr. X. They were immediately rushed to Emergency Room in order to receive further treatment.

Few moments later, a pick up van came that carried two other victims with identity Aguswandi, 28, a resident of Jalan Puri Gading and then Andar, 25, a man with profession as seller of young coconut ice. Both were declared to have died by doctors so they were immediately brought to the mortuary.

Afterward, the fifth victim came on behalf of I.A. Citra, 19, a resident of Pecatu, Nusa Dua, with profession as a golf caddy, and then followed by Ramadhika, 15, a resident of Pecatu who is still in senior high school, and the last dead victim without identity was transferred from Kasih Ibu Hospital, Kedonganan.

Of the seven victims taken to Sanglah Hospital, six of them died. Two victims namely Agus and Andar died on the way to Sanglah Hospital, while three others namely Citra, Ali Mastur and Mr. X died after obtaining medical treatment in the Emergency Room and another dead victim was referred

from Kasih Ibu Hospital, Kedonganan, with the status as Mr. X. Thus, among the six dead victims, two of them were without identity.

From the information obtained by Bali Post, the tragic accident was begun by a dump truck that suddenly moved backward. The truck then crashed an ice truck behind it. Due to the collision, the truck then kept on moving to the building located on the right side of the road. It then hit some people and caused many casualties.

According to the Director of Medical and Nursing Service of Sanglah Hospital, Jaya Kusuma, the victims coming to Sanglah Hospital averagely suffered from multitrauma either fractures in legs, hands, chest or head. The wounds indicated the victims experienced violent impacts. “Two survivors are planned to be operated on. If there were additional victims coming to Sanglah Hospital, we have prepared the operating room in the central surgery installation,” said Jaya Kusuma.

Some families of the victims whose family had an accident seemed confused when looking for their family member in the Emer-

gency Room of Sanglah Hospital.

One of them was Luh Suarmini looking for her husband, Wiranatha. “My husband was an assistant to a driver of the truck conveying ice hit by the dump truck,” said Suarmini living at Ubung. However, having been looked for, she could not find the victim under the name of Wiranatha coming to Emergency Room of Sanglah Hospital. Similarly, the family of Lalu Andar also got confused when looking for his existence. After presented with the photo of Mr. X’s body brought to the mortuary, the family finally could recognize him.

“It’s right, he is my younger brother.

At that time, he was selling young coconut ice. From the information we got, Andar and his pushcart were dragged along by the truck,” said the older sister in the Emergency Room of Sanglah Hospital.

Meanwhile, the dead victim Dayu Citra, according to information of her family, just left her workplace and was about to be back to her home at Pecatu.

Until Wednesday, the victim being under medical treatment was Ramadhika, a student of senior high school who just went home from school on that fateful accident. (san)

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The picture shows the Ulundanu Batur Temple which is located in Kintamani, Bangli.

z Founder : K.Nadha, z General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti z Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sri Hartini, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Wirya, Yudi Winanto zDenpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subagiadnya, Subrata, Suentra, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Pujawan, Buleleng: Adnyana, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bali Putra Ariawan, Tabanan: Surpi. Jakarta: Nikson,Hardianto,Ade Irawan . NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani, Nur Haedin, Suyadnya. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto. z Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi. z Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Bali News

International

Friday, October 15, 2010

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Bring back movement of Joged dance to its original style Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Bali Cultural Service is intensively providing counseling for Joged Bumbung troupes in Bali in an effort to bring back the Joged dance movement to the original style. Allegedly, there are some Joged Bumbung troupes have given impression of porn action.

“As an institution having the main task and function to explore, preserve and provide counseling on the arts and culture, the Bali Cultural Service does not want if Balinese art is tarnished because of the movement of Joged Bumbung dance gives porn impression,” said the Division Head of Arts and Film, Bali Cultural Service, Ida Ayu Putri Masyeni, Wednesday (Oct 13). The coaching involved a team consisting of the elements from relevant agencies such as cultural advisory council (Listibiya), customary village general assembly (MUDP), Bali government tourism office (Disparda), Bureau of Legal and Human Rights Affairs, police and academicians.

Through the coaching it was expected that Joged Bumbung dance in Bali would not deviate from the style that could lead to misinterpretation. If porn Joged, she added, allowed continuing it would have a possibility to damage the image of Balinese arts. On that account, it was required sustainable coaching to correct the movement of Joged Bumbung dance to the original style.

The wobbling movement of Joged Bumbung pursuant to its original style was to the right and left side.

However, whether it was due to the demand or directed to be more ‘marketable,’ finally there were some dancers added the back and forth movement (ngegol), drilling move-

ment (ngebor), and express other erotic movement.

Such a dance movement needed clarifying so it did not generate porn impression “We do not want our dancers to deal with the sanction of law—the Law on pornography and porno-action—because of such dancing. In addition, we do not want there will be a negative image on Balinese arts,” she said.

Aesthetical and ethical values were important to put forward persistently, so taksu or divine inspiration of Balinese arts would not fade. Bali had been renowned for its sublime arts and culture. Of course in that context, aesthetic values and the existing norms should be complied with.

She added that after providing the coaching to the Joged Bumbung troupes, Bali Cultural Service would follow it up by organizing competition. The Joged Bumbung dance contest would be held on November 3, 2010 night in the open stage of Ksiraarnawa Hall of Denpasar Art Center. The champions would be provided with attractive prizes and so would be the pengibing or co-dancer. The best would be awarded prize as well. The competition was intended to motivate the Joged Bumbung troupes to dance well and properly. As consequence, there would be no porn impression in the Joged art. (08)

112 Villa in Bali Verified

Only 71 Fulfilled Security Standards Denpasar (Bali Post) –

The number of villas in Bali has reached thousands yet only some fulfilled the security standardization. This was known after Head of Bali Police Inspector General Police Drs. Hadiatmoko during a security standardization certification event to a number of villa owners in Kemal Hikmah Building last Wednesday (13/ 10). From the 112 villas verified, only 71 fulfilled the security standards.

The villas that got through and got a certificate are 37 villas got gold predicate, 31 got silver predicate and the other 3 got bronze predicate. And the rest are still not fulfilling it, more over there are thousands that haven’t asked to be verified. Those which are not yet will be asked to find it.

Bali Police Tourism Director, Great

police Commissioner IGM Adhi Sadnyana Putra when asked for a statement, confirmed the situation. Which means those 71 villas who have fulfilled it, had completed the standardization from the aspects of security workers, building or the villa, also disturbance of security and order around the villa, “Those are the regulations.

If it’s fulfilled we give the certificate.

More over lately there have been criminal acts in villas.”

Sadnyana explained that later on this certificates awarded will be told to the tourists, domestic and overseas. This is to give security to those who come to Bali and wanted to stay in villas and tell them which villas have fulfilled their security standards, “With this, tourists will be comfortable staying there. And no more worries.” (kmb21)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Balinese girls perform Joged Bumbung dance.

Pecatu Village Condition

Dessert, Residents Had Difficulties Utilizing Lands Mangupura (Bali Post) –

Pecatu residents criticize over Regional Regulation No 16 Year 2009 on Area Spatial Planning (RTRW) Bali Province, causing another polemic on the temple’s holiness radius. The local residents wanted the holiness radius to be suiting the village’s valid awig-awig (local traditional rules for generations) as if it’s using the regional regulations, locals admitted will be disadvantaged.

The condition in Pecatu, South Kuta, is now dry and deserted. The chalk soil causing lands hard to be developed to be a field for agriculture or gardening. The geographic condition being in a hilly land has caused some problems itself. Only a few economic plants can survive here.

In the other hnd, the beach around Pecatu viewed a great panorama and moreover these beaches are rarely visited compared to other beaches in Bali.

With the steep gorges in the sides of the beaches, added a greater view to the beaches in Pecatu such as Suluban Beach or Padang-

Padang Beach which are now visited more by tourists.

With this condition, the people of Pecatu felt difficult to utilize the lands. Agriculture is not dominant yet tourism is much more developed these days. Also more hotels were built such as melati hotel, starred hotels until elite villas keep coming.

There are also some located five kilometers from Uluwatu Temple.

These contradictions of utilizing lands with the tourism development have caused public to give up the lands management to the investors.

So not little those lands are now targeted.

Besides hard in utilizing it economically, the Object Tax Value (NJOP) that has to be paid by the locals itself especially in the radius of the holy temple based on the Province’s RTRW rules is very high according to Pecatu Village Head I Wayan Rebong. And it reaches hundred of millions Rupiahs, “Our residents have to pay hundred millions rupiahs of tax for those dry lands that can’t be planted. What can we do to support the family?” This Is one of the reasons why the locals

gave the accusation on the regulations to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the accusation was never influencing the RTRW Bali Regulations discussions by it’s special committee. Head of the committee I Putu Partawa mentioned last Wednesday (13/10) that the connecting institutes should sit together and discuss this polemic that’s been going on since last year, “If there is an accusation from the residents to a law product is normal and official, because it is let by the rules. But it’ll be better if this problem is talked first without any noisiness. Province, Badung Government, Indonesia Hindu Dharma Association and those residents should sit together so there is a solution that can be accepted by everyone. Which means the ecosystem preservation and the temple’s holiness will be protected, and the residents to live like it should be.”

The committee’s position is not supporting or declining. Yet in the RTRW mending it is clear it should still base on the RTRW Bali Rules itself. (kmb25)

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News

Friday, October 15, 2010

International

Israelis wary ahead of Ahmadinejad border tour Agence France Presse

METULLA, Israel – Israelis were on Thursday warily watching their northern border for a rare opportunity to see up close the archenemy of the Jewish state — Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian president, who is on a twoday trip to Lebanon, was expected to make a controversial tour of the southern border region during the afternoon which has been slammed by the United States and Israel as “provocative”.

The border region, a stronghold of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, is often seen as the frontline in a proxy war between Israel and Iran.

While Israeli leaders slammed the visit as a provocation, for many ordinary people it presents a chance to glimpse the Iranian leader, a man deeply reviled in Israel for his questioning of the Nazi Holocaust and predictions of the Jewish state’s demise.

“It is a provocative and destabilising visit,” foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP. “It appears his intentions are blatantly hostile and he is coming to play with fire.”

Ahmadinejad’s visit is “like a landlord visiting his domain,” Palmor said, while other officials said the move signified the final transformation of Israel’s northern neighbour into an “Iranian client state”.

Thursday’s tour will see the sharp-tongued Iranian leader coming the closest he has ever been to the Jewish state, standing just four kilometres (little more than two miles) from the border as he tours villages destroyed during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

He is set to stop in Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah bastion devastated during the war, and in Qana, targeted

in 1996 and again in 2006 by deadly Israeli air strikes.

For many, it was the sheer proximity of the Iranian leader that caught their attention.

“Ahmadinejad a kilometre away,” said the front page of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper, while its rival Maariv ran with: “Ahmadinejad — closer than ever”. Nevertheless, analysts said it was unlikely Israel would be intimidated by the visit.

“It’s clearly a provocation and it’s not pleasant for Israel,” said Eldad Pardo, an Iran analyst at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

“But there is no panic. They also see the opposition inside Lebanon.”

Ahmadinejad’s visit is seen as a boost for Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah, which fought a devastating 34-day war with Israel in 2006.

Hezbollah has been locked in a stand-off in recent months with the Saudi- and Western-backed parliamentary majority of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, some of whose members have been deeply critical of the Iranian leader’s visit.

Tensions have risen over unconfirmed reports that a UN-backed tribunal is set to indict Hezbollah members over the 2005 assassination of Hariri’s father, ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, in a massive car bombing on the Beirut seafront.

During the 2006 war, Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets, many supplied by Iran, into northern Israel in a conflict which killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and around 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Iran has been a major donor for the reconstruction of southern Lebanon following the month-long war, and Ahmadinejad is likely to receive a hero’s welcome when he visits the area.

Lebanese people greet Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he salutes the crowd while he crosses Beirut airport highway on his first visit to the east Mediterranean country on October 13, 2010.

The hardline leader arrived in Beirut on October 13 for a two-day controversial visit, the highlight of which will be a tour of Lebanon’s volatile border with his archenemy Israel.

TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/STR

AFP PHOTO/GOVERNMENT OF CHILE / Hugo Infante

Chilean miner Luis Urzua (L) greets President Sebastian Pinera (R) after reaching the surface from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile on October 13, 2010. The rescue of 33 miners trapped underground in Chile was successfully completed in some 22 and a half hours.

They’re all out: 33 miners raised safely in Chile SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – The longest underground nightmare in history ended safely — and faster than anyone expected. In a flawless operation that unfolded before a hopeful, transfixed world, 33 miners who were trapped for more than two months deep beneath the Chilean earth were raised one by one Wednesday through a smooth-walled shaft of rock.

The last man out was the one who held the group together when they were feared lost, a shift foreman named Luis Urzua who enforced tight rations of their limited food and supplies before help could arrive.

“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” he said immediately after his rescue. “We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing.”

Not even a full 24 hours after the rescue began, Urzua made the 2,041-foot ascent in a rescue capsule called Phoenix and emerged from a manhole-sized opening in the ground to a joyous celebration of confetti, balloons and champagne. President Sebastian Pinera told him: “You are not the same, and the country is not the same after this. You were an inspiration. Go hug your wife and your daughter.”

With hardhats held to their hearts, the pair led a joyous crowd in singing the national anthem.

The first rescue worker down was last up — Manuel Gonzalez, a mine rescue expert with Chile’s state-owned Codelco copper company, talked the men through the final hours inside the mine. Then, he spent 26 minutes alone down below before he strapped himself into the capsule for the ride up. He reached the surface at 12:32 a.m.

Thursday local time to hugs from his comrades and Pinera.

The rescue exceeded expectations every step of the way. Officials first said it might be four months before they could get the men out; it turned out to be 69 days and about 8 hours.

Once the escape tunnel was finished, they estimated it would take 36 to 48 hours to get all the miners to the surface. That got faster as the operation went along, and all the miners were safely above ground in 22 hours, 37 minutes.

The crowd in “Camp Hope,” down a hill from the escape shaft, set off confetti, released balloons and sprayed champagne as Urzua’s capsule surfaced, joining in a rousing miners’ cheer. In the capital of Santiago, hundreds gathered in Plaza Italia, waving flags and chanting victory slogans in the miners’ honor.

In nearby Copiapo, about 3,000 people gathered in the town square, where a huge screen broadcast live footage of the rescue. The exuberant crowd waved Chilean flags of all sizes and blew on red vuvuzelas as cars drove around the plaza honking their horns, their drivers yelling, “Long live Chile!” “The miners are our heroes,” said tearyeyed Copiapo resident Maria Guzman, 45.

One by one throughout the day,

the men had emerged to the cheers of exuberant Chileans and before the eyes of a transfixed globe. While the operation picked up speed as the day went on, each miner was greeted with the same boisterous applause from rescuers.

“Welcome to life,” Pinera told Victor Segovia, the 15th miner out. On a day of superlatives, it seemed no overstatement. They rejoined a world intensely curious about their ordeal, and certain to offer fame and jobs. Previously unimaginable riches awaited men who had risked their lives going into the unstable gold and copper mine for about $1,600 a month.

The miners made the smooth ascent inside the Phoenix capsule — 13 feet tall, barely wider than their shoulders and painted in the white, blue and red of the Chilean flag. It had a door that stuck occasionally, and some wheels had to be replaced, but it worked exactly as planned.

Beginning at midnight Tuesday, and sometimes as quickly as every 25 minutes, the pod was lowered the nearly half-mile to where 700,000 tons of rock collapsed Aug. 5 and entombed the men.

Then, after a quick pep talk from rescue workers who had descended into the mine, a miner would climb in, make the journey upward and emerge from a manhole into blinding light.

The rescue was planned with extreme care. The miners were monitored by video on the way up for any sign of panic. They had oxygen masks, dark glasses to protect their eyes and sweaters for the jarring transition from subterranean swelter to chilly desert air.

Hotel Activities

International

Friday, October 15, 2010

5

Aston Denpasar Hotel and Convention Center October Event IBP

DENPASAR - Recently Aston Denpasar Hotel & Convention Center had the honor to host an international event which entitled with “7th International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO) for Primary School” conduct by Indonesian Ministry of National Education.

This event is a regular event that holds by the Ministry of National Education, and this year Aston Grand Ballroom has been appointed to be host of this event. The participants are all elementary school student with brilliant mathematical ability coming from several country such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philipine, Taiwan, Iran, Srilanka and last but not least Indonesia.

This prestigious event hold from October 11th 2010 to October 16th 2010 and the opening ceremony have been inaugurated by Bali Governor Mr. I Made Mangku Pastika at October 11th 2010. The opening ceremony presenting several entertainment show such as Indonesian kids choir and Balinese dance which presented

by Denpasar elementary school’s student. On next few days the olympiad participants will through several test to reach an achievement on this international olympiad.

Aston Denpasar Hotel & Convention Center offers a delightful condominium concept Hotel & Convention Center right in the heart of the central business district in Bali.

Known as one of the city hotel with the biggest convention facility in Denpasar, Aston Denpasar Hotel offers you some of the very best meeting facilities in Bali. Aston features a Grand Ballroom that caters up to 2000 people; along with function rooms that available for the capacity from 20 – 200 people at Agung room, Batukaru room and Abang room located right on the lavish lobby area.

Aston entered the Indonesian market in the late nineties and has an underlying portfolio consisting of 38 properties including hotels, condotels, resorts, serviced apartments and boutique villa resorts, of which 28 are operational and 10 under development due to open be-

tween now and 2011.

Aston properties currently operate under the 5 star Grand Aston, 4 star Aston, 3 star Aston City and 2 star favehotel brands but the com-

pany is also developing Luxury Villa resorts under the Royal Kamuela and Kamuela brands and 3 star hotels under the affordable lifestyle Quest Hotel label.

With a proven track record of success, Aston has a very definitive vision of the future - to be universally recognized as the preferred hospitality management company in Asia Pacific.

Temple Ceremony Calendar of Event Vol. XII/ 21 (Oct 08-21, 2010) 9 th – “Tumpek Landep”, the day devoted to Sanghyang Pasupati, the lord of all metal tools (including car) for magical power and proper function, held at every family- compound, especially at smiths and garages – Temple Festivals at: - Pr. Agung Tirtha Bhuwana, Bekasi, Jawa Barat.

- Pr. Mutering Jagat Dalem Sidakarya, Jl. Dewata I, Ds Adat Sidakarya, Denpasar.

- Pr. Pasek Gelgel Ds.Pedungan, Denpasar.

- Pr. Agung Pasek, Ds. Tangguntiti Kaler,Tabanan.

- Pr. Agung Pasek Selemadeng, Tabanan - Pr. Pasek Tangkas, Kediri, Tabanan.

- Pr. Kertha, Banyuning Barat, Buleleng.

- Pr. Toya Katipat, Ds. Wanagiri, Buleleng.

- Pr. Dalem Tenggaling, Br. Sengguan, Singapadu.

- Pr. Kawitan Arya Bang Pinatih, Ds. Peguyangan, Singaraja.

- Pr. Bhujangga Wesnawa, Tegalcangkring, Jembrana.

- Pr. Taman, Ds. Bubunan, Seririt, Buleleng.

- Pr. Penataran Pande Dalem Batur Jati, Br. Pandean, Mengwi.

- Pr. Dalem Pingit, Br. Taro Kaja, Tegallalang.

- Pr. Dadia Pasek Gelgel Gobleg, Ds. Selat, Sukasada - Pr. Batur Arya Warih Kepaon Cengolo, Ds. Sudimara, Tabanan.

- Pr. Ida Ratu Pande, Besakih.

- Pr. Penataran Pande , Ds. Kusamba, Klungkung - Mr.Pasek Batan Tubuh, Melinggih.

- Mr.Pasek Gelgel, Ds. Akah, Klungkung.

- Mr.Pasek TohJiwa, Tangguntiti, - Pr. Dalem, Ds. Bungsu, Batubulan.

- Pr. Pasek Tatar Bale Agung, Buleleng.

- Pr. Panti Abian Buru, Ds. Kenderan, Buleleng.

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Pr. Penataran Agung Pinatih, Br. Menak, Tulikup.

Pr. Kumuda Saraswati, Ubud.

13th – Temple Festival at: - Pr. Pasar Agung, Besakih - Pr. Puseh + Desa, Ds. Bebalang, Bangli.

- Pr. Pasek Bandesa Hyang, Ds. Selat, Kerobokan, Badung.

- Pr. Hyang Agung Ibu Wanasari, Br. Tegal.

- Pr. Pr. Gede Gunung Agung, Ds. Dukuh, Munggu, Badung.

- Mr. Pasek Bandesa Pasar Badung, Br. Legian, Kuta Kaja.

- Mr. Ida Bhatara Dalem Tarukan, Br. Pakel, Satria, Klungkung.

- Pr. Kerebuan Langit, Ds. Sading, Mengwi.

- Pemerajan Saren Kangin, Ds. Baleran, Ubud.

- Pr. Pajenengan Kawitan Arya Tauman, Br. Jelantik Kuri Batu, Tojan, Klugkung.

19th _ Temple Festival at: - Pr. Penataran Tangkas, Br. Tebuwana, Sukawati.

- Pr. Dalem Lagan, Ds. Bebalang, Bangli - Pr. Puseh, Br. Lembeng, Batubulan, Sukawati.

- Pr. Pasek Gelgel Penulisan, Ds.Kerambitan, Tabanan.

- Pr. Gaduh, Ds. Sading.

- Pr. Dalem Gandamayu, Klungkung.

- Pr. Sanghyang Tegal, Br. Taro Kaja, Tegallalang.

- Pr. Penataran Agung, Besakih.

20th _ Temple Festival at: - Mr. Kawitan arya Pengalasan Pusat, Ds. Bedulu, Pejeng Gianyar.

- Pr. Pasek Tangkas, Ds. Pasekan Kaler, Tabanan.

- Pr. Gaduh Binoh, Ds. Ubung.

Balinese Temple Ceremony EVERY Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

6

News

Friday, October 15, 2010

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (L) opens a meeting of defence and foreign ministers at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 14, 2010.

NATO foreign and defence ministers hold a rare joint meeting to discuss the new “strategic concept,” a mission statement on how the alliance must respond to modern threats from cyber attacks to missile strikes from “rogue” states.

AFP PHOTO/JOHN THYS

NATO chief calls for anti-missile system Asscosiated Press Writer

BRUSSELS – NATO’s secretary general urged member states on Thursday to endorse a proposed anti-missile system that would protect Europe and North America, saying that is the alliance’s responsibility. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO’s new mission statement — expected to be adopted at a summit of alliance leaders next month in Portugal — would focus on reforming the organization to deal with emerging threats.

“NATO’s core task of defending its 900 million people will never change, but it must be modern defenses against modern threats,” he said.

NATO is proposing to expand an existing system of battlefield missile defense to cover the territory of all alliance members against ballistic missiles from nations such as Iran and North Korea. Fogh Rasmussen has proposed that Russia also join the project, thus creating a network that would stretch from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”

“The threat is clear, the capability exist and the costs are manageable,” Fogh Rasmussen said in his opening remarks. “Starting today, NATO is in the sprint to the summit,” he said. “The decisions we take in the next two weeks will shape the future of the world’s most successful alliance.”

The United States supports the missile defense proposal. But some governments have taken a dim view of a proposed anti-missile defense plan, citing high costs and saying the system cannot accomplish the role of a robust nuclear deterrent.

“We think missile defense is basically a good idea, but we also believe that matters like arms control should be and will be an important component,” German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu

Guttenberg said.

Fogh Rasmussen’s proposed system would integrate battlefield missile defense networks already in use in the U.S. and some other allied nations to provide basic coverage from attack by ballistic missiles.

At an estimated cost of euro200 million ($279 million), it is much cheaper but also less capable than a dedicated anti-missile system proposed by the Bush administration, which caused a deep rift with Russia. Moscow opposed the stationing of powerful radars and anti-missile batteries near its western borders.

NATO’s previous mission statement was adopted in 1999, soon after the Cold War ended and before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States led the alliance to take on missions such as counterinsurgency warfare in Afghanistan.

Washington now wants NATO to be equipped to deploy forces to missions outside its traditional theater of operations in Europe, such as Afghanistan or the antipiracy naval patrols in the Indian Ocean.

But many European governments remain wary and argue that the alliance should not be transformed into a global policeman at a time of austerity and spending cuts.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates — who is participating in the meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — said he was worried about what European defense cuts will mean for the United States. Britain, Germany and other close NATO allies are expected to slash or realign their defense budgets soon.

Gates said the more that U.S. allies cut their capabilities the more the U.S. may be asked to pick up the slack, at a time when the U.S. also is facing budget cuts.

He said the reform and streamlining of NATO’s massive command structure also would top the summit agenda, along with a plan to combine critical capabilities — such as countering roadside bombs, and aircraft command and control systems.

Critics have noted that the new mission statement will have to reconcile other rifts between NATO nations, including a U.S. proposal to eliminate unanimity voting, which has been a cornerstone of the consensus-based alliance.

Another issue is the proposal to expand the secretary general’s powers, allowing him to act in times of crisis. This is opposed by nations skeptical of the top official making decisions independently, especially in light of past American influence.

Queen Elizabeth II cancels staff Christmas party Agence France Presse

LONDON – Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has canceled a Christmas party for her staff this year because of the tough economic climate. The Sun newspaper reported Thursday that the party for some 1,200 guests had been scheduled for Dec. 13.

A palace spokesman said: “Given the economic climate, it was thought appropriate to show restraint.” The Sun said the party is held every other year, and draws staff from three royal residences and employees of the queen’s private estates. The palace spokesman said The Sun’s report was “broadly accurate” but declined to confirm details.

China...

From page 1 Kan said he would be “watching whether he (Liu Xiaobo) will be able to attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony or whether his wife or family members will attend.” Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, has been largely confined to her Beijing home since Friday in what she has denounced as “illegal house arrest”.

Washington and Brussels have both appealed to China to let her move freely again.

Beijing has directed most of its fury at Oslo by cancelling ministerial meetings and a Norwegian musical scheduled to be staged in the country. Oslo on Wednesday criticised the cancellations and said Norway hoped to maintain goods relations with China.

“If this decision is the consequence of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, we consider this an inappropriate reaction,” Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund told AFP. The state-run English-language Global Times newspaper said on Thursday Liu’s award was part of a Western “ideological war” against China.

“They even hope that China will one day collapse under the West’s ideological crusade,” said the editorial, intended for foreign audiences. The Chinese-language state press, however, has remained muted on the subject amid an

information blackout on the news in China.

In a similar vein, Ma asked about the “real motives” behind leaders and governments supporting Liu’s prize. “Is it that they deep down in their hearts don’t like China’s development path?

They don’t like China’s political system?” he said.

Liu Xiaobo’s sentence last December was widely seen as retaliation for authoring ‘Charter 08’ an appeal for political reform and human rights made in 2008.

China’s Communist Party maintains an iron grip on political power and its rights record is frequently criticised by foreign governments and activists at home.

Dissidents and activist lawyers have been under close surveillance since the award was announced, and ahead of an annual Communist Party meeting opening Friday.

Liu Xia, meanwhile, has had her telephones cut off by authorities but has issued periodic statements on Twitter, which is blocked in China by the nation’s censors but accessible via proxy servers.

“I strongly protest against the government for my illegal house arrest,” Liu Xia said in a tweet on Wednesday, calling her situation “very hard to take”.

Her lawyers told AFP Thursday that she remained unreachable by phone.

Thaksin...

From page 1 Thaksin, a former owner of English football club Manchester City, has said the terrorism charges against him are “politically motivated”.

Experts say the tycoon-turned-premier, who was a flamboyant but divisive leader, has not given up his political ambitions and continues to play an important role within the opposition behind the scenes. “I’m not surprised that Thaksin would like to remain very active in politics,” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thailand expert at the Institute of South East Asia Studies in Singapore.

He said the Red Shirts’ hero was fading from public view because of the terrorist allegations and violence blamed by the authorities on radical Red Shirts.

“He’ll try to come back (on the political scene) to play a legitimate role and I think the elite should be open enough to let him do that. Reconciliation will not be successful without Thaksin,” Pavin said. But Thaksin is unlikely to return to Thai-

land even if the opposition wins the next election, he said.

“He has so many enemies. It would take time to wait until the hatred subsides and the people who hate him have money and weapons,” said Pavin.

In his push for a return to Thailand, Thaksin has used video messages to encourage supporters but his broadcasts diminished during the April-May protests, which left 91 people dead in clashes between troops and demonstrators.

But he has not stopped his lobbying efforts and launched a public relations offensive in the wake of a deadly crackdown on the Red Shirt rallies, notably hiring Canadian lawyer and publicist Robert Amsterdam.

Prompong said he expected Thaksin to address the opposition “only at appropriate times” in future. “He hasn’t spoken much recently because he wants reconciliation. He does not want this government to be suspicious about him,” the spokesman said.

International

Indonesia Today

Friday, October 15, 2010

7

Greenpeace says

Deni Suramto (2nd R) alleged terror suspect for who was said to have recruited a suicide bomber and buying explosive materials used for 2009 hotels attacks, sits next to Bayu Seno (L), Pandu Wicaksono (2nd L) and Ali Azhar (R) who was allegedly involved in a terror case in Aceh, prior to their trials in the West Jakarta court in October 14, 2010.

AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY

Indonesian militants go on trial over hotel bombings Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Three suspected members of late terror leader Noordin Mohammad Top’s network went on trial in Indonesia Thursday over twin suicide bombings on two luxury hotels in Jakarta last year.

Bayu Seno, alias Tono, faces the death penalty if convicted on charges of assembling the bombs used in the July 17 attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which killed seven people.

“He assisted in an act of terrorism by way of purposely using violence and stirring up an atmosphere of terror and widespread fear,” prosecutor Kiki Ahmad Yani told the West Jakarta district court.

Seno also assisted by buying and transporting explosive materials which were to be used in a plot to assassinate Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he said.

Two Islamic extremists with backpacks filled with homemade bombs blew themselves up at the hotels, marking the bloody end of a four-year hiatus in attacks attributed to Noordin and Al-Qaeda-linked re-

gional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

In a separate hearing, alleged Islamic militant Pandu Wicaksono was charged with hiding Noordin at his house in Surakarta district in Central Java in June 2009, prosecutor Iwan Setiawan said.

Another suspect, Suramto, is on trial accused of recruiting one of the suicide bombers and buying explosive materials used for the hotel attacks.

Both also face the death penalty if found guilty.

Noordin was killed in a police raid in September, ending one of Southeast Asia’s biggest manhunts.

President asks for additional heavy-duty equipment in Wasior Antara

WASIOR - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked for the dispatch of more heavy-duty equipment to Wasior to clear the town of flood-related debris and ruins.

“I have noticed that there is not enough heavy-duty equipment in Wasior so more should be brought in from other regions,” the President said in a dialog with Teluk Wondama district officals at a flood-devastated location in Wasior on Thursday.

Therefore the head of state then asked for additional heavy-duty equipment and a number of National Defense Forces (TNI) engineers.

Almost two weeks after the flash flood, the debris and ruins of collapsed houses in Wasior have yet to

be removed completely because there was only one unit of heavyduty equipment.

President Yudhoyono and his entourage arrived in Wasior on Thursday morning to inspect the flooddevastated area and to visit the victims who took shelter at refugee sites and some others in the hospitals.

Based on information from the Teluk Wondama district administration, at least 150 people died in the flood disaster while 140 others remained missing Earlier, on Wednesday, in a dialog with the flood-affected refugees at Manokwari Military District Command Headquarters, the head of state said the government was committed to reconstructing the flood-

devastated Wasior area.

The president then said the reconstruction would be done in cooperation with the regional government and the National Defense Forces (TNI).

It was earlier reported that the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) had accommodated at least 4,771 flood refugees in Manokwari while 2,554 had found tempprary shelter on their own or moved in with relatives. According to BNPB, 2,652 other refugees had also been accommodated at six refugee sites in Wasior and 355 others in Nabire.

The president and his entourage arrived at Wasior early Thursday morning after a 10-hour trip on board the KRI Hasanuddin from Manokwari.

Rainbow Warrior denied entry to Indonesia Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA - Global environmental pressure group Greenpeace said Thursday its Rainbow Warrior flagship had been denied access to Indonesian waters, and insisted the government had no grounds to have turned it back.

“We are saddened by this unfortunate turn of events,” Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said.

Greenpeace said it had tried to negotiate with Indonesia’s foreign ministry to gain entry for the ship, which is on a two-and-a-half month voyage across Southeast Asia to promote awareness of climate change.

“The Indonesian government has no plausible grounds for Rainbow Warrior’s entry denial here,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia media campaigner Hikmat Soeriatanuwijaya told AFP. The ship, which has entered Indonesian waters several times in the past, began its current journey in Thailand on September 17 and is due to wrap up the voyage in the Philippines on November 30.

It had been due to enter Indonesian waters on Wednesday and to stay for around a month. On Thursday, it was in international waters north of Indonesia’s main island of Java.

The Indonesian foreign ministry said it was seeking clarification regarding the purpose of the ship’s visit, according to spokesman Teuku Faizasyah.

“There is a difference in the ship’s visit intention in Indonesia submitted by their agent, which asked for entry permission, and from Greenpeace,” he said.

Greenpeace has previously criticised Indonesia for the massive destruction of its forests to make way for palm oil and acacia plantations.

The destruction of rainforests and peatlands is the major reason Indonesia is considered the world’s thirdlargest emitter of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

The original Rainbow Warrior was sunk by French agents in a bomb attack in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1985, where it was undergoing a refit amid an ongoing anti-nuclear campaign in the Pacific.

Greenpeace is expected to unveil the third incarnation of the ship next year.

Government opens investment opportunities in tourism sector Antara

JAKARTA - The government has opened investment opportunities in the tourism sector in 18 potential areas located in West Java, Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and West Papua.

The 18 potential areas included Ciamis, Alor, Ternate Island, Tarakan, Berau, Balikpapan, Pantai Beang on Pantar Island, Lombok Tengah, Sumbawa Barat, Raja Ampat, and Wai Island, Firmansyah Rahim, the tourism and culture ministry’s director general for tourist destination development, said when speaking in the investment, trade and tourism forum at the Indonesian Trade Expo 2010, here, Thursday.

“These areas are beautiful, and only few investments came. We offer them to investors because the areas are ready. We have talked with the local authorities,” he said.

The amount of funds needed to

develop each area ranging from around 1.5 million US dollars to 84 million US dollar, with varied incomes, too, he added.

Indonesia, through its embassies in various countries, has also offered the investment opportunities overseas.

The contract period could last until 30 years and could be renewed, he said.

He said two potential Vietnamese investors have expressed their interests in investing in Raja Empat, Papau Province.

“We will give them a chance to see the place first, and then we talk further,” he said.

The 25th Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) is being organized in Jakarta from October 13 to 17, 2010.

At least 8,000 domestic and foreign buyers were expected to visit the trade export, according to Trade Minister Marie Elka Pengestu in Jakarta, Wednesday (OCt 13).

8

Internationa

Friday, October 15, 2010

Bali Today Community-based Tourism:

A New Source of Hope for Prosperity

http://www.travelingsurfers.com

Tourists sunbathing at Dreamland beach, Badung Regency. More than 62,350 Britons holidayed in the resort island of Bali in the first eight months of 2010, up 6.49 percent from the same period last year.

British tourist arrivals in Bali up 6.49 percent Antara

DENPASAR - More than 62,350 Britons holidayed in the resort island of Bali in the first eight months of 2010, up 6.49 percent from the same period last year.

“Most of them came to Bali by direct flights via Ngurah Rai Airport and only 219 of them by cruise liners,” head of the Bali provincial statistics office Gede Suarsa said.

Last year, a total of 85,060 British tourists visited Bali, a 12.44 percent increase from the year before, he said.

Suarsa said the rising number of British tourists raised Britain’s rank as Bali’s source of foreign tourists to eighth in August from ninth the month before.

Britain came eighth after Aus-

tralia, Japan, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and France, he said.

The British tourists contributed 3.72 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in Bali in the January-August 2010 period reaching 1,678,170. This represents a 9.11 percent increase from the corresponding period last year.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of tourist arrivals from six of the top ten sources of foreign tourists rose significantly while that of the other four declined.

The number of tourists from Australia rose 47.25 percent to 399,988 from 271,643, China 2.79 percent to 139,501 from 135,710, Taiwan 9.94 percent to 88,448 from 80,452, Germany 7.11 percent to 54,410 from 50,800, and Singapore 54.96 percent to 54,147 from 34,943.

However, the number of Japanese tourists fell 22.67 percent from 218,298 to 168,806, Malaysia 3.75 percent from 93,962 to 90,438, South Korea 2.09 percent from 85,123 to 83,342 and France 0.19 percent from 73,167 to 73.027, he said.

Bali International Surfing Tournament IBP

KUTA - Bali International Surfing Tournament will take place on Sunday, October 17 at Cangu Beach. This event is part of the Nusa Dua Fiesta.

The Bali International Surfing Tournament is part of the Bali International Sports Week that is a highlight of the Nusa Dua Fiesta that runs from October 16-24, whose intention it is to follow in the footsteps of the 2008 Asian

Beach Games held in Bali.

The Bali International Surfing Tournament that will take place on West Coast of Bali at Canggu Beach, a 25 minutes drive north from the Kuta Beach/Seminyak area, boasts a total prize purse of IDR 25 Million, with the first place winner receiving IDR 10 million (USD $1,120), the runner up IDR 7 million, third place IDR 4 million, fourth place IDR 2 million, and the semifinalists 500,000 each.

The Bali International Surfing Tournament will be professionally run by the Coca-Cola ISC organization that have been running national and international surfing competitions in Indonesia since 2004, including the 2008 Asian Beach Games.

The event is scheduled to start at 7:30 am; so all interested competitors are requested to be at Canggu Beach to register starting at 6:30 am.

Pie of tourism does not always taste sweet. Those getting involved in person or indirectly may taste so. However, the remaining does not enjoy any impact of the increase of tourist visit to Bali.

Probably, it is actually a matter of imbalance on development policy.

By and large, development in general is ideally intended to improve people’s prosperity. Its proceedings should be distributed and could be enjoyed evenly. Otherwise, the imbalance can trigger social envy. If unresolved immediately, this may turn into protracted problem. It is not surprising if community then proposed the removal of Denpasar City and the airport to other region in order the new region could also drive a better economic growth. Meanwhile, another protested that its region was just used as stopover of cruise passenger. After landing, guests spent holidays or had excursion to other neighboring destination. It is considered, the region was merely taken advantage for ‘urinating’ and guests spent no single penny.

Various attempts have indeed been undertaken by local government to gradually diminish such imbalance. One of them is by launching tourism village in regencies. By this initiative, guests are driven to explore local village to know more about their uniqueness.

They were expected to not only have a sightseeing tour but also take advantage of local accommodation facilities.

The program denotes one of the community involvements in tourism or better known as community-based tourism.

Additionally, guests will have more convenient time to explore the splendor of the village and get in closer touch with the local community. This will enable local people to provide everything required by guests during their stay at the village. They are starting from unique tradition, beauty of nature, challenging adventure to

delicious and country-style culinary. Of course, these would enrich their personal experience as one of the objectives of traveling.

Simantri or integrated farming system initiated by Governor Pastika is another program that also expected to empty out into agricultural-based tourism.

Basically, it is commenced by empowering farmers through the implementation of ecofriendly facilities of rice productions. At the end, it also wants to achieve prosperity, quality health and better environment.

Last but not least, government should also map the great potential retained by each region and make a policy in such a way that each region is included in particular tour package. Basically each region has unique and attractive potentials like arts, livelihood, tools, tourist destinations, customs and other treasures. Besides, government can lead new investment to less developed regions and establish inter-regency cooperation in distributing job opportunities. In reality, there are some regencies undergoing rapid growth in handicraft industry and informal sector enterprises, while others have abundant unemployment. Local labor force should be given priority to fill in the opportunities as they are supporters of local culture and responsible for its conservation.

Bali has a great potential of pristine destination. This should be managed and preserved accordingly for its sustainability.

When this can be achieved, people will have more job opportunities without leaving agriculture or other previous job.

Conversely, tourists will have a wide choice of destination and attraction to visit. Hopefully, such development could be supported by all components of community, so the ‘social envy’ could be gradually diminished without moving the ‘existing infrastructure’ but discovering each local potential and how to get a share of the opportunities.

(BTN/punia)

al

Friday, October 15, 2010

Balinese Culture Crisp Sweet Striped Cookies (Kuping Gajah) Ingredients * 500 gram wheat flour * 150 gram granulated sugar * ½ tsp. salt * ½ tsp. vanilla * 2 eggs, lightly beaten * 1 Tbs. cooking oil * 100 cc water * ½ Tbs. cocoa powder * 800 cc oil for frying

http://lh5.ggpht.com

Motorcyclist passed one of the villas on Bali.

Hundreds of villas are not registered Antara

DENPASAR – The Secretary pf Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Bali, Perry Markus, said that currently, there are hundreds of villas that are unregistered. “Based on the latest data, the number of villas that are legal is 425 villas. While the actual number on the field shows that there are thousands of villas in Bali,” he added.

The high number of illegal villas is prone to criminal act. Perry said “the owner of villas often don’t consider the consequences and only

trying to find profit. This condition is used by the criminal to conduct crime.”

He praised Bali Police Department which already verified that security and safety standard of villas in Bali. The PHRI Bali will cooperate with Bali Tourism Academy (STP) to check and find the precise data of villas in Bali.

“There is great hope that by registering all villas in Bali, the number of crime happen in the villas can be decreased,” Perry added. PHRI had given certificate to the villas that already registered and pass the security and safety inspection.

Meanwhile, the Director of Tourism Security Division in Bali Police Department, IGM Adhi S Putra, said that from 112 villas going through the verification process this year, only 71 villas pass and the rest is not.

The security standard set by the police department is the number of security personnel, safety training, equipments, facilities, buildings, software, and the security disturbances happen in the area.

Putra said that the villas that not passed the security standard must improve their facilities in order to give the sense of security and comfort to the tourists visit Bali.

NDF to raise Bali’s economy Bali Post

MANGUPURA - Nusa Dua Fiesta (NDF) 2010 happening, in addition to becoming a tourism promotional event, also becomes a part of the event raising the populistic economy. This activity also supports the development of economic sectors namely improving the micro-small and medium enterprises (UMKM).

Chairman of the NDF Committee, IGK Purnaya, in the press conference in the Wantilan Hall of BTDC on Wednesday (Oct 13) said the NDF held on October 15 to 19 had provided exhibition stands that would involve 110 participants. The exhibition participated by 18 provinces, 28 regencies, 36 government agencies, 4 state-owned enterprises, 2 ministries namely Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Forestry, 4 private companies, 12 hotels in Nusa Dua, 10 members of ICA Bali and 13 other booths.

“The exhibition stands entirely provide spaces to businesspeople from different regions, not merely from Bali but

also those from other regions in Indonesia,” he said.

He added that the exhibition of NDF was intended to promote the cultural richness of the Indonesia’s diversity such as various results of the craft art industry. This had been consistently held by the provinces and regencies of Indonesia.

Comparable opinion was also disclosed by Director of Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC), I Made Mandra, mentioning that such an event posed a part of economic empowerment through the existing SMEs. “On that account, this event is not only taken advantage to carry out intensive campaign, but also to motivate the interest of businesspeople in marketing their products more creatively,” he explained.

According to Mandra, in addition to maintaining the image concerning with safety, comfort and world tourism promotion, NDF also played a role to give spaces to businesspeople. Other than maintaining the image of the cul-

ture-friendly Nusa Dua Resort, the event also paid attention to other factors such as the environment.

“We give spaces to the community to maintain their culture. It is undertaken by involving the artist to continue creating through the event that we have initiated 13 years ago,” said Mandra accompanied by Chairman of the NDF Committee IGK Purnaya, Chairman of the Bali International Sports Week, I Gusti Alit Putra and the Director of BTDC’s Finance Solichin.

The theme highlighted this year was Green Tourism. It was a tangible manifestation of keeping the universe in order to remain sustainable. The role to secure the BTDC resort together with hotels in the region certainly denoted a common obligation to always carry out sustainable promotion. For that purpose, it was also important to make balancing endeavor. In other words, it was not only intended to promote but also to pay attention to other supporting factors such as protecting the environment so that it remained unexploited. (par)

Directions Thoroughly mix sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the beaten eggs and stir well. Add oil, stir once more, and then divide in half.

Divide the flour in half as well. Take 1 Tbs of flour from one part and add it to the other. Mix the flour with each half of the sugar and egg mixture. Add cocoa powder to the smaller mix. Add 50 cc of water to each half. Knead until smooth and not sticky to the touch. There will be two types of dough, white and brown.

Separately, roll both pieces of dough out on a plastic covered cutting board until they are about 1 mm thick.

Place the two together, then roll up. Wrap with plastic and place in the refrigerator for approximately an hour or until the dough hardens.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough vertically into flat cylinders about 2 mm thick. Flatten once more with a rolling pin. Fry in hot oil until crisp. Remove, drain. (http:// asiarecipe.com)

Sticky Rice Cake in Brown Sugar Sauce (Biji Salak) Ingredients * Rice Cakes 1 cup glutinous rice flour * ½ cup tapioca starch * ¾ cup water * ¼ tsp. salt Directions To make Rice Cake: Place rice flour and tapioca starch in a deep mixing bowl and make a well in the center.

Add water and salt, mix well and knead dough until it can be rolled and shaped. Dough should not be to dry.

Roll small rice cakes ½-inch in diameter. Cut diagonally 1-inch in length.

Bring 8 cups of water to a oil. Put it the rice cakes, bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and set the rice cakes aside.

Ingredients * Sauce 3 cups water * 1 cup coconut milk * ½ cup palm sugar syrup * 1 pandan leaf * Pinch of salt Directions To make the sauce: Combine water, coconut milk, palm sugar, pandan leaf, and a pinch of salt in a small stockpot. Bring to a boil.

Add rice cakes and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cool and serve at room temperature, topped with a tablespoon of fresh grated coconut.

Helpful hints: When preparing the rice cakes, use the amount of water given in the recipe only as a guideline; the quality of flour varies greatly and affects the amount of liquid it absorbs. Add sufficient water to result in a soft, smooth dough. If the rice cakes are dry when shaped, they will be very tough after cooking. (http:// asiarecipe.com)

9

10

Friday, October 15, 2010

Destinations

International

Nusa Dua IBP

http://www.realholidayreports.com

International Bali Post Classifieds BALI CENTRAL CANOPY

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Nusa Dua is an elite resort area with international five star hotels and resorts existing on the costal side in south part of Bali. It is located in Badung Regency and about 25 minutes drive from Bali’s International airport. Nusa Dua with 350 ha size is the sample luxury resort area and one of best tourism places in the world. In fact, the name of Nusa Dua is coming from two small islands located in the south part of Bali Island (Nusa mean the island and Dua mean two) that is dissociated with the white sand.

Nusa Dua Area is start built in year 1974, as a result from study of French consultant, SCETO (Societe Centrale pour l’equpeent Touristique Ouetre-Mer) in the year 1970 and also feasibility study conducted by PCI (Pacific Consultants International) year 19711973 for financing of World Bank aid. The Indonesian Government has delivered this area management to PT. BTDC (Bali Tourism Development Corporation) which existing under the law and regulation of Republic Indonesia Government no.27 year 1972, on 12 November 1972.

Tourist Places in Bali This area owns the most complete tourism facilities in Bali and Indonesia like five star hotels, luxury accommodations, villas, convention hall, shopping center and beautiful beaches. The five star hotels exist in this area are Club Med, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel, The Westin Resort, The Laguna Resort, Melia Bali Villas and Spa, Inna Putri Bali Hotel, The Ayodya Resort, Kayu Manis Villa, Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, The Bale Villas and Novotel Nusa Dua. There are also the sports activities are available in this are like tennis court, squash and golf course. Each hotel is completed by five star restaurant facilities, bar, pub and beach activities.

Jl. Kepundung 67 A, e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id Jl. Palmerah Barat 21 F

Friday, October 15, 2010

11

BUSINESS Ads spending in Asia up sharply in first half Agence France-Presse

AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN

A boat plies along the river in front of the Asian Civilisation Museum in Singapore on October 14, 2010. Singapore’s economy is on track to expand between 13 and 15 percent this year after gross domestic product (GDP) surged an annual 10.3 percent in the third quarter, the government said.

Singapore to tame inflation as economy sizzles Agence France-Presse

SINGAPORE - Singapore on Thursday announced a surprise move to tighten monetary policy, pushing the local dollar to new highs as the economy headed for 13 to 15 percent expansion this year.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) signalled its antiinflation stance after government data showed the economy expanded an annual 10.3 percent during the third quarter.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry said this meant Singapore was on track to achieve blistering growth projections in 2010 after last year’s 1.3 percent contraction caused by the global recession.

Singapore stocks were 0.16 percent higher at 3,207.13 points in midday trade.

Growth in the July-September quarter was slower than the 19.6 percent expansion in the previous three months, but this was widely expected because of the exceptional expansion in the first half of the year.

The MAS said that while gross domestic product growth was slowing to a “more sustainable pace”, domestic cost pressures are rising due to the “high level of resource utilisation” and tight labour market in particular.

“Thus, the balance of risks is weighted towards inflation going forward,” the central bank added.

The central bank projects underly-

ing inflation, which excludes accommodation cost and private transport, to average 2.0 percent this year and 2.03.0 percent in 2011.

The last time inflation became a major concern was in 2008 when it hit 6.5 percent, the highest in nearly three decades, before the global slowdown.

Singapore’s monetary policy is conducted via the local dollar, which is traded against a basket of currencies of its major trading partners within an undisclosed band.

The MAS said “the slope of the policy band will be increased slightly”, which essentially means authorities will allow the Singapore dollar to continue to appreciate despite already reaching record highs.

The Singapore dollar strengthened past 1.30 to the US dollar after the announcement, hitting a new high of 1.2886.

“We believe it is concerns about inflation that have prompted MAS to increase the slope of the policy band,” said analysts from Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank.

“We think this change will likely contain imported inflation pressures

and help smaller, import-intensive construction companies,” they wrote in a report.

DBS Bank said in a market commentary that the MAS “surprised the market yet again” with its policy statement.

“Indeed, the focus is on inflation in the coming months as external inflationary pressure is expected to pick up on higher commodity prices,” the statement added.

DBS said it was maintaining its 2010 growth forecast of 15 percent for the city-state, adding that the slowdown in the second half was “much in line with the normalisation process in Asia”.

The trade and industry ministry said the decline in growth momentum in the third quarter was “an expected correction from the exceptional growth in the first half of the year”.

“Growth in the rest of the year will be underpinned by a number of industry-specific factors.

“In particular, continued growth in global demand for electronic products will lend some support to the electronics and precision engineering clusters,” the ministry added.

SINGAPORE - Advertising spending in the Asia-Pacific region rose strongly in the first half of 2010 as economies emerged from recession, research firm Nielsen said Thursday.

Advertisers spent 67.69 billion dollars in the six months to June, up 17 percent from 2009 and 20 percent higher than the figure for the same period in 2008 before the onset of the global downturn, a press statement said.

“With consumers already spending, many high-profile global and regional marketers have identified the opportunity and already launched ‘back to business as usual’ advertising strategies,” said Richard BasilJones, regional managing director at Nielsen Media.

Media companies suffered during the global recession as consumers tightened their belts and companies cut back on advertising.

“Our latest ad spending results confirm that the majority of regional and global marketers have quickly returned to

converting consumers’ spending intentions into real growth in sales during 2010,” Basil-Jones said.

He added that despite cautiousness in the United States and Europe, “the outlook for continued growth in advertising for the remainder of 2010 appears extremely positive across all 12 (Asia-Pacific) markets”.

India led the growth, with ad spending in the world’s second most populous nation rising 33 percent in the first half, followed by Indonesia with a yearon-year growth of 29 percent, Nielsen said.

Spending in Hong Hong rose 25 percent, followed by Malaysia (22 percent), Taiwan (21 percent), the Philippines (19 percent), South Korea (18 percent), Singapore (15 percent), China (14 percent), Thailand (12 percent), Australia (11 percent) and New Zealand (nine percent).

The Asian Development Bank in September raised its forecast for regional growth, saying developing economies would expand by an average of 8.2 percent in 2010 instead of 7.5 percent as predicted earlier in the year.

China plans to expand investment in Africa Agence France-Presse

BEIJING - China said Thursday it would continue to invest Africa, despite criticism over its willingness to ignore human rights abuses, and environment and corruption issues in some countries.

“We believe there is still large room for the investment cooperation between China and Africa,” Zhong Manying, head of the West Asian and African affairs department of the commerce ministry, told reporters.

“We will certainly continue to invest in existing areas of our cooperation and also further expand into new sectors,” she said.

Mining, aviation and other transportation, renewable energy and the financial sector will be the “priority areas” of China’s future investment in African countries, she said.

China had pumped a total of

9.3 billion dollars into Africa by the end of 2009, according to the China-Africa Trade and Economic Relationship Annual Report 2010, launched Thursday by a research institute under the ministry.

Investment in the continent reached 1.44 billion dollars in 2009 alone, compared with 220 million dollars in 2000, the report said, reflecting China’s growing interest in Africa’s resources to fuel its fast-growing economy.

Bilateral trade this year is expected to reach or exceed the record high of 106.8 billion dollars in 2008, the report said, after it fell to 91.1 billion dollars last year due to the financial crisis.

China has been criticised by the West over its support for regimes in places such as Sudan and Zimbabwe, which have been accused of human rights abuses, but many African leaders praise Beijing for not preaching to them over the issue.

12

Friday, October 15, 2010

Entertainment

International

Lambert vows no onstage kiss at Malaysia show Agence France Presse AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Pictures, Ron Batzdorff

In this film publicity image released by Fox Searchlight, Hilary Swank, left, and Sam Rockwell are shown in a scene from, ‘Conviction.’

Review: Swank shows ‘Conviction’ in legal drama Associated Press Writer

Hilary Swank is at her best in working-class, little-people roles, and she’s found another one with “Conviction,” the real-life story of Betty Anne Waters, who put herself through law school on an 18-year fight to clear her brother of a murder rap. The drama is straightforward, even a bit superficial, kind of an “Erin Brockovich” on a bad-hair day — still appealing and inspiring, still ready to take on the system, though rote and predictable here and there.

But Swank, sometimes adrift in lofty parts such as Amelia Earhart in last year’s “Amelia,” keeps “Conviction” grounded with bluecollar pluck and earnestness reminiscent of her Academy Awardwinning roles in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby.”

Swank, also an executive producer on “Conviction,” is nicely aided by excellent performances from Sam Rockwell as Waters’ brother, Kenny, and Minnie Driver as a lawyer pal who joins the effort to free her sibling.

Director Tony Goldwyn and screenwriter Pamela Gray, who previously collaborated on “A Walk on the Moon,” offer flashbacks to show the deep bond between Betty Anne and Kenny, their attachment unshakable despite a

hard-knocks childhood in which they were sometimes separated in different foster homes.

A taste of these childhood moments probably would have been enough, since Swank and Rockwell have such an easy, natural kinship that makes the siblings’ devotion clear and genuine. While touching, the childhood moments pile up a bit too thickly, bogging down the main event.

That main event begins with the 1980 stabbing death of a Massachusetts woman in a robbery at her trailer home. Kenny initially is questioned and released, but three years later, he’s sentenced to life in prison, partly on testimony from two ex-girlfriends (one played by Juliette Lewis in a small but effective role).

With the judicial system shrugging off Kenny’s pleas of innocence, Betty Anne, who has two kids to tend and doesn’t even have a high school diploma, embarks on the long process of getting an education and a law degree in hopes of springing her brother from prison.

Along with Driver as a law school classmate, Betty Anne finds help from attorney Barry Scheck (Peter Gallagher) of the Innocence Project, which pioneered the use of DNA evidence to overturn wrongful convictions.

KUALA LUMPUR - US glam rocker Adam Lambert, who faces a protest by Islamic hardliners at his show in Malaysia Thursday, said he won’t do any on-stage kissing but won’t tone down the rest of his flamboyant act. Lambert, who shot to fame in the American Idol contest, is openly gay and has created controversy with his performances, including at the American Music Awards where he simulated a sex act on stage and kissed a male keyboard player.

“I think some people have a problem with me kissing a guy on stage!” he told a press conference in the capital Kuala Lumpur, as the opposition Islamic party prepared to demonstrate outside his evening performance.

“But you know as much as I hate to compromise any time, it’s more important for me to bring the people of Malaysia my show,” he said, referring to rules set out by authorities before they would let the show go ahead. “My performance will still have a lot of vibe about it. That’s not something I can really control. I’m just refraining from making one little kiss — I don’t think it’s that big a deal.”

He said his choice of songs will remain unchanged, as will his costumes which will feature “lots of leather and some sequins, and spikes and studs and fur — it’s exciting!”

Malaysian authorities have given the green light to the performance despite objections from the conservative Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) who has said Lambert is “morally unfit”. “His gay lifestyle will harm our society. He is of bad, bad character and poses a danger to young Malaysians,” PAS youth chief Nasrudin Hassan said this week.

Lambert said that even with his high profile, his open homosexuality made him the target of harassment. “My message to the youth of the US and the world is that you should be proud of who you are. I know it’s hard. for someone like me who is supposedly successful, I’m still bullied by certain groups,” he said.

“If I focus on the hate... then they’d win and I refuse to do that.” Homosexual sex is a criminal offence in Malaysia, a conservative and predomiAFP PHOTO/ Saeed Khan nantly Muslim country, carrying penalties of up to 20 US glam rocker Adam Lambert speaks at a press years imprisonment. conference inside a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on OctoPerformances by foreign artists frequently come ber 14, 2010. Malaysian authorities have given the under fire, forcing events to be cancelled or modified. green light to Lambert’s show on late 14 October in Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani the capital Kuala Lumpur, part of his Glam Nation were both forced to swap skimpy outfits for more modtour, despite objections from the conservative Panest attire.

Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS).

British pop legend Cliff Richard still rocking at 70 Agence France Presse

LONDON - Cliff Richard, Britain’s most enduringly popular singer, took a break from a series of concerts to celebrate his 70th birthday Thursday.

Richard, who has sold more than 250 million records in a 52-year career, was taking a day off from his run of shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

“For the 70th, even when it comes to a birthday party, I’m not going to have a big party on the day. I’m going to have a quiet night,” he told ITV television.

He said his family were coming over “and we’re going to have an Indian curry.” The singer was born Harry Webb in Lucknow, northern India, on October 14 1940. Cliff Richard and The Shadows were a landmark act in early British rock and roll, with Richard being dubbed England’s answer to Elvis Presley.

Indeed, he and Presley are the only acts to make the British singles charts in every decade. He has also been nicknamed the Peter Pan of Pop for his enduring youthful looks and appeal.

A committed Christian who

shunned the sex, drugs and alcohol lifestyle, in 1995 he became the first rock star to be knighted. Outside Britain, he retains a following in Australasia, southeast Asia and Japan, South Africa, Canada and northern Europe.

His hits include “Move It” (1958), “Living Doll” (1959), “The Young Ones” (1962), “Summer Holiday” (1963), “Congratulations” (1968), “Devil Woman (1976), “We Don’t Talk Anymore” (1979), “Mistletoe and Wine” (1988) and “Saviour’s Day” (1990).

Life Style

International

Friday, October 15, 2010

13

Sony further delays release of Gran Turismo 5 Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO/UBISOFT

A screenshot of the Sant’Angelo castle tower (R) which will be part of the backdrop for the latest instalment of the video game phenomenon Assassin’s Creed. Working with 16th-century maps and records, with the help of historians, developers at the French video game titan Ubisoft worked to recreate Rome as it looked at the time.

Set for release next month, “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” continues the Renaissance tale of betrayed nobleman Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, a descendent of the Altair character who starred in the original title.

Renaissance Rome plays host to new ‘Assassin’ game Agence France Presse

ROME - Saint Peter’s Basilica half-built, the Colosseum in ruins and a blank space where the Trevi fountain now stands: computer whizzes rebuilt 16th-century Rome, with a twist, for the latest instalment of the video game phenomenon “Assassin’s Creed”.

Set for release next month, “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” continues the Renaissance tale of betrayed nobleman Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, a descendent of the Altair character who starred in the original title. “Brotherhood” casts the player as Ezio, a trained killer whose mission is to combat the Knights Templar in the Eternal City.

Street by street, the hero weaves his way through a packed crowd: beggars asking for alms, city guards keeping a watchful eye on the throng, doctors in long-beaked masks offering remedies and potions.

To complete his assignment, Ezio scales the walls of buildings, and vaults from rooftop to rooftop, offer-

ing the player breathtaking views over the virtual cityscape.

Working with 16th-century maps and records, with the help of historians, developers at the French video game titan Ubisoft worked to recreate Rome as it looked at the time.

A stay in the city was par for the course to photograph bricks and rocks in order to recreate the feel of the original buildings, producer Vincent Pontbriand told AFP during a walk through the streets of the Rome to illustrate the design process.

But the Internet helped a lot too, according to game designer Patrick Plourde: “In a few minutes you can check on a detail that would have taken much longer before.”

Details are as lifelike as possible, from the clothes of passers-by to the weapons used by guards or the walkon parts — which include the politician Cesare Borgia, the philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci. But the developers take liberties with history too — as with the roof of Saint Peter’s Basilica which was not yet under construction at the time the game is set.

“We tried to do without it, but no one recognised the building,” said Mohammed Gambouz, creative director for the game at Ubisoft’s Montreal studios. “As soon as we added it, people looked and said, ‘Ah! Now you can tell it’s Rome’.”

Likewise the Roman arches shown in the virtual city are all identical. “We mixed up several arches to create a single one — that doesn’t exist for real,” said Gambouz. The developers also played with building proportions to make the game’s environment visually coherent.

TOKYO - Japan’s Sony will again delay the global release of the latest version of its popular “Gran Turismo” car-racing game, which was due out early next month, officials said Thursday. Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation 3 video-game console was to hit US markets on November 2 and Japan the following day, but the release will now be “this holiday season”, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said.

The delay is due to “production reasons,” said Makiko Noda, a spokeswoman for the electronics giant’s game unit, without elaborating.

The release of Gran Turismo 5 had already been delayed from March this year. Analysts say the game, which will be available in 3D, is crucial for Sony in showcasing its PlayStation Move system, which enables users wearing special glasses to play 3D games using wand-shaped motion controllers.

It will be up against Microsoft’s motion-sensing Kinect system for the Xbox 360, which lets players use body gestures and does not require hand-held controllers.

The delay to the game is therefore “very meaningful,” said Jay Defibaugh, a games and consumer electronics analyst with MF Global FXA Securities.

“Delays are common, but what is less common is delaying it for a second time after having put a very concrete date on it in each region,” he said. “It is a game that is very strategically important for Sony, it is probably the one piece of content that will best highlight the graphic strengths of the PS3 hardware.” He added: “They obviously still need to brush it up.”

Sony’s Noda said it was not clear whether the game would be released in time for “Black Friday”, the day after US Thanksgiving in November and traditionally the biggest shopping day in the United States, the industry’s largest market.

The Gran Turismo series is one of the biggest money makers for Sony’s game business, having sold more than 56 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1997.

Japanese video game rival Nintendo last month said its hugely anticipated handheld 3DS console would miss the key Christmas season, a factor in the company sharply reducing its profit forecast for the year.

IBP/ist

A clip from the game:Gran Turismo 5.

Philippine tax collectors join dance mania Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO/Chester Baldicantos

Ofelia Oliva (R, in pink), the city treasurer along with her staff perform in front of customers (seated) at the city hall in Cebu City, central Philippines on October 13, 2010.

CEBU, Philippines - In the land of dancing prisoners and airline cabin crews, Philippine tax collectors have also caught the toe-tapping bug. Hundreds of people now queue to pay their business and property taxes in Cebu, the country’s numbertwo city, with the added incentive of watching the staff shake their hips, said city treasurer Ofelia Oliva.

“We say to them, paying your taxes is no longer a burden,” Oliva, a grandmother who leads the dancing, told AFP. She said daily local tax collections had risen 42.8 percent to five million pesos (115,700 dollars) since Monday, when the

320-member staff launched the dance routine with pop star Shakira’s 2010 FIFA World Cup theme “Waka Waka”.

The twice-daily performances, one in mid-morning and another in the afternoon, now also include Earth Wind and Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland” and Mardi Gras-themed routines complete with colourful tribal costumes.

Oliva said she developed the shows following an order from city mayor Michael Rama. “The mayor said we should get the taxpayers to pay with a smile,” she said. Just 5.5 million of the Philippines’ labour force of nearly 40 million pay income taxes, according to the internal revenue bureau.

New President Benigno Aquino has launched a “name-and-shame” campaign to get more people to pay their tax obligations with a series of high-profile criminal cases filed against celebrities and businessmen. Cebu made its name in the world of dance with provincial jail prisoners dancing to Michael Jackson’s zombie “Thriller” tune.

A 2007 clip of their performance has logged nearly 45 million hits on the video sharing website YouTube.

Cebu Pacific, a budget airline named after the city, followed suit recently, and footage of its female cabin crew dancing to a Lady Gaga tune has drawn 8.7 million hits over the past two weeks on YouTube.

14

Friday, October 15, 2010

Sport

International

Rooney denies United’s ‘injury’ claims Agence France Presse

AFP PHOTO / PEGASO NEWSPORT ITALY

Serbian hooligans are being arrested by Italian police during clashes after the Italy-Serbia cancelled Euro 2012 football qualifying match early on October 13, 2010 in Genoa. UEFA said on October 13 that it had ordered a thorough disciplinary investigation into “serious” crowd trouble that forced the Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia to be aborted.

UEFA orders disciplinary probe on Italy-Serbia Agence France Presse

GENEVA - UEFA said on Wednesday that it had ordered a thorough disciplinary investigation into “serious” crowd trouble that forced the Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia to be aborted. European football’s governing body underlined in a statement that sanctions up to disqualification from the competition were possible under the rule book, after its disciplinary body meets on October 28 to consider the incidents.

The match, in the north Italian city of Genoa, was abandoned Tuesday night after just six minutes due to Serbian fans throwing flares onto the pitch and at rival Italy supporters. Fourteen people were hospitalised on Wednesday after Serbian fans then clashed with Italian police.

“UEFA confirmed today that it has immediately opened a full and thorough disciplinary investigation into the incidents of serious disorder witnessed at the match and the circumstances surrounding it,” it said. Once the evidence has been gathered, including the referee and match delegate’s reports, the case would be put to UEFA’s control and disciplinary body “for further review and possible sanctions”.

“The sanctions that are available to the Control and Disciplinary Body can be found in the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations... and range from a reprimand or

fine, up to a stadium closure or ‘disqualification from competitions in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions’,” UEFA added.

However, it is not just Serbia who face possible sanctions as UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner told Italian agency ANSA that the governing body would also be investigating the host country’s responsibility to maintain order.

“We can’t yet say anything with relation to the investigation which will be carried out by the Disciplinary Commission but I remind you that our regulations provide not only for a sanction against premeditated actions by either set of fans but also a co-responsability of the host federation for not having adequately guaranteed public order,” he said.

Given the actions of the Serb fans it is unlikely that Italy would face as stiff a penalty as Serbia but UEFA’s press office told AFP that the range of possible sanctions was

the same for both countries.

ANSA also reported that UEFA have asked the Italian Football Association (Figc) to supply video footage from the game. UEFA’s president Michel Platini has first hand experience of football violence - he was playing (alongside Italy coach Cesare Prandelli) for Juventus against Liverpool at the Heysel stadium when rioting left 39 dead and 600 injured in 1985.

And referring to that tragedy the Frenchman commented: “I saw the images of the Italy-Serbia match yesterday and I was shocked, I have too many bad memories linked to violence in football.”

Platinin added: “I am waiting for the results of the inquiry...and I reiterate that UEFA has zero tolerance to violence in stadiums.

“The cooperation of the authorities is key to combat this scurge and I will ask for that at the highest level in the countries touched by this problem.”

LONDON – Wayne Rooney looks set for a collision with his boss at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, after claiming he has been injury-free all season. Ferguson said Rooney had been suffering from a “straightforward ankle injury” when asked to explain why the striker did not travel to Valencia recently for a Champions League clash.

And the United manager blamed the injury again when he left Rooney out of the game at Sunderland 11 days ago, saying at the time: “I have to take the view that this injury has been niggling away for a while and he kept on playing.”

Rooney, however, claims he has been injury-free this season. When asked after England’s midweek draw with Montenegro if his ankle had caused any problems, Rooney replied: “No, I’ve had no ankle problem all season.” Then when asked “Why did Alex Ferguson say you had?”, Rooney laughed and replied: “I don’t know.”

Rooney first encountered prob-

lems with his ankle in the Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich on March 30 but was deemed fit enough to return for the second leg.

Although Rooney was believed to be suffering from the injury in the run up to the World Cup, he is adamant he was fully fit for the tournament even though he was a shadow of his normal self before starting the season for United. Rooney concedes, however, that he is currently lacking in some sharpness and needs a run of games.

Rooney said: “I felt better against Montenegro. You need the games to get your fitness in. “I started the season, played a few games and felt I was getting sharp, and then missed three or four games so you don’t feel as sharp as I thought I would do.

“Towards the end of last season I was injured but during the World Cup, I trained every session and had no problems fitness-wise. “I think in this league you need to keep playing because, if you are not at full fitness, then it’s difficult to break teams down.”

Liverpool takeover battle back in High Court Agence France Presse

LONDON - Liverpool’s ownership war will return to the High Court in London on Thursday after the Premier League team’s American owners used the US courts to prevent the sale of the club. The High Court on Wednesday rejected an attempt by Tom Hicks and George Gillett to block the club’s English directors decision to sell Liverpool to the owners of baseball’s Boston Red Sox. The ruling cleared the way for the board to agree a 300 million pound (475 million dollar) takeover by John W Henry’s New England Sports Ventures (NESV).

But before the board could finalise the sale, Hicks secured a temporary restraining order from a Texas court and the case will now go before High Court judge Christopher Floyd again on Thursday.

Hicks and Gillett, who bought

Liverpool in 2007, claim that the English members of the club’s board — chairman Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre — have failed to act in the best interests of the club. The last-ditch intervention by the American owners on Wednesday means more court action is necessary.

News of the injunction emerged as Liverpool’s directors were meeting with NESV chief Henry in London on Wednesday amid expectations a deal was to be announced.

The lawsuit filed by Hicks and Gillett is against their major creditor, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the three members of Liverpool’s board and NESV. In the US court papers, Hicks and Gillett allege an “epic swindle” which would have sold the club at a price “hundreds of millions of dollars below true market value”. They are also seeking damages of around 1.6 billion dollars.

AFP PHOTO/LEON NEAL

Liverpool Football Club’s Managing Director, Christian Purslow (L), Chairman, Martin Broughton (C), and Director, Ian Ayre leave the High court in central London on October 13, 2010. Liverpool’s US owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks lost a legal bid to block the sale of the club here Wednesday, clearing the way for a takeover of the English football giants.

Sport

International

Friday, October 15, 2010

15

New rules on complaining an adjustment for Celtics Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Jermaine O’Neal believed he had the right to question a referee. By the time he realized he was wrong, Kevin Garnett was being thrown out for doing the same thing. The Boston Celtics met their first obstacle in the road back to the NBA finals on Wednesday, and it wasn’t old age or another team in the Eastern Conference.

It’s the referees. More specifically, the guys who instruct the refs on what to call. Officials will be issuing more technical fouls this season for player complaints, and the Celtics will have to adjust quickly or risk giving away free points to their opponents.

“It’s going to be a long year,” O’Neal said. “A lot of techs, lot of stoppage of play.” The Celtics were whistled for three technical fouls in their 104-101 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. O’Neal was hit with one for questioning a call, and he was still looking for answers when Garnett picked up a pair and earned an automatic ejection.

“I was still dazed by mine. I heard two whistles, I was like `OK, well, Kevin’s gone,’” O’Neal said. “So you talk about three techs in a matter of minutes, probably less than three minutes, which is crazy.” Actually, there were four in 16 seconds.

It’s part of the NBA’s desire to cut down on complaining. The league has warned teams that lingering too long, or reacting too demonstratively, will result in a penalty.

That will be tough for a team such as the Celtics, a team loaded with veteran players who by now feel they know how to interact with ref-

erees. Only now the league is no longer leaving it up to the referees to choose how they will interact.

O’Neal said when he questioned a call that went against him during the second quarter, he was told to walk away, then was T’d up when he asked if he was no longer allowed to talk to the ref.

“The refs are good enough in this league to determine who’s gone too far and who’s not,” O’Neal said. “I’m interested to see what refs, if you made a poll, would they agree with the new rules or the old rules.”

Doesn’t matter, said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. The rules are in place and it’s up to his team to deal with them.

“It’s all of us. We’ve got to keep trying to make this a better product, and so people smarter than me have decided this is what we need to do, then we need to do it,” Rivers said.

“And we need to adhere to it. I don’t think that’s that hard.”

The NBA is trying to clean things up to meet its “respect the game” guidelines. Players will earn technical fouls for overt gestures, such as punching the air in frustration, even if it’s not directed at an official.

Players also will be whistled for rushing up to a ref to question a call with their hands in the air, or actions

such as clapping sarcastically or taking too much time to state their case.

O’Neal was trying to get in position for an offensive rebound when he was called for a foul with 4:39 remaining in the second quarter. Just after he was issued a technical for seeking an explanation, Garnett was near midcourt when he said something to another official, Kane Fitzgerald, who whistled him for a tech. Fitzgerald turned and walked away, then quickly turned around and threw Garnett out after the All-Star forward said something.

Garnett could only laugh before he was escorted off the floor. He wasn’t gone long before Knicks center Timofey Mozgov picked up another T with 4:23 to play for saying something to an official, though hardly in a forceful manner.

“They’re making a statement here in the preseason, but the players are going to adjust,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. “People are going to give money to come out and see the stars play, and even though we’ve got to play within the rules, I think there had to be some kind of leniency.”

Players have been informed of the new guidelines during preseason meetings, and they’ve been surprised by what’s no longer permitted on the floor.

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett reacts after being ejected during the second quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Murray into World Tour Finals with Shanghai success Agence France Presse

TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN

Andy Murray of Britain reacts after losing a point against Jeremy Chardy of France during their third round match at the Shanghai Masters ATP tennis tournament on October 14, 2010.

SHANGHAI - Andy Murray became the fourth man to qualify for next month’s seasonending championships as he defeated Jeremy Chardy 6-3 64 to reach the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters Thursday.

Fellow qualifier Novak Djokovic continued his red-hot form in China, with the twotime Beijing champion hammering Richard Gasquet 6-1, 61 to leave France winless from two matches on another rainy day.

Murray joined Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic in making up half of the field for the elite eight-man ATP season wrapup from November 21 in London.

“It’s a great achievement,” the Scot said of his entry into the year-end field. “I’m obviously very happy to have done it with a few tournaments left.

Today was a good match. I’m happy with how I played.”

Djokovic beat Gasquet for the third time in four meetings, taking less than an hour for a 51st victory this season. Murray advanced in 80 minutes over number 59 Chardy, setting up three

match points with his ninth ace of a match played under the closed roof at the Qi Zhong centre as more rain plagued the outdoor event.

Murray saved the five break points he faced from the Frenchman whom he has now defeated in all three of their meetings.

The fourth-seeded Scot produced 21 winners and 14 unforced errors as he worked to lift his game after last week’s quarter-final disappointment in Beijing.

Robin Soderling, Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer and injured Andy Roddick are the next four in the queue for London qualification.

But results over this week and the next four through to the end of the regular ATP season will decide the final line-up for the World Tour Finals.

On court in Shanghai, Nadal plays his third-round match with the roof closed against Roland Garros semi-finalist Jurgen Melzer, while Federer will hope to follow up his victory on Wednesday which included another winning between-the-legs spectacular as he faces Andreas Seppi standing 6-0 in the series.

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Friday, October 15, 2010

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

Sport

Renault determined to win soon Renault team principal Eric Boullier says his outfit will not be happy until it is back winning races, despite being the most improved outfit of this season. The French car manufacturer could have grabbed another podium finish in Japan last weekend but Robert Kubica was forced to retire from second place in the early stages of the race when his right rear wheel fell off.

IBP/ist

Robert Kubica drive his Renault.

Ferrari insists Massa has full support FERRARI has vowed to stick with Felipe Massa and give him all the support he needs as he bids to recover from his recent disappointments. After a first corner exit in Japan, on the back of a gearbox failure that left him at the back of the grid in Singapore, Massa has come under pressure to recover his form in a bid to help team-mate Fernando Alonso grab the title.

In the build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo also issued a veiled warning that Massa had to lift his game - as any driver not doing his

bit for the team would not continue there.

Di Montezemolo’s comments fuelled fresh speculation that Massa could be on the way out of the team – and there has even been talk that race engineer Rob Smedley may follow him.

Ferrari has however repeatedly insisted that Massa will definitely be staying at Ferrari in 2011 – and team principal Stefano Domenicali said the outfit was ready to help and support the Brazilian. “More than what I have said I don’t know what we have to do,” Domenicali said when

asked by AUTOSPORT about the latest Massa speculation following di Montezemolo’s statement.

“I think that at the moment it is important to keep him calm and concentrated. He [Massa] knows that the team is totally behind him, there is no doubt about it.

“It is part of this game, it is part of this sport, part of this pressure from outside. But what we need to do is stay close to him, and he is very strong mentally. “He is the first to show in the last races who he is, and what his real value is – which we know.”

Although Kubica’s form on a demanding aero circuit like Suzuka is a huge boost to Renault, Boullier says that the outfit is still eager to do much more over the winter - as it tries to secure the finances that will allow it to keep up an aggressive development push.

“We are a competitor and we will never be happy until we win,” Boullier told AUTOSPORT about Renault’s progress. “But we have clearly made a good step forward if you look at the global figure.

“It was a big effort from the team as well to achieve this. We now need to make sure that the team resources are capable to do the same - so we can move and build on what we have achieved, which is already a part of the success. We now need to go to the end of the project.”

With Boullier heading into his first winter in charge of the team, and Kubica now well bedded in, Renault has a good chance of making further progress in 2011.

“We are definitely looking forward to keep building on what we have achieved,” he said. “We found some keys to improve and do well, and the team itself made clearly some good steps in this year.

“So now we need to make sure that during the winter we achieve another step, which allows us to fight for more podiums next year and even for wins.”