Edisi 21 Januari 2011 | International Bali Post

16 Pages Number 31 3rd Year Price: Rp 3.000,-

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Friday, January 21, 2011

Hong Kong seizes $33 mn cocaine haul PAGE 6

Indonesia seeks Bali success in Lombok PAGE 8 AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA

Brazilian National Force rescue workers carry the body of a boy on the scene of a recent landslide, where seven people were found buried among debris in the neighbourhood of Jardilandia, in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on January 19, 2011.

At least 207 missing in Brazil floods, 741 dead

‘American Idol’ returns, with J.Lo but not Cowell PAGE 12

Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO – At least 207 people are still missing after Brazil’s worst landslides in decades, authorities said on Wednesday, as the death toll from the disaster in a scenic mountain region reached 741.

The list of missing people released by the Rio de Janeiro state prosecutor’s office — the first official estimate of the number of missing since the catastrophe struck a

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Associated Press Writer

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MILAN – Silvio Berlusconi and the Moroccan teenager at the center of an underage prostitution probe targeting the Italian premier both denied any sexual contact in separate comments Wednesday.

Berlusconi taped a video message — the second time in a few days — to defend himself from the probe by Milan prosecutors into his encounters with the teenager, nicknamed Ruby Rubacuori (Ruby the Heart-Stealer).

The 74-year-old leader charged that the prosecutors used methods

SUNNY

BRIGHT/CLOUDY

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week ago — suggests the final death toll could be close to 1,000. Local officials in the worst-affected towns of Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo said the number of missing was at

least 300. Many of them are believed buried under the avalanches of mud and debris from flash floods that destroyed hundreds of homes.

“There are families that were so decimated that there is no one left to confirm who’s missing,” said Roberto Botto, a spokesman for the Civil Defense agency in Nova Friburgo, where at least 345 people died.

The death toll is still rising steadily as rescuers reach isolated

areas and dig out more bodies from the wreckage of neighborhoods that were swept away by landslides and floods triggered by intense rains in southeast Brazil last week.

Army helicopters have been running missions to remote areas to pick up survivors and help them dig corpses from their ruined houses. Hundreds of people are believed to still be in areas at risk of fresh mudslides.

Continued on page 6

Moroccan teen says Berlusconi never touched her worthy of a Mafia criminal and said he would not respond to a summons by the prosecutors this weekend because he does not want to give credence to an investigation he called illegitimate and politically driven.

“There’s nothing I should be ashamed of,” Berlusconi said. “I would like to go on trial immediately — but with impartial judges, not with prosecutors who want to use this case as a means of political fight.”

Prosecutors allege Berlusconi paid for sex with the girl, then a minor, and used his office to cover

it up. They have forwarded 389 pages of material, including wiretaps, to parliament to get special permission to search some of Berlusconi’s properties. Examining the documents will take at least a week, news reports said.

Hours before Berlusconi’s video statement, the teenager appeared on a talk show aired on the Mediaset network that the premier founded.

Appearing composed during most of the two 20-minute segments, Ruby said she never worked as a prostitute and that Berlusconi never “put a finger on me.”

AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Moroccan girl nicknamed Ruby.

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International

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bali News

Bali loses IDR 24 billion of fiscal tax Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Government policy exempting the fiscal tax for all citizens of Indonesia consequently causes Bali to lose potential fiscal tax revenue worth IDR 24 billion. The fiscal tax-free policy earmarked for the owners and non-owners of taxpayer identification number (NPWP) is valid since 2011.

Previously, the fiscal tax-free policy was only given to the owners of taxpayer identification number or taxpayer ID. “The potential loss of tax revenue due to implementation of fiscal tax-free policy in Bali in 2011 is around IDR 24 billion. In accordance with the policy of the central government, all citizens going abroad are entitled to get this facility,” said the Head of Bali Regional Office of Directorate General of Taxation (DJP), Zulfikar Thahar, in Denpasar on Wednesday (Jan 19).

According to him, acquisition of the fiscal tax from 4,800 Indonesian citizens traveling abroad during the period of 2010 decreased to IDR 12 billion compared to the period of 2009 reaching IDR 24 billion from 9,700 Indonesian citizens. The decrease was almost half of the value received previously due to the implementation of fiscal tax-free policy for the owners of taxpayer ID. The number of citizens paying fiscal tax was only few if compared to citizens traveling abroad. In 2009, the number of citizens paying fiscal tax was only 9,700 of the total citizens going abroad amount-

ing to 122,144 people. “Within the period of 2010, the amount people paying fiscal tax were only 4,800 from the total number of more than 115,000 people.

Many Indonesian citizens obtained fiscal tax-free facility,” he said.

Nevertheless, the loss of potential fiscal tax revenue would not have much impact on the total tax revenue of Bali in the period of 2011. Similarly, it happened to the handover of the rights acquisition levy to land and building (BPHTB) to the regency/city government. “We will boost the resources of other taxes because a lot of potential taxes can still be optimized,” he said.

He added that Directorate General of Taxation would continue to appeal the public to have a taxpayer identification number as a good citizen. Based on data of the Directorate General of Taxation, up to these days the owners of taxpayer ID in Indo-

nesia had reached more than 18.7 million. During the period of January 1 to September 30, 2010, the Directorate General of Taxation had registered 2.8 million owners of taxpayer ID. “The fiscal tax-free for overseas trip is feared to make people lazy to have taxpayer ID. Hopefully, this rule will not make people reluctant to have the taxpayer ID,” he said.

The purpose of fiscal tax-free facility for people aged 21 and over was to improve the justice in the society. Those who did not have a taxpayer ID remained to be able to get the benefit. Previously, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010, the fiscal tax-free facility was only applied to the owners of taxpayer ID. Such a new policy posed a part of the government’s program to make it easier for those who went abroad for various purposes such as education or medical check-ups and drive the community to have a taxpayer ID. (par)

Community complains about waste on Jalan Raya Tuban Mangupura (Bali Post)—

Tuban community complained about the restaurant waste along the Jalan Raya Tuban. Allegedly, a number of restaurants in the area do not equip their business with waste treatment. It inevitably turns to become a public highlight and a number of community leaders of Tuban urged the government to immediately address the classical problem.

Chairman of the Tuban community empowerment agency (LPM), Made Dasi, said on Wednesday (Jan 19) that many restaurants such as those offering Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean food grew rapidly along the Jalan Raya Tuban to Ngurah Rai Airport. The mushrooming of the restaurant business was not accompanied by the awareness of the entrepreneurs to keep the environment

sustainable. Many of those restaurants were not equipped with effluent treatment system. Instead, their liquid waste was dumped directly into the sidewalk.

According to him, the liquid waste triggered very rotten odor and disturbed local residents. More tragically, the wastewater occasionally overflowed onto a number of points along the Jalan Raya Tuban.

Dasi further asked the government, especially the Badung Highways Construction and Maintenance, to check the sidewalks along the Jalan Raya Tuban. Allegedly, it had caused sedimentation due to excessive waste and ultimately resulted in the overflowing waste onto the road body. Moreover, the sidewalk in the region had been classified into the

old one.

Aside from liquid waste, many perforated sidewalks were often used as a waste disposal site by local residents.

Residents suspected that one of the causes of perforated pavement was the roots of shady trees damaging the sidewalks body. Dasi said if the roots were not cut, it was feared the flow of water under the sidewalks would be clogged. “On that account, we ask the Badung Sanitation and Landscaping Services (DKP) to recheck the roots of shady trees,” he said.

In response to this matter, the Head of the Badung Sanitation and Landscaping Services, Putu Eka Merthawan, promised to immediately make coordination with the Badung Highways Construction and Maintenance (Bina Marga), especially in dealing with the sidewalks. (kmb25)

IBP/ist

Tuna processing in Benoa Harbor.

Climatic anomalies, tuna exports get slumped Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Climatic anomaly engulfing the waters of Indonesia, particularly the waters of Bali, was also felt by the tuna exporters. The exports of fresh tuna fish as the catch proceeds of fishermen to a number of countries such as Japan faced a sluggishness. Large waves and heavy winds made the fishermen fear to sail.

“Lately, the exports of fresh tuna found an obstacle. Even today, we are virtually unable to catch fish because the 30 tuna boats we have were being moored. Meanwhile, the demand of importers continued to increase,” said the exporter of Sari Segara Utama, Nyoman Sarya, Wednesday (Jan 19).

According Sarya, the bad weather condition hitting the waters caused the fishermen not to dare go to sea, so the export activities were disturbed. Nevertheless, the condition was still supported by the revenue of frozen fish export. “Fortunately, the importers can understand that such bad weather did not only happen in Indonesia but also in other tuna exporting countries,” he said.

Unfriendly weather and prolonged rains from 2010 until earlier this year also caused the fate of fishermen to be getting worse and worse. As consequence, the price of fish also increased up to 40-50 percent as most fishermen did not go to sea.

“Traditional fishermen in the village of Kedonganan get unemployed within the past few weeks and preferred not to go to sea because the waters were affected by bad weather and accompanied by heavy rains,” said Wayan Nasib, Secretary of the Kerta Bali Fishermen Group.

The fishermen, recognized by Wayan Nasib, preferred to stay at home following a high waves accompanied by heavy rains. “Bad weather condition has threatened at least five million fishermen of Indonesia to be poor,” revealed Nasib.

The restricted supply of fish was justified by Made Suma, the owner of Blue Ocean Café at Kedonganan. Currently, the supply of fish to the cafe decreased, both from suppliers and fishermen. “If decline in supply occurs during the high season of tourist, then we will be at a loss. Luckily, it is now the low season,” he said.

Tuna exports of Bali during the period of January to July 2010 reached USD 53.7 million or an increase of six per cent compared to same period within the last year reaching USD 50.6 million. Tuna production, both of fresh and canned, had contributed some 16.7 percent of the Bali’s revenue. In other words, it was the Bali’s second biggest contributor after textiles and textile products reaching USD 73 million. (par)

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,Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan,. NTB: Agus Talino, Syamsudin Karim, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. 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, January 21, 2011

3

Children are palying on the beach. Based on recent data, the number of kids’ lives neglected and support their lives as street kids by begging and more have reached 24.600 people.

For Villa Construction

Five Hectare Land Freed in Nusa Penida Semarapura (Bali Post) –

Four to five hectares of land at Nusa Penida are freed for villa construction. The locations picked were strategic points for tourist development in the area. “The investor have freed those lands and should have invested its modal in Nusa Penida,” Klungkung Regent, Wayan Candra, stated a while ago.

It is admitted the person who admitted as an investor keeps coming to Klungkung including Nusa Penida these past few years.

These investors are not only from inside Indonesia but also from outside such as Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and more yet not one of them have invested until now, “This one is certain.”

Candra did not explained it thoroughly which land parts are being freed as to him there are many potential angles that can be new tourist objects there besides Nusa Lembongan and Jungutbatu which are Penida Beach, Pasih Uug, Pasih Andus, Atuh area and more, “For sure, the four to five hectares of land that was freed were planned to be villas.”

What if who came is only a

pander? Candra explained he is not differentiating who ever comes. Those who admitted as investor will be welcomed well and he realized this is needed for development and escalating the people’s economy wealth.

Connecting to the number of people suspected the rare investors was due to a high percentage request, Candra answered with a smile and admitted to have funded investor visitation including crossing, meals and accommodation to Nusa Penida. Meanwhile, for those investors willing to invest in Klungkung are hoped for constructions in estuary dam, clean water facility support for Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan (Sarbagita) and other development programs. (kmb20)

Banyan Tree Hit Pura Belanjong Denpasar (Bali Post) –

Strong wind with rain pouring in Denpasar last Wednesday (19/1) caused more damage. A banyan tree fell and hit temple Pura Belanjong, located in Sanur, around 8 am local time according to the temple’s priest as stated by Renon Village Head, Made Sutama. At least four shrines Gedong Linggih Bhatara Istri, Padmasana, Bale Pawedan, and Bale Banten were hit.

From Bali Post’s supervision, what’s most damaged was the Gedong Linggih Bhatara Istri. Besides hitting its roof, its supporting pillars were also broken, “The other two shrines only had its roof damaged.”

The village has coordinated with Cleanness and Horticulture Agency (DKP) Denpasar in handling the broken tree.

Sub District Leader of South Denpasar, I Made Mertajaya, also came to location to see it.

Sutama stated, the incident is unholy, so to regain holiness of the place there are ceremonies need to be done with many kinds of offerings and ceremony equipments such as guru piduka, banten pangulapan, pakeling atur piuning, pracita and more. It is said that this Pura is one of the assets of Ancient Board for B a l i , E a s t a n d We s t N u s a Tenggara. Inside this Pura is the Belanjong site and for that the shrines and sculptures are all very ancient.

The pura’s committee/guardian consists of four banjar/villages which are Renon Village, Banjar Ceramcam Kesiman with 9 families, Banjar Taman Sanur with 2 families and Banjar Lantang HIdung Sukawati with 36 families, “The most number of members come from Renon. This is connected to the Sri Kesari Warmadewa history.” (kmb12)

IBP/file

In Bali Ten Thousands Kids Neglected Denpasar (Bali Post) – Just like other provinces in Indonesia, Bali couldn’t free itself from neglected kids. Based on recent data, the number of kids’ lives neglected and support their lives as street kids by begging and more have reached 24.600 people, coming from families in poverty. Most of them cut schools or did not have any formal education due to limited finance.

When contacted last Wednesday (19/1), Head Bali Province Publication and Documentation’s Public Relation and Protocol Bureau Section, I Ketut Teneng, did nto deny this situation. For that, Teneng declined statements that Bali government is closing their eyes to this condition.

It is clarified, in this era of Mangku Pastika and Puspayoga, they have started a number of strategic programs in involving these neglected kids especially in taking them back to school so they can get the suitable formal education, “This is the heaviest challenge.”

Besides bringing them back, Bali government coordinate with the regions and cities in Bali in giving life skills through structured and systematic training activities. It is hoped with it they will have something to support them in finding jobs or creating a new field of occupation minimal for itself, “With this life skills received, we hope they will not only stay in roadsides. Besides that, they still will be given formal education which goes with the 12 Years Study Obligatory program provided by Bali Government.”

According to Teneng, this obligatory is to free Bali from street kids is not only government’s responsibility. Those people who’s economy condition is quite good are also hoped to participate actively in being godparents by meaning will save a few from their income to give education fee for these neglected kids, “In order to stop these neglected kids happening, Bali province also developed godparents pattern for these kids who

are still going to school. This is an effort to target Bali free from illiteracy.”

These statements by I Ketut Teneng are no joke and not only sayings. Bali government efforts can be seen from a number of strategic programs started by Education, Youth and Sports Agency for Bali. In the 2011 budget, Bali through this agency have allocated IDR 1 billion to bring back hundreds of cut schools pupils to go back to school. Besides this retrieval budget, Bali has also had IDR 14,28 billion in saving thousands of pupils education continuation in Elementary, Junior High, High and Vocational Schools which are coming from poor families, “With this huge allocated scholarship, we hope there will be no more kids from poverty has to cut school and adding more neglected kids in the streets. Meanwhile for those who are already on the streets, we are trying to bring them back to school by allocating the retrieval budget.” (kmb13)

Junior High School Student Forbidden to Ride Motorcycles The number of traffic accidents victimizing junior high and high/vocational school pupils in Buleleng region has risen up as every year at least ten accidents involved them.

With that reality, a number of schools in Buleleng started to forbid their pupils to ride motorcycles going to school especially those who does not have driving license (SIM).

Buleleng Traffic Police stated, the last two months of year 2010, 95 traffic accidents happened. From that number, as much as 24 cases involved pupils with 18 cases in November and 6 cases in December.

Which means almost 30 percent of the accidents involved pupils in Buleleng itself.

From Bali Post’s supervision, the junior high school pupils in Singaraja City and also in the littlest village have rode motorcycle on their own to school.

As teachers forbid them to ride, they smartly did not park their bikes on the school parking space yet on a resident

house nearby or roadsides quite far from the school area. “These pupils who rode motorcycles usually place their motorcycles in a resident house nearby then walk to school. For that we can’t supervise it that far as we saw them walking to school,” One of the State Junior High School teachers in west part of Singaraja city explained.

A number of teachers in other schools admitted could not take serious action against this situation as many parents are complaining due to the forbid. Many parents are having reasons of busy so they can’t bring and picking up their kids so they allow their kids to ride motorcycles.

Besides busy, the other reason was that schools in Buleleng are not passed by public transport so children are told to use motorcycles.

Head of Buleleng Traffic Police, AKP Michael R Risakotta, SH, SIK accompanied by Dikyasa First Inspector Ni Nyoman Seniwati, confirmed this situation. According to

him, it seems parents are purposely letting their kids going by motorcycles with the reason being busy when actually as stated on Law No.22/2009 on traffic, only those with SIM C with age 17 years old and SIM A with 18 years old are allowed to ride motorcycles/cars. These pupils are mostly underage and so they don’t have any licenses, “Yet it seemed the people are ignoring this and letting pupils go by motorcycles on their own to school or going out.”

As the police, Michael mentioned that they will take clear action on fining pupils who does not have licenses and will occur everyday. Yet this is worried to affect school activities. For that, he hoped all sides including teachers, parents and the pupils themselves to start realizing the danger that could happen on the roads moreover for those underage who don’t understand traffic rules, “As a first step, we will give socialization of the traffic laws to schools.” (ole)

4

News

Friday, January 21, 2011

International

Obama, Hu air divides but seek trust Agence France Presse

WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao sparred Wednesday over human rights but smoothed over sharp differences and a dearth of breakthroughs by vowing to work to build trust. On a long-awaited state visit, Hu made the unusual comment for a Chinese president that “a lot” remained to be done on freedoms in China, but pointedly did not share Obama’s definition of universal human rights.

Later, the two presidents swapped the dry language of diplomacy for a gala state dinner, sprinkled with stars like action hero Jackie Chan and pop diva Barbra Streisand, in White House rooms bathed in purple and red lights. “While it is easy to focus on our differences, in cultures and perspective, let us never forget the values that our people share,” Obama said in a toast to Hu, pointing to mutual hard work, sacrifice and love of family.

Earlier, trumpets sounded and a 21-gun salute blasted over Washington as Hu arrived at a White House draped with US and Chinese flags,

in the most sumptuous pageantry a US president can muster. But tough talking soon ensued.

At a frank press conference, there were few signs the leaders had ended disagreements on the rate of China’s yuan currency, access to Chinese markets or strategic issues, despite an earlier announcement of tens of billions of dollars in US export deals.

But both sides promised to seek further cooperation on the world’s most pressing issues and Obama welcomed China’s rise as a key power and looked forward to an era of “friendly competition.” The president

Tunisians protest in central Tunis on January 19, 2011.

Some 2,000

AFP PHOTO / FRED DUFOUR

Tunisia ministers resign from ruling party Reuters

TUNIS – Ministers in Tunisia’s interim government have resigned from the ruling party, responding to street protesters’ demands for an end to its influence after the overthrow of President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali. The move announced on state television on Thursday could go some way to restoring credibility in the government after four opposition ministers quit the cabinet this week, saying ruling RCD party ministers must go.

The prime minister and president left the party this week. Street protesters in Tunis and elsewhere have kept up pressure for a government free of ties with the old guard while a prominent dissident said he would run for president to sweep the former leadership from power.

In further moves to seize the assets of the former ruling family, a bank owned by Ben Ali’s son-in-law

has been placed under the control of the central bank, state TV said. A day earlier, 33 of Ben Ali’s clan were arrested for crimes against the nation. State television showed what it said was seized gold and jeweler.

Switzerland froze Ben Ali’s family assets.

Demonstrators, though less numerous than during the days of rage which unseated Ben Ali, continued to insist on the removal of all ministers from his once feared RCD party on Wednesday.

Only that, they said, could satisfy the hopes of their “Jasmine Revolution”, which has grew out of anger at poverty and unemployment at home and delivered a shock to autocrats across the Arab world. The country’s interim leaders said they had freed the last of its political prisoners and promised a “complete break with the past” on Wednesday to appease the protesters who forced Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia last week.

also candidly laid out US differences with China, demanding a level playing field for US firms, said the yuan was “undervalued” and encouraged dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives over Tibet.

Obama, under pressure because his successor as Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo is in a Chinese jail, acknowledged China had a different political system than America, but said he would not shirk from raising rights issues. “We have some core views as Americans about the universality of certain rights — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly — that we think are very important and that transcend cultures,” he said.

“I have been very candid with President Hu about these issues.”

Later, a senior US official said that Obama had personally raised the case of Liu, jailed in 2009 on subversion charges, though did not detail Hu’s response.

AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

US President Barack Obama (R) Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive for the State Dinner at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2011.

Lebanon boosts security; political crisis deepens Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT – Lebanese troops tightened security around the prime minister’s office and other government buildings Thursday as a political crisis deepened over a U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of a former prime minister. A senior security official confirmed to The Associated Press that the security measures in and around Beirut stem from “concerns of movements on the ground by some parties.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Special police forces were seen hauling cement barriers around the government house in Beirut and putting up reinforce-

ments around government buildings and banks. Tanks deployed in many areas of the city.

The new measures follow the departure from Beirut of Qatari and Turkish mediators after two days of talks that apparently failed to resolve the differences between Lebanon’s main rival factions and bring them back together in a coalition government.

The crisis stems from the investigation into who killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — and 22 others — in a massive truck bombing along Beirut’s waterfront.

The U.N. court, which is widely expected to accuse the Shiite Hezbollah, filed a sealed draft indictment Monday, touching off a process many fear could ignite new bloodshed nearly six years after the assas-

AP Photo/Grace Kassab

A Lebanese army tank takes up position under a bridge in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Saudi Arabia has abandoned efforts to mediate in Lebanon’s political crisis, removing a key U.S. ally from talks to ease tensions after Hezbollah toppled the government in Beirut last week.

sination.

Hezbollah denies any role in Hariri’s killing and forced the collapse of the government last week when Prime Minister Saad Hariri — the son of the slain leader — refused to renounce the tribunal and pull Lebanon’s funding for the court.

The militant group says the tribunal is a conspiracy by Israel and the United States. There are concerns that supporters of the group may take to the streets, setting the stage for sectarian fighting similar to Shiite-Sunni street clashes that killed 81 people in 2008.

Hariri was Lebanon’s most prominent Sunni leader. The collapse of the Western-backed government was a blow to the United States and its Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Syria and Saudi Arabia — who back rival camps in Lebanon — had for months been trying to find a settlement to the crisis. When those efforts failed, ministers of Hezbollah and their allies pulled out of the unity Cabinet, toppling the government.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said it was abandoning efforts to mediate, dealing a setback to American diplomacy in the region and raising concerns in Lebanon the crisis was headed for a confrontation. Qatar and Turkey tried to pick up on the Saudi and Syrian initiative. But two days of meetings by their foreign ministers with rival Lebanese politicians appeared to have failed to produce a deal.

International

Activities

Friday, January 21, 2011

5

Experience a gastronomic journey of Michelin Star IBP

NUSA DUA - Marcello Fabbri first gained experience in the kitchen of his Aunt’s hotel in Rimini at the age of 9 and when he turned 13, the Italian resolved to make a career of his passion for cooking.

Marcello has worked under world class chefs such as Gino Angelini, who is today accepted as the best Italian chef in Los Angeles, Gualtiero Marchesi in Sardinia and Mario Gamba in Munich.

Marcello has been with Weimar’s historic Hotel Elephant since 1993 in the capacity of head chef at the Anna Amalia Restaurant and has established the restaurant as the top gourmet restaurant in the eastern part of the German Federation and with his enduring excellence; he led the restaurant to win an award in the Michelin Guide in November 2010.

With this award, Anna Amalia is, for the eighth time in a row, the only restaurant there to possess the coveted star in a long time. Some prominent guests who have dined on Marcello’s creations include the German Chancellor Schroder, Russian Federation President Putin and singer Jennifer Lopez.

Signature Beachfront Restaurant Kayuputi presents, for the second year running, an opulent and sumptuous a la carte menu on Saturday, 12 and Sunday, 13 February 2011, showcasing the defined creation of Michelin Star Chef, Marcello Fabbri together with the restaurant’s expert chefs.

Marcello will create an unforgettable dining experience as he invents a culinary extravaganza with his creative flair which extends from handmade lobster tortellini and lemon risotto with scallops Carpaccio and Karat oscetra caviar to an inspiring selection of main courses which include Tasmanian salmon gently poached in olive oil, slow braised local pigeon as well as grain fed Australian lamb loin bone-in, culminating in a decadent dessert of caramelized mango phyllo tart with pannacotta and peach-rosemary sorbet. Guests can indulge in the Michelin Star Chef’s a la carte dishes or create for themselves a 3, 4 or 6 course set menu from the chef’s recommended a la carte dishes.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event forJanuary 3 through January 26, 2011 04 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main ritual of twelfth month commanced with temple annyversary celebration of Pura Accompanied by Gambang orchestra at 18.00 pm.

Temple anniversary celebration at Pura Dalem Puri,Pura Ulun Kulkul, Pura Kiduling Kreteg, Pura Benua Kawan,Besakih complex,districk of Rendang,Karangasem regency 05 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Main Ceremony held at Pura Jero when the whole temple adherents go praying to the temple in their finest traditional dress while Gambang orchestra cheeras the atmosphere at 17.00 pm.

06 January Special Event at Tenganan Pegringsingan Usaba Sadha Last ritual held at Pura Jero ended with procession of Deities back to Subak Pemaksan (the agricultural temple) at 18.00 pm. Followed by special event held for the elderly people of the village.

12 January Temple anniversary celebration at: * Pura Luhur Pucak Padang Dawa, Bangli village,distict of Baturiti, Tabanan Regency * Pura Silayukti,Padangbai village, district of manggis,Karangasem Regency * Pura Air Jeruk,South Beach of Sukawati Village,Gianyar Regency * Pura Dangin Pasar,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regensy

* Pura Desa Lembeng,Ketewel village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Penataran,Batuyang Village, District of Sukawati.Gianyar regency * Pura Budha Kliwon,Penatih Village, east of denpasar 19 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Ratu Pasek Besakih (the mother temple) complex,distric of Rendang, Karangasem Regency * Pura Dalem Batur Village, distric of kintamani,Bangli regency 22 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Dalem Tarukan,Bebalang village, South oe the town of bangli. * Pura Benua Kangin,Besakih (the mother temple complex)Karngasem Regensy * Pura Dalem,Pemuteran,Jelantik tojan Village,Klungkung regensy * Pura Pucak Sari,Gunung Sari Village,district of Penebel,Tabanan Regency.

26 January Temple anniversary celebrations at: * Pura Bandesa Mas Kepisah,Pedungan village, south of denpasar * Pura Pasar agung,Kaba-kaba village, district of kediri,Tabanan regency * Pura Dalem Petinget, Kerobokan village, district of kuta,Badung regency * Pura Dalem Pulasari,samprangan village, district of blahbatuh,Gianyar regency * Pura Natih,Banjar kalan,Batuan Village, District of Sukawati,Gianyar regency

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.

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Friday, January 21, 2011

News

Hong Kong seizes $33 mn cocaine haul Agence France Presse

HONG KONG – Hong Kong customs officers have made the territory’s second largest ever drugs haul, seizing cocaine worth HK$260 million ($33.4 million) hidden in planks bound for mainland China.

The seizure of 290 kilogrammes (639 pounds) of the drug was the largest yet made by the city’s Customs and Excise Department and is believed to be the second biggest the city has seen, a customs spokesman told AFP Thursday.

Customs officials discovered the drugs hidden in dozens of hollowedout wooden planks in a shipment originating from Bolivia on December 29 last year, a statement on Wednesday evening said.

Inside each of the planks were three slabs of cocaine wrapped in plastic and carbon paper, each weighing about 1.1 kilogrammes (2.4 pounds).

The discovery was only made public Wednesday because officials were hoping that someone would claim the consignment, local reports said Thursday. The concealment method was “sophisticated” and “well thought out”, the customs spokesman said.

Carbon paper was used to try to avoid detection by X-ray machines, while plastic wrap and glue were used to mask the smell of the drug from sniffer dogs, he added. The shipment was trucked from Bolivia to Chile, where it was loaded onto a container ship. It arrived in Hong Kong via Taiwan late last month, where the city’s customs officers discovered the cocaine.

No arrests have been made so far.

AFP/File/Laurent Fievet

File photo shows Hong Kong Customs Drug Investigation Bureau officers arranging bags of seized cocaine prior to a press conference. Hong Kong customs officers have made the territory’s second largest ever drugs haul, seizing cocaine worth HK$260 million (US$33.4 million) hidden in planks bound for mainland China.

In April last year, Hong Kong police seized 372 kilogrammes (820 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of $43 million in a village in northern Hong Kong while searching for a missing person.

Figures show an upward trend in narcotics entering the former British colony through seaports rather than its airport, the spokesman said, add-

ing that this has prompted customs officers to step up inspection of inbound shipments.

“Customs will make every effort to ensure Hong Kong will not become a distribution point for drugs,” he added. Under Hong Kong law, drug trafficking carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of HK $5 million ($643,000).

Iran to propose new nuclear fuel swap deal: report Reuters

DUBAI – Iran will propose a new version of a nuclear fuel swap at talks this weekend with world powers that have tightened sanctions on Tehran due to concerns about its atomic activities, Al Arabiya television reported on Thursday.

The Saudi-owned TV news channel did not identify the “sources familiar with the plan” that appeared to be a revised version of a deal which was agreed in principle at a previous round of talks in 2009 but then fell apart.

Western analysts and diplomats said any such offer was unlikely to be acceptable to the other par-

ties which will meet with Iran in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday.

Expectations are low for a breakthrough on the nuclear dispute which led last year to tightened U.N. and unilateral sanctions against Iran, which many countries fear is pursuing nuclear weapons capability, something Tehran denies, saying its program is for peaceful purposes.

Al Arabiya said Iran would offer to ship 1,000 kg of its low enriched uranium (LEU) and 40 kg of other uranium, presumably a reference to fuel enriched to 20 percent purity, abroad for further processing. Iranian officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

The other countries at Istanbul —

the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — are unlikely to accept such an offer as it would not mean a sufficient amount of LEU would be shipped out of Iran which has continued to build up its stockpile of the material, rejecting repeated demands from the U.N. Security Council to suspend enrichment.

Enriched uranium can be used as fuel for power stations or provide material for bombs if refined much further. “I’m very, very skeptical about it. I don’t think the Americans can accept such a proposal,” one European diplomat in Vienna, where the U.N. nuclear watchdog is based, said about the reported Iranian proposal.

Muhammad cartoonist calls attacker ‘cowardly liar’ Associated Press Writer

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – A Danish cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad told a court Thursday that the ax-wielding Somali man who broke into his home wanted to kill him and is lying about the purpose of the attack. Testifying in a terrorism trial, Kurt Westergaard said he feared he would be AP Photo/Ernst van Norde/POLFOTO “slaughtered” by the 29- Danish security police check year-old intruder who members of the Danish media in stormed into the house on Aarhus Denmark Wednedsay Jan, New Year’s Day, 2010.

19, 2011 before letting them into “He was like a reli- the court room. gious, insane young man.

I believed he entered the house as a holy warrior who wanted to kill an infidel,” Westergaard told the court in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city. Westergaard locked himself inside a panic room and escaped the attack unharmed.

The defendant, who cannot be named under a court order, told the court as the trial opened Wednesday that he just wanted to scare the cartoonist and didn’t intend to hurt him. Westergaard said that was untrue, calling the defendant a “madman” as well as a “cowardly liar.”

Westergaard’s drawing was one of 12 cartoons of Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper in September 2005, triggering violent protests across the Muslim world four months later. The defendant, who was shot in the knee by police as he left Westergaard’s house, is charged with terrorism and with “assault with intent to kill” for hurling the ax at a police officer. He has pleaded not guilty, though he acknowledges acting violently toward the police.

After the attack, Denmark’s intelligence agency said the man had links with the Somali militant group al-Shabab and al-Qaida leaders in eastern Africa. A spokesman in Somalia for al-Shabab denied the man is a member of the group.

If convicted of terrorism, the defendant could face life in prison, although such sentences are generally reduced to 16 years under Danish law. A verdict is expect in early February.

At least 207 missing...

From page 1 Some of them are cut off from help by smashed roads and bridges, while others refuse to leave for fear their houses will be raided by looters. The floods and mudslides hit with such force that the geography of the region has changed profoundly, officials said.

“Streams turned into wide, deep rivers. There is a huge geographical change; it’s as if towns were completely reshaped,” said Icaro Moreno, president of EMOP, a government public works firm.

“People in these mountainside areas aren’t as secure as they used to think.”

The federal government vowed this week to set up a national early warning system that could alert communities to approaching natural dangers.

Populist politics and lack of urban planning across much of Brazil has allowed the construction of whole neighborhoods in areas with high risk of flooding and mudslides.

Rain Alert

Brazilian officials put Sao Paulo on alert Wednesday as heavy rains hit the metropolis. In Rio state, meanwhile, deaths from last week’s mudslides rose to 727. Rains falling in Sao Paulo flooded major highways, a day after downpours stranded motorists, forcing them to be rescued by helicopter from atop their vehicles.

One woman died when her house collapsed in the Tuesday rains.

The mayor’s office issued flood alerts for much of the city, but no new deaths were reported Wednesday.

In towns north of Rio de Janeiro where the deadly mudslides hit last week, a break in rain allowed rescuers to step up delivery of supplies to isolated areas. They also recovered bodies, pushing up the death toll.

International

Indonesia Today

Friday, January 21, 2011

7

Graft scandal pressures Indonesia leader Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA – The jailing of a rogue tax official whose exploits shocked Indonesia will do little to improve President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s standing as a corruption fighter, analysts said.

Gayus Tambunan, 31, who managed to amass $3.1 million despite being on a wage of just several hundred dollars a week, was jailed for seven years on Wednesday after a trial packed with sensational revelations.

Tambunan said he helped scores of corporations — including some belonging to the family of one of Indonesia’s most powerful politicians, Golkar party president Aburizal Bakrie — evade hundreds of millions of dollars in tax.

He also admitted bribing prison guards to release him from his remand cell for dozens of “vacations”, and produced a fake passport for trips to Singapore, Malaysia and Macau

when he was supposed to be behind bars. On one occasion, the tubby taxman was caught on camera wearing a wig at a tennis tournament in Bali while officials said he was secure in his cell in Jakarta.

Indonesia Corruption Watch deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho said the authorities’ handling of the Gayus case undermined Yudhoyono’s repeated election promises to crack down on corruption.

“There’s an impression that Yudhoyono does not care about the anti-corruption drive. We see him moving slowly,” he said.

“After the first year (of his sec-

ond term), people have started to lose their faith. The people aren’t blind.

The president has to find a way to gain the public trust.”

He said there were many different interests caught up in the Gayus case.

“There will be many people who will be under fire if the authorities investigate further the people surrounding the case.”

Yudhoyono has won two elections on a graft-fighting platform but few people now believe he has what it takes to tackle the nefarious forces that control the country’s judiciary.

A recent report by the Indonesian Survey Institute showed the public’s perception of the war on corruption was nose-diving.

It found only 34 percent of respondents trusted the government’s efforts compared with 83 percent a year earlier.

In an effort to reassert his stature as a graft-fighter, Yudhoyono on Monday issued new directives to strengthen anti-corruption investigators. He also instructed them to probe the 149 companies Tambunan said paid hefty bribes to dodge their tax obligations.

Yudhoyono’s directive is backed by none other than Tambunan’s defence lawyer, Adnan Buyung Nasution, who argued that his client is just a small player in the underworld of Indonesian corruption.

“The big fish are all the 149 companies,” he said.

“Why don’t you just arrest all of them?”

Tambunan, whose antics have helped him garner celebrity status in a country inured to all but the most spectacular graft scandals, has offered to play a role in cleaning up Indonesia’s tarnished image.

“Make me an advisor to the national police chief, attorney general and the KPK (anti-graft commission) chairman and I promise that within two years Indonesia will be clean,” he told the court.

“I would not just go after the small fish, but also the sharks and the whales.”

Political analyst Arbi Sanit said the Tambunan case highlighted the president’s seemingly insurmountable task in tackling corruption.

“It’s like cancer which reaches everywhere,” Sanit said.

“People like Gayus are scary.

They threaten the system of government, the political, and economic and value systems in this country.”

Indonesia scored 2.8 out of 10 in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2010, ranking it 110th out of 178 countries.

Daihatsu to Raise Indonesia Minicar Production to as Many as 400,000 Units Bloomberg

AFP PHOTO / Bay ISMOYO

Mohammed Sofyan Tsauri, an Indonesian police officer who quit the force to become a terrorist, listens as judges read their verdict at Depok-West Java court on January 19, 2011. The court sentenced Tsauri, who was affiliated to Al-Qaeda and had trained about 170 militants to wage jihad (holy war), to 10 years in jail.

Financial system stable despite capital outflow Antara

JAKARTA - Bank Indonesia (BI) said the country‘s financial system last week had remained stable despite pressure caused by a foreign investment outflow triggered by worries over an expected inflation spiral.

BI public relations official Difi A. Johansyah said here Wednesday that in the second week of January there had been selling moves by foreign investors as they lost interest in all domestic financial assets which kept sliding vis-a-vis the native sentiments in the regional market and worries over inflationary tendencies including in Indonesia.

He added there had also been in-

dications that banking intermediary activities had slid slightly due to seasonal January effects, although liquidity had remained adequate.

Based on these conditions in the market, rupiah-denominated government bonds held by foreign investors decreased to 29.4 percent from 30.4 percent and SBI bonds had slid to 26.4 percent from 31.1 percent.

According to him, Indonesia‘s fundamental conditions remained solid as reflected by an increase in the ratings of government bonds both in foreign currencies and the rupiah as presented by Moody‘s from Ba2 to Ba1 with a stable outlook until January 17, 2011.

In a press release, Moody‘s stated the key factors supporting this action were economic resilience based on a sustained macroeconomic balance, an improved position of government debt and the central bank‘s foreign currency reserves and improved prospects for foreign direct investment inflows.

Further improvements in the above mentioned factors will be the determinants for a further increase in the country‘s sovereign rating, according to Moody.

Meanwhile, in its weekly report, credits were reported to have decreased 2.56 trillion rupiahs to 1,722.32 trillion rupiahs compared with the previous week‘s figure.

JAKARTA - Daihatsu Motor Co., Japan’s biggest minicar maker, will boost production in Indonesia to as much as 400,000 vehicles this year as the Toyota Motor Corp. unit seeks to increase sales in the Southeast Asian nation.

Indonesian auto demand will continue to expand and it’s necessary for Daihatsu to increase capital spending there if it wants to raise production further, President Koichi Ina said in an interview.

The company, based in Osaka, Japan, aims to increase sales in Indonesia 25 percent to 145,000 vehicles in 2011 from 115,000 last year. Its factory there, which also exports to the Middle East and Africa, will raise annual output to 330,000 units in May from the current 280,000 and could further boost production to a yearly rate of 400,000 vehicles, he said.

Japanese automakers are adding capacity in the region as sales growth outpaces the mature markets of the U.S, Europe and their home market, while the strong yen and lower labor costs make local production attractive. Auto sales in Indonesia are expected to rise 16 percent to 710,000 vehicles this year from 610,000 in 2010, according to IHS Automotive.

Daihatsu, which said last week it would withdraw from Europe in 2013 because the yen’s strength makes its exports uncompetitive, expects Japan sales to fall 4.2 percent to 1.65 million vehicles this fiscal year, Ina said.

To boost earnings, the company, 51 percent owned by Toyota,

will focus on cutting costs and raising sales in Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, Ina, 62, said in the Jan. 14 interview at the company’s headquarters.

“For now, we are not looking at entering markets elsewhere,” he said.

Daihatsu rose 1.6 percent to 1,312 yen yesterday in Tokyo trading. The stock has gained 5.3 percent in 2011.

The yen rose against all major currencies in 2010 and reached a 15-year high of 80.22 yen against the dollar in November.

In Japan, Daihatsu will introduce the minicar in August with a price of less than 1 million yen ($12,160) and a fuel economy rating of 30 kilometers per liter (70 miles per gallon) under the Japanese test system.

The carmaker also plans to begin supplying Toyota with minicars in the second half of this year. Production will be limited to 60,000 units annually “no matter how much the market may expand,” Ina said.

Toyota doesn’t make its own minicars, which are limited to engines with capacities of 660cc or smaller and account for about 33 percent of auto sales in Japan, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.

Separately, Daihatsu plans to sell a hybrid car using technology from Toyota and it may also receive electric-vehicle components from its parent, Ina said. Daihatsu will decide the type of hybrid it will sell this year, Ina said.

8

Internationa

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bali Today The view of beach in West Nusa Tenggara.

Traffic jams are now common in Bali, a victim of its own success in pulling in swarms of tourists and using the money to buy cars and turn rice paddies into hotels.

http://indonesia-oslo.no

Indonesia seeks Bali success in Lombok Reuters

MATARAM – Traffic jams are now common in Bali, a victim of its own success in pulling in swarms of tourists and using the money to buy cars and turn rice paddies into hotels.

Across a narrow sea channel lies Lombok, another volcanic island ringed by beaches, where in the capital Mataram the few foreign visitors are more likely to be slowed down by a horse-drawn cart than a tailback of Toyotas.

But authorities in Indonesia, a current emerging market investor darling, have big plans for the island.

A new international airport is expected to open later this year, and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is leading a bidding race to develop an unspoiled southern coastline of white sand into a world class resort and luxury residential community.

Indonesia hopes such projects will overhaul its poor infrastructure, seen as both a hurdle to growth and a cash making opportunity, with Asia showing the most investment interest in a sign of new money flows between emerging markets.

Lombok’s leading exclusive development so far, Indian-owned The Oberoi, an isolated and expansive resort of manicured lawns and infinity pools facing Bali, was chosen as the venue for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers this week.

“We brought the ministers here to show them how unspoiled it is ... and the opportunities,” Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told Reuters on a stroll through the grounds.

Tourism contributes just 2-3 percent to the country’s GDP, versus 6 percent for Thailand, and economists believe boosting Indonesia’s service

industries could be a new engine of growth for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Indonesia’s 17,000 islands stretch from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, and offer pristine coral reefs, diverse cultures, archaeological monuments, striking volcanic scenery and dense rainforests with unique wildlife such as orangutans.

“We think we can do eco-tourism,” said Natalegawa. “We discussed as a group what value-add the region can offer, and we think it is forests and the marine environment,” he said, after taking his counterparts to get their feet wet by releasing baby turtles into the waves and planting trees along the shore.

Despite the symbolic gesture, and a deal with Norway to earn $1 billion by halting forest clearing, the country’s environmental record is poor. Deforestation led it to be the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter in 2005, according to the World Bank, with palm oil and timber plantations putting the Sumatran tiger and Javan rhino at risk of extinction.

A bitter dispute between the palm oil industry and environmentalists underlines the difficulties for the region of spurring economic growth and preserving its environment.

Southeast Asia still has plenty of exotic spots that it could promote, especially in Indonesia and Cambodia, said Surin Pitsuwan, head of regional political group ASEAN, also pointing to Myanmar if moves toward democracy enabled investment.

ASEAN, home to 500 million people, aims to liberalize air traffic and invest in improving regional road links.

Local authorities in Lombok, whose wildlife contributed to the theory of evolution through naturalist Alfred Wallace, are keen to develop the industry, but there is no guarantee Bali’s tourism success can be reproduced elsewhere in the archipelago.

Lombok’s culture is not as obviously rich as Bali’s, lacking its famous dances or unique brand of Hinduism, while Bali has learnt over centuries what foreigners look for and still-smiling locals are multilingual. By contrast Lombok’s interior offers a tough hike up active volcano Mount Rinjani and some hard stares.

“People come to Bali for the culture, not the view — the view is better in the Maldives. Here in Lombok its nature,” said Widi, from Bali and working at the Sheraton on Senggigi, currently the only developed strip of beach on Lombok, but where an empty coastal road divides surfers and boutique villas from thatched shacks and green mountain humps.

With no timeframe to complete the $600 million project to put 10,000 luxury villas on the southern coast, it seems Lombok is not yet ready for the region’s leaders — Indonesia will host a meeting of Asian prime ministers in Bali later this year.

“Tourism development would be a great thing here in Lombok,” said Widi. “I just hope they plan it better than Bali.”

Indonesia probing Legionnaire’s outbreak on Bali Agence France-Presse

DENPASAR – Indonesia is investigating reports of an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease on the resort island of Bali, an official said Tuesday after 10 Australians returned home with the disease.

Bali health department Chief Nyoman Sutedja said the Australian government had passed on information about a possible outbreak but so far no sign of the disease had been found.

“We are investigating in the field after receiving a report from the Australian consulate. From the hospitals here we have received no reports of people being infected with Legionnaire’s,” he told AFP. “We suspect that the disease came from hotels which failed to clean up their water supply.”

The Australian government has updated its travel advice to citizens visiting Indonesia, saying a “small number of cases” of Legionnaire’s disease had been recorded in travellers who had returned from Bali since August.

“Travellers in Bali or who have recently returned, who experience ?flu-like? symptoms such as fever and cough, should consult their GPs (doctor) or hospital emergency departments, and advise them of their recent travel,” it said.

“Indonesian health authorities and the World Health Organization are aware of the problem and are investigating possible sources of outbreak.”

The West Australian health de-

partment warned citizens who have recently visited Bali to be alert for symptoms after a total of 10 Australians were treated for the potentially fatal disease.

Five were diagnosed with severe pneumonia after returning from holidays in Bali in December.

Western Australia’s acting chief health officer, Andy Robertson, said the holidaymakers most likely caught the infection in the central Kuta area of Bali, the island’s main tourist hangout.

The disease most often affects middle-aged and elderly people, particularly those who smoke or who have lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease or a weakened immune system.

Symptoms are similar to a severe flu and could include fever, chills, muscle soreness, headaches, tiredness, reduced appetite, diarrhea, dry coughing and breathlessness.

Health insurer International SOS said at least six victims were believed to have used the same Kuta hotel, and most had visited the same shopping centre.

Legionnaire’s disease is caused by bacteria that grow in water, particularly in warm environments such as hot tubs, hot water tanks, plumbing systems and airconditioning systems.

It is contracted through inhalation of contaminated water droplets and is not known to be transmitted from person to person.

Bali has also been battling a rabies outbreak that has killed more than 100 people since November, 2008.

AFP PHOTO / SONNY TUMBELAKA

Tourists walk in Kuta, Bali on January 18, 2010.

al

Friday, January 21, 2011

Balinese Culture Organic farming improves environmental quality Bali Post

DENPASAR - In the development of sustainable agriculture, the use of organic fertilizers and pesticides grows very important to achieve the quality improvement of environment and human life.

Thus, the Head of the Dry Land Master Study Program, Postgraduate Program of the Udayana University, Dr. Ni Luh Kartini, revealed in her paper entitled “Organic Farming System Supports the Balinese Cultural Preservation” in the higher priest assembly organized by the Sabha Budaya Hindu Bali Foundation in Sanur on Tuesday (Jan 18).

She said that since the beginning humans have recognized agriculture as one of the life sources. In improving their productivity, our predecessors had been familiar with organic fertilizer sourcing from animal and plant elements, such as cow dung. Golden period of the large-

scale organic fertilizer usage was recorded before the green revolution in agriculture, namely in the nineteenth century where the rice granary of the world was in Asia consisting of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India and Indonesia (Java).

There was no historical record mentioning on the occurrence of disease as a result of the use of organic fertilizers.

Furthermore, the massive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides was performed in the twentieth century in order to pursue maximal agricultural production without paying attention to the balance of nature. As consequence, it resulted in the decrease of soil quality, loss of life in the soil, decline in production and quality of agriculture, emergence of diseases caused by residual content of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides in the agricultural products. “Therefore, in the sustainable agricultural development, the use of organic fertilizers and pesticides turns very

important to achieve the quality improvement on the environment and human life,” she said.

Kartini also added that Bali bestowed with a wealth of biodiversity, water and land as well as culture respecting the nature became the enormous basic capital in developing the organic agriculture. Prior to the green revolution around 1970s, the agricultural system in Bali along with its subak organization was the best in the world as it never experienced a decrease in agricultural products. It happened because the agricultural system was carried out through natural recycling system. Farmers have cattle, pigs, chickens and sunn hemp seeds. Residual fodder of their cattle and livestock manure was taken advantage to fertilize plants. Farmers implemented planting pattern and intercropping systems. The farming system developed was organic farming, namely the farming system encouraging the formation of soil and healthy plants. (08)

Urutan Celeng (Fried Pork Sausages) OVERVIEW: This is always found in stalls selling roasted whole pig. Be Celeng, better known to visitors to Bali by its Indonesian name, Babi Guling. Not one part of the pig is wasted, and even the skin is deep fried as a crisp garnish. In Bali, this sausage is usually hung in a tree to dry to keep it away from the dogs and chickens.

INGREDIENTS: 600 gr (1¼ lb) boneless pork leg or shoulder, cut in 1 cm (1/2in) cubes ½ cup basic spice paste 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, seeds and fibres removed vegetable oil for frying 1 meter (3ft) pork intestine or sausage casings

PREPARATION: Combine pork meat with basic spice paste, salt, pepper and tamarind paste. Mix well for 5 minutes. Tie one end of pork intestines with string. Insert large round nozzle into pastry piping bag and fill it with the meat mixture. Place open end of intestine over nozzle of piping bag and fill intestine tightly. Tie end with string.

Dry sausage for 8 hours on wire rack in oven at very low heat. Deep fry in oil over medium heat until golden brown.

This dish is traditionally served with lawar (Vegetable Salad made from green beans) or with young jackfruits. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

9

10

Friday, January 21, 2011

Destinations

International

Pengotan traditional village IBP

http://www.baliwoso.com

International Bali Post Classifieds BALI CENTRAL CANOPY

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

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

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Jln. Buluh Indah No. 23 Denpasar Telp. (0361) 2764411-088802911054 C.492248-elk

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This is another unique village besides the traditional village of Penglipuran. It offers plenty uniqueness, which are different to those owned by Penglipuran. The people have a different socio-life.

Their houses are arranged in uniqe patterns and made of Bamboos. Mass marriage is another uniqueness owned by the village. In this ritual, many couples are doing their wedding rituals together, which are held at their Penataran Agung Temple. These event is conducted a Sasih Kadasa (around April-October).

The other different tradition worth knowing is the burial ritual. The corpse is carried by two people to the cemetery, running. Arriving at the place, the corpse’s cover is unveiled, making it naked. Then it is rolled down into the hole for burying that has been prepared. Afterward, it is covered, face up-down-ward, overlooking northwestward.

Traditional arts also evolve well here, with arts like Baris Jangkang, Baris Jojor, Baris Perasi, Baris Perancak, Baris Blongsong, Baris Bajra, Baris Juntal and Baris Dapdap Dance. The dances are often performed at the village temple. The so-caleed Perang Papah is a unique tradition where performers hit each other using the stems of banana leaves. It is performed at Pedunungan Temple on Balinese calendar of Purnama Sasih Kenem (around December).

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

Friday, January 21, 2011

11

BUSINESS Banks say fewer consumer loans are going bad Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – Americans are starting to get their household finances in order. In an encouraging round of earnings reports, major banks say fewer mortgages are going bad, credit card defaults are down and more people are paying the bills on time.

One of the nation’s largest consumer lenders, Wells Fargo, said Wednesday that 29 percent fewer loans went bad in the last three months of 2010 than the year before. And late payments on loans considered likely to default declined for the first time since 2008.

Late payments on credit cards issued by Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also improved at a record pace at the end of last year, according to an analysis by Barclays Capital.

The reports are a sign that Americans are feeling more comfortable about their finances. Personal spending powers about 70 percent of the U.S. economy, and most economists say a fiscally fit consumer is critical to a strong economic recovery.

“There are signs of stability and growth,” said JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon.

The bank news comes after a holiday shopping season in which spending was the strongest since 2006, and auto sales grew 11 percent last year, the first gains since 2005.

Taken together, the spending indicators are the “strongest showing for consumers since the peak years of the last expansion,” and signal that the economy is “near a threshold of selfsustaining growth,” analysts at Citi Investment Research & Analysis said in a report earlier this month.

Economists and policymakers are waiting for signs that the economic recovery can power itself rather than rely on outside supports, like the Fed’s decision to buy hundreds of billions of dollars in government bonds to drive down interest rates.

The recent bank results are fueling that optimism.

Citigroup said loan losses fell 11 percent from the previous quarter as more of its customers kept up with payments.

It was the sixth straight quarter of declining losses, allowing the bank to release $2.3 billion from the reserves it sets aside for bad loans and helping it to report a profit.

JPMorgan and Wells have also reported bigger profits because they could release loan reserves.

Fewer customers were late on their monthly mortgage payments. The portion of Citi’s home loans that were 90 days overdue fell to 2.1 percent from 2.7 percent. And the bank set aside $4.8 billion for future losses, the lowest since the spring of 2007 and a sign it is more hopeful about the recovery.

Despite the encouraging trends, banks are still reluctant to loosen lending. Credit reporting agency Transunion estimates that 8 million Americans who had credit cards a year ago don’t have them now, either by choice or because they were cut off. Banks slashed credit lines and closed millions of credit card accounts in response to regulations passed after the financial crisis.

Individuals, too, are hesitant to borrow even when they have access to credit. Federal Reserve data show that total revolving debt held by U.S. consumers — mainly credit cards — fell to just below $800 billion in November, the lowest since September 2004.

Each of the three biggest banks — Citi, JPMorgan and Bank of America, which are also the three biggest credit card issuers in the country — reported significant declines in card balances in the fourth quarter.

Banks have been especially reluctant to resume lending to risky customers.

The banks gave out millions of subprime loans to people with spotty credit histories in the first half of the 2000s, the primary reason for the collapse of the housing market.

In the economic mess that followed, loan defaults increased sharply for all types of consumer loans — mortgages, home equity loans, and credit cards.

Default rates spiked and lenders reported massive losses.

While Americans are spending more and the stock market is at its highest point in more than two years, there are still troubling signs that corporations don’t feel confident enough yet to start hiring again with gusto.

On Wednesday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which does business mostly with companies rather than individuals, turned in weak fourth-quarter results.

Goldman advises companies on raising cash for business expansion and mergers and acquisitions.

US, China tout $45 billion in export deals Reuters

WASHINGTON – The United States and China on Wednesday agreed on $45 billion in U.S. export deals and to give U.S. companies greater access to China’s $88 billion-plus government contracts market at the start of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s four-day state visit.

White House officials said the agreements included China’s “final” approval of a $19 billion contract to buy 200 Boeing aircraft for delivery between 2011 and 2013.

“From machinery to software, from aviation to agriculture, these deals will support some 235,000 American jobs — and that includes many manufacturing jobs,” U.S. President Barack Obama said at a joint press conference with Hu. The announcements served to underscore the theme of economic cooperation struck by Hu and Obama. But the size of the deals will do little to dent the huge bilateral trade deficit the United States runs with China, estimated to be running in 2010 at a record of $275 billion.

Many of the orders had been in the works for a while, and shares in the companies affected by the deals weakened on Wednesday more steeply than the broader market.

Another deal involving builds on an existing partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Railways to bring Chinese high-speed rail technology to the United States, and for GE to manufacture locomotives for China.

The White House also trumpeted deals in various stages of development involving Honeywell, Caterpillar, Westinghouse Electric, a unit of Japan’s Toshiba Corp, and other companies.

While the pacts are significant, Jeremie Waterman, director for China at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said they also “highlight how much the Chinese economy is directed by the state,” often to the detriment of U.S. companies.

The U.S. Chamber has called forcefully for more

opening of the Chinese market to U.S. companies.

Perhaps more encouraging, Waterman said, was progress in opening up the government contract market by addressing “indigenous innovation” policies that U.S. companies say would require them to transfer technology to the Chinese.

China agreed to “delink its innovation policies from its government procurement preferences,” and also repeated a promise not to discriminate against foreign goods or services based on where their intellectual property content is developed or maintained, the White House said in a fact sheet.

“That arguably is the most significant commercial commitment, assuming it is implemented,” Waterman said.

The Chinese central government buys more than $88 billion annually in goods and services, and provinces and municipalities buy even more. U.S. companies such as GE have complained of restrictions.

“The notion was if we’re part of the Chinese economy, we should be allowed to win,” GE’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt said in a Reuters Insider Television interview after corporate executives met with Hu and Obama at the White House.

Hu’s visit coincides with rising U.S. criticism that China does not play by the rules as it amasses economic power and uses a number of policies to maintain a large trade surplus with the United States.

In the meeting with U.S. and Chinese business leaders, Hu said he saw “a promising future” for U.S.China trade and pledged to maintain a “transparent, just, fair, highly efficient investment climate” for foreign firms.

Although China is one of the fastest-growing export markets for the United States, that is overshadowed by imports from China that reached an estimated $370 billion in 2010.

The two leaders also discussed intellectual property rights protection and Obama said China needed to make more progress to stop piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. goods.

German economy motors ahead Agence France-Presse

BERLIN – Germany unveiled on Wednesday bullish economic forecasts for this year and next, providing a boost to the embattled eurozone and a fillip to Chancellor Angela Merkel in a make-or-break political year.

“The upswing has become extra strong and we want to make it extra long,” said a triumphant Rainer Bruederle, economy minister.

“It’s quite simple, we are the motor for the entire European economy.”

Europe’s top economy will grow by 2.3 percent this year, Berlin said in its latest official forecasts, a sharp hike from its previous estimate of 1.8 percent in October.

And growth will continue to be solid in 2012, at 1.8 percent, Bruederle said.

As the economy steams ahead, Germany’s unemployment rate is slated to fall further in what has been dubbed a “jobs miracle.” Berlin expects an average jobless rate in 2011 of seven percent, after 7.7 percent in 2010.

The positive growth figures are also set to help Germany return to below the European Union’s three-percent limit on public deficits. The 2011 deficit should be 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, the minister forecast.

“That’s two years earlier than the EU asked for,” he said. Germany’s deficit in 2010 was still above the ceiling, at 3.5 percent.

As the world’s second largest exporter after China, Germany’s recovery was initially driven mainly by increased demand for its goods abroad as the global finan-

cial turmoil eased.

But recently, the upswing has been increasingly sustained by domestic demand as low unemployment and a buoyant economic mood have encouraged consumers to prise open their wallets and firms to make investments.

“The upturn now has two stable legs — exports and domestic demand,” Bruederle said.

Lower unemployment and a stronger economy have also boosted Merkel’s political fortunes recently, surveys show, after her popularity dipped during last year’s bailout of Greece on voter anger that Germany had to pay for the weaker, less disciplined states in the eurozone.

Merkel’s coalition government is girding itself for seven regional elections this year that could decide its future, with the first in Hamburg in four weeks’ time.

A poll last Wednesday showed Merkel’s conservatives at 35 percent, the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) at 25 percent and the high-flying ecologist Greens at 21 percent.

Other recent polls have put Merkel’s party at similar levels. However, the chancellor’s pro-business coalition partners, led by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, continued to languish, polling just three percent.

Holger Schmieding, an analyst at Berenberg bank, said that Merkel still faced an uphill struggle this year despite the success of the economy.

Moreover, the political situation in Germany could hamper efforts to devise a long-term solution to the European debt crisis, the analyst warned.

Merkel was slammed for reacting too slowly to the Greek debt crisis in May and stood accused of driving up the eventual cost of the bailout package eventually agreed.

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Entertainment

Friday, January 21, 2011

International

Anne Hathaway to play Catwoman in new Batman movie Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2010 file photo, actress Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of “Love and Other Drugs” at the Directors Guild Theater in New York.

LOS ANGELES – Anne Hathaway has clawed her way into the latest Batman movie, nabbing the role of Selina Kyle and her alter ego, Catwoman.

Warner Bros. announced the casting Wednesday for Christopher Nolan’s latest film in the superhero saga, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Hathaway will appear opposite Christian Bale, who’s returning as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

The studio also announced that Tom Hardy, whom Nolan directed in last year’s “Inception,” will play one of Batman’s enemies, Bane.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012.

Hathaway, an Oscar nominee for 2008’s “Rachel Getting Married,” will co-host the Academy Awards with James Franco on Feb. 27.

Johnny Depp may replace Downey in “Oz” Reuters

LOS ANGELES – Robert Downey Jr. has fallen out of “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” Disney’s prequel-ish take on the “Wizard of Oz” tale, and the studio is in talks with Johnny Depp to don the great wizard’s robe. The story revolves around a showy young illusionist who is forced to flee a traveling circus. His hot air balloon is swept up by a tornado to the land of Oz, which is run by two magical wicked witches. Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man”) will direct.

While it doesn’t have a start or release date, the project is a high priority for Disney, which hopes to start production in the second half of the year. Depp has a close relationship with the studio after starring in its “Pirates of the Caribbean” films and last year’s “Alice in Wonderland.” The issue is timing.

He is scheduled to begin shooting “Dark Shadows,” Tim Burton’s adaptation of the 1960s gothic soap opera, for Warner Bros. this spring. Depp is also attached to star as Tonto in Disney’s “The Lone Ranger.” That project is further back in the development process than “Oz,” although it has a director, Gore Verbinski (“Pirates

of the Caribbean”). Disney clearly would love for Depp to do both, but if he commits to “Oz,” that pushes Ranger back even further. Downey, meanwhile, seems to freeing up his dance card for 2011, with “Oz” the second project he is backing away from. The actor was to star in “Gravity” opposite Sandra Bullock but dropped out in November.

AFP PHOTO/Valerie MACON

Actor Johnny Depp arrives on the red carpet for the 68th annual Golden Globe awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 16, 2011.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2011 file photo, Steven Tyler, left, Jennifer Lopez, center, and Randy Jackson, judges on the FOX show “American Idol,” take part in a panel discussion during the FOX Broadcasting Company Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif. Television’s top show returned Wednesday, Jan. 19, with a makeover for its 10th season on Fox.

‘American Idol’ returns, with J.Lo but not Cowell Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – It’s a kinder “American Idol” without Simon Cowell.

Television’s top show returned Wednesday with a makeover for its 10th season on Fox. Cowell, everyone’s favorite villain, is gone as a judge. So are Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres, replaced with the star power of Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Original judge Randy Jackson remains.

The first, two-hour episode accentuated the positive, an indication that producers are setting a different tone. Past audition shows have seemed a procession of train wrecks, narrated by Cowell’s biting putdowns. But on Wednesday, the first three contestants shown all made it through to Hollywood.

And the New Jersey auditions ended with two emotional stories: the daughter of a cancer survivor from Staten Island and a boy from the Bronx who kept to his dreams despite time spent living with his family in a homeless shelter. Both are only 16, and both were given goaheads by the judges.

J.Lo in particular had a difficult

time becoming J.No. She seemed in agony the first time she was shown rejecting a contestant. “Oh, my God, I hate this!” she complained.

“Why did I sign up for this? I want to go home.”

She got up to hug a contestant who was crying upon meeting her.

When the theatrical Ashley Sullivan, of Springfield, Mass., auditioned, Jackson voted no. But when the tears started flowing, Lopez and Tyler overlooked their reservations to keep her in the competition.

“It’s our 10th season, and everything feels brand new,” host Ryan Seacrest said, adding that it was “the most fun we’ve ever had.” It’s all a

gamble for “American Idol,” no longer as dominant in the pop firmament as it once was. Last season’s finale was seen by 24 million people, down 5 million from the big night the season before.

The show’s offseason turmoil was dismissed in a two-minute review at the show’s beginning. “Forget what you think you know,” the show proclaimed, “because the best is yet to come.”

And the show quickly signaled what producers have been saying, that they want more emphasis on the contestants’ stories. “This isn’t our story,” Seacrest said. “It’s yours.”

Tyler easily played the part of the rakish rock star, taking quick notice of the appearance of several female singers and being bleeped for offcolor remarks twice in the first six minutes.

“Just the right amount (of leg) shows,” the 62-year-old rocker said, looking at the dress of an energetic 16-year-old contestant from North Carolina.

Ke$ha vows to “assault all your senses” on tour Reuters

DETROIT – Ke$ha says her upcoming Get $leazy theater tour will be “a ridiculously fun dance party” that will build on the energetic sets she played while opening for Rihanna last summer.

“Visually it will just be assaulting, and sonically it will be assaulting. It’s just going to be an assault of all your senses, but it’s going to be really, really, really fun,” the chart-topping “TiK ToK” singer tells Billboard.com.

Ke$ha also hopes that Get $leazy, which gets underway February 15 in Portland, Ore., will “be surprising be-

cause I’m going to show people a few more aspects of my musicianship and personality that you might not be expecting. I play a lot of instruments ... and I can dance and I can really, really sing, so I’m going to be doing all that and, meanwhile, covering everybody in glitter.”

The tour’s repertoire will come from Ke$ha’s two 2010 releases — January’s “Animal,” which has sold 1.16 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, and November’s “Cannibal,” which failed to crack the top 10. She also plans to film portions of the tour, both onstage and off.

The Get $leazy tour is currently booked for two North American legs, separated by a swing through Australia and Japan in March. It wraps May 6 in Los Angeles. Ke$ha expects to play more international dates after that, but none have been announced yet.

Science

International

Friday, January 21, 2011

13

Strange Claim: The Sun Rose 2 Days Early in Greenland Residents of a town on the western coast of Greenland may have seen the sun peek over the horizon 48 hours earlier than its usual arrival on Jan. 13, sparking speculation, and disagreements, over possible causes.

IBP/ist

Above is an amazing view of the Sun over the Atlantic Ocean.

The town of Ilulissat sits just above the Arctic Circle, meaning its residents had been without any sunlight for a good chunk of the winter, and traditionally they’d expect to see their “first sunrise” on Jan. 13.

News that the sun had peeked over the horizon on Jan. 11 appeared online in British and German-language publications and it appears to trace back to a story by the Greenland broadcasting company KNR that quotes residents who noticed the change. Of about half a dozen scientists contacted, most were unaware of the report, which was circulating on the Internet. They offered a number of hypothetical explanations, including an illusion caused by an atmospheric effect and conflicting opinions about whether global warming

might be to blame for melting along the edges of Greenland’s ice sheet.

With less ice, Greenland’s elevation may take a dip such that the sun would have less distance to travel before appearing over the horizon.

How it works

The sun comes up each day because Earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours or so. Seasons are a result of Earth being tilted 23.5 degrees on its spin axis coupled with the planet’s 365-day orbit around the sun.

The Arctic Circle, a line at 66 degrees north, marks the latitude at which the sun does not set during the summer solstice (when the top half of our planet is facing directly toward the sun), the longest day of the year, nor rise during the shortest

day of the year, the winter solstice.

The farther north you move from the line, the longer the period of nightless summer or sun-less winter.

Ilulissat is located about 3 degrees north of the Arctic Circle, so residents spend the middle of winter without any sunlight.

At the North Pole, the sun rises only once a year - at the start of spring. It gets higher in the sky each day until the summer solstice, then sinks but does not truly set until late September, at the autumn equinox.

While they disagreed on the cause of the town’s early sunrise, experts did reach one consensus: This was an isolated event, not a sign of earlier spring around the Northern Hemisphere. “In a nutshell, there can’t be a change in the true sunrise, because that would require the Earth-Sun orbital parameters to change,” said John Walsh, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Heavy drinking may raise abnormal heart rhythm risk Reuters

NEW YORK – People who drink regularly, especially heavy drinkers, may be more likely than teetotalers to suffer atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to a research review. In an analysis of 14 studies, a team led by Satoru Kodama at the University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine in Japan found that the heaviest drinkers were more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than people who drank little to no alcohol.

Though definitions of “heavy” drinking varied, it meant at least two or more drinks per day for men, and one or more per day for women.

In some studies, heavy drinkers downed at least six drinks per day.

While doctors have long known that a drinking binge can trigger an episode of atrial fibrillation (AF), the findings — reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology — suggest that usual drinking habits may also matter.

“What we revealed in the current (study) is that not only episodic but habitual heavy drinking is associated with higher risk of AF,” said Hirohito Sone, a colleague of Kodama’s, told Reuters Health by email.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm and is not in itself life-threatening, but patients with it are at significantly higher risk of strokes. It may also result in palpitations, fainting, chest pain or congestive heart failure.

When all the study results were combined, heavy drinkers were 51 percent more likely to suffer atrial fibrillation than either non-drinkers or occasional drinkers. Overall, the risk edged up 8 percent for every increase of 10 grams in participants’ daily alcohol intake.

More than 2.6 million U.S. citizens will suffer from atrial fibrillation this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition becomes more common with age and additional risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Since coronary heart disease is much more common cause of death than atrial fibrillation, Sone said moderate drinking — up to one or two drinks per day — is probably still a

heart-healthy habit for most people.

A better way to show a connection is with studies that measure people’s drinking habits, then follow them over time to see who develops atrial fibrillation, said Kenneth Mukamal of Harvard University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who led two of the studies included in the analysis.

One of Mukamal’s studies found a connection only between heavy drinking, with men who had five or more drinks a day having a higher risk of developing the condition over time than occasional drinkers.

Mukamal said that, based on longer-term studies, “there’s little risk from chronic drinking in moderation, but heavier drinking — even rarely — acutely increases risk.”

REUTERS/Toby Melville

Bar Manager Nicolas de Soto mixes a Calvados-based cocktail at ECC in Chinatown, London December 3, 2010.

The “bearded” setae on the antennae, bright red highlights and aquamarine tail fins add to the distinctiveness of the new species of crayfish, Barbicambarus simmonsi.

REUTERS/Carl Williams/Handout

Giant crayfish found in Tennessee is new species Reuters

WASHINGTON – A new species of giant crayfish literally crawled out from under a rock in Tennessee, proving that large new species of animals can be found in highly populated and well-explored places, researchers said on Wednesday. The new crayfish should not have been easily overlooked, as it is huge — twice the size of other species, the team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Eastern Kentucky University said.

But the crustacean is also quite rare, they report in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. “This isn’t a crayfish that someone would have picked up and just said, ‘Oh, it’s another crayfish,’ and put it back,” said University of Illinois aquatic biologist Chris Taylor, one of the researchers.

“You would have recognized it as something really, really different and you would have saved it,” Taylor added in a statement.

Taylor and Guenter Schuster of Eastern Kentucky University found their first specimen of the new species under one of the biggest rocks in the deepest part of a commonly explored Tennessee creek. The new species, called Barbicambarus simmonsi, is about 5 inches (12 cm) long and has antennae covered with a sensitive fringe of tiny, hair-like bristles, called setae.

More than half of the 600 known species of crayfish in the world are found in North America, Taylor said.

“This thing had not been seen by scientific eyes until last year,” he said.

We spend millions of dollars every year on federal grants to send biologists to the Amazon, to Southeast Asia — all over the world looking for and studying the biodiversity of those regions,” Schuster said. “But the irony is that there’s very little money that is actually spent in our own country to do the same thing. And there are still lots of areas right here in the U.S. that need to be explored.”

14

Friday, January 21, 2011

Sport Leeds’ Max Gradel, top right, vaults over Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny during their English FA Cup third round replay soccer match at Elland Road Stadium, Leeds, England, Wednesday Jan. 19, 2011.

AP Photo/Jon Super

Clinical Arsenal beat Leeds in FA Cup Agence France Presse

LEEDS, United Kingdom – Arsene Wenger insists there are no problems between Arsenal team-mates Cesc Fabregas and Denilson after the Brazilian appeared to criticise the Gunners captain in an interview. Speaking to Brazilian television, Denilson seemed to question Fabregas’s leadership qualities saying: “Fabregas is the captain, but he is not a leader to me.”

But Wenger is adamant there is no rift between the pair, who helped Arsenal overcome Leeds 31 in an FA Cup third round replay at Elland Road on Wednesday. “I don’t think that was the spirit of the comments, but the comments were made and maybe there is a bad translation in England,” said Wenger. “Or perhaps it is a good translator with a bad spirit.

“They are two very good friends with a lot of respect for each other. I have many leaders in the team. Cesc is the captain and (Robin) Van Persie is the vice-captain, but we have shared leadership and there are many captains. “(Samir) Nasri was captain to-

night. Cesc is an outstanding leader, particularly when you consider he is only 22-years-old.”

Fabregas also brushed off Denilson’s comments to salute his team-mates for a job well done at Elland Road. Goals by Nasri and Bacary Sagna sent Arsenal into a commanding lead before Bradley Johnson reduced the deficit with a spectacular 30-yard effort.

Substitute Van Persie made it 3-1 five minutes after climbing off the bench. “Everyone loves speculation, but we are here to play football and leadership is what we showed tonight,” said Fabregas. “We were winning balls, playing together and won as a team. We want to do well in all

of the competitions and we proved that.

“We didn’t know much about Leeds, but they played really well at the Emirates. We were much superior to them tonight, though, and played fantastic.” Arsenal are looking to avoid a sixth successive season without silverware and this victory means Wenger’s side remain in the hunt for trophies on four fronts.

Two points adrift of Manchester United in the Premier League table, they are in the semi-finals of the League Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League. They now face a fourth round FA Cup home date with League One Huddersfield on January 30 after defeating Leeds.

International

Inter move up to fourth in Italian league Agence France Presse

ROME – Leonardo recorded his fifth straight win as Inter Milan boss as the champions beat Cesena 3-2 at the San Siro on Wednesday to go fourth in Serie A. Christian Chivu was the unlikely matchwinner after goals from Erjon Bogdani and Emanuele Giaccherini had cancelled out Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito’s early strikes for the hosts.

Cesena finished the game with 10-men after Giaccherini was harshly dismissed 15 minutes from the end. Inter are now just six points behind city rivals and leaders AC Milan but with a game in hand.

After continuing his perfect start as Inter boss, Leonardo praised Cesena for their resistance. “We were managing the game very very well at 2-0 but then Milito got injured and we had to make a change,” he said.

“It was a very difficult match, Cesena played very well, they scored two goals and overturned the balance of the game which became a bit of ping-pong.

“In the second half we gave away a lot less and a lot fewer counter-attack opportunities. “We struggled a lot but this is a very important win.” The hosts dominated from the off with Goran Pandev stinging Cesena goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli’s fingers after just five minutes.

Cesena were struggling to live with their illustrious opponents and around the quarter hour mark they capitulated twice within a minute.

Eto’o, who was a livewire all evening causing Cesena endless headaches, opened the scoring with a cross shot from a tight angle - his 24th goal in 27 games this season.

The second was immaculately created as Eto’o slipped Pandev in behind the backline and the Macedonia forward laid the ball on a plate for Milito to tap home from six yards. Inter were enjoying themselves and Maicon tried an audacious volley from the right touchline that dipped onto the roof of the net.

The only down side came on 20 minutes as Milito limped off to be replaced by Frenchman Jonathan Biabiany.

‘German flavour’ as Iraq meet Australia in quarters Associated Press Writer

DOHA – Iraq’s German coach Wolfgang Sidka will face compatriot Holger Osieck in the Asian Cup quarter-finals after the reigning champions dispensed a toothless North Korea to set up a date with Australia.

Midfielder Kerrar Jasim, one of three changes made by Sidka after the 2007 champions laboured to a 1-0 defeat of United Arab Emirates in their previous game, secured Iraq’s progress to the last eight at the North’s expense.

Jasim scored on 22 minutes what turned out to be the winner Wednesday evening after striker Mustafa Kareem — another of Sidka’s changes — let loose from distance, goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk palming

the ball straight into Jasim’s path. The goal put Iraq through and sent the unambitious Koreans out, with the holders now facing Australia on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.

Sidka, a former Werder Bremen player, smiled at the prospect of two Germans in the last eight of Asia’s premier competition. “I know him very well, we know each other well. It’s two German coaches against each other, though both of us would prefer to play against each other later in the tournament,” he said.

He refused to be drawn on Australia’s strengths or weaknesses: “I prefer to talk about my team,” he said.

But the Socceroos will likely have revenge on their minds. Iraq sprang a major shock in seeing off the Australians 3-1 in the group stages four years

ago, setting the war-weary nation on the way to becoming eventual champions and making headlines worldwide.

They have not yet hit the heights of last time round and Sidka has faced criticism from Iraqi media for his team selection. They lost 2-1 to Iran in their opener in Doha to get their title defence off to a poor start.

And they needed an injury-time own goal to squeeze past UAE, leaving them requiring just a point to advance past the group stage at the expense of North Korea. A goal down at half time, the anticipated onslaught by a Korean side desperate for victory never materialised.

“If they were allowed to attack, sure they would have been able to get back into it but we imposed ourselves on the match,” said Sidka.

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

Inter Milan forward Samuel Eto’o, of Cameroon, right, celebrates after scoring with fellow team member Argentine forward Diego Milito, center, and Serbian midfielder Dejan Stankovic during their Serie A soccer match against Bologna, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Jan 15, 2011.

Sport

International

Friday, January 21, 2011

15

Melo leads Nuggets past Thunder 112-107 Associated Press Writer

DENVER – Carmelo Anthony sees the New Jersey Nets’ pullout of trade talks as a speed bump on his way out of the Mile High City and not necessarily a detour. The Denver Nuggets AllStar forward said Wednesday night that he still thinks he’ll be traded by the Feb. 24 deadline and that he doesn’t foresee himself going to a contender simply as a rent-a-player for the final two months of the season.

He also demurred when asked after the Nuggets’ 112-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder if he still felt staying in Denver long-term was a possibility. “I’m not answering any more questions about an extension, about being traded,” he said. “I’m focused on being here right now. Until anything happens, you guys will see me upstairs in practice, playing hard, doing what I got to do, focusing.

“And, then, when anything happens, all you guys will have a big story to write about.” Anthony scored 35 points, hours after Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov announced he would no longer pursue the All-Star forward in a megadeal that had been the buzz of the NBA for weeks.

After the game, Anthony told the team’s TV network while being both cheered and jeered: “It was personal. ... In spite of everything that is going on, I’m still here. ... I’m still a Denver Nugget.” Despite his dominating performance, Anthony said there was no

weight lifted from his shoulders in light of Prokhorov’s pulling the plug.

“No. I’ve still got to deal with the same stuff over and over,” Anthony said. “Whatever he felt was the problem, he put an end to it. Whether it was miscommunication or whatever it was, I’m pretty sure he was tired of going through the back and forth or whatever and he just didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”

Chauncey Billups and Nene each added 16 points for the Nuggets, who grabbed the lead for good early in the fourth quarter of a game that was close all the way. Russell Westbrook recorded his fifth straight double-double with 28 points and 10 assists for the Thunder, and Kevin Durant chipped in 22 points. Durant was impressed by Anthony’s aggression — it was his first 30-point game since Dec. 14.

“He was clearing his mind,” Durant said. “It’s a place of refuge, especially with the situation, just come out on the court and just play and let his mind be

free.”

After months of talks aimed at bringing Anthony from Denver to New Jersey, the Nets’ new owner announced that his team was ending the drawn-out trade talks with the Nuggets. Prokhorov said the talks had become too public, taken too long and had hurt his team, so he instructed his team to walk away from the proposed deal that featured as many as 15 players and three teams.

Prokhorov also canceled a planned meeting with Anthony on Thursday and said there was no chance that the trade would be resurrected.

Anthony said he would have liked to sit down with Prokhorov: “Yeah, he’s a very interesting man, so for me to just be in the room with him and just have a conversation with him, I would have loved that.” But, he added that he’s not disappointed the meeting was canceled. “I’ve still got games to play,” Anthony said. “I’m not thinking about that.”

AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony (15) dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011, in Denver.

Relaxed Nadal moves toward another Grand Slam win Associated Press Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia – If Rafael Nadal is getting nervous as he eases closer to winning his fourth consecutive Grand Slam, he sure isn’t

showing it.

After his 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 win Thursday over American qualifier Ryan Sweeting, the Spanish star appeared as comfortable talking about his next match — against 18-year-old Austra-

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a stroke during his second round men’s singles match against Ryan Sweeting of the US on the fourth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2011.

Nadal is two sets to nil up as play continues.

AFP PHOTO/Nicolas ASFOURI

lian Bernard Tomic — as he was in beating Sweeting so convincingly.

“Practice a little bit tomorrow, rest in the hotel, maybe going to the aquarium — I go every year. Nothing different,” Nadal said, when asked about his preparations for Saturday’s match.

Shrugging his shoulders and smiling, he added: “If I start getting nervous two days before a match, I have a big problem.” Nadal hasn’t had any real problems in recent Grand Slams — Thursday’s win was his 23rd in a row in majors going back to the first round of the French Open last year.

Since then, he’s carted back to his home in Majorca trophies from Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

A fourth from the Australian Open — the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup that he won in 2009 — would make him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles at once. He’s off to an impressive start at Melbourne Park, conceding only four games in two matches, although his opener against Marcos Daniel was cut short when the Brazilian had to retire with a knee injury trailing 6-0, 5-0.

Nadal seems so relaxed that he even played the comedian. Asked how he thought Tomic should approach the match, those muscular shoulders shrugged again and, to laughter, he replied: “Play very, very bad please.

... That’s what I’d tell him.”

The other player looking as impressive as Nadal this week is U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters, who is fast becoming a favorite for the women’s title in the absence of defending champion Serena Williams with a foot injury.

Clijsters dumped former No. 1ranked Dinara Safina out of the tournament in the first round, 6-0, 6-0. On Thursday, she beat Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-1, 6-3. “I tried to play both sides of the court, tried to be aggressive and dictate the points,” Clijsters said. “And it worked.”

Cavendish dodges traffic during Tour Down Under Agence France Presse

ADELAIDE, Australia – British sprint king Mark Cavendish had to pick his way through traffic to finish in the Tour Down Under, leaving officials red-faced at the third stage of the event. Cavendish suffered cuts and abrasions to his face and body in a crash during Wednesday’s second stage, and was left trailing late in Thursday’s finale as the peloton tackled a hilly 21 kilometre circuit three times.

Riding in near 40-degree Celsius temperatures, Cavendish’s task to finish before the cut-off time was made harder after police reopened the road to public use once the main peloton had passed.

A 15-time stage winner in the

Tour de France and one of the biggest names in the sport, the Isle of Man rider erupted after trailing home 12 minutes behind Australian stage winner Michael Matthews of Rabobank. “I did the whole last lap on open road, you had to stand on all sides of the thing and stop for traffic,” blasted Cavendish.

Asked if he had to negotiate much traffic, Cavendish replied.

“Quite a bit yeah, you know, more than you want in a professional race I think.”

Race director Mike Turtur had already been forced on the defensive Wednesday after gravel patches were blamed for several of the crashes that marred the closing kilometres of stage two.

16

Friday, January 21, 2011

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

Sport

Drivers set to get front-tyres boost Michael Schumacher’s hopes of getting tyres better suited to his driving style have been boosted by Pirelli confirming it has tweaked the design of its front tyres since last year’s Abu Dhabi test. Schumacher was one of several drivers to complain about Bridgestone’s front tyre last season. After the teams’ first Pirelli test in November, he declared it too soon to make a judgement on whether the new rubber was an improvement.

IBP/ist

Pedro de la Rosa during Abu Dhabi test for pirelli tyre

Four-day schedule for Qatar MotoGP THE opening event of the MotoGP season in Qatar will be spread over four days to ensure that all sessions take place in the same lighting conditions. The race times at Losail have been moved forward by an hour this year - when the MotoGP race now starting at 10pm local time - in response to concerns that moisture was forming on the track later in the evening and causing accidents.

But that has meant a reorganisation of the rest of the weekend schedule to avoid the

morning sessions taking place in notably different lighting conditions to qualifying and the race - as Friday and Saturday’s first practice and the Sunday warm-ups might have done had their start times also been put forward.

The grand prix weekend will therefore begin at 6pm local time on Thursday 17 March, with two practice sessions for 125cc and Moto2, and one for MotoGP, happening before 10.35pm that evening.

Friday night sees two more prac-

tice sessions for MotoGP and one apiece for the feeder categories.

Saturday’s action commences with the three qualifying sessions, after which 125cc and Moto2 will have their warm-up sessions - a day before the races themselves. The MotoGP warm-up is saved for Sunday evening at 6pm, followed by the three races.

The MotoGP teams will already be present at Losail several days in advance, as their final winter test takes place at the circuit on 13-14 March.

IBP/ist

MOTOGP race in Losail, Qatar in 2010.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery says it has adjusted the front tyre based on feedback from that test. “We were asked to provide a slightly stronger front tyre, which is what we’ve done,” Hembery told AUTOSPORT in Abu Dhabi. “In the process we maybe threw the rear out of balance, which is something that was noted during the test. But we’ve also improved that during the remaining tests that we’ve done.

“We were asked to try to beef up the front tyre, to give it more a precise input when the drivers turn into the corner, to give more feel. We believe we’ve done that, and we’ve now finished the work on the rear so we’ll see how we get on with a car designed around our tyres.” Hembery also confirmed that Pirelli will be testing several times during the season.

He is considering a request to run in some Friday practice sessions at grands prix if the teams feel changes are required, but the firm will also conduct its own

testing programme. “We’ve got no request in place [for Friday practice] because we haven’t run yet,” he told AUTOSPORT. “But that’s something that, if we do uncover problems as we go along - or we’ve maybe got the wrong positioning of a compound for the positioning we’re using, we can ask them to add in a test session to give us more information.

That’s something we’ll hold in reserve for an emergency.

“At the moment we know we’re going to be in Istanbul in April, then Barcelona in May. We’ll definitely be back in the Middle East again in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi at the end of the season. We couldn’t get Silverstone, we’re trying to go to Monza and probably Spa as well.

“So we are trying to carry on a parallel development programme.

That’s obviously looking more for 2012. We’ve got some ideas that, given more time we would have taken forward, but those now are rested and being put towards that programme.”