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Pakistan to extradite Bali bomb suspect this month

Thursday, August 11, 2011

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Urban circus ‘Traces’ offers a thrilling show

AP Photo/Peter Byrne/PA

Merseyside Police officers help clean up a burnt out caravan in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, England Wednesday Aug. 10, 2011 following rioting in the area Tuesday night. Thousands of extra police officers flooded into London in a bid to end Britain’s worst rioting in a generation.

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Police calm London

But riots flare across UK Associated Press Writer

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LONDON — Thousands of extra police officers flooded into London Wednesday in a bid to end Britain’s worst rioting in a generation. An eerie calm prevailed in the capital, but unrest spread across England on a fourth night of violence driven by diverse and brazen crowds of young people. Scenes of ransacked stores, torched cars and blackened buildings frightened and outraged Britons just a year before their country is to host next summer’s Olympic Games, bringing demands for a tougher response from law enforcement. Police across the country have made more than 1,100 arrests since the violence broke out over the weekend. In London, where armored vehicles and convoys of police vans patrolled the streets, authorities said there would be 16,000 officers on duty — almost triple the number present Monday. They said a large presence would remain in the city through the next 24 hours at least. The show of force seems to have worked.

“Without wishing to speak too soon it’s been reasonably quiet for us so far tonight,” London’s Fire Brigade said in a message posted to Twitter earlier in the evening. “Let’s hope it stays that way.” But outside the capital, chaos was spreading. In the northwestern city of Manchester, hundreds of youths — some looking as young as 10 — rampaged through the city center, hurling bottles and stones at police and vandalizing stores. A women’s clothing store on the city’s main shopping street was set ablaze, along with a disused library in nearby Salford. Manchester’s assistant chief constable Garry Shewan said looting and arson had taken place there on an unprecedented scale. Continued on page 6

Colombia waiting to extradite Indonesian fugitive Agence France-Presse

Colombia said Tuesday it was awaiting word from Indonesia to extradite the ex-treasurer of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s party after weeks on the run over corruption allegations. “After three months of search in Southeast Asia, Oceania and the United States, the Colombian National Police found on behalf of Interpol one of the most wanted criminals of the Republic of Indonesia,” Muhammad Nazaruddin, police said in a statement. Police “exhausted identification protocols using the Interpol red notice, fingerprints and photographs of Nazaruddin, who is currently awaiting an extradition request to be issued by the government in Jakarta,” it added.

Nazaruddin was arrested Monday at the airport in Cartagena, some 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of Bogota, as he prepared to get on a place to the capital city. Indonesian national police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said the disgraced Democratic Party former treasurer had used a false name on his passport but kept his own photograph on the document. The 32-year-old had come to Colombia on a charter flight from Washington, according to Colombian police, who did not indicate his date of arrival. Nazaruddin has been on the run since May, when anti-graft investigators linked him to a bribery scandal involving contracts on a $23 million athletes’ village for the Southeast Asian Games scheduled in November. Continued on page 6

International

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Bali News 20 Hectares Rice Fields Fail to Harvest Semarapura (Bali Post) –

IBP/File

One of the car that use non Bali licence plate is seen on the street of Denpasar

Non Bali Licence Plates Flooding In

Farmers screeched as around 20 hectares of rice fields at subak (irrigation) Lunjungan, Banjarangkan, failed its harvest for the second time as the three months plants did not grew well so their taken off for cow food instead as explained by one farmer, Nyoman Manik, last Tuesday (9/8). According to Manik on the first few months the paddies grew well yet all of a sudden it went dry then withers with no rice

seeds in it when actually they have done the usual procedure. “When it’s time to manure, we gave it, when it’s time to spray, we sprayed, and for the wild grasses in between, we took them off,” Manik stated. In a good condition, the production could reach up to 7 tonnes per hectare yet after this failure again Manik doesn’t know what will be planted yet for sure the system in this subak is two times other corps and one time paddies. “If I plant other corps it

won’t grow well either plus after this failure I don’t have any capital anymore,” Manik concluded. Meanwhile Head of Agricultural Extension Centre (UPTD BPP) Banjarangkan, Made Lanus, stated the failure was due to the belas attack (stalks dry up) which then he suggested farmers to spray toxin yet this is done self buying so it might be not enough was bought due to the farmers limited budget as there are no stock of it in the Agriculture Agency. (kmb20)

Government Not Act Enough Denpasar (Bali Post)-

Bali Tourism Transportation Group (Pawiba) is complaining the fact there are more and many tourism transportation coming from outside Bali. Head of the group, Bagus Soediana, explained that government has been not clear enough and not consequent on tourism vehicles law and regulations. He also expected that these non Bali number plates vehicle will reached hundreds of units. “Those local tourism transportations with permits are truly disadvantaged with these vehicles and caused an unhealthy competition. Their tax also goes outside as their vehicles are not on Bali’s data and disadvantaging government too,” he explained last Tuesday (9/8).

Head of Bali Transportation, Information and Communication Agency did admit to have sent a team to discipline those non Bali tourism vehicles also for illegal tourism vehicles, rented vehicles and taxis will be fined, even sent to its origin with the owners called in. Head of Bali Regional Transportation Organisation Council (DPD Organda), Ketut Edy Dharma Putra, stated his side is very supporting regional government’s policy in disciplining non Bali number plates’ vehicles. “If they are using it here of course they pay their tax in their origin which disadvantages Bali as its operating and maybe damaging roads in Bali. This is injustice and needs to be ordered and disciplined,” he stated. (par)

IBP/Bali Putra

A farmer is cutting his rice paddy because of the damage plants.

Reporter and Government 3.4 Trillion Budget Needed Representative Hypnotised

Bali Rice Production Protection Denpasar (Bali Post)-

All this time Bali has budgeted IDR 28 Billion to protect Bali rice production so it won’t be sent outside Bali during harvesting time yet now it was stated it turns out that is not enough as at least IDR 3.4 Trillion is needed to do so by Head of Bali Agriculture Agency, Putra Suryawan, last Tuesday (9/8). Nationally Bali paddy production lands is narrow yet its productivity has gone over the approximation where 5,85 – 6 tonnes per hectare per harvest is more than the national’s approx of 5,5 tonnes per hectare per harvest. “Rice harvest in Bali almost happened every day especially in Tabanan, Badung and Gianyar also a number of lands in other regencies. While huge harvest times are around March to May

every year. So I guarantee the stock in Bali is safe for the next two months even more, it won’t go down significantly,” he explained. Yet Bali keep finding itself shortage in rice when actually this past five years at least 870,000 tonnes per year is produced while consumption in Bali reaches 400,000 tonnes per year. It was then found that dry paddies still with its skin (gabah) were bought by East Java producers to be processed as new rice and marketed in Bali again. With that in mind, a surplus of gabah should not stop Bali Province protecting the farmers by buying it above the government’s price (HPP). “We will keep working with Perpadi and this gabah price protection done with Village Economy Entrepreneurship Institution (LUEP),” Suryawan concluded. (bit)

Bangli (Bali Post) – Hypnotiser seems not to just only do it by face to face, but also using a cell phone in finding its victim as what happened last Monday (8/8), Budi Krista, a reporter in a Bali newspaper in Bangli, was phoned with an offer of a Blackberry phone priced IDR 1.5 million. Before he received a SMS from the caller and after replied they kept on texting and then had a conversation through the phone. As Krista seemed interested, the hypnotiser then asked victim to transfer the price of the phone IDR 1.5 million from an ATM and victim did so. He realised he was hypnotised after transferring the money. On Tuesday (9/8), Krista admitted not knowing the caller, the name, whereabouts and origin. “I actually wanted to see the phone’s condition first yet not knowing why I was following the caller’s order and without knowing I transferred the money through ATM,” he explained. Different to what happened to Bangli House of Representatives member, I Nyoman Gelgel Wisnawa, he was almost hypnotised almost in the same time as Krista. While taking money from BRI Bank ATM in Denpasar

nearby Katrangan Street, a man and woman tapped his shoulder and he almost lost his conscious. Knowing what happened, he then get off his motorcycle and took off his sandals. With barefoot he then face the

two people and the they kneeled for forgiveness. Turns out they wanted to ask IDR 40,000 with the reason their mother is ill yet when about to be given the two people declined and escaped. (kmb17)

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Bali News

International

BI’s sets to be visited by residents Denpasar (Bali Post)—

Even though Idul Fitri feast day stays a few weeks to go, the residents look to enthusiastically respond the penny exchange services provided by Bank Indonesia (BI). As seen in BI Denpasar, since the opening at 09:00 am, the exchange counter for cash in small denomination or pennies which would be used for the needs of Idul Fitri set to be thronged by residents. From observation of Bali Post on Tuesday (Aug 9), the number of people who exchanged small denomination cash seemed to huddle. BI itself predicted the peak crowd of residents to exchange small denomination cash would be going to happen next week ahead of Idul Fitri. Nevertheless, BI set to anticipate the surge of exchange by restricting the maximal amount of the money exchanged. For instance, denomination of IDR 20,000 was restricted up to worth IDR 20 million, denomination of IDR 10,000 (IDR10 million), denomination of IDR 5,000 (IDR 5 million), denomination of IDR 2,000 (IDR 2 million), and denomination of IDR 1,000 (IDR 300,000). Previously, the Bali office head of Bank Indonesia (BI), Jeffrey Kairupan, ensured that his party was

ready to anticipate the surge in the demand for penny exchange before Idul Fitri. With the existing stock of cash in the BI, according to him, BI Denpasar would not be overwhelmed. “Cash stock in the BI Denpasar is always safe, will not lack, and so far it has never been lacking,” he said. Jeffrey Kairupan explained that BI Denpasar provided cash worth IDR 3 trillion to IDR 5 trillion. Especially for small denomination of, BI Denpasar allocated cash as much as IDR 1 trillion to IDR 1.5 trillion. To provide convenience for residents who wanted to exchange for money of small denominations, BI Denpasar also operated roving cash services. “Ahead of Idul Fitri, we are going to intensify the roving cash services to serve the small denomination cash exchange of the residents,” he said. (par)

IBP/Edi

A woman is changing her money to smaller bills to be brought home for Lebaran.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Cremation procession of Ubud Palace becomes tourist attraction Gianyar (Bali Post)—

Cremation ceremony of Ubud Royal Palace for the late AA Niang Rai, who is also the biological mother of Gianyar Regent Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, will be held on the upcoming August 18. Procession of the Ngaben cremation organized by the royal palace will become a spectacle of tourist attractions in Ubud a usual. Based on information given by the royal family on Tuesday (Aug 9), procession of the cremation would involve about 4,500 people coming from 16 customary hamlets, either from Ubud Village or outside Ubud. The Bade tower of 26 meters high with capacity of 300 bearers would be carried in relay manner with seven spots. On that account, to carry the Bade would be involving about 2,100 people, not to mention the bearers of bull sarcophagus and other ritual paraphernalia. Meanwhile, weight of the Bade tower carried would reach up to 10 tons. Tjokorda Gede Putra Astawa Sukawati (Tjok Putra) stated the involvement of many people in the cremation activities of the deceased was estimated to disrupt the traffic condition in Ubud during the event. So far, condition of Ubud known to frequently face traffic congestion would possibly be getting more serious due to the implementation of the ceremony. “We have been coordinating with relevant agencies to help reach the smoothness of the activities,” he explained. Anticipative measure by the Ubud Chief Police, Gede Redastra, for the security of the road section passed through would be undertaken by closing the traffic flows at the junction of Kedewatan to Ubud and junction of Ambengan to Royal Palace. Meanwhile, public parking had been provided in the Ubud

IBP/Gung Dar

The preparation for the cremation procession in Ubud Palace. Subdistrict Square, while parking space for the invitees would be provided in front of the Ubud Market and Puri Lukisan Museum. Closure of road section would be carried out on August 11 coinciding with the Nyiramin or bathing ritual and August 18 as the peak of cremation ceremony. The number of personnel involved in the event reached 400 consisting of the elements of police, army, transportation agency, pecalang (customary security

taskforce) and public order officers (Satpol PP). Involvement of such hundreds of personnel was also caused by the implementation of cremation of three people organized on the same day, namely August 18. However, they would use different cemeteries, where cremation of the late wife of King of Ubud would be organized at Dalem Puri cemetery located about 900 meters eastwards, while two others would use the cemetery in the west of Royal Palace. (kmb16)

Agricultural land in Renon under threats Denpasar (Bali Post)—

One of the areas in Denpasar invaded by urbanites is Renon Village. As a result, the area of farmland is increasingly declining. Of the 74 hectares of farmland remaining to survive, it now sets to diminish in harmony with the growth rate of housing development. This condition makes a number of components of Renon community began to worry about the threat of extinction of their farmland. This matter was disclosed by

Chief of Renon Customary Village, I Made Sutama, during the socialization of joint agreement (SKB) in Wantilan Hall of the local Dalem Temple, Renon Village, Tuesday (Aug 9). The threat of diminishing farmland should be dammed to avoid the running out of farmland at this village area. Sutama recognized the current condition of farmland at Renon had deteriorated in terms of quality. It was inseparable from the increasingly recessive condition of the farmland due to the rate of

growth of housing development. Even, when farmers began transplanting their rice seedlings, a house construction was begun beside them. As consequence, the irrigation channel became impaired, so the water flows to the rice fields were then disturbed. He said the area of Renon reaching 240 hectares had now been inhabited by urbanites in majority. Based on data available, the number of native resident was around 800 families, while regional migrant population had reached 3,200 families.

This condition proved that people rush to Renon was high enough. “This is one of the causes of progressively declining farmland,” he said.To minimize the conversion of farmland, his party needed to formulate a strategy through synergy with all components of society, primarily mutual coordination among the existing village institution such as customary villages, administrative villages, as well as subak irrigation cooperative. The synergy was not only in terms of maintaining the agricultural land but

also arranging the village in general. “Rural economic issues must become the concern of all components of society,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of Village Community Empowerment Agency, I Ketut Dunia, was gland to welcome the commitment of Renon Customary Village to maintain their agricultural area properly. It was not only intended to sustain the agriculture, but also to increase the welfare of society in general. (kmb12)

News

Thursday, August 11, 2011

International

Thirachai named finance minister as Thai government unveiled Reuters

BANGKOK - Thailand’s new prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has appointed a market-friendly former central banker as finance minister in her cabinet to be sworn in on Wednesday, which should help soothe fears about her populist campaign pledges. Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala was among a handful of non-party outsiders in a cabinet that appears to have been selected to appease all sides in a country that has gone through six years of sometimes bloody political upheaval. Although the line-up is dominated by members of Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party, which won a landslide election victory on July 3, it includes some ministers seen as moderates close to both her self-exiled brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and his enemies among the military and royalist establishment. Thirachai, 59, who was head of Thailand’s financial markets watchdog until last week and was

also in the running for the central bank governor’s job last year, has a background that should allay some concerns about Thailand’s economic outlook. “The economic ministers are acceptable to foreign investors, so worries about runaway deficits and inflation are likely to decline,” said Roberto Herrara-Lim, an analyst with Eurasia Group in New York. Yingluck promised a big increase in the minimum wage and other populist policies that have brought forecasts of a wage-price spiral from economists, plus a warning from the central bank that interest rates might have to be raised even higher than anticipated to combat inflation. Writing on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Thirachai said he welcomed efforts to raise living standards but his job was to ensure fiscal stability. He noted that he had played no part in drawing up Puea Thai’s policy. “Truth and political dreams have to deal with the sustainability of the country’s fiscal status — that’s my concern,” he wrote.

AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

A man walks past armored vehicles at the Korean War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011. South Korean marines returned fire Wednesday after North Korea launched artillery shells into waters near the disputed maritime line that separates the two rivals, South Korean defense officials said.

Seoul fires warning shots after N. Korea shellfire Agence France Presse

South Korean Marines fired warning shots Wednesday after a North Korean artillery shell landed off an island near the flashpoint Yellow Sea border, Seoul’s defence ministry said. The incident sparked a brief panic on the South’s Yeonpyeong island, which was hit by a deadly North Korean barrage last November, but Seoul officials said the situation was now stable.

REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

Members of Thailand’s new cabinet take a group photo at the Government House in Bangkok August 10, 2011.

High tensions persist along the disputed western sea border, which has been the scene of bloody naval skirmishes in recent years. The ministry said its troops heard the sound of three shells and saw one of them fall near the border known officially as the Northern Limit Line (NLL). They were thought to have been fired by the North’s coastal artillery,

possibly during a training exercise. In response Marines based on Yeonpyeong broadcast a warning and then fired three warning shots from K-9 self-propelled guns. These landed near the NLL. “The situation is now stable,” a ministry spokesman told AFP. “After we fired back, there was no further response from the North. “We are still on alert but it seems

that there will be no further provocative acts from North Korea at the moment.” Troops on Yeonpyeong and other frontline islands have been on high alert since last November’s bombardment, which killed four South Koreans including civilians and damaged scores of buildings. The government has reinforced troops and sent extra weaponry to the islands. The firing briefly sparked alarm on Yeonpyeong, where some 1,800 civilians live along with the Marine garrison. “The residents were preparing to evacuate their homes for shelters since they went through a similar thing in the past,” a spokeswoman for Ongjin county, which oversees the island, told AFP.

Somalia famine: WFP begins 800-ton airlift of food Associated Press Writer

NAIROBI, Kenya — The World Food Program is sending 800 metric tons of high energy biscuits to East Africa to help fight the famine in Somalia. The U.N. food agency said Tuesday that the series of nine airlifts will be enough to feed 1.6 million people for a day. The biscuits are being delivered to Kenya

for onward delivery throughout the Horn of Africa. More than 12 million people are suffering from the effects of drought in East Africa. The U.S. on Monday announced an additional $105 million in aid for famine relief efforts. The top U.S. aid official said during a trip to a refugee camp in Kenya that models show that hundreds of thousands of So-

mali children could die in the famine if there is not a strong aid response.

A pregnant Somali woman sits by a tree trunk at UNHCR’s Ifo Extension camp outside Dadaab, eastern Kenya, 100 kms (60 miles) from the Somali border, Tuesday Aug. 9, 2011.

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

International

Activities

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Twisted Sunday Brunch @ FIRE W Retreat & Spa IBP

This is not your mother’s kitchen, although FIRE has all the comforts of home! Chef Ian Lovie has created the ideal brunch menu with his favourites (and hopefully yours!) in mind. But pace yourself, there is plenty to go around. Imagine a lazy Sunday featuring a wide selection including fresh shucked oysters, seafood and prime meats, a carving station and much more. Choose the beverage package and receive free flow sangria, red and white wine and beer. It really doesn’t get any better than this. Come and try for yourself.

Temple Ceremony Calendar Event for August 7 through August 30, 2011 7 Aug Redite Paing Pahang Pasek Toh Jiwa Kekeran - Mengwi -Badung Pasek Sadra Peguyangan - Badung

15 Aug Soma Keliwon Krulut Pasel Gelgel Kekeran Temple Mngwi Badung Merajan Pasek Subadra Temple Kramas-Gianyar

9 Aug Anggara Wage Pahang Batu Madeg (Meru Tumpang Sanga) Besakih Hyang Tibha Batuan Sakah

20 Aug Tumpek Krurut Pasek Gelgel Temple Br Tengah Buleleng Dalem Pemuteran Temple Jelantik Tojan - Klungkung Pedarmaan Bhujangga W. Temple Besakih Taman Sari Temple Gunungsari Penebel - Tabanan Dalem Tarukan Temple Bebalang Bangli Benua Kangin Temple Besakih Merajan Kanginan Temple Besakih

10 aug Buda Keliwon Pahang Luhur Puncak Padang Dawa Baturiti Tabanan Silayukti Temple Padangbai-Karangasem Aer Jeruk Sukawati Dangin Pasar Batuan-Sukawati Penataran Temple Batuyang-Batubulan Desa Lembeng Ketewel-Sukawati Pasek Bendesa Dukuh-Kediri-Tabanan Kawitan Dalem Sukawati Gianyar Kresek Banyuning-Buleleng Puseh Temple Bebandem-Karangasem Merajan Pasek Kubayan-Gaji Merajan pasek Gelgel Jeroan Abang-Songan Merajan Pasek Subrata Temaga Merajan Pasek Gelgel Bungbungan Sad Kahyangan Batu Medahu. S Nusa Penida Buda Kliwon Penatih-Denpasar Penataran Dukuh Nagasari Bebandem Karangasem Pasek Bendesa Temple Tagtag Paguyangan Pulasari Temple Sibang Gede Abiansemal Batur Sari Temple Ubud Penataran Agung Temple Sukawati 13 Aug Purnama Karo Gelap Temple Besakih Dangkahyangan Temple Pengukur-ukur Pejeng Merajan Gerya Temple Kebon Tabanan Candi Goro Temple Tianyar-Kubu Karangasem Ponjok Batu Temple Tejakula-Buleleng

21 Aug Redite Umanis Merakih Parangan Tengah Temple Ceningan Kangin - Lembongan Dalem Temple Celuk Sukawati - Gianyar 24 Aug Buda Wage Merakih Bendesa Mas Kepisah Temple Pedungan - Denpasar Selatan Natih Temple Banjar Kalah - Batubulan Puseh. Temple Silakarang - Singapadu dalem Petitenget Temple Kerobokan - Kuta Dalem Pulasari Temple Samplangan - Gianyar Kubayan - Kepisah Temple Pedungan - Denpasar - Selatan Pasek gelgel Temple Banjar Tanahpegat - Tabanan Paibon Banjar Bengkel Sumerta - Denpasar Pasek Temple Lumintang - Denpasar Panti Penyarikan Medahan Sanding - Tampaksiring Pasar Agung Temple Kaba-kaba - Tabanan 30 Aug Anggar Kasih Tambir Dalem Puri Batuan Temple Sukawati Dalem Kediri Temple Silakarang - Singapadu Dalem Temple Sukawati Dalem Temple Singakerta - Ubud dalem Lembeng Temple Ketewel - Sukawati Paibon Pasek Tangkas Temple Peliatan - Ubud

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 “umbulumbul”, 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.

News

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Police calm London... From page 1 Britain’s riots began Saturday when an initially peaceful protest over a police shooting in London’s Tottenham neighborhood turned violent. That clash has morphed into a general lawlessness in London and several other cities that police have struggled to halt. With police struggling to control the violence, some residents stood guard to protect their neighborhoods. Outside a Sikh temple in Southall, west London, residents vowed to defend their place of worship if mobs of young rioters appeared. Another group marched through Enfield, in north London, aiming to deter looters. In a potentially troublesome development, one far-right group said about 1,000 of its members around the country were taking to the streets to deter rioters. “We’re going to stop the riots — police obviously can’t handle it,” Stephen Lennon, leader of the far-right English Defense League, told The Associated Press. He warned that he couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be violent clashes with rioting youths. Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to the bombing and massacre that killed 77 people in Norway last month, has cited the EDL as an inspiration. Meanwhile virtually every major city in England was seeing some form of unrest. In the central England city of Nottingham, police said rioters hurled firebombs though the window of a police station, and set fire to a school and a vehicle outside a second police station — but there were no reports of injuries. A total of 90 people were arrested in attacks on stores, a college, a community center and cars. Some 250 people were arrested after two days of violence in Birmingham — where police launched a murder investigation after the deaths of three men who were hit by a car. It wasn’t immediately clear if the deaths were linked to the rioting. Police are also looking into unconfirmed reports of shots fired in a restive inner-city neighborhood. In the northern city of Liverpool, about 200 youths hurled missiles at police and firefighters in a second night of unrest, and the area’s police force reported 44 arrests. There also were minor clashes for the first time in the central and western England locations of Leicester, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Bristol, and Gloucester — where po-

lice and firefighters tackled a blaze and disturbance in the city’s Brunswick district. In London, stores, offices and nursery schools had closed early Tuesday evening amid fears of fresh rioting. Several usually busy streets were quiet as some cafes, restaurants and pubs also decided to shut down for the night. Many shops had their metal blinds pulled down, while other business owners rushed to secure plywood over their windows before nightfall. In east London’s Bethnal Green district, convenience store owner Adnan Butt, 28, said the situation was still tense. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government rejected calls by Conservative lawmaker Patrick Mercer and some members of the public for strong-arm riot measures that British police generally avoid, such as tear gas and water cannons. “They should have the tools available and they should use them if the commander on the ground thinks it’s necessary,” Mercer said. So far 768 people have been arrested in London and 167 charged — including an 11-year-old boy — and the capital’s prison cells were overflowing. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said it had teams of lawyers working 24 hours a day to help police decide whether to charge suspects, allowing them to quickly clear police station cells. A total of 111 officers and 14 members of the public have been hurt so far in the rioting, including a man in his 60s who was attacked as he attempted to put out a fire started by members of a mob. Police said the injured man had been tackling a blaze in a garbage bin, when he was set upon by several rioters. “It was quite a grave assault and his condition is causing us some concern,” said police commander Simon Foy. The unrest has been Britain’s worst since race riots set London ablaze in the 1980s. A soccer match scheduled for Wednesday between England and the Netherlands at London’s Wembley stadium was canceled to free up police officers for riot duty. Britain’s soccer authorities said they were in talks with police to see whether this weekend’s season-opening matches of the Premier League could still go ahead in London.

Colombia... From page 1 He allegedly demanded bribes worth around $3 million to approve the contracts, according to The Jakarta Post newspaper. Three other people have been arrested over the scandal. Wearing a hat and speaking from an unknown location, he recently appeared on Indonesian television making graft allegations against several high-ranking officials from the Democratic Party. Yudhoyono has won two elections on the back of promises to stamp out corruption in Indonesia, which according to independent watchdog Transparency International is one of the world’s most corrupt countries.

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (L) speaks with Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda as they attend a committee meeting in parliament’s lower house in Tokyo August 10, 2011.

Endgame nearing for unpopular Japan PM Reuters

TOKYO - Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan looked likely to finally step down this month after parliament made headway on key legislation on Wednesday, setting the stage for Japan’s sixth prime minister in five years. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, a low-key fiscal conservative, is a key contender to succeed Kan. But skeptics question whether any new leader will fare much better than his five predecessors, none of whom lasted long in office and who all struggled to implement policies to end two decades of economic stagnation and fix the deep structural problems of a fast-aging society. Japanese media said Kan’s Democratic Party was planning to vote on a new leader as early as August 28, although a party source said the schedule could slip a bit if it took longer to enact pending legislation, including a bill allowing the government to issue more bonds to pay for this year’s budget. A lower house panel on

Wednesday approved that bill, passage of which Kan has said was a prerequisite for his resignation. “No one knows what he will do, but the conditions for Kan’s resignation are firming up,” said Mikitaka Masuyama at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. A new prime minister will have to find funds to rebuild Japan’s northeast from the ravages of the massive March tsunami despite public debt already twice the $5 trillion economy, forge a new energy policy in the wake of the nuclear crisis at a crippled power plant and tackle tax and social security reforms.

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who like Kan sees reining in ballooning public debt as a policy priority, appears to have pole position. Surveys show, however, that he lacks appeal among ordinary voters and his calls for higher levies could make him an unpopular choice in some quarters of the ruling party. Whether to raise taxes and how to pull the world’s third-biggest economy out of deflation will likely be a focus of the party race, with some potential contenders calling for more aggressive loosening of monetary policy and wary of a plan to double the sales tax to 10 percent by mid-decade.

Truck crashes into Mexican nursery school, kills 6 Associated Press Writer

MONTERREY, Mexico — A tractor trailer loaded with cement crashed into a day-care center in northern Mexico on Tuesday, killing three small girls and three adults. Nuevo Leon state officials said the truck might have had a brake

failure before it crashed into the small building, which was made of mud bricks and is run by a social service agency of the Mexican government. The girls were aged 2, 4 and 6, State Civil Defense Director Jorge Camacho Rincon said. The adults included a man whose car was hit by the truck near the building and

two inside. Rincon said a girl about 18 months old was being treated at a hospital along with the truck driver, who was from the eastern state of Veracruz. The accident happened in the remote town of Arramberi and helicopters were used to evacuate the injured.

International

Indonesia Today

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Indonesia sees 10 new oil, gas fields onstream in 4 years

Brokers trade at the Bahana Securities office in Jakarta on August 10, 2011. Indonesian shares lost 115.15 points or 2.99 percent to 3,735.11 the previous day led by selling by foreign funds amid concerns over the state of the US economy, but pared some losses after the central bank maintained its key interest rate.

AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY

Reuters

Police arrest man whose passport was used by Nazaruddin

JAKARTA - Indonesia has 10 oil and gas projects with total investment of $4.725 billion in the pipeline and are expected to come onstream between 2011 and 2014, with most of the new production skewed towards gas, said oil and gas watchdog BPMigas.

arrest was made upon a request from the National Police‘s Criminal Investigation Department in Jakarta. Nazaruddin, the former treasurer of the ruling Democrat Party, was arrested in Cartagena, Colombia, at 2am local time on Sunday (Aug 7) after ignoring Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summonses for the past few months. The KPK had named Nazaruddin a suspect in connection with the bribery at the SEA Games Athlete Building project. Nazaruddin left for Singapore on

“This reflects that the future of Indonesia’s oil and gas industry will be dominated by gas,” Gde Pradnyana, spokesman for BPMigas, said in statement. These projects are expected to produce 1,750 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD); 20,000 barrels oil per day (bpd); and 26,000 BPD of oil condensate, BPMigas’s spokesman Gde Pradnyana said in a statement. Pradnyana said gas output from the project would be prioritised for the domestic market, but export will remain an option. The list does not include ExxonMobil’s Cepu block, Indonesia’s biggest oil project in the pipeline, which is entering its full development phase towards the targeted peak production of 165,000 bpd from around 20,000 bpd now. Indonesia, a former OPEC member, has been struggling with declining oil output from ageing fields and rising demand for gas, which is limiting its gas export potential.

Antara

MEDAN - Police in Medan, North Sumatra, have arrested Syarifuddin whose passport was used by corruption suspect Nazaruddin to travel abroad. The director of the North Sumatra Police Command‘s Criminal Investigation Unit, Senior Commissioner Agus Andrianto, confirmed here on Tuesday Syarifuddin was arrested at his new home in Medan. Agus did not disclose Syarifuddin‘s new address nor the time he was arrested. He said the

May 23 or a day before the KPK requested for a travel ban for him. When caught in Colombia, Nazaruddin was with his wife and several other persons. He went from Singapore to Vietnam and then Cambodia where he then departed on a chartered plane to Bogota through Madrid and the Dominican Republic. Nazaruddin has drawn public attention following his statements from his hiding that some party elite were also involved in his case. Many quarters hoped he would explain about the issue later when he returned to the country.

No shame for religious killings in Indonesian town Associated Press Writer

CIKEUSIK — When Dani bin Misra was released from prison last week after serving just three months for smashing in the skull of a member of a Muslim sect, this conservative Indonesian town let out a triumphant cry. “He’s a hero!” Rasna bin Wildan said of the teenage killer. The ferociousness of the attack, captured on video and circulated widely on the Internet, guaranteed no one from the Ahmadiyah group would dare set foot in Cikeusik again, the 38-year-old farmer said as others nodded in agreement. Their reaction is part of a wider wave of intolerance against religious minorities that is challenging Indonesia’s image as a beacon of how Islam and liberalism can coexist. Once the preserve of hard-line preachers, the hatred of Ahmadis now

seems to be spreading among ordinary people in pockets of the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Whether the government can check this and other intolerance could be key to how Indonesia, home to 240 million people and one of the world’s fastest growing economies, evolves in the 21st century. There are reasons to worry, analysts say. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies heavily on Islamic parties for support in parliament, has remained silent as hard-liners shuttered Christian churches, threw Molotov cocktails at one of their theology schools, and attacked worshippers and priests with knives and clubs as they headed to morning prayers. A string of attacks on the Ahmadiyah — including the torching of mosques and homes — only got worse after a 2008 government decree that said those who follow

their practices or proselytize could face up to five years in prison. Soon after, residents in Cikeusik, a rough-and-tumble farming community less than 120 miles (200 kilometers) from Jakarta, elected a new village chief, Muhammad Johar — the only candidate pledging to take a tough stand against the sect. Many mainstream Muslims consider the Ahmadis heretics because they do not believe Muhammad was the final prophet. In the eyes of the villagers, Dani and other members of the frenzied mob who killed three Ahmadis in February were just helping get the job done. Six were wounded, and the others fled with only the clothes on their backs, their houses destroyed and looted. “I do feel bad people had to die,” said Asep Setiadi, 40, as he headed out to his rice field. “But I’m grateful that they’re finally gone.” Twenty-eight-year-old Siti

Zubaidah, holding her baby girl in a sling as she chatted with a neighbor, had nothing but praise for Dani. “We had to clean our village,” added Wildan bin Satim, 72. “This is no place for the followers of a cult.” The Ahmadiyah, established in 1889 in India, consider its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be a savior and messiah, counter to traditional Islamic teaching. They have tens of millions of members worldwide and around 200,000 in Indonesia. They were not always unwelcome in Cikeusik, where men carry swords as they walk the dusty, potholed roads after nightfall to ward off beggars, thieves and other potential troublemakers. Matori Abdullah was the first Ahmadi to arrive. He, his wife and eight children lived peacefully alongside other Muslims in the 1980s and early ’90s, attending the same mosque

and religious ceremonies. But the situation began to deteriorate after the ouster in 1998 of longtime dictator Suharto, who had suppressed hard-liners and even discouraged the wearing of headscarves by women. Conservatives in Cikeusik used a newfound freedom of expression to insult the Ahmadiyah, who by then numbered about 35, most of them part of Abdullah’s extended family. Clerics raised questions during sermons about the validity of their faith, and residents whispered as they passed in the streets. “Sometimes teachers would tell the class the Ahmadis are heretics,” said 15-year-old Arief Muhammad Zainal, now living in fear in the outskirts of Jakarta with others from the village. “The other students would point and stare. Other times kids would pinch or slap me, muttering ‘Ahmadiyah boy’ as they passed.”

International

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Bali Today Bali tourism not affected by U.S. crisis Bali Post

DENPASAR - The impact of debt crisis of the United States on Bali tourism in the short term will not be visible. Deterioration of the U.S. economy, marked by the decline in capital market indices in various countries, makes many circles anxious. Head of Bali Government Tourism Office, IB Kade Subhiksu, was optimistic because the foreign tourist visits from the U.S. to the Island of the Gods were not influenced by the U.S. crisis. “There is no great impact on Bali. Trend of their visit to Bali even shows an increase, and until the first half of this year, the number of visit has reached 72,000 tourists,” said Kade Subhiksu in Denpasar on Tuesday (Aug 9). The impact of the U.S. economy would come into view next 3 to 6 months. Similarly, he did not know for sure whether the crisis was affecting the level of foreign tourist visit from other countries to Bali. “To be sure, people will refrain from traveling. They would prefer to pay attention to expenses according to their scale of priorities,” he said. Bali tourism was said to have often faced the arising shocks and all had been faced. “Without a doubt, the influence of the U.S. crisis indeed exists, however there are many tourists who have middle to upper income level that will not change their decision for an excursion as usual,” he said. He explained that tourism was an activity that was not so vulnerable to the influence of crisis that was haunting the business and economy of the world. However, it was very vulnerable to safety and comfort conditions of tourists in enjoying their holidays. Citizens of the United States were becoming a potential market for Bali in the midst of declining Japanese tourist visit to Bali after the tsunami disaster. Bali Government Tourism Office noted that spending of tourists from the Superpower country during their stay in Bali reached USD 136.81 to USD 163.60 per day. Based on the market characteristics, the American citizens made Bali one of their favorite tourist destinations. However, since it had not been worked on

maximally, of the 30 million people traveling overseas every year, the majority of them visited Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean. “Among the 89.13 percent of the U.S. travelers visiting Bali for a holiday, only a small fraction came for business purposes. Their loyalty to Bali destination is the same as loyalty of Japanese and Australian tourists,” he explained. During their stay on the Island of the Gods, they mostly chose to stay at star hotels, namely around 59.78 percent. So far, the most favorite international destinations for them were the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Canada. Meanwhile, specifically for the Asia Pacific region, they chose Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul and Bangkok. Pursuant to the data on tourist visit released by Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Bali Province, during the period of January to June of 2011, most foreign tourists coming to Bali were from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia as well as Taiwan and they occupied the largest number with respective percentage of 26.73 percent, 8.16 percent, 6.80 percent, 6.40 percent and 5.01 percent. Meanwhile, the United States ranked tenth with the arrival of 41,303 people. (par)

Pakistan to extradite Bali bomb suspect this month Asspociated Press Writer

JAKARTA — A top anti-terrorism official says Pakistan will extradite a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people to Indonesia by the end of the month. Indonesian national Umar Patek had a $1 million bounty on his head when he was captured in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad Jan. 25, four months before Osama bin Laden was killed there in a U.S. commando attack. The 41-year-old Patek allegedly built the bombs used in the suicide attacks on Bali nightclubs packed with foreign tourists. Many of the victims were Australians. Anti-Terrorism Agency chief Ansyaad Mbai told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Patek would be returned to Indonesia before Aug. 30 to stand trial.

In this 2007 file photo obtained by the Associated Press from a Philippine security official, Indonesian militant Umar Patek addresses fellow militants in an Abu Sayyaf mountain encampment on Jolo island in southern Philippines.

AP Photo/File

Bali sets sight on developing medical tourism The Bali administration is aiming to develop the island as a medical tourism destination in a bid to boost tourist arrivals and fund free medical healthcare for poor residents. Governor Made Mangku Pastika said Bali had a great tourism industry, but also untapped potential for medical tourism. “Considering the huge population in Indonesia and the fact that there are many expatriates in Bali who go abroad to get medical treatment, why don’t we develop the island’s medical tourism,” the governor said early this week. To realize the target, the administration will build an international standard hospital. “We need to have one inter-

national standard hospital that we design as a tourism hospital,” Pastika said. The construction of the hospital will commence early next year, and is estimated to cost Rp 200 billion (US$23.6 million) to Rp 300 billion. The plan is to complete the hospital before the APEC conference in 2013. Pastika said the hospital would be built on a three-hectare plot belonging to the provincial administration on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai, Sanur. A feasibility study is underway to realize the project. The project will be financed through the provincial budget, the governor said. With a large number of tourists coming to Bali, the governor said he was upbeat the international hospital would yield a high

return on investment. More than 2 million foreigners come to Bali for holiday every year. About 1.27 million tourists visited the island in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Bali Tourism Agency. “If we could attract at least 5 percent of the tourists to come to Bali to get medical treatment, we would have served a hundred thousand of them. That number still excludes domestic tourists,” Pastika said. “Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are advancing in medical tourism, so why can’t we?” He said he recognized the need to prepare competent human resources to manage the international hospital. “This will be one of the results of the feasibility study. We

should consider who would be able to manage this hospital, because it would not be easy.” He said the hospital would also accommodate poor patients covered by the Bali Mandara free healthcare scheme (JKBM). Al Purwa, the chairman of Indonesian Tours and Travel (Asita) in Bali, said developing Bali as a medical tourism destination was a good idea, and that the provincial administration should have looked into the opportunity 10 years. He said Bali had the chance to attract more than the target of 5 percent of tourist arrivals as medical tourists, considering that the patients would be accompanied by their families, as well as relatives that would come to visit them.

International

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Balinese Culture Pangsan Comes Out as Tourism Village Like tit for tat. The intention of Badung government to develop the Northern Badung region as a tourism destination receive positive respond from the community of Pangsan Village, Petang Subdistrict. The village inhabited by a population of 2,205 people and spreading on the extent of 553 hectares is now keeping on improving itself to craete Pangsan as a tourism village. Aside from preserving the culture, maintaining the beauty of environment and indigenous wisdom, the village also has a tourism product invariably becomes a tourist attraction in the form of rafting and trekking attraction. Village Head of Pangsan, I Made Suarjana, said that local community had done various preparations to realize Pangsan as a tourism village. Armed with the vivacity ‘from us, by us, and for us” the community work hand in hand in managing the environment. For example, they planted trees, cleaned up the environment and cleared the path of trekking. He added there are no investors or travel agents providing the support. His party is only assisted by the Badung Regency Government in the form of coaching. The pathways passing through the area of Pangsan Village had been already well prepared. Even, the existing bridge within the territory of Subak Bregiding would be repaired in the near future with the funds obtained from a French donor. However, he was aware that

there were some drawbacks, so they needed an improvement. “Pangsan has been prepared to be a tourism village and needs a little improvement. Even, it is ready to represent Badung in the competition of tourism village,” he explained. As a matter of fact, explained Suarjana, the idea to develop Pangsan into a tourism village was from foreign tourists. After enjoying rafting adventure, they saw an atmosphere of beautiful village, so the idea to develop a tracking program emerged. One of the participants was interested to stay longer at Pangsan Village, and then it was resumed with the desire of establishing a home stay. “There have been many tourists staying in the people’s homes. As a result, the impact of tourism is truly enjoyed by the community of Pangsan Village,” he said. Comparable opinion was also delivered by Chief of Pangsan Customary Village, I Nyoman Lendra, that for the preparation of human resources, his party made cooperation with the government of Badung Regency to provide foreign language training and the ways to receive guests. In addition, his party also took advantage of the tourism figures at the local village. “Hopefully, government could lend a hand to this village in order ours could promptly become a tourism village,” he said. Nyoman Kitha, as chairman of tourism venture group (Pokdarwis)

of Pangsan Village said that it remained a single step ahead to develop Pangsan as a tourism village. This village, he explained, had appealing environmental aspect such as agriculture, plantations, livestock and unique fishery worth introducing to tourists. In addition, the village was rich in rare plants such as cacao, mangosten, durian, vanilla, papaya, kepundung (Baccaurea racemosa), ceroring (Lansium Domesticum), and many others. “In terms of cultural aspect, Pangsan is very rich in arts. We have a gamelan troupe, dancers, art of masks, unleashed dance, arja operetta, psalmodic group, and special barong dance for performing art. In addition, the village had potential in appealing handicraft, Balinese cake making, oblation making, ironsmith and rice milling as a home industry. In the near future, people will establish a woman’s cak a cappella troupe,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of Badung Government Tourism Office, Cokorda Raka Darmawan, admitted to be proud of the spirit indicated by Pangsan as a tourism village. It was necessary because tourism sector was required to play an important role in promoting the regional economic growth and welfare. The cultural, ecofriendly and community-based tourism posed an attempt to improve the participation of local communities in tourism management.(BTN/015)

Air kelapa muda (Young coconut juice) Fruit juice: you can find various kinds of fruit juice drinks, from papaya to markisah (passion fruit) to sirsak (Dutch durian). For alcoholic beverages, there are two primary drinks:

Balinese Drinks There are various kinds of beverages that are unique to Bali or to Indonesia. Cendol: Jello-like consistency, green pieces of tapioka, mixed with water and santan or coconut milk, and sweetened by a liquified gula jawa or brown sugar. Es campur (Mixed drink): somewhat similar to cendol, but it contains a variety of things. In addition to different kinds of tapioka products, sometimes people different kinds of fruits like avocado, nangka or jackfruit, etc.

Brem (Rice wine): As described above, brem is a by-product of tape. The wine comes out of the rice because of fermentation. Arak: arak is a kind of hard liquor. It is fermented from the sap of a special kind of palm tree. Additionally, there are variants of non-alcoholic beverages above that have met Balinese creativity and outside influence, resulting in various kinds of interesting drinks. Air kelapa muda (young coconut juice) with various kinds of liquors like rum or tequila can be found in many restaurants, presented attractively in the coconut fruit itself. And what can be more interesting than a Pina-Colada like drink served inside a freshly cut out pineapple? (http:// asiarecipe.com)

C.045 ibp

Destinations

Thursday, August 11, 2011

International

Penelokan IBP

Penelokan is situated on the southern part of Batur Tengah Village of Kintamani District, around 20 kms from the town of Bangli or some 63 km from Denpasar, the capital of Bali Province. Many guests, domestic or foreign choose this place so they can enjoy the cold but refreshing air of the mountainous land. Of course, while they taste the stunning views of the solid black lavas of Mount Baturâ€™s eruption in 1917 that devastated the surrounding village. Batur has scenic views and is part of Kintamani that is in the northern side of Bangli Regency. Penelokan (Look Out Point) is the best ppalce to see the drooping jaws sceneries offered by Mount and Lake Batur. It is about 1,500 meters above sea level. Its temperature is at the average 22 degress Celcius at noo and 16 degress Celcius during the night. And we invite those adventurous to climb the mountain until reaching the peak. The crater seems to be a beautiful painting carved to the mountain. In addition to seeing the mountain, Batur also offers the charming Lake Batur with its clean water and the unique graveyard and Barong Brutuk of Trunyan Village, that cannot be found anywhere else in Bali.

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

BUSINESS China’s trade growth rebounds in July Associated Press Writer

BEIJING — China’s trade growth rebounded in July despite weakening global demand and its politically sensitive trade surplus rose to its highest level in more than two years. Export growth for the world’s second-largest economy rebounded to 20.4 percent from June’s 17.9 percent, while imports rose 22.9 percent, up from June’s 19.3 percent, customs data showed Wednesday. The unexpectedly strong import growth is a bright spot for economies that are looking to China to drive demand for iron ore

and other imports. But that demand is weakening as Chinese industrial activity slows amid government efforts to cool an economy that grew by 9.5 percent in the latest quarter. China’s exports also have been unusually resilient, though global demand for Chinese goods is expected to decline as economic prospects for key U.S. and Euro-

Oil above $82 as Fed pledges low rates to 2013

pean export markets worsen. The country’s global trade surplus swelled to a 30-month high of $31.5 billion, possibly fueling demands by the United States and other governments for Beijing to ease its exchange-rate controls. Exports rose to a new monthly high of $175.1 billion while imports grew to $143.6 billion despite cooling Chinese industrial

activity. China’s trade balance reversed course early this year, recording a rare deficit in the first quarter. It has rebounded strongly since then and analysts expect the country to record a global surplus of $160 billion to $200 billion for the year. Manufacturing has declined in recent months due to curbs on credit and weaker overseas demand. A survey by HSBC Corp. released earlier showed manufacturing contracted in July for the first time this year.

China’s trade surplus with the United States widened 7 percent over a year ago to $20.9 billion while the gap with the 27-nation European Union, its biggest trading partner, grew 28 percent to $17.4 billion. Beijing is under pressure from Washington and other trading partners to ease controls that they complain keep the country’s currency, the yuan, undervalued and swell China’s trade surplus. The communist government has allowed the currency to rise but not as fast as critics want.

Singapore cuts forecasts for economy, exports

Associated Press Writer

SINGAPORE — Oil prices rose above $82 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after the U.S. central bank said it will keep lending rates at record low levels for the next two years. Benchmark oil for September delivery was up $2.99 to $82.29 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude fell $2.01 to settle at $79.30 on Tuesday. In London, Brent crude was up $2.30 at $104.87 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. The U.S. Federal Reserve said Tuesday it plans to keep its key interest rate low until at least 2013, news that helped calm investors nervous the economy could be heading for recession. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 4 percent Tuesday, reversing earlier losses after the Fed statement. Asian stock markets were mostly higher Wednesday. A report showing an unexpected decline in U.S. crude supplies also helped push oil prices higher. The American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday that crude inventories fell 5.2 million barrels last week while analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., had predicted an increase of 1.8 million barrels. Inventories of gasoline dropped 1.0 million barrels last week while distillates decreased 600,000 barrels, the API said. The Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration reports its weekly supply data later Wednesday. Oil prices have dropped about 30 percent since May and are back near where they were in January before violent political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa threatened supplies in the oil-rich region. Some analysts expect crude to fall further as consumer demand falters amid muted economic growth in developed countries. “The global economic dynamics that set this sharp oil price decline into motion a few weeks ago remain very much intact and capable of forcing a price decline into the $70-75 zone,” energy consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report. “The main theme behind the oil trade of the past month remains one in which heightened economic uncertainties mainly related to Europe and the U.S. are bringing into clearer focus a significant downdraft in oil demand,” it said. In other Nymex trading in September contracts, heating oil rose 7.0 cents to $2.84 a gallon while gasoline gained 6.8 cents at $2.74 a gallon. Natural gas futures advanced 1.4 cents at $4.01 per 1,000 cubic feet.

SINGAPORE — Export reliant Singapore cut its 2011 economic growth and trade forecasts Wednesday amid growing fears consumer demand from the U.S. and Europe could be weaker than previously expected. Gross domestic product should grow between 5 percent and 6 percent this year, down from a previous forecast of as much as 7 percent, the Trade and Industry Ministry said. The ministry also reduced its growth forecast for non-oil domestic exports to between 6 percent and 7 percent from an earlier prediction of between 8 percent and 10 percent. “While a recession is not within our central scenario and growth momentum is still likely to pick up in the second half, the uplift could be weaker than anticipated given the downside risks to the global economy,” said Irvin Seah, an analyst with DBS bank, which lowered its GDP forecast to 6.2 percent from 7 percent. Singapore’s economy — which depends on manufacturing, tourism and finance — is one of the most sensitive in Asia to global growth. The city-state suffered a brief but sharp recession in the first half of 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis, but roared back with 15 percent growth last year. Despite slowing economic growth, the central bank plans to maintain its current policy of allowing a gradual appreciation of the Singapore dollar in a bid to contain inflation, Ong Chong Tee, deputy managing director of the Monetary

Authority of Singapore, told reporters Wednesday. “Both price stability and economic growth is important considerations that we took into account in our monetary policy formulation,” Ong said. “We believe that the current monetary policy stance remains appropriate.” The Singapore dollar has gained about 5 percent so far this year to SG$1.21 per U.S. dollar after strengthening 9.3 percent last year. Singapore’s central bank uses its currency, rather than interest rates, to influence economic conditions. Singapore’s annual inflation rate jumped to 5.2 percent in June from 4.5 percent in May. The city-state’s economy grew

0.9 percent in the April to June period from a year earlier, more than the 0.5 percent growth in preliminary results released last month, the ministry said. The economy contracted a seasonally adjusted and annualized 6.5 percent from the first quarter, better than the 7.8 percent drop initially announced. Manufacturing slid 5.9 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier while services grew 3.9 percent and construction expanded 1.5 percent, the ministry said. Non-oil domestic exports grew 2.1 percent last quarter after jumping 12 percent in the first quarter, weighed down by a 11 percent drop in demand for electronics in the first half, the ministry said.

AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, file

In this Feb. 17, 2011 file photo, the Marina Bay Sands is seen against the financial skyline in Singapore. Export reliant Singapore cut its 2011 economic growth and trade forecasts Wednesday amid growing fears consumer demand from the U.S. and Europe could be weaker than previously expected.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Entertainment

International

Urban circus ‘Traces’ offers a thrilling show Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK — If the idea of seeing the circus sounds like a nice diversion from modern life, “Traces” is not for you. The thrilling offBroadway show that opened Monday at the Union Square Theatre is more likely to leave you with a delicious sense of dread. Send in the clowns? More like send in the goons. The mood is set from the beginning when an offstage voice subverts the traditional warning to turn off all cell phones with the encouragement to keep them on. Why? You never know who may be trying to call. We are also told to note the locations of the emergency exits because “something terrible could happen at any moment.” Indeed it could. With the performers so close in this intimate, 499-seat theater, the creators — the Montrealbased collective known as 7 Fingers — have found a perfect location for this kinetic, beautifully sinister, urban “circus on a human scale.” The 90-minute hip-hop-flavored show mixes high-risk acrobatics, music and dance with the thrill of street performance. The sevenmember ensemble goes from traditional eye-popping stunts such as spinning inside a 6-foot whirling ring to leaping through hoops to whipping around a basketball to doing skateboard tricks.

The acts are interestingly — though not always flawlessly — connected by a post-apocalyptic feel. It all takes place in a makeshift shelter made from tarps and seems to get kicked off by an explosion or a car crash, thrusting the seven together. A projector occasionally beams images from above the stage to a back screen, furthering the sense of paranoia by adding a touch of surveillance. The threat of violence is always around the corner: The handbalancer’s act using chairs begins as a police interrogation, the teeterboard section starts as a gang assault and the pole act seems to originate in a prison. Police lights sometimes flash and chalk outlines are made of each acrobat, which doubles as a clever way of applying the chalk needed to decrease friction on equipment. Directed and choreographed by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider, the pace is breathless and electric. The seven performers — six guys

AP Photo/The Hartman Group, Michael Meseke

In this theater publicity image released by The Hartman Group, performers are shown during a performance of “Traces,” in New York.

and one woman all dressed in pants and jackets — sweat and puff and step forward to reveal intimate details of themselves. One was born in 1986. Another weighs 160 pounds. One says his mother and father were both physi-

FILE- In this Sept. 13, 2010, file photo, Kanye West, left, makes a guest appearance as Jay-Z performs at Yankee Stadium in New York. AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File

ologists. One confesses to being clumsy, another inflexible (ha!). One says he’s a romantic. By the end, they are more than just performers, something Cirque du Soleil can’t accomplish. The music veers from whimsical

— the acrobats dance with their boards as if in a Busby Berkeley musical to the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” — to songs by Radiohead, Blackalicious and John Zorn. The performers also play piano on stage, an odd but touching requirement from the creators.

Code Blue! Sony Greenlights “Smurfs 2” Reuters

LOS ANGELES - With its “Smurfs” becoming perhaps the biggest surprise hit at the box office this summer, Sony announced Tuesday that it’s moving forward with a sequel. “Smurfs 2” will debut August 2, 2013, the studio said, with Jordan Kerner serving as producer. Sony didn’t release any other details, including whether or not Neil Patrick Harris will be back to take on the live-action lead role.

The original “Smurfs,” produced at a cost of $110 million, has grossed $135 million after less than two weeks of worldwide release (the film went wide internationally last weekend in 23 territories). Projected to take in no more than $30 million its domestic premiere two weeks ago, the film outperformed expectations, grossed $35.6 million, and nearly topped the under-performing “Cowboys & Aliens” for the box-office crown that weekend. Sony acquired the project on turnaround from Paramount and produced it inhouse.

Jay-Z, Diddy, Kanye West are Forbes’ cash kings NEW YORK - Jay-Z and Kanye West consider themselves the kings of the rap game. Not only have they said as much with the title of their newly released album — “Watch the Throne” — but they take every opportunity to brag about their private jets, their cars and anything else with a big price tag. Whatever you think of their music — but really, what’s not to like? — it turns out they are justified. Forbes has released its list of the past year’s top earners among hip-hop artists — never mind that Jay-Z is definitively a rapper — and Jay and Kanye come in at

first and third respectively. Sandwiched in between? Sean “Diddy” Combs. Jay-Z laps everyone but Diddy, raking in $37 million to Diddy’s $35 million. West accrued a paltry-in-comparison $16 million. While the collaboration between Jay-Z and West has been and will continue to be lucrative, it has also strained an already tense relationship. So don’t get your hopes up for a collaboration between all three. As for the rest of the list, Lil Wayne, Birdman, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Akon and Ludacris round out the top 10.

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Costumed “Smurfs” characters wave on the main trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, after ringing the opening bell for the Exchange’s session July 29, 2011.

Science

International

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Tsunami caused Manhattan-sized iceberg in Antarctica Agence France Presse

IBP/afp

A picture released in Lima by the Peruvian Paleontological Meyer-Hönningen Museum of Chiclayo in northern Peru, shows detailed fossilized insect remains preserved in amber for over 23 million years, found in an excavation in the Santiago river basin, in the Amazon region.

Peru researchers make rare ancient insect find Agence France Presse

Researchers in Peru said Tuesday they have discovered the remains of ancient insects and sunflower seeds trapped inside amber dating from the Miocene epoch, some 23 million years ago. The rare find was made in the remote mountainous jungle region near Peru’s northern border with Ecuador, paleontologist Klaus Honninger told AFP. “These new discoveries are very important, because the insects and sunflower seeds confirm the type of climate that existed during the Miocene period,” Honninger said in a telephone interview from the northern city of Chiclayo. The paleontologists discovered “hundreds of pieces of amber up to 12 centimeters (five inches)

large containing several types of insects,” Honninger said. The insects trapped in the amber — fossilized tree resin — are extremely well preserved and include ancient beetles, barklice, flies and spiders. Honninger, director of the Chiclayo-based Meyer-Honninger Paleontology Museum, said that the

experts discovered “an unknown species of arachnid” with a head like a dog and legs four times longer than the body. The discovery was made in April in the Santiago River area of northern Peru. Extreme climate change from the Miocene epoch (23 to five million years ago) was likely the reason the insects became extinct, Honninger said. The same team of researchers announced in January it had discovered a fossilized squid from the Cretaceous era (145 to 65 million years ago) some 3,700 meters (12,100 feet) above sea level in the Maranon River Valley, also in far northern Peru.

The tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 propagated waves that hit an ice shelf in Antarctica 13,000 kilometres (8,100 miles) away, smashing parts of it into huge icebergs, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Tuesday. On March 12, ESA’s Envisat Earth-monitoring satellite spotted icebergs that had broken from the Sulzberger ice shelf, and on March 16, the pieces were seen floating into the Ross Sea, it said. The largest berg measured about 9.5 kms (5.9 miles) by 6.5 kms (four miles), making it slightly bigger in surface area than Manhattan, and had a likely depth of about 80 metres (260 feet). The tsunami was at least 23 metres (76 feet) high after it had been generated by an underwater quake of 9.0 magnitude, according to Japanese estimates

published a week after the event. Analysis of Envisat’s radar pictures by experts in the United States suggests that the waves were probably only about 30 centimetres (18 inches) high by the time they had crossed 13,000 kilometres (8,100 miles) of ocean. Even so, the rhythmic up-anddown movement was enough to stress the ice shelf’s rigid structure, causing chunks to break off at its edge, ESA said in a press release. Research that linked the tsunami to the iceberg calving was carried out by a team led by Kelly Brunt, an ice specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Their study appears in an online publication, the Journal of Glaciology. Ice shelves are thick floating beds of ice that are attached to the coastline. They are created by glaciers whose ice is discharged into the sea.

IBP/afp

A combo image made available by the European Space Agency (ESA) from March 2011 shows newly formed icebergs in Antarctica.

Apple blocks the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe, Australia THE ongoing legal battles between Apple and Samsung are heating up. According to multiple reports, Apple has been granted a preliminary injunction that prevents Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in all countries in the European Union with the exemption of the Netherlands. A second lawsuit in Australia has had in a similar outcome. Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald reports that Samsung has “agreed to stop advertising the Galaxy Tab

10.1 in Australia and not to sell the device until it wins court approval or the lawsuit is resolved.” The feud between the two companies has been escalating since April when Apple first filed its lawsuit against Samsung in the US on the grounds that “Samsung has followed each of Apple’s groundbreaking products with imitation products that incorporate Apple’s technology and distinctive design.” The products in question include Samsung’s “iPad-like” Gal-

axy Tab 10.1 and its line of “iPhoneinspired” Galaxy smartphones. Samsung issued the following statement to technology blog The Next Web following reports its Galaxy Tab 10.1 had been blocked from sale in the EU: “Samsung is disappointed with the court’s decision and we intend to act immediately to defend our intellectual property rights through the ongoing legal proceedings in Germany and will continue to actively defend these rights throughout the world.”

Sport

Thursday, August 11, 2011

International

Mega-rich Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala are in talks with Inter Milan over a possible transfer of Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o, the Serie A club revealed on Tuesday

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Russian club Anzhi in talks for Inter’s Eto’o Agence France Presse

Mega-rich Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala are in talks with Inter Milan over a possible transfer of Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o, the Serie A club revealed on Tuesday. Italian press reports claim Anzhi, owned by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, have made a 30million-euro bid for the former African footballer of the year and are prepared to pay him 60 million euros net over three years. “It was an informal meeting. We listened to their proposal but as we’re talking about an important player it’s not a transfer that can be completed in one afternoon. We’ll meet again,” Inter

technical director Marco Branca told La Gazzetta dello Sport. The newspaper said Anzhi had sent a four-man delegation to Milan to thrash out a deal, including former Real Madrid striker

Keane backs Man Utd for EPL title Manchester United legend Roy Keane believes his old club will romp to the Premier League title as their rivals fall by the wayside, it was reported Wednesday. The outspoken Irish midfielder said United were firm favourites to retain the Premier League crown and dismissed the chances of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. “Even Sir Alex Ferguson said the other day the league’s getting tougher. But I don’t think so,” Keane told The Sun. “If United are really at it, which they will be, they’ll win it comfortably. Even last year when United were slipping up, no team was strong enough to take advantage of it.” Keane said the arrival of Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas would not be enough to turn around the London club’s fortunes.

“Everybody is on about this new young manager — but I don’t think the manager will be the problem,” Keane said. “It’s always the players down there, they all seem to self-destruct. They’re big pals one minute and the next you hear they’re all bickering with each other and players aren’t happy if someone else scores.” Keane also dismissed the challenges of Arsenal and Liverpool. “Arsenal haven’t really bought anybody,” he said. “They’ve signed a striker, Gervinho, and, while the jury’s out, you always have to give a boy a chance. “Liverpool have bought good attacking players but I think it’s actually defenders that they need. I think we’ve seen that a little bit in pre-season. “Don’t get carried away, Liverpool are in no position to win the league, nowhere near.”

Pedrag Mijatovic. Eto’o, who was represented at the meeting by his agent Claudio Vigorelli, is believed to be holding out for a four-year deal with the same conditions. Anzhi are based in the captial of

the restless Russian Republic of Dagestan. They play their home matches there but the players live and train in Moscow due to the lowlevel Islamic insurgency that has seen occasional spates of violence and terrorism break-out in the republic, which borders Chechnya. However, businessman and philanthropist Kerimov has already managed to attract other star names to the club since buying it in January. Former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back Roberto Carlos is

the club captain while fellow Brazilian international Jucilei has joined from Corinthians. Russian international Yuri Zhirkov joined the club in the summer from Chelsea while Anzhi made an unsuccessful bid to tempt AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso with an offer of 10 million euros a year. The sale of Eto’o would free up Inter funds for a bid for Manchester City’s unsettled Argentina forward Carlos Tevez.

Barca’s Pedro says Real ‘more dangerous’ this year Agence France Presse Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez believes Real Madrid will be “even more dangerous” this season, ahead of Sunday’s first ‘clasico’ between the bitter rivals. “What we want is to win the SuperCup,” for a third consecutive year, the 24-yearold told the Barcelona-based sports daily El Mundo Deportivo published Wednesday. “It is a major challenge. We measure ourselves against Madrid, and have a title at stake. They will be two games of high stress, very beautiful and competitive. It will be a great test for the team.” The Spanish and European champions face Real, last season’s King’s Cup winners, on Sunday in the first leg of the SuperCup, at the Bernabeu stadium, with the return leg at Camp Nou three days later. “We will definitely play very well against them, but it is a clasico, the match in which anything can happen. The dynamics can change, so we have to start off well.” Real finished last season second behind league winners and arch-rivals Barcelona for the third successive year, star coach Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge. But Pedro, a key member of the Spain team that won last year’s World Cup, warned that Real will be a different prospect this season. “Real Madrid will be even more dangerous. Now the players are much more committed. It will be a tough league. “They play very well. Above all we must watch out for counter-attacks. They have a lot of speed up front, they’re difficult to stop.”

Real’s German playmaker Mesut Ozil said recently the team are “stronger and more mature than last year.” The club added Spanish midfielder-striker Jose Maria Callejon to their already hugely impressive array of attacking talent that includes the world’s most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the prolific Argentine Gonzalo Higuain.

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Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez, seen here in March 2011.

Sport

International

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Yao nominated for Hall of Fame as contributor Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON — Retired Houston Rockets center Yao Ming could enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as early as next year — not as a player, but as a contributor to the game. John Doleva, the president and CEO of the Hall, said Tuesday that Yao has been nominated by a member of the Chinese media and his credentials will be considered by an international panel. As a contributor, Yao would bypass the usual five-year waiting period for retired players. The 7-foot-6 Yao retired in July after leg and foot injuries ended his eight-year NBA career. The eight-time All-Star averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds in the NBA. He’ll also be remembered for his global impact on the league, almost single-handedly expanded its reach throughout Asia. Doleva said a panel of seven “experts on the international game” will consider Yao’s cre-

dentials, and six of the seven will have to approve Yao’s election. The panel is only allowed to select one individual, and Doleva said Yao will be facing about 1215 other candidates for induction next year. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 1. Doleva says a member of the Chinese media contacted him to ask about the categories available for individuals, and submitted a formal application this week on Yao’s behalf. “It has to go through the process,” Doleva said. “There is no guarantee when someone is nominated that they will be elected in their first year. That’s kind of what makes the process work. The committee takes a look at the pros and cons.” Yao

can certainly make a compelling argument. His charisma and popularity helped spike merchandise sales and prompted record TV ratings for games after the Rockets made him the top overall pick in the 2002 draft. NBA commissioner David Stern called Yao “a transformational player and a testament to the globalization of our game.”

Former NBA player Yao Ming smiles while holding a microphone during his retirement ceremony by China’s Basketball Association in Beijing July 25, 2011. The Chinese character in the background reads, “Retire”.

REUTERS/China Daily

Swiss Olympic host city under scrutiny amid London riots footage of burning buildings and been calling,” Canadian beach vol- down to the opening of the games watchmaker Tag vehicles. Officials tried to downplay leyball player Heather Bansley said. on July 27, 2012. On Monday, the LONDON — A few miles from the impact of the violence that be- “They keep checking in to make violence spread to Hackney, one the worst violence to hit the city in gan Saturday night in the Tottenham sure we’re OK. It’s not a great thing boroughs encompassing the OlymHeuer drops the25 years, beach volleyball players area of north London following the to be happening to London.” pic Park in east London. The unrest headlong in the sand, the fatal shooting of a local man by poThe disorder comes less than two took place about four miles from the Tiger Woods dived most summery of Olympic sports lice. weeks after London celebrated with park, site of the main Olympic StaAssociated Press Writer

Associated Press Writer

GENEVA — Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer says it’s ended its 10-year commercial relationship with Tiger Woods and hopes he can “overcome his difficulties.” Tag Heuer chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin says in a statement the company is “confident that Tiger will eventually regain full trust with the public.” Woods has “huge talent and mental strength (which) will help him overcome his difficulties,” Babin says. Tag Heuer stopped promoting Woods’ image in the United States in December 2009, weeks after revelations about his marital problems began to emerge. Babin said then Tag Heuer had to “take account of the sensitivity of some consumers.” Tag Heuer will continue to support Woods’s charitable foundation through sales of a watch he designed.

on display less than a year before the London Games. The matches were played under the shadow of the London Eye big wheel, and not far from Buckingham Palace and No. 10 Downing Street. Yet no historic backdrop could block the images of rioting and looting that have swept the city the past three days and left a mark on British sports. The soccer game between England and the Netherlands at Wembley was the biggest casualty. And as IOC officials arrived to review progress leading to the 2012 Games, they were greeted by a forbidding landscape a short way from where the Olympics will unfold. Plumes of smoke rose from rundown neighborhoods. Businesses closed early — many of them boarded up — as authorities struggled to contain the country’s worst unrest since race riots set London ablaze in the 1980s. It was hardly the image Britain hoped to present to the world. This was a time when fans should have been reveling in the expectation of a successful Olympics and the start of English soccer season. Instead, athletes fielded calls from worried relatives watching TV

“My friends and family have

great fanfare the one-year count-

dium and other key venues.

AP Photo/Sang Tan

Canada’s Jamie Lynn Broder and Ashley Voth, front, against Britain’s Denise Johns and Lucy Boulton during FIVB Beach Volley International Olympic test event tournament at Horse Guards Parade in London, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011.

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

Sport

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Simoncelli aiming for strong results in second half of season Marco Simoncelli and the Gresini team plan to use the second ‘half’ of the MotoGP season to deliver on the huge promise shown in the first 10 races of the year by the Italian and the satellite Honda squad. The Italian has been the subject of much controversy in 2011, having collided with several frontrunners and been accused by both Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo of being over-aggressive and causing avoidable accidents with them. Simoncelli has also demonstrated strong pace on the factory RC212V however, producing two pole positions in Spain and Holland and starting from the front row a total of six times. But the 24-year-old former 250cc world champion has yet to convert them into anything higher than three fifth-place finishes - something he is determined to resolve in the final eight races of the season. “I go to Brno looking for the best possible result,” he said. “We have to focus on the second half of the season and try to score some positive results. “The circuit suits my riding style even though I didn’t go so well there last year in MotoGP. I have won there before in the 250 class and I have also been on pole and on the podium in 125. Overall it is a track I like and I hope to do well.” Team boss Fausto Gresini, the last privateer team owner to win a MotoGP event – with Ton Elias in Por-

tugal 2006 – says the squad will do all it can to help Simoncelli convert his pace into results. “The Czech Republic Grand Prix is bound to be an interesting one for the future of MotoGP with a lot of negotiations ongoing but our goal is to carry forward the Simoncelli project with the same professionalism as always,” he said. “Our objective remains to help him achieve the results that have so far escaped him for various reasons. “Brno is a circuit that has always brought our team luck – I won my first 125cc World Championship here and we celebrated our first podium here with Alex Barros as well as the 100th last year with Toni Elias. It is friendly territory for us and we hope it brings us more good times this weekend.”

Honda MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy rides during the third free practice of the U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California July 23, 2011.

Perez expect stronger 2012 season “I think next year is going to be a lot more normal for me and a lot better season if F1, and this is my aim: to have a much better second season.” He says having secured a deal for next year early has also helped him focus on his job. “Of course, it always helps to know so early what you are doing next year. Normally as a driver, not that you worry but you want to find the best future for your career, and I think it was always a good idea to stay at Sauber. For me, it was of course a very clear decision.” He added: “I think it has been an up-and-down season. The [Monaco] accident did not help. After Australia, in Malaysia and Shanghai I had some bad luck, but we’ve been always right there in the pace and this is very important. “Unfortunately my accident did not help at all because I lost some momentum, and to get back in the proper rhythm as a racing driver is not so easy after such a big impact in the head. Its getting better and I’m getting more comfortable in the car every time, and I’m sure that it was the right decision.” The Mexican admitted the accident he suffered during the Monaco Grand Prix, after which he was forced to miss two races, was a very hard moment to cope with. “It was very difficult, it was not easy at all,” he said. “It was a big shame because it was a very big accident, I could have ended my career early. Fortunately that did not happen, nothing big, and I just missed two races - two important races where the team scored very good points, they were two circuits that suited our strategy mainly quite well. “Unfortunately I lost some points there and REUTERS/Max Rossi Sauber Formula One driver Sergio Perez of Mexico drives during some rhythm, but then I went back in the car in the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit near Valencia and it was all okay, I was in the rhythm Budapest July 31, 2011. straight away and it was all fine.”

SERGIO Perez is confident he will have a much stronger second season in Formula 1 next year after a solid debut campaign with Sauber. Perez, the first Mexican Formula 1 driver in nearly 30 years, has enjoyed a strong first half of the season with the Swiss squad, having scored eight points so far. The rookie is optimistic, however, that he will be able to build on his first year in Formula 1 to be much better in 2012, both on and off the track. “I think a lot stronger,” he told AUTOSPORT when asked about the prospects for next year. “Not only on the track, but off the track. When you come into Formula 1 you realise it’s a different world, and as a young driver I think it takes some time to adapt to this world.

REUTERS/Chad Ziemendorf