I N T E R N A T I O N A L
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Entertainment
Monday, February 23, 2015
Dozens of A-listers take a casual day for Oscar rehearsals
LOS ANGELES — Less than 24 hours before the super-fancy Oscar ceremony, it was jeans-and-sneakers day at the Dolby Theatre. Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Aniston, Liam Neeson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Watts, Kevin Hart, Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana were among the casually-clad stars rehearsing for the Academy Awards Saturday, while Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Marion Cotillard, Jared Leto, Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey dressed things up. A day before the Hollywood celebration seen around the world, stars paraded through the theater to test-drive their lines on the teleprompter, try out their show-day shoes and get comfortable with the winners’ envelope. “I’m so glad we’re doing this!” said Terrence Howard, who wore an ascot beneath his cardigan sweater, as he fumbled over his lines. He ran through them again and again, explaining, “I’ve been on vacation for a while.” Hart, wearing a letterman’s jacket and ripped jeans, showed a hint of nerves. “This is my first time,” he told a stage manager. “It’s pretty intense.” Other stars brought the comfort of experience with them. Aniston, who arrived in flip-flops, cargo pants and a denim jacket, carried high heels in a paper bag and put them on backstage. Kidman went a step further and rehearsed barefoot. Statuesque in a white, ruffle-front blouse and loose black trousers, Kidman shed her stilettos backstage because her show-day shoes aren’t quite as tall. “So I’ll be the right height,” she said. Leto and Chris Pratt had fun with their rehearsals, each pretending to trip on their way to the microphone. “Yes, I know, my jacket’s fabulous,” Leto said when he arrived center stage, having come straight from the Spirit Awards in an elaborate beaded blazer and a felt hat to rival Pharrell’s. Murphy, who wore an all-black ensemble of hoodie, pants, sneakers and shades, seemed serious as he rehearsed — until he was about to leave the stage. Jason Bateman, in a plaid shirt and jeans, had a special guest in tow: his 8-year-old daughter,
Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Channing Tatum, right, is seen on stage during rehearsals for the 87th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
Francesca. “From here, we’re going to take it up a notch and go for frozen yogurt,” he said. Tatum, wearing a gray sweatshirt, baggy khakis, untied boots and his ballcap askew, took time backstage to chat with the students of Team Oscar: aspiring young filmmakers who won the chance to carry Oscar statuettes onstage during the big show. Tatum told them about dancing with Charlize Theron during his first Academy Awards appearance. He said he was so nervous that he started drinking as soon as they finished the performance, and was half-drunk when he went on the Jimmy Kimmel show later that night. Winfrey, who arrived camera-ready in a long, cream-colored skirt and matching sweater, brought best friend Gayle King to her rehearsal. King snapped cell-phone pictures of Winfrey on the Oscar stage before she practiced her lines, and took more photos after. Meanwhile, host Neil Patrick Harris popped out of his dressing room, saying, “Let’s go see what’s happening.” He met up with Winfrey on stage. The two hugged as King snapped away. (ap)
16 Pages Number 48 7th year
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Kirk Cameron, Cameron Diaz take anti-Oscar Razzie awards
LOS ANGELES - “Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas,” a film which promises to “put Christ back into Christmas” and actress Cameron Diaz triumphed Saturday at the Razzies anti-award show, Hollywood’s hall of shame. On the eve of the Oscars, the movie -- of which one critic said “even devout born-again Christians will find this hard to stomach” -- took the worst picture, as well as worst actor, worst screenplay and worst screen combo. The film has the dubious honor of a straight zero rating on the Rotten Tomatoes movie ranking website, where the LA Times critics said of it: “Virtually everything about this production feels thrown together.” Blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay meanwhile was named worst director for “Transformers: Age of Extinction” at the ceremony, formally called the Golden Raspberries, which celebrated Tinseltown’s worst output of 2014. Diaz was named worst actress for “The Other Woman” and “Sex Tape,” while worst supporting actress went to Megan Fox for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” In the anti-awards show hosted in a downtown Hollywood theater, the worst supporting actor accolade was won by Kelsey Grammer for performances including in “The Expendables 3” and “Transformers.” Big-screen musical adaptation “Annie,” starring Jamie Foxx and Oscar-nominated child star Quvenzhane Wallis, was named the worst
WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps
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Monday, February 23, 2015 Singapore’s founder hospitalized with pneumonia
Barcelona’s winning streak ends with 1-0 home loss to Malaga
First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed
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Hotel occupancy declines, infrastructural repairs needed GIANYAR - Tourist visit to Bali, particularly to Gianyar, continue to increase from year to year. However, these numbers are inversely proportional to hotel room occupancy rates. The government of Gianyar plans to make some infrastructural repairs in 2015 in order to improve the comfort of travelers to the region.
IBP/Net
Actress Cameron Diaz triumphed Saturday at the Razzies anti-award show, Hollywood’s hall of shame. remake, sequel or rip-off. The Razzies were created in 1980 as an antidote to Hollywood’s starstudded, back-slapping annual awards season, which climaxes on February 22 this year with the 87th Oscars. All but one of the Razzie categories are chosen by the 800 or so members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, who earn voting rights by paying a $40 membership fee, with a $25 annual renewal. Nominees very rarely attend the Razzies. Sandra Bullock turned up to accept worst actress in 2010 for “All About Steve,” a day before winning best actress Oscar for “The Blind Side.” The Oscars will be held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in downtown Hollywood. (afp)
Chairman of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Bali Chapter, Tjokorda Arta Ardana Sukawati, recognizes that tourist arrivals to Bali continue to increase every year. However, the rate occupancy for hotels and villas in Bali continues to decrease. He said that such conditions are not only occurring in Gianyar but also in Nusa Dua, Kuta and other regions as well. “Gianyar is witnessing the same phenomenon. For instance, if we take December 2013 as an indicator, hotels in Ubud had an
occupancy rate of 78 percent, while in December 2014 the rate declined to 55 percent, which indicates a drastic reduction from month to month,” he emphasized. According to Cok Ace, as he is familiarly addressed, this condition is influenced by two main factors, namely the oversupply of rooms and the reduction in the length of stay for tourists in Bali. “Today, visitors to Bali are dominated by Asian tourists, especially Chinese tourists. They are different from European and American tourists who tend to stay for longer periods of time. Whereas, Asian tourists such as those from China and Thailand tend to take short trips, so once they feel satisfied, they quickly go
home,” he explained. Meanwhile, Head of the Government of Gianyar Tourism Office, I.B. Brahmanta, said that the reduction in hotel room occupancy rates is a shared responsibility. For this reason, his office will be coordinating with other relevant agencies in order to improve infrastructure. “In regards to this issue, we have to coordinate with all relevant agencies, particularly those handling infrastructural improvements in 2015,” he said. According to Brahmanta, if infrastructure is improved allowing for convenience, travelers who regularly visit Gianyar, especially Ubud will feel more comfortable. “If their stay in Gianyar is comfortable with good infrastructure, they will stay for longer periods of time in the hotels and villas of Gianyar,” he said. (kmb35)
Tourist visit to Bali, particularly to Gianyar, continue to increase from year to year. However, these numbers are inversely proportional to hotel room occupancy rates. The government of Gianyar plans to make some infrastructural repairs in 2015 in order to improve the comfort of travelers to the region.
IBP/Wawan
News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http://globalfmbali. listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http://radioglobalfmbali.com and http://ustream. tv/channel/global-fm-bali
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International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Bali News
Activities
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Meliá Benoa
Threatened by AEA
Rural banks prepare reliable human resources
AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File
FILE - This combination of two file photos from Jan. 24, 2006, left, and Jan. 26, 2006 shows Australian drug traffickers Myuran Sukumaran, left, and Andrew Chan during their trial in Bali, Indonesia.
Two Bali Nine members isolated
DENPASAR - The Head of the Bali Prosecutor’s Office, Momock Bambang Sumiarso, visited Kerobokan Prison, on Friday (Feb. 20 having coordinated with prison authorities. Both of the inmates on death row, namely; Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were occupying an isolation cell. “I’m here to see the situation of the isolation cell at Kerobokan Prison” said Momock. He added that the plan to transfer the prisoners was indeed set to take place this week. However, according to the Bali Prosecutor’s Office, the authorities of Nusa Kambangan Prison are not ready yet, so the transfer will have to wait until the prison is ready. Meanwhile, a total of 20 prosecutors are prepared to undertake the death penalty against the Bali Nine duo. Apparently they are ready to accept instructions to take action whenever told to do so by the Attorney General, whether orally or in written. They would immediately carry out the tasks required of them. Spokesperson for Bali Prosecutor’s Office, Ashari Kurniawan, said that all preparations had been made for the transfer of the
two inmates on death row to Batu Prison on Nusa Kambangan. “We continue to monitor the preparations while monitoring developments with the Attorney General as well as the latest developments in the command as immediately instructed” he said. He also mentioned that the preparations was carried out from the ranks of the prosecutors to the Head of Bali Prosecutor’s Office by checking and reviewing Kerobokan Prison. All preparations
were done as well as possible, so that everything could go according to plan on the specified day. “In essence, we are ready and well-prepared to be instructed to take action anytime” affirmed Ashari Kurniawan. Regarding technical matters commonly implemented by the Attorney General, such as whether commands would be given orally or in written, Ashari Kurniawan could not confirm. (rah)
DENPASAR - Enforcement of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) this year and for the banking sector in 2020, creates both opportunities and threats to many economic sectors, including the national banking industry and particularly to rural banks (BPR). Various strategic measures must be taken for rural banks to fortify themselves against the increasingly tough competition. “For the early stages, we will focus on improving the competencies of the human resources in rural banks” said I Made Sumardhana, re-elected Chairman of the Indonesia Association of Rural Banks (Perbarindo) Denpasar Chapter. Sumardhana, explained that although the implementation of AEC for the banking industry was still quite far off, rural banks need to prepare themselves ahead of time. Improvement to the competencies of rural banks’ human resources is central to becoming strong enough to face the competion of the AEC in 2020, capital and information technology are also central. “From now on, we will intensify the increasing of competencies for the human resources of rural banks either by holding training sessions internally, or though associations or with third parties. Survival of the rural bank industry in our communities will be largely determined by the quality of its human resources” he said. Sumardhana, said that most owners and managers of rural banks in Bali and Denpasar in particular are committed to making improvement in order to face global competition. All rural banks in
Bali are committed to operating fairly and applying precautionary or prudential principles in order to remain safe and trusted by the community. “We will try to prepare superior human resources so that they can manage rural banks through good corporate governance” he explained. As for the provision of core capital to increase to IDR 6 billion by 2019, Sumardhana explained that almost all of the rural banks in Bali would strive to fulfill this provision and he feels that there is still enough time for rural banks in Bali to meet the provision. According to Sumardhana, by increasing the strength of their capital, rural banks would be able to run intermediary functions and compete in the era of the AEC. In Bali there are currently 138 rural banks consisting of 137 conventional rural banks and one sharia rural bank. Until last December, the number of loans distributed by rural banks in Bali reached IDR 7 trillion or grew by 17.99 percent (within the past year). The loan to deposit ratio (LDR) was 81.14 percent. The loan growth of rural banks in Bali is higher than the national growth in terms of their loans, reaching 14.68 percent. In performing loan expansions, the ratio of non-performing loan (NPL) of rural banks was 2.64 percent or lower than the national rate that was at 5.35 percent. Meanwhile, asset growth as of December 2014 had increased to 18.89 percent (within the past year). The asset growth of rural banks was higher than the national rate, which was only 13.03 percent. (kmb27)
One of the newly opened rural banks in Denpasar.
IBP/File
Founder : K.Nadha, General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Suasrina, Buleleng: Dewa kusuma, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bagiarta. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto. Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi. 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
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TANJUNG BENOA - An intimate seaside holiday destination in Tanjung Benoa, north of Nusa Dua Area, Meliá Benoa All Inclusive Resort is the ultimate retreat for a soothing holiday as it lies close to a quaint fishing village and an art market. Conveniently located, the resort is a comfortable 15 minutes drive from the airport, 5 minutes from the Bali International Convention Centre and a short distance from water sports venues and other popular landmarks. There are 90 premium rooms, 32 executive Jr, suites and 5 family suites that mirror Bali’s graceful elegance and allure combining contemporary and minimalist style with Balinese touches. Individual AC split, direct-dial telephone, satellite LCD TV, Safe Deposit Box. WiFi (chargeable), Room service 24h. Private Balcony and tea/ coffee facilities. El Patio All Day Dining. Amarta Indonesia - Asian Fusion Restaurant. Menega Seaside Restaurant. Ayodya Lounge Bar. Nelayan Pool Bar. Spa. Fitness Centre. Water Sport Facilities. Kid’s Club. Three Meeting Rooms. 2 Internet corners (chargeable) Pool lagoon. Cabaret shows and Day /Night Entertainment. Exclusive areas for Balinese wedding celebrations in Wedding bale or in the beach.
Balinese Temple Ceremony IBP/File Photo
Profile
I Putu Eka Tenaya Suryawijaya
Cooks with love
Leading the innovative culinary team at H Sovereign Bali is Executive Chef I Putu Eka Tenaya Suryawijaya. As an executive chef, Chef Surya delivers a consistently sophisticated, yet entertaining. He created a traditional menu in modern ways focusing on superior ingredients from local purveyors to highlighting the best product of Kitchen Meliwis (one of dining venues at H Sovereign Bali) and an elegantly comfortable approach to the dining experience. The concept of Kitchen Meliwis is smart settings with an upbeat ambience that make guests feel at ease. It has an open-concept kitchen and takes a theatrical approach to cuisine where every dish is cooked exactly to order. Chef Surya cooks with love. Inspired by his mother and grandmother in the kitchen, Chef Surya has always been passionate about food. His culinary career began more than 20 years ago as a young man growing up in Bali. From the beginning he prided himself on providing guests with an extraordinary experience they would always remember. From 1993 to 1997, Chef Surya held
numerous culinary positions, including Assistant Japanese Chef at Hyatt Regency Hotel Surabaya, Japanese Chef at The Mandarin Oriental Surabaya and The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bali, and then Sous Chef at Le Meredien Nirwarna Golf and Spa Resort in Bali. In 1998, he moved to Dubai, Uni Emirates Arab to work at Le Meredien Hotel, Dubai as Executive Sous Chef. Working in Dubai added another facet to Chef Surya’s cooking. He realized that Indonesian cuisine is more famous than he thought for people around the world, everybody knows about Nasi Goreng and it makes him more passionate to spread out Indonesia Cuisine, especially Balinese Cuisine to international market. After 8 years in Dubai, Chef Surya came back to Bali as Executive Chef for Hard Rock Hotel Bali. Only for 2 years in Bali, then he moved to Perth, Australia to grab a new challenge as Executive Chef for Atrium at Intercontinental Hotel - Burswood Entertainment Complex. Chef Surya’s innovative cuisine
has three times earned him the Dubai National Culinary Team Member for International Saloon Culinary in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He also has been featured in 21st Edition of ‘Who’s Who in The World’, the leading source of up-to-date information about over 33,000 influential people from all walks of life, worldwide and has been chosen as the first Indonesian A m bassador of ‘Indonesian Chef Association – ICA’ for Australia Region. (kmb) IBP/kmb
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.
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Monday, February 23, 2015
Traveling
Indonesia prays Islamic tourism drive can draw more visitors
International AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Aaron Lynett
Niagara Falls State Park visitors look over masses of ice formed around the American Falls, photographed from across the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015.
SENGIGI - Just a short hop from the Indonesian holiday hotspot of Bali, a Saudi tourist and his family listen to the call to prayer as the sun goes down on Lombok, the self-styled “island of 1,000 mosques”. Lombok is at the centre of an Islamic tourism drive in Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population and is hoping to boost the number of visitors from wealthy Middle Eastern countries. While aiming to continue to attract Western tourists who flock to its pristine beaches, the island is also seeking to promote its Islamic heritage, from numerous places of worship to shrines dedicated to ancient Muslim preachers. “I love it here because I can hear the azan (call to prayer) and people go to the mosque to pray,” said 58-year-old Sulaiman, the Saudi tourist, who gave only one name and was accompanied by his wife who was wearing an all-encompassing burqa. Indonesia is the world’s biggest archipelago nation, made up of more than 17,000 islands, but has long lagged behind smaller, more developed countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Thailand, in attracting tourists. Foreign visitor arrivals to Indonesia rose to 8.8 million in 2013, according to official figures, compared with 25.72 million in Malaysia and 26.55 million in Thailand. While there are no official figures for “sharia” tourism in Indonesia, the sector is experiencing strong growth internationally. In a recent report, Muslimoriented business group CrescentRating, predicted the sector would be worth $192 billion a year globally by 2020, up from $140 billion in 2013. “The economic growth of Middle Eastern countries is very good and we see an opportunity there,” senior tourism ministry official Rizki Handayani told AFP. Only around 190,000 Middle Eastern visitors came to Indonesia in 2013, according to official
figures, but authorities hope their Islamic tourism drive can increase numbers. The government has produced tourist guides promoting Indonesia as a “Muslim friendly destination”. It highlights the country’s best “sharia” tourism destinations and notes there are more than 600,000 mosques in the archipelago. Lombok, long overshadowed by its better known neighbour, Hindu-majority Bali, hopes the drive can help raise its profile. Authorities are planning to build a huge Islamic centre that will contain a mosque, a hotel and a study centre, and specially trained tour guides will point Muslim visitors in the direction of the nearest mosque at prayer time. Other parts of Indonesia are hoping to benefit from the initiative. Aceh province, in western Indonesia and the only part of the country to enforce Islamic sharia laws, and the capital Jakarta are both seeking to lure Middle Eastern tourists, who often bring many family members with them and spend lavishly. Riyanto Sofyan owns a chain of nine sharia hotels across Indonesia, including two in Jakarta. Alcohol-free cocktails are available, the call to prayer is played five times a day through the buildings, MTV has been removed from the list of TV channels available in the rooms, as it is deemed too risque, and hotel staff gently turn away unmarried couples. In Lombok, hotels are also promoting themselves as Islamic, with nine so far having gained coveted sharia certification. Echoing the system of stars for conventional hotels, sharia accommodation is labelled with the crescent moon, a symbol associated with Islam, with the best receiving three. A hotel must have signs point-
ing towards Mecca and copies of the Koran in its rooms, as well as a kitchen where halal food can be prepared, to gain its first crescent moon. Despite the optimism of officials, there are concerns that the push for Islamic tourism could put off other visitors who want to sunbathe in skimpy outfits and relax on the beach with a drink. But the local government insists it can promote sharia tourism without affecting the existing industry, and that party hotspots in the area -- such as tiny Gili Trawangan island, off the west coast of Lombok -- will remain unaffected. Authorities are considering clearly demarcating areas more suited to Muslim guests, where Western tourists should cover up. “We will make zones so that travel agents and guides have clear options depending on their guests’ wishes,” said local tourism chief M. Nasir, adding that visitors were already told they should not wear skimpy clothing when they head into cities or visit religious sites. Nevertheless for some Muslims, the clash of cultures may still be off-putting. While Sulaiman, who comes from Mecca, was enjoying his holiday in Senggigi, the main tourist strip on Lombok, some aspects made him feel uneasy. “I am not comfortable with a tourist place where there are people wearing things that are too revealing,” he said. Others had concerns about trying to artificially separate Muslim and non-Muslim tourists. American tourist Sarah Jorgensen, who was visiting Lombok, warned such a move could lead to tensions: “When you create borders then you have more opportunity for discrimination.” (afp)
‘Frozen’ Niagara Falls drawing tourists to winter spectacle NIAGARA FALLS — The winter’s deep freeze has transformed Niagara Falls into an icy spectacle, encasing the trees around it into crystal shells and drawing tourists. The Niagara River keeps flowing below the ice cover, so the falls aren’t completely frozen over. But the massive ice buildup near the brink has become a tourist magnet for the second straight year after several relatively mild winters. Visitors have been flocking to Niagara Falls State Park, next to the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction. The cold has created a thick coating of ice and snow on every surface near the falls, including railings, trees and boulders. Things aren’t expected to thaw out soon: Temperatures dipped to -7 degrees Fahrenheit (-22 Celsius) in Niagara Falls on Friday morning. (ap)
Bali News
International
Indonesia can attract Russian tourists KUTA- Indonesia can target Russia as one of its potential tourism markets, Russian Honorary Consul for Bali Chairul Nuku Hamka said. “Russia offers good tourism market potential for Indonesia because its tourists spend more and stay for longer visits,” he stated on Saturday. Based on statistical studies, two Russian tourists are comparable to 10 German tourists in terms of parameters such as spending and length of stay, he added. “Russian tourists prefer to stay in five-star hotels with a high market segment,” the Russian honorary consul explained. As many as 93,622 Russian tourists visited Indonesia in 2013, but the figure dropped to 88,775 in 2014. The decline in the visits of Russian tourists in 2014 was due to several factors. Besides the absence of direct flights from Indonesia to Russia, the breakaway of the former Soviet Union also suffered an embargo that caused the value of its currency ruble to depreciate. Of the total number of Russian tourists, 72 thousand visited Bali. “The average number of Russian tourists visiting Bali per month reaches 4,000 to 5,000,” Hamka pointed out. He noted that Russian tourists hope for regular direct flights that connect Indonesia with Russia to be started. So far, Russian tourists used a chartered plane, Transaero, which flies the Russian flag and serves tourists once a week, he explained. National flights do not have regular schedules for the Indonesia-Russia route. “Since 2011, Garuda Indonesia has been planning to introduce direct flights to four cities in Russia. However, the matter is still being deliberated, while flight permits for this purpose have yet to be issued,” the honorary
consul said. In an effort to attract Russian tourists to visit Indonesia and to develop connectivity between the two nations, Indonesia and Russia are now discussing the possibility of implementing visafree visits. Early this month, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to use the occasion of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations to enhance cooperation between the nations. The two state leaders made their statements in this regard in their congratulatory messages to each other from Jakarta and Moscow on February 3. “The celebration is expected to push both parties to enhance and deepen the existing bilateral relations the two countries have enjoyed all this time,” President Jokowi remarked in his congratulatory message. He highlighted that bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Russia had been growing stronger through friendship, equality, mutual respect and understanding. “Considering the significant cooperation potential that can be developed, we can now advance our good relations to a higher stage not only bilaterally, but on regional and global platforms as well,” he stressed. In his congratulatory message, Putin said that the bilateral relations between Russia and Indonesia were based on good traditions and dynamic progress, which covers new fields from time to time, as had been emphasized at the meeting between the two state leaders during the APEC Summit in Beijing last year. “I want to underline our readiness to continue the constructive cooperation to enhance our bilateral relations. These ties should be developed in the best interests of Russia and Indonesia to ensure stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region,” he stated. (ant)
Monday, February 23, 2015
IBP/Wawan
An airplane fly above the Ngurah Rai street. Bali’s Ngurah Rai International airport needs an additional runway as the one has been close to full capacity. Minister for State Enterprises Rini Soemarno additional runways are urgently needed.
Ngurah Rai Airport needs additional runway
DENPASAR - Bali’s Ngurah Rai International airport needs an additional runway as the one has been close to full capacity. Minister for State Enterprises Rini Soemarno additional runways are urgently needed. “We fear that unless steps are taken immediately many fights could be delayed,” Rini said after a meeting with Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika. She said renovation has been made of the domestic and international terminals but the capacity is still below requirement with growing number of holiday makers. By relying only on one runway, the terminals would need bigger capacity to accommodate growing number of passengers waiting for their aircraft, she said. Rini, therefore, proposed a longer additional runway and terminals.
Meanwhile, president director of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, Tommy Soetomo, said feasibility study of the plan is already underway. Tommy said the Ngurah Rai airport recorded an increase of 18.5 percent in international flights in the period of 2013-2014 from the previous year. He said ideally, the runway for international flight is at least 3,200 meters. He said despite the additional runway, development of the airport of Buleleng in northern Bali is still needed and important. “Development of the airport in
India tenth biggest tourist supplier to Bali DENPASAR - Indian tourists coming to Bali during the month of January 2015 reached 7,911 or rose by 40 percent from the same period last year making it the tenth biggest supplier of foreign tourists to the island. “It is only logical that more and more tourists from India have come to Bali because they share common Hindu religion with the majority of the Balinese,” tourism
practitioner Made Sudana said on Sunday. He said the promotion efforts made by the government of the Bali province to India some time ago seemed to have given encouraging results. The art troupes from the state Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) in Denpasar as well as from the Hindu Religion High Learning Institute (STAH) in Lombok, West Nusa
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Tenggara, that visited India some time ago seemed to have become a special attraction to make more Indian tourists to come to Bali. He said he believed the good relations and cultural cooperation between Bali and Indonesia so far would encourage more Indian citizens to have a holiday on the island. The presence of Indian cultural and Yoga centers and trainers from
India would also help spread information to Indian tourists regarding Bali. On the other hand, Sudana said, that more and more Balinese people have also been visiting India especially to see the Ganges river. He said he believed more followers of Indian spiritual leaders would conduct a religious trip to Bali which is one of the Hindu centers in Indonesia. (ant)
Northern Bali is for equitable development purpose,” he said. (ant)
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Monday, February 23, 2015
Bali News
International
International
Livestock sector starts to become appealing to young farmers
TABANAN - Apparently the agricultural sector and pig farming in particular has started to draw the interest of a number of young people in Tabanan County as a promising livelihood. This sector has become a more promising prospect with the help of a number of government programs that provide low-interest loans distributed through several banks. One of the pig farmers in Tabanan, who is taking advantage of loans offered for the livestock sector is I Gusti P. Winiantara. He revealed that the low-interest loans recently offered by the government and distributed to a number of domestic banks has drawn the attention of young people in Tabanan. “The reason underlying my choice to raise pig is that it can be carried out as a side job. Other than being a job than still allows one to pursue other lines of work at the same time, the loan offered is also at a very affordable interest rate so that it will not be burdensome to young people, as it leaves room for profit even after paying back the loan installments”, said Winiantara Winiantara who is producing 300 heads of piglet per month explained that the average interest rate for bank loans for the agricultural sector in general are in the range of 4-6 percent, which is much lower than bank loans in general. He said that such affordable interest rates make pig farming attractive to young people. “Any business,
especially the agricultural business whose products’ prices always fluctuate, very much depends on the amount of interest set by banks for loans given to start of improve the business” he said. However, the limit for commercial loans for the agricultural sector is approximately IDR 100 million per person. He hopes that this amount would be increased so as to further stimulate the extensive agricultural sector in Tabanan. “In fact bank loans offered for businesses in the agricultural sector can reach as much as IDR 500 million. However, as far as I know, these capital loans are solely issued to business groups, not individuals” he affirmed. Actually, most young breeders function as individuals, rather than belonging to groups. Managing farming groups is still considered complicated especially in terms of accountability so that Winiantara hopes that the low-interest loan assistance will be increased, not only for farming groups but also for individuals. (kmb24)
BERLIN — Police say a fourth person has died from injuries suffered in an avalanche that struck five Italian skiers Saturday near the Great St. Bernhard Pass in the Swiss Alps. Swiss police said Sunday that the man died in hospital overnight. Two women and another man died Saturday after a massive rescue operation succeeded in pulling them out of up to 2.5 meters (8.2
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feet) of snow. A fifth skier suffered minor injuries while a sixth person avoided being swept away by the avalanche that struck the group — all in their early fifties and from the Milan region of Italy — at an altitude of 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) near an area known locally as “The Valley of Death.” Each year dozens of people die in avalanches in the Alps. (ap)
Bridge blocked by group protesting police shooting
IBP/File
The pig farm is seen in the picture. Livestock is now become one of the profession attracting the youth in Bali.
Farmers at Songan overwhelmed to clean up water hyacinth
The hyacinth plant is growing on Lake Batur, Kintamani, Bangli
Swiss police: 4th Italian skier dies of avalanche injuries
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Monday, February 23, 2015
IBP/Suasrina
BANGLI - The invasion of water hyacinth in Lake Batur Kintamani is getting more alarming. Other than causing the lake to look vile, the water hyacinth covering up the surface of the lake has also caused farmers to be unable to cultivate hundreds of hectares of land. Farmers claimed overwhelmed to clean it up due to the very rapid growth of water hyacinth. The most seriously invaded lakeside by water hyacinth can be seen in the area of Ulundanu hamlet, Songan village. It has become a problem since the past few years and has covered up hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and the lake surface. Some residents are complaining about such condition. As presented by one of the local community leaders, Jro Mangku Ariana, the proliferation of water hyacinth at lakeside area took place very quickly. As a result, local people were made overwhelmed
to do cleanup. “This has been going on since more than a year. Due to the invasion of water hyacinth, Lake Batur then looks shabby and the water is turbid due to the growing water hyacinth,” he said. In line with what revealed by Jro Mangku Ariana, another resident, Jro Salin Muliawan, said that at least 100 hectares of agricultural land could not be cultivated due to invasion of the water hyacinth. Other than disturbing horticulture farmers, the invasion also interfered with fish farmers that so far relied on their livelihood in Lake Batur. Responding to the current condition, people hoped the government to immediately intervene by cleaning up the water hyacinth. Moreover, the Lake Batur had been included in the Geopark area and recognized by the UNESCO. “All this time, residents are overwhelmed to clean up as the water hyacinth grows very quickly,” he said. (ina)
PASCO, Washington — A group, protesting the deadly police shooting of a Mexican immigrant, temporarily took over a bridge crossing the Columbia River. The Feb. 10 killing of Antonio ZambranoMontes __ captured on cellphone video by an onlooker — echoes recent police killings of unarmed black men in Missouri and New York City and has sparked calls for a federal investigation. The Tri-City Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1MJQxFr) that more than 50 people were in the group as night fell Saturday. The newspaper says the demonstrators shut down traffic along the cable bridge. The marchers shouted “We will not be silenced” and “We are all Antonio,” referring to ZambranoMontes, 35. “This is about the right not to be
shot by police because you have a rock in your hand,” said Alfredo Lamedo, 53, as he marched. “How many bullets were in that rock?” The killing was the fourth by law enforcement officers in Pasco in less than a year. It has roiled this fast-growing agricultural city of 68,000, where more than half the residents are Hispanic but few are members of the police force or the power structure. On Friday, the Mexican government said it expects ZambranoMontes’ body to be returned to his hometown in Michoacan state, Mexico, late next week, according to McClatchy Newspapers (http:// bit.ly/1D4tbVE.) Mexico’s consul in Seattle, Eduardo Baca Cuenca, made a special trip to Pasco on Friday to meet with family members and community leaders. (ap)
AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
Ukrainian prisoners of war help an injured serviceman using crutches march before a prisoner exchange in separatist controlled territory, near Zholobok, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed
ZHOLOBOK, Ukraine — Ukrainian military and separatist representatives exchanged dozens of prisoners under cover of darkness at a remote frontline location Saturday evening, kicking off a process intended to usher in peace to the conflict-ridden east. One hundred and thirty nine Ukrainian troops and 52 rebels were exchanged, according to a separatist official overseeing the prisoner swap at a no man’s land location near the village of Zholobok, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the rebel-held city Luhansk.
AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo
Police order protesters to disperse during a rally for Antonio Zambrano-Montes, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in Pasco, Wash. ZambranoMontes was shot and killed by Pasco police in Pasco on Tuesday.
A busload of Ukrainian soldiers in military fatigues was transported earlier in the day from the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk to a rural spot some 140 kilometers (90 miles) to the northeast, before joining up with other groups of fellow captives. After arriving at the location near Zholobok, the troops were made to line up and listen to a speech by a rebel representative, who ordered the men to leave the territory claimed by the separatist movements in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The soldiers — some of them using crutches, while one was carried on a stretcher — then walked for around 3 kilometers (2 miles) to a rendezvous point. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on his Twitter
account that he was informed the process had begun by the national security service. His spokesman, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, later said one more Ukrainian soldier prisoner was to be freed in the coming days. The peace agreement signed last week in Minsk foresees an exchange of all prisoners in the conflict. It is unclear how many are held in total on both sides, although the Donetsk separatists have said Ukraine is holding about 580 rebels as prisoners. Rebels said the bulk of the Ukrainian soldiers being released Saturday were captured during recent fighting for the strategic town of Debaltseve, which was taken over by separatists in the past week. The self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic added in
a statement that most of the people handed over by Ukrainian authorities were civilians. But “fewer than 50 percent of those exchanged (by the Donetsk People’s Republic) were military prisoners,” the statement said. The rebel statement cited what it said were observers at the swap saying many of the prisoners released by the Ukrainian government showed signs of maltreatment. “Some prisoners could not make their own way independently. Meanwhile, all of the military prisoners transferred to the Ukrainian representatives were in good shape,” it said. An Associated Press journalist saw at least one person released by government forces being pushed in a wheelchair. (ap)
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International
Monday, February 23, 2015
BUSINESS
AP Photo/Peter Morgan, file
In this Aug. 9, 2008 file photo, a woman and boy stand near Coca-Cola vending machines on the Olympic Green at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing. When beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo turned in their quarterly results last week, both blamed the dollar for cutting into their profits because, like most U.S. corporations, they rely on overseas sales.
Surging dollar takes bite out of US corporate profits
NEW YORK — The biggest obstacle for Coca-Cola and Pepsi these days isn’t tied to taste tests, the declining popularity of sugary drinks or even their century-long rivalry. It’s the surging U.S. dollar. lysts projected that profits would increase 9 percent in the first quarter. Today, they expect them to shrink more than 2 percent over that same period. A strong U.S. dollar might seem like a badge of honor, a reflection of U.S. economic power in the global economy, but for much of Corporate America, it’s bad for business. Almost half of all revenue for companies in the S&P 500 comes from outside the United States, mainly Europe and Asia. So when the dollar rises against the euro, it hurts in two ways: Prices of American-made goods become more expensive to customers in Europe, and goods that move off foreign shelves translate into fewer dollars, showing up as lower revenues and earnings on quarterly financial reports. Take Avon Products, a company that depends on customers in Latin America for nearly half of its sales. The cosmetics company reported that its revenue fell 12 percent and adjusted earnings sank 41 percent. Erase the dollar’s move against foreign currencies and the picture looks entirely different. Revenue would have climbed 5 percent, and adjusted earnings would have soared 29 percent. At Procter & Gamble, revenue fell 4 percent in the quarter but would have increased 2 percent if the dollar had stayed put. And the maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers doesn’t think the drag from the dollar is over yet. It estimates that the currency’s rise will shave $1.4
Monday, February 23, 2015
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Hit by tornado Obama begins sales pitch on trade to wary U.S. public
The two soda giants rely on overseas customers for roughly half of their revenue. When they turned in their quarterly results last week, both reported a drop in sales. The strong dollar made all the difference: strip it out and shrinking sales suddenly rise. The dollar has been a source of constant complaint this earnings season. Global corporations from Avon Products to Yum Brands have said their quarterly results would have been much better if it hadn’t been for the rising dollar. For some, the currency’s strength has meant the difference between a profit and a loss. “It has really hit earnings,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Over the past year, the dollar has climbed 17 percent against major currencies. The surging dollar and plunging oil prices are the main reasons analysts keep cutting their forecasts for corporate profits even though economists expect the U.S. economy to pick up speed. Back in October, analysts estimated that companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index would post profit growth of 11 percent for the final three months of 2014. That forecast now looks overly optimistic. With only a handful of companies left to report, corporate profits are on track to rise more than 7 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. Forecasts for this year have taken a much bigger hit. In December, for example, ana-
Bali News
International
billion from its profit over the course of the full year. “This is the most significant fiscal year currency impact we have ever incurred,” said P&G’s chief financial officer, Jon Moeller, in a conference call discussing the latest results. The list of companies complaining of currency swings includes nearly every major industry. Microsoft, Google and other tech giants have taken a hit along with Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer and other drugmakers. Even Apple, which turned in a record profit of $18 billion in its latest quarter, said the rising dollar cost the company $2 billion in sales. Electric-car maker Tesla, the hotel chain Hilton, and the navigation device maker Garmin have joined the ranks of the dollar debilitated. On Thursday, Wal-Mart slashed its sales forecast for the rest of the year in half, largely because of the dollar. Overseas sales used to provide a boost to U.S. companies. When the economy floundered during the Great Recession, firms expanded their businesses abroad, harnessing faster growth across Asia and South America. What once looked like a prudent move, however, has come back to bite them. U.S. economic growth is outpacing Europe and Japan, and growth in China and other emerging giants has cooled off. The result: a rising U.S. currency means falling revenue for U.S companies. (ap)
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Saturday began a broad sales pitch to the U.S. public about the merits of free trade deals, an area in which he faces stiff resistance from many in his own Democratic party. Obama has said he wants to work with Congressional Republicans to finalize the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, an agreement that would stretch from Japan to Chile, covering 40 percent of the world economy. “I’m the first to admit that past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype,” Obama said in his weekly address. “But that doesn’t mean we should close ourselves off from new opportunities.” The first step in working with other nations to finalize the TPP deal is to pass “fast track” legislation to streamline the passage of trade deals through Congress. Polling data from the Pew Research Center shows Americans from both parties are skeptical about trade. Only one in five Americans think trade creates jobs, and only 17 percent believe trade leads to higher wages. Congressional Republicans have been supportive of trade deals. Senator Orrin Hatch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has said he hopes to introduce a “fast track” bill in February. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that Obama needed to “continue what must be a sustained effort to move his own party forward” on working on trade legislation. Labor and environmental groups allied with Democrats have been pushing hard against the idea. Even among the Obama-friendly crowd at the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, several people wore “Stop Fast Track” stickers. Obama said fast track authority would protect workers and promote businesses, and said exporting companies pay higher wages. He cast it as a way to push back against the exporting powerhouse of China. “As we speak, China is trying to write the rules for trade in the 21st century,” Obama said. “We can’t let that happen. We should write those rules.” (rtr)
Mercedes recalls more than 147,000 vehicles to fix seal
INDIANAPOLIS — Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 147,000 sedans and station wagons made over the past few years to fix a problem with an engine compartment seal that could spark a fire. The recall mostly affects E350 sedans from the 2013 through 2015 model years. The company says a rubber seal in the back of the engine bay that is designed to muffle noises can stick to the hood when it opens. It can then drop into the engine compartment, where it may increase the risk of a fire if it touches the exhaust system. Mercedes-Benz will start the recall next month. Car owners can then take their vehicles to dealers, who will fix the issue for free by attaching four additional retaining clips to the seal. (ap)
Some vehicles wrecked, one victim rushed to hospital
DENPASAR - Adverse weather condition once again resulted in disaster. One day after Saturdays’s flooding, strong winds accompanied by heavy rains hit the city of Denpasar causing trees to fall in a number of locations. Several vehicles were damaged and a few people were injured by falling trees. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in these incidents. According to data collected by the Denpasar Call Center, tress fell on Jalan Hayam Wuruk, Jalan Tukad Petanu, Jalan Sulatri, Jalan Meduri, Sanur and Tohpati. The worst incident was on Jalan Hayam Wuruk, in front of Alfa Prima campus where strong winds uprooted a chinaberry tree of about 30 cm in diameter, which toppled down upon a parked Nissan Evalia vehicle with license plate DK 1070 AV owned by Ruswi Utami. Two women on motorcycle, were injured by the falling chinaberry tree. One of the women lost consciousness after being hit by a branch. The victim was immediately rushed to hospital by an ambulance from the Denpasar Mitigation Agency (BPBD). Meanwhile, the other victim named Ayu Puspawati suffered abrasions on her arms and legs. According to local residents, the high winds occurred around 2:00 p.m. A moment before the tree fell down she
and some other people had heard a cracking sound. A number of motorists slowed down with some even stopping fro fear of being hit. However, both of the motorists who were hit by the tree had neither stopped nor slowed down causing them to be under the branch as it fell. Passerby tried to help the two victims out from under the branch before the BPBD officers arrived on the scene. Head of the Call Center Unit of Denpasar, Ngurah Gede Budita, said that high winds had caused trees to falls at a few locations in Denpasar, almost simultaneously. His party also deployed a team to handle these incidents. The three teams deployed were the Cokro, Main and Juanda units. However, since all the trees fell nearly simultaneously and some members of the BPBD team were searching for victims who had been swept away by floodwaters, the priority was given to handling the fallen trees on main roads. (kmb25)
Adverse weather
Tourist visits to Lake Beratan diminishes
TABANAN - Recent adverse weather conditions have had an impact on the decline in the number of tourists visiting the Ulundanu Beratan Bedugul tourist attraction, in Candikuning village, Tabanan. Based on the current data, the average daily visits to the tourist attraction, which relies on the beauty of the lake decreased to 1,400 people compared to the normal 1,700 to 1, 800 people per day. Operations Manager of the Ulundanu Beratan tourist attraction, Wayan Mustika, said on Friday (Feb. 20) that the 25% decline in tourists was due to adverse. In addition to adverse weather conditions, the increasing number of tourist destinations that take advantage of the potential of Ulundanu Beratan also has an impact on the decrease in visitors. The travel ban issued by a number of countries has also contributed to the decrease in visitors. According to Mustika about 60 percent of
the people who visit Ulundanu Beratan are foreigner tourists while the rest are domestic tourists. To address the decline in visitors, the management continues to seek creative ways t o intice potential visitors. One of which is by providing ATM machines in the area, as well as providing space for people, for those times when there are a lot of visitors. . Even though the number of tourist visits declined in February, Mustika has confidence that this would not affect the targeted number of visitors for the year set by the management of this site. The number of tourist visits in 2015 is expected to increase by 10 percent over last year. In December 2014, a total of 647,000 people visited the lake. “From 2009 the average tourist visits showed an increase of over 14 percent. We do hope that this year the trend of increase in visitors will continue” he said. (kmb24)
IBP/Sosiawan
The Narmada Bali Raja Park located at Taman Bali village, Bangli, previously planned to be made into a tourist attraction is in a very alarming condition. The park situated around the paddy fields is neglected and not maintained.
Narmada Bali Raja Park neglected
BANGLI - The Narmada Bali Raja Park located at Taman Bali village, Bangli, previously planned to be made into a tourist attraction is in a very alarming condition. The park situated around the paddy fields is neglected and not maintained. Such an extensive park looks not to be maintained. All the corners are overgrown by various weeds. Similarly, the resting place located at poolside just leaves the beam and seat, while the roof has gone. In addition, the ticket booth of the park is also seen to have collapsed. One of the residents, Pande Ketut Ardana, explained if the abandonment of the park had lasted since about ten years ago and there was no improvement at all. He said that to date there were still a few travelers visiting the park. However, with such circumstances, visitors hurried away. “Many travelers come here, but since it is abandoned like this visitors ultimately just dropped in for a while,” he said. Furthermore, Ardana said a parking lot as sup-
porting facility to tourist attraction had already been prepared. However, no one knew why the tourist attraction was then neglected and the parking lot was finally transformed into a store of building materials. “A parking space has been prepared, but unknown why it was suddenly dormant and neglected,” he added. Meanwhile, a legislator of the Bangli House, I Nyoman Gelgel Wisnawa, deplored the lack of attention given by the government to the attraction. He considered the tourism development in the county was only focused on Kintamani. No arrangement was given to the Narmada Bali Raja Park so that its condition was even rundown due to untreated. “Actually Bangli is rich in the potential to be developed into tourist attraction,” he said. In addition to the Narmada Bali Raja Park, Wisnawa added the potential tourist attractions to be developed were the Tirta Sudamala at Bebalang village and waterfalls at Kuning hamlet, Taman Bali village, Bangli subdistrict. (sos)
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Monday, February 23, 2015
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AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File
FILE - In this March 20, 2013, file photo, Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew attends the Standard Chartered Singapore Forum in Singapore. Lee’s Office said in a statement Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, that Lee, 91, was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 5.
Singapore’s founder hospitalized with pneumonia
SINGAPORE — Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father, has been hospitalized for severe pneumonia, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Lee, 91, was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 5, the office said in a statement Saturday. His condition has stabilized and he remains on mechanical ventilation in intensive care, the statement said. It said Lee was conscious and lightly sedated, and that doctors were continuing to monitor his condition. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Lee Kuan Yew, said in a Facebook posting that he visited his father on Saturday to wish him a speedy recovery. “Visited my father in hospital this morning. Did not see him on the first day of the New Year, on the advice of doctors (both his and mine). So we wished him Happy New Year today, and a smooth recovery,” he said, adding it was the first time in a long while that the
family had missed reunion dinner for the Chinese New Year. A founding member of the ruling People’s Action Party, which transformed Singapore from a slow port city to a wealthy, bustling metropolis, Lee became prime minister in 1959 and held power for 31 years. He continued to work for the government, first as “senior minister,” a non-executive advisory post created for him, and from 2004 until 2011 as “minister mentor.” The PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011 as it struggled
to stem rising discontent over the high cost of living, an influx of foreign laborers and rising income inequality. Under Lee and his successors, Singapore — known for its ban on chewing gum sales and canings for crimes some countries would rule as minor — has strictly controlled public speech and assembly though has become socially more liberal and allowed greater artistic freedom in recent years. Lee commands immense respect among Singaporeans, who this year will celebrate the 50th independence anniversary. (ap)
International
Bangladesh ferry with 100 passengers sinks; at least 7 dead DHAKA, Bangladesh — A river ferry carrying about 100 passengers capsized in central Bangladesh on Sunday, killing at least seven people, officials said. A rescue operation was underway, but it was not clear exactly how many people were missing. The ferry was reportedly hit by a cargo vessel at the Daulatdia-Paturia crossing on the Padma River on Sunday afternoon, said fire department official Shahzadi Begum. Rescue teams were deployed and passing boats were helping in the operation, he said. The site is 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, an impoverished South Asian nation that is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers. The ferry was submerged at a depth of up to 6 meters (20 feet), said Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation. “Our divers have recovered six bodies from the sunken ferry, while another body of a child was retrieved earlier by local people,” Mia said by phone from the scene. He said officials had yet to determine how many passengers were missing. Ferries in Bangladesh usu-
ally do not maintain formal passenger lists. “We don’t have a clear picture about how many were exactly in the ferry when it sank,” Mia said. “But I think many have survived.” He said divers would soon be deployed to determine the exact position of the ferry. “We are trying to gather details from the survivors,” he said. A passenger who survived said many people got trapped inside when the ferry sank. “The passengers who were on the deck have survived, but many who were inside got trapped,” Hafizur Rahman Sheikh was quoted as saying by the Prothom Alo newspaper. Sheikh said the cargo vessel hit the middle of the ferry. The Padma is one of the largest rivers in Bangladesh, where overcrowding and poor safety standards are often blamed for ferry disasters. Last August, a ferry with a capacity of 85 passengers was found to be carrying more than 200 when it capsized on the Padma near Dhaka, leaving more than 100 people dead or missing. The ferry’s owner was arrested after weeks in hiding on charges of culpable homicide, unauthorized operation and overloading. (ap)
YANGON — Kokang ethnic rebels battling Myanmar’s government in the country’s north have denied a claim that they attacked a truck flying the Red Cross flag that was carrying refugees fleeing fighting in the area. Kokang spokesman Htun Myat Lin says the report by state media of Saturday’s attack was untrue, and that his group did not even have forces in the area of the alleged ambush. The state-run Myanma Ahlin
newspaper reported that the rebels used heavy weapons to attack a truck carrying 15 refugees, wounding five people, including a TV cameraman from state-run Myanma Radio and Television. The two sides traded similar accusations about an attack Tuesday on a seven-car Myanmar Red Cross convoy carrying 100 people that wounded a driver and a Red Cross volunteer. (ap)
Myanmar rebels deny attack on Red Crossprotected refugees
REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
A solider walks during Myanamar vice-president Sai Mauk Kham (not pictured) visit to a school to meet with government workers who fleet from Laukkai, in Lashio February 20, 2015.
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
11
INDONESIA Newly assigned envoy to Brazil recalls over delay
REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Donated money for Australia spread over a poster of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, during a small rally in reaction to a recent diplomatic rift over the country’s planned execution of two Australians, in Jakarta, February 22, 2015. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott attempted on Thursday to play down allegations of bullying Indonesia as a diplomatic rift deepens between the uneasy neighbours over Jakarta’s planned executions of two Australian drug smugglers.
Pro-Indonesia coalition holds “Coin For Australia”
JAKARTA - Pro-Indonesia Coalition organized a “Coin for Australia” movement during a car-free day at Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Sunday in protest against Prime Minister Tony Abbot’s recent statement. “Let us not let our dignity being bought by Tony Abbot,” action coordinator Andi Sinulingga said at the event. He said the coins collected during the event would be used to repay the aid that Australia has given to Indonesia when it dealt with tsunami incident in 2004. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has recently asked for the cancellation of the execution of two Australian drug convicts in exchange for the aid that Australia has given to Indonesia during the tsunami disaster. In response to the Australian prime minister’s statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said Indonesia understood well the position of the Australian government with regard to the imminent execution of its two citizens. She however said that the execution was purely a law enforcement system in Indonesia and it was not
aimed at certain nationalities. “We understand the Australian government wished to show its presence but although we know the position of the Australian government it must be understood that this is a law enforcement action against an extraordinary crime,” she said. The AGO plans to execute 11 convicts on death row, including the drug convicts from Australia, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, whose clemency pleas had been rejected by President Joko Widodo. Three convicts face execution over murder charges. They are Indonesian citizens Iyen bin Azwar, Harun bin Ajis, and Sargawi, alias Ali bin Sanusi. Six convicts, including five foreigners, to be put to death over
narcotics cases are Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso from the Philippines, Serge Areski Atlaoui from France, Martin Anderson, alias Belo, from Ghana, Indonesia citizen Zainal Abidin, Raheem Agbaje Salami from Cordova, and Rodrigo Gularte from Brazil. The Indonesian ministry of foreign affairs summoned the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia on the 20th February 2015, at 22.00 to convey its strongest possible terms of protest towards the unfriendly act of the Government of Brazil and presented a formal note of protest. The Government of Indonesia has also recalled home to Jakarta the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil until a time has been determined by the Government of Brazil for the presentation of his credentials. (ant)
JAKARTA — Indonesia said Saturday that it has recalled its newly designated ambassador to Brazil to protest the abrupt postponement of the approval of his credentials. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff welcomed ambassador Toto Riyanto at a ceremony Friday in the capital, Brasilia, but delayed approving his credentials amid tensions over the impending execution of a Brazilian citizen in Indonesia for a drug offense. Indonesia’s foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday that it was unacceptable to delay the approval of the credentials when the ambassador designate was already at the palace. Rodrigo Gularte, 42, is awaiting execution in Indonesia along with seven other foreigners from Australia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines. All have also lost their bids for presidential clemency — the final avenue of appeal for a death row convict in Indonesia. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said the executions will take place in about three or four weeks. Another Brazilian citizen, Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, was executed by an Indonesian firing squad last month for a drug offense, along with four other foreigners from Malawi, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Vietnam, with Jakarta brushing aside last-minute appeals by foreign leaders. Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws. There are 133 people on death row in the country, including 57 for drug crimes. (afp)
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Destinations
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sports
International
International
H O U S TO N — H o u s t o n ’s James Harden scored 16 points in a big third quarter which set up the Rockets’ 98-76 win over Toronto on Saturday. The victory edged the Rockets closer to the Southwest Division lead, closing within three games of idle Memphis. Elsewhere, Chicago notched its fifth win in six games by defeating Phoenix to open some breathing room at the top of the Central, and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past Sacramento. Houston’s Harden had a hot-and-cold game. Outside of his big third quarter he only scored four points, yet he was crucial in the surge which turned the contest, scoring seven of Houston’s 12 points as they went from a four-point lead to a 15point advantage. Corey Brewer was more consistent and scored a season-high 26 points for the hosts. The Raptors were aiming for a franchiserecord sixth straight road win, but were undone by 23 turnovers. James Johnson led Toronto with
BANGLI - The village of Trunyan is squeezed tightly between the lake and the outer crater rim of Batur, an almighty volcano in Kintamani. This is a Bali Aga village, inhabited by descendants of the original Balinese, the people who predate the arrival of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom in the 16th century. It is famous for the Pura Pancering Jagat temple, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed inside. There are also a couple of traditional Bali Aga-style dwellings, and a large banyan tree, which is said to be more than 1,100 years old. At Kuban sub-village close to Trunyan is a mysterious cemetery that is separated by the lake and accessible only by boat - there is no path along the steep walls of the crater rim. The village of Trunyan itself is situated at the edge of Batur Lake. This location is inaccessible except by boat, and it takes around half an hour across the calm waters. Getting to Lake Batur takes around two hours drive to the northeast of Denpasar along the main road to Buleleng and through Bangli Regency. Unlike the Balinese people, the people of Trunyan do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A macabre collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas. The dead bodies didn’t produce bad smells because of the perfumed scents from a huge Taru Menyan tree growing nearby. Taru means ‘tree’ and Menyan means ‘nice smell’. The name of Terunyan was also derived from these two words. The women from Trunyan are prohibited from going to the cemetery when a dead body is carried there. This follows the deeply rooted belief that if a woman comes to the cemetery while a corpse is being carried there, there will be a disaster in the village, for example a landslide or a volcanic eruption. Such events have been frequent in the village’s history, but whether women had anything to do with it is a matter of opinion. You can visit both the village of Trunyan and the Kuban cemetery by chartered boat from Kedisan.
27 points. Chicago’s Pau Gasol had 22 points and 14 rebounds as the Bulls beat Phoenix 112-107. Jimmy Butler added 19 points for Chicago, who had five players in double figures and increased its division lead over Cleveland to one game. P.J. Tucker’s 20 points was the high for the Suns, who have lost seven of eight. The Clippers routed Sacramento 126-99, with J.J. Redick scoring 24 points as he hit four 3-pointers and all eight of his free throws. Austin Rivers had a careerhigh 28 points for Los Angeles, which has won four of five games in the absence of injured AllStar Blake Griffin. DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points for the Kings. Oklahoma City won its fifth straight, beating Charlotte 110-103, with Russell Westbrook contributing 33 points and 10 assists. New Orleans’ Eric Gordon scored 16 of his 24 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans won 105-91 at Miami, even after losing Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson to injuries. (ap)
REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
McLaren Formula One racing driver Jenson Button (bottom) of Britain drives his car ahead of compatriot Mercedes Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton during pre-season testing at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 2, 2015.
Button believes McLaren could win before end of F1 season
IBP/File Photo
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Jenson Button believes the new McLaren-Honda has the potential to be a race-winning car by the end of the year once the Formula 1 team gets on top of its problems. The Woking-based team has been hit by a spate of reliability issues in pre-season testing and although its fortunes improved on Friday when Fernando Alonso managed almost 60 laps, its running was limited again on Saturday.
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7
Harden cameo leads Rockets to win over Raptors
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Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) goes to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, in Houston. The Rockets won 98-76.
Button managed just 21 laps when the team suffered a failure of the new MGU-K seal design that was intended to resolve its problems earlier in the test. But despite McLaren’s on-going problems with the car, 2009 world champion Button remains optimistic, suggesting that the team’s progress in terms of performance is being masked by more problems. “We are not going to have a race-winning car at the first race, but we might have one at the last race,” said Button, who ended Saturday 10th quickest and bottom of the timesheets. “I think you will see big improvements from us. We have made massive steps since the first
test, but you don’t get to see it because we run into other problems we have to solve. “We are all quite interested to see what this car can do at full power because I think it has a lot of potential. It’s just difficult to extract right now.” BARREN YEARS FORGOTTEN
McLaren has not won a race since the 2012 season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix and only managed two podiums in 2014 - both achieved at the opening Australian Grand Prix. Jenson Button, F1 testing Barcelona 2015 But Button says he doesn’t expect a repeat of the struggles the team has encountered in 2013 and 2014 despite a difficult pre-season
with its new engine partner. “We’re not in for another tough season,” said Button. “Whether we are ready for the first race or not, that is something I can’t answer right now. “This is a very different situation to the last two years when we just weren’t quick enough. Now, it’s all new for us. “Everyone else out there has so much experience with these power units whereas Honda obviously doesn’t so it looks worse than it is. “I would love to be pounding round every day we drive the car but it’s just not the case right now. “There are problems which we need to solve which we will solve. “I hope the next test will be a good one for us in terms of mileage so we can feel confidence going to the first race and make the most of what we have and push the car to the limit. “Every time I get in the car, everything feels right - I just haven’t pushed this car yet.” (rtr)
8
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sp rt
Barcelona’s winning streak ends with 1-0 home loss to Malaga
BARCELONA — Malaga stunned Barcelona with a 1-0 victory at Camp Nou on Saturday to end the host’s 11-game winning streak and prevent it from taking an overnight lead in the Spanish league. Malaga struck early and hung on after Juanmi Jimenez took advantage of a shared defensive error by Dani Alves and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the seventh minute. Coach Javi Gracia’s team held Barcelona to 0-0 in their first meeting this season, and the visitors again did well to contain a team which included Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez, en route to their first win at Barcelona since the 19992000 season. Real Madrid visits Elche on Sunday, looking to extend its one-point advantage at the top. “From the start we could see it was going to be a tough game,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “In the first half we were more or less ordered and balanced, but in the second half we lost control. Add to that that we weren’t having our best day on an individual level. The result is a blow to us.” Atletico Madrid and Valencia took advantage of Barcelona’s slip with wins that tightened the race among the top four. Antoine Griezmann scored his team-leading 13th and 14th league goals to lead Atletico to an easy 3-0 home victory over Almeria, lifting the defending champions to within three points of Barcelona. Valencia won 2-1 at bottom side Cordoba to stay in fourth, another three points behind Atletico. “We think about our daily fight with teams that get more attention,” Atletico manager Diego Simeone said about chasing Madrid and Barcelona.
“Valencia, Sevilla and ourselves, we have an enormous amount of points. That makes a league more competitive that we understand has Madrid and Barcelona as favorites.” Celta Vigo also won 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna in a regional Galician derby to rise into eighth place. Barcelona couldn’t dwell on Malaga for long, as it will be at Manchester City on Tuesday in the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Atletico visits Bayer Leverkusen a day later. Malaga’s plan of packing men in its area to stifle Barcelona’s attack, and looking to hit on the break worked so well that goalkeeper Carlos Kameni’s most notable moment was actually setting up Malaga’s goal. Messi and Neymar combined for 24 goals during Barcelona’s winning run, but neither were able to break down Malaga’s disciplined defense. Messi was swarmed by defenders every time he tried to dribble through the middle, while his crosses from the right in search of Neymar were cleared. Neymar, as well as Suarez, were apparently devoid of ideas. Kameni started the decisive counterattack with a long clearance that led to Jimenez racing forward to score. Both Barcelona’s Dani Alves and Bravo played their part in the
goal; the defender’s short back pass together with Bravo’s hesitation to leave his area to meet the pass allowed Jimenez to capitalize. The home fans responded with a round of applause to try and lift Barcelona with 83 minutes to turn the result around. But Malaga held firm, anchored by center back Weligton, who was well placed to clear a goalbound strike by Rafina in the 10th. Malaga, meanwhile, remained dangerous when it surged forward, and Bravo had to twice save shots from Ricardo Horta before halftime. Barcelona’s frustrations only grew in the second half when it was limited to substitute Pedro Rodriguez hitting the side netting as its best opportunity to level with six to play, until Suarez forced Kameni into action in stoppage time. Atletico hit home three times in the first half hour to dispense with Almeria. Mario Mandzukic got his 12th league goal when he converted a penalty kick after Mauro Dos Santos fouled Diego Godin. Mandzukic then set up Griezmann to score on the break, and he headed the ball down for Griezmann to beat ‘keeper Julian Cuesta a second time. Atletico lost defender Siqueira to a second booking in injury time. (ap)
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Genoa derby called off due to waterlogged pitch ROME - Saturday’s derby match between seventh-placed Sampdoria and Genoa, who are sixth, has been postponed after heavy rain left the pitch water-
logged. It is the second Serie A fixture to be called off this weekend. Sunday’s game between Parma and Udinese was also postponed
because the hosts are in the middle of a financial crisis. Sampdoria v Genoa has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 1830 local time. (rtr)
Listless United finally run out of luck
Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal lamented his team’s “missed chances” in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Swansea but the reality is that his side could only ride their luck for so long. The Dutchman praised his team’s second-half overwhelming possession dominance which did not produce a single clear-cut opportunity and Swansea soaked up the pressure before Jonjo Shelvey unleashed a deflected screamer which beat David De Gea. “I think it was our best secondhalf performance, we created a lot of chances and dominated the game but didn’t score and you have to score out of the chances you create,” Van Gaal told the club’s official website (www.manutd.com). If anything, it was the outstanding De Gea who was at the heart of United grinding out results which by some way flattered their performances for the best part of the season so far, pulling off a string of superb saves one match
after another. His contribution was especially emphatic in United’s 3-0 home win over bitter rivals Liverpool in December, when he kept out more than half a dozen sitters as the Merseyside club were undone by some clinical finishing at the other end. But occasional flashes of brilliance cannot disguise the multiple frailties of a team which, albeit still very much in the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League football next season, is a far cry from vintage United sides of the past. Drafting in Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco paid little dividends as the misfiring Colombian has scored only four league goals and does not look the same player that struck primal fear into defenders before last year’s serious knee injury which ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup. Falcao has failed to hit the ground running in the Premier League’s unforgiving high-tempo game and his strike partner Robin
van Persie is beginning to look like a spent force after playing a key role in United’s 20th league title in 2013 and left the Liberty Stadium on crutches. Winger Angel Di Maria, bought from Real Madrid for a British transfer record of 59.7 million pounds ($93.8 million), made a bright start but has since suffered a series of niggling injuries and loss of form. Van Gaal’s plethora of systems have also done no favours to the club’s top scorer Wayne Rooney, who has been moved across the midfield to accommodate Van Persie and Falcao and reduced to a hardly fathomable one Premier League shot on target in 2015. Turgid displays have been papered over by De Gea’s heroics and huge slices of luck at times but with United still having to face fellow heavyweights in the home straight, the possibility of a second successive barren season remains hanging ominously over their heads. (rtr)
AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
Malaga’s Samuel Garcia, right, jumps for the ball with Barcelona’s Jeremy Mathieu, from France, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
Man City routs Newcastle 5-0, Chelsea held 1-1 by Burnley LONDON — Manchester City took full advantage of leader Chelsea dropping points by registering the biggest win of its English Premier League title defense, while Manchester United dropped to fourth by losing at Swansea. After 10-man Chelsea was contentiously held to 1-1 by Burnley, City trimmed the gap on the leader to five points by sweeping aside Newcastle 5-0. Sergio Aguero put City in front inside two minutes with a penalty, then Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko scored in the next 20 minutes. David Silva completed the rout with quick-fire goals at the start of the second half as City cut Chelsea’s goal advantage to three in
the title race with 12 games to go. Chelsea had led through Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half opener, but Ben Mee headed in Burnley’s lever after key midfielder Nemanja Matic was sent off. United lost for only the second time since November — and could find itself out of the Champions League qualification places by the end of the weekend — as Swansea came from behind to win 2-1. Arsenal jumped ahead of United into third place with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace thanks to goals by Santi Cazorla, from the penalty spot, and Olivier Giroud. Fifth-place Southampton hosts Liverpool on Sunday. Tim Sherwood made a disappointing start to his mana-
gerial career at Aston Villa, with the team losing 2-1 at home to Stoke to stay in the relegation zone and drop below Burnley on goal difference. Queens Park Rangers is only out of the bottom three because of goal difference after losing 2-1 at Hull. The London club’s midfielder, Joey Barton, was sent off in the 32nd minute for hitting out at two opponents, and Hull scored an 89th-minute winner through Dame N’Doye. Sunderland went three points ahead of QPR by drawing 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion. The game at Stamford Bridge added to manager Jose Mourinho’s sense of injustice over refereeing decisions. Matic, who has been one of Chel-
sea’s most important players, will miss next weekend’s League Cup final against Tottenham as well as league games against West Ham and Southampton following his red card. Ashley Barnes escaped punishment in the 70th for a high challenge on Matic, who then angrily pushed the Burnley striker and received a straight red card. Chelsea also had two strong penalty claims dismissed. It is only the second time Chelsea has dropped points at home in the league. City’s victory was the ideal warmup for the first leg against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. And it’s now nine goals in two games for City following a 4-1
victory over Stoke. Dzeko, whose place in City’s attack seems under threat following the signing of Wilfried Bony, earned the penalty after being tripped by Vurnon Anita after 24 seconds. Aguero’s successful spot kick was the striker’s 22nd goal of the season. Dzeko’s deflected pass then fell into the path of Nasri, who shot into the roof of the net in the 12th. Dzeko grabbed the goal his contribution merited in the 21st when he sidefooted past goalkeeper Tim Krul. At the start of the second half, Nasri squared to Silva, who netted from close range, and fired in a low shot within two minutes. (ap)
9
Reuters / Rebecca Naden Livepic
Swansea City v Manchester United - Barclays Premier League - Liberty Stadium - 21/2/15 Swansea’s Jonjo Shelvey scores their second goal
AP Photo/Jacques Brinon
PSG’s Adrien Rabiot reacts after scoring against Toulouse FC during his French League one soccer match at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
PSG leads French league after 3-1 win against Toulouse PARIS — Teen midfielder Adrien Rabiot scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Toulouse 3-1 to move provisionally top of the French league on Saturday. The 19-year-old, who was not in coach Laurent Blanc’s side at the start of the season and was almost sold in the summer, scored with a fine curling effort in the first half, and prodded in the second just after the break. Captain Thiago Silva slammed the ball into the roof of the net in the 74th to make it 3-1, after striker Wissan Ben Yedder pulled a goal back in the 51st. League leader Lyon can restore its two-point lead over PSG if it beats Nantes at home on Sunday, while Marseille can move level on points with PSG if it wins at Saint-Etienne. “What pleased me is that we managed to create chances and we scored goals. We’ve had the chance to go top three or four times before and we couldn’t do it. Maybe this is a sign,” Blanc said. “Obviously it’s only provisional, but perhaps it has sunk in that we don’t have any more points to lose. It’s always positive to be first and with 52 points from 26 games we’re not far away from a title-winning rhythm.” Blanc took Rabiot off near the end so he could get an ovation from the fans at Parc des Princes. “I’m happy for Adrien. When he came off a few weeks ago he was jeered and that affected him,” Blanc said. “Don’t forget that he’s a young player, hardly even 20, the future of PSG. He has a lot of room for improvement and I’m happy he played well.”
Decimated by injuries and with defender David Luiz and midfielder Marco Verratti suspended, Blanc’s resources were stretched. The PSG bench included 18-year-old Roli Pereira de Sa, who has never played for the first team, and 19-year-old Presnel Kimpembe, who has made only one substitute appearance. Top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost got into the penalty area after some neat trickery on the left flank, but the opening first half was bereft of attacking flair until PSG took the lead. Ibrahimovic fed Rabiot with a cushioned layoff, and Rabiot did the rest, curling a lovely shot into the left corner from the edge of the penalty area. Toulouse threatened little, but goalie Salvatore Sirigu stayed awake and made a smart save from midfielder Abel Aguilar’s header shortly before the break. Rabiot grabbed his second of the game after some fine play from Javier Pastore on the right wing. Pastore ghosted past two players and picked out Rabiot, who poked the ball in from close range. But PSG’s tendency to concede soft goals crept in again as striker Ben Yedder was left unmarked and headed in. With so many injuries and suspensions, Blanc was given a scare when Ibrahimovic went down clutching his knee after a challenge. Thankfully for Blanc, he got back up, and almost scored with a curling shot moments later. Ibrahimovic is suspended for the next two games: Away to Monaco in the league next weekend, and against Monaco in the French Cup quarterfinals three days later. (ap)
8
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sp rt
Barcelona’s winning streak ends with 1-0 home loss to Malaga
BARCELONA — Malaga stunned Barcelona with a 1-0 victory at Camp Nou on Saturday to end the host’s 11-game winning streak and prevent it from taking an overnight lead in the Spanish league. Malaga struck early and hung on after Juanmi Jimenez took advantage of a shared defensive error by Dani Alves and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the seventh minute. Coach Javi Gracia’s team held Barcelona to 0-0 in their first meeting this season, and the visitors again did well to contain a team which included Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez, en route to their first win at Barcelona since the 19992000 season. Real Madrid visits Elche on Sunday, looking to extend its one-point advantage at the top. “From the start we could see it was going to be a tough game,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “In the first half we were more or less ordered and balanced, but in the second half we lost control. Add to that that we weren’t having our best day on an individual level. The result is a blow to us.” Atletico Madrid and Valencia took advantage of Barcelona’s slip with wins that tightened the race among the top four. Antoine Griezmann scored his team-leading 13th and 14th league goals to lead Atletico to an easy 3-0 home victory over Almeria, lifting the defending champions to within three points of Barcelona. Valencia won 2-1 at bottom side Cordoba to stay in fourth, another three points behind Atletico. “We think about our daily fight with teams that get more attention,” Atletico manager Diego Simeone said about chasing Madrid and Barcelona.
“Valencia, Sevilla and ourselves, we have an enormous amount of points. That makes a league more competitive that we understand has Madrid and Barcelona as favorites.” Celta Vigo also won 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna in a regional Galician derby to rise into eighth place. Barcelona couldn’t dwell on Malaga for long, as it will be at Manchester City on Tuesday in the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Atletico visits Bayer Leverkusen a day later. Malaga’s plan of packing men in its area to stifle Barcelona’s attack, and looking to hit on the break worked so well that goalkeeper Carlos Kameni’s most notable moment was actually setting up Malaga’s goal. Messi and Neymar combined for 24 goals during Barcelona’s winning run, but neither were able to break down Malaga’s disciplined defense. Messi was swarmed by defenders every time he tried to dribble through the middle, while his crosses from the right in search of Neymar were cleared. Neymar, as well as Suarez, were apparently devoid of ideas. Kameni started the decisive counterattack with a long clearance that led to Jimenez racing forward to score. Both Barcelona’s Dani Alves and Bravo played their part in the
goal; the defender’s short back pass together with Bravo’s hesitation to leave his area to meet the pass allowed Jimenez to capitalize. The home fans responded with a round of applause to try and lift Barcelona with 83 minutes to turn the result around. But Malaga held firm, anchored by center back Weligton, who was well placed to clear a goalbound strike by Rafina in the 10th. Malaga, meanwhile, remained dangerous when it surged forward, and Bravo had to twice save shots from Ricardo Horta before halftime. Barcelona’s frustrations only grew in the second half when it was limited to substitute Pedro Rodriguez hitting the side netting as its best opportunity to level with six to play, until Suarez forced Kameni into action in stoppage time. Atletico hit home three times in the first half hour to dispense with Almeria. Mario Mandzukic got his 12th league goal when he converted a penalty kick after Mauro Dos Santos fouled Diego Godin. Mandzukic then set up Griezmann to score on the break, and he headed the ball down for Griezmann to beat ‘keeper Julian Cuesta a second time. Atletico lost defender Siqueira to a second booking in injury time. (ap)
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Genoa derby called off due to waterlogged pitch ROME - Saturday’s derby match between seventh-placed Sampdoria and Genoa, who are sixth, has been postponed after heavy rain left the pitch water-
logged. It is the second Serie A fixture to be called off this weekend. Sunday’s game between Parma and Udinese was also postponed
because the hosts are in the middle of a financial crisis. Sampdoria v Genoa has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 1830 local time. (rtr)
Listless United finally run out of luck
Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal lamented his team’s “missed chances” in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Swansea but the reality is that his side could only ride their luck for so long. The Dutchman praised his team’s second-half overwhelming possession dominance which did not produce a single clear-cut opportunity and Swansea soaked up the pressure before Jonjo Shelvey unleashed a deflected screamer which beat David De Gea. “I think it was our best secondhalf performance, we created a lot of chances and dominated the game but didn’t score and you have to score out of the chances you create,” Van Gaal told the club’s official website (www.manutd.com). If anything, it was the outstanding De Gea who was at the heart of United grinding out results which by some way flattered their performances for the best part of the season so far, pulling off a string of superb saves one match
after another. His contribution was especially emphatic in United’s 3-0 home win over bitter rivals Liverpool in December, when he kept out more than half a dozen sitters as the Merseyside club were undone by some clinical finishing at the other end. But occasional flashes of brilliance cannot disguise the multiple frailties of a team which, albeit still very much in the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League football next season, is a far cry from vintage United sides of the past. Drafting in Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco paid little dividends as the misfiring Colombian has scored only four league goals and does not look the same player that struck primal fear into defenders before last year’s serious knee injury which ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup. Falcao has failed to hit the ground running in the Premier League’s unforgiving high-tempo game and his strike partner Robin
van Persie is beginning to look like a spent force after playing a key role in United’s 20th league title in 2013 and left the Liberty Stadium on crutches. Winger Angel Di Maria, bought from Real Madrid for a British transfer record of 59.7 million pounds ($93.8 million), made a bright start but has since suffered a series of niggling injuries and loss of form. Van Gaal’s plethora of systems have also done no favours to the club’s top scorer Wayne Rooney, who has been moved across the midfield to accommodate Van Persie and Falcao and reduced to a hardly fathomable one Premier League shot on target in 2015. Turgid displays have been papered over by De Gea’s heroics and huge slices of luck at times but with United still having to face fellow heavyweights in the home straight, the possibility of a second successive barren season remains hanging ominously over their heads. (rtr)
AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
Malaga’s Samuel Garcia, right, jumps for the ball with Barcelona’s Jeremy Mathieu, from France, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
Man City routs Newcastle 5-0, Chelsea held 1-1 by Burnley LONDON — Manchester City took full advantage of leader Chelsea dropping points by registering the biggest win of its English Premier League title defense, while Manchester United dropped to fourth by losing at Swansea. After 10-man Chelsea was contentiously held to 1-1 by Burnley, City trimmed the gap on the leader to five points by sweeping aside Newcastle 5-0. Sergio Aguero put City in front inside two minutes with a penalty, then Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko scored in the next 20 minutes. David Silva completed the rout with quick-fire goals at the start of the second half as City cut Chelsea’s goal advantage to three in
the title race with 12 games to go. Chelsea had led through Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half opener, but Ben Mee headed in Burnley’s lever after key midfielder Nemanja Matic was sent off. United lost for only the second time since November — and could find itself out of the Champions League qualification places by the end of the weekend — as Swansea came from behind to win 2-1. Arsenal jumped ahead of United into third place with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace thanks to goals by Santi Cazorla, from the penalty spot, and Olivier Giroud. Fifth-place Southampton hosts Liverpool on Sunday. Tim Sherwood made a disappointing start to his mana-
gerial career at Aston Villa, with the team losing 2-1 at home to Stoke to stay in the relegation zone and drop below Burnley on goal difference. Queens Park Rangers is only out of the bottom three because of goal difference after losing 2-1 at Hull. The London club’s midfielder, Joey Barton, was sent off in the 32nd minute for hitting out at two opponents, and Hull scored an 89th-minute winner through Dame N’Doye. Sunderland went three points ahead of QPR by drawing 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion. The game at Stamford Bridge added to manager Jose Mourinho’s sense of injustice over refereeing decisions. Matic, who has been one of Chel-
sea’s most important players, will miss next weekend’s League Cup final against Tottenham as well as league games against West Ham and Southampton following his red card. Ashley Barnes escaped punishment in the 70th for a high challenge on Matic, who then angrily pushed the Burnley striker and received a straight red card. Chelsea also had two strong penalty claims dismissed. It is only the second time Chelsea has dropped points at home in the league. City’s victory was the ideal warmup for the first leg against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. And it’s now nine goals in two games for City following a 4-1
victory over Stoke. Dzeko, whose place in City’s attack seems under threat following the signing of Wilfried Bony, earned the penalty after being tripped by Vurnon Anita after 24 seconds. Aguero’s successful spot kick was the striker’s 22nd goal of the season. Dzeko’s deflected pass then fell into the path of Nasri, who shot into the roof of the net in the 12th. Dzeko grabbed the goal his contribution merited in the 21st when he sidefooted past goalkeeper Tim Krul. At the start of the second half, Nasri squared to Silva, who netted from close range, and fired in a low shot within two minutes. (ap)
9
Reuters / Rebecca Naden Livepic
Swansea City v Manchester United - Barclays Premier League - Liberty Stadium - 21/2/15 Swansea’s Jonjo Shelvey scores their second goal
AP Photo/Jacques Brinon
PSG’s Adrien Rabiot reacts after scoring against Toulouse FC during his French League one soccer match at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
PSG leads French league after 3-1 win against Toulouse PARIS — Teen midfielder Adrien Rabiot scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Toulouse 3-1 to move provisionally top of the French league on Saturday. The 19-year-old, who was not in coach Laurent Blanc’s side at the start of the season and was almost sold in the summer, scored with a fine curling effort in the first half, and prodded in the second just after the break. Captain Thiago Silva slammed the ball into the roof of the net in the 74th to make it 3-1, after striker Wissan Ben Yedder pulled a goal back in the 51st. League leader Lyon can restore its two-point lead over PSG if it beats Nantes at home on Sunday, while Marseille can move level on points with PSG if it wins at Saint-Etienne. “What pleased me is that we managed to create chances and we scored goals. We’ve had the chance to go top three or four times before and we couldn’t do it. Maybe this is a sign,” Blanc said. “Obviously it’s only provisional, but perhaps it has sunk in that we don’t have any more points to lose. It’s always positive to be first and with 52 points from 26 games we’re not far away from a title-winning rhythm.” Blanc took Rabiot off near the end so he could get an ovation from the fans at Parc des Princes. “I’m happy for Adrien. When he came off a few weeks ago he was jeered and that affected him,” Blanc said. “Don’t forget that he’s a young player, hardly even 20, the future of PSG. He has a lot of room for improvement and I’m happy he played well.”
Decimated by injuries and with defender David Luiz and midfielder Marco Verratti suspended, Blanc’s resources were stretched. The PSG bench included 18-year-old Roli Pereira de Sa, who has never played for the first team, and 19-year-old Presnel Kimpembe, who has made only one substitute appearance. Top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost got into the penalty area after some neat trickery on the left flank, but the opening first half was bereft of attacking flair until PSG took the lead. Ibrahimovic fed Rabiot with a cushioned layoff, and Rabiot did the rest, curling a lovely shot into the left corner from the edge of the penalty area. Toulouse threatened little, but goalie Salvatore Sirigu stayed awake and made a smart save from midfielder Abel Aguilar’s header shortly before the break. Rabiot grabbed his second of the game after some fine play from Javier Pastore on the right wing. Pastore ghosted past two players and picked out Rabiot, who poked the ball in from close range. But PSG’s tendency to concede soft goals crept in again as striker Ben Yedder was left unmarked and headed in. With so many injuries and suspensions, Blanc was given a scare when Ibrahimovic went down clutching his knee after a challenge. Thankfully for Blanc, he got back up, and almost scored with a curling shot moments later. Ibrahimovic is suspended for the next two games: Away to Monaco in the league next weekend, and against Monaco in the French Cup quarterfinals three days later. (ap)
10
Destinations
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sports
International
International
H O U S TO N — H o u s t o n ’s James Harden scored 16 points in a big third quarter which set up the Rockets’ 98-76 win over Toronto on Saturday. The victory edged the Rockets closer to the Southwest Division lead, closing within three games of idle Memphis. Elsewhere, Chicago notched its fifth win in six games by defeating Phoenix to open some breathing room at the top of the Central, and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past Sacramento. Houston’s Harden had a hot-and-cold game. Outside of his big third quarter he only scored four points, yet he was crucial in the surge which turned the contest, scoring seven of Houston’s 12 points as they went from a four-point lead to a 15point advantage. Corey Brewer was more consistent and scored a season-high 26 points for the hosts. The Raptors were aiming for a franchiserecord sixth straight road win, but were undone by 23 turnovers. James Johnson led Toronto with
BANGLI - The village of Trunyan is squeezed tightly between the lake and the outer crater rim of Batur, an almighty volcano in Kintamani. This is a Bali Aga village, inhabited by descendants of the original Balinese, the people who predate the arrival of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom in the 16th century. It is famous for the Pura Pancering Jagat temple, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed inside. There are also a couple of traditional Bali Aga-style dwellings, and a large banyan tree, which is said to be more than 1,100 years old. At Kuban sub-village close to Trunyan is a mysterious cemetery that is separated by the lake and accessible only by boat - there is no path along the steep walls of the crater rim. The village of Trunyan itself is situated at the edge of Batur Lake. This location is inaccessible except by boat, and it takes around half an hour across the calm waters. Getting to Lake Batur takes around two hours drive to the northeast of Denpasar along the main road to Buleleng and through Bangli Regency. Unlike the Balinese people, the people of Trunyan do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A macabre collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas. The dead bodies didn’t produce bad smells because of the perfumed scents from a huge Taru Menyan tree growing nearby. Taru means ‘tree’ and Menyan means ‘nice smell’. The name of Terunyan was also derived from these two words. The women from Trunyan are prohibited from going to the cemetery when a dead body is carried there. This follows the deeply rooted belief that if a woman comes to the cemetery while a corpse is being carried there, there will be a disaster in the village, for example a landslide or a volcanic eruption. Such events have been frequent in the village’s history, but whether women had anything to do with it is a matter of opinion. You can visit both the village of Trunyan and the Kuban cemetery by chartered boat from Kedisan.
27 points. Chicago’s Pau Gasol had 22 points and 14 rebounds as the Bulls beat Phoenix 112-107. Jimmy Butler added 19 points for Chicago, who had five players in double figures and increased its division lead over Cleveland to one game. P.J. Tucker’s 20 points was the high for the Suns, who have lost seven of eight. The Clippers routed Sacramento 126-99, with J.J. Redick scoring 24 points as he hit four 3-pointers and all eight of his free throws. Austin Rivers had a careerhigh 28 points for Los Angeles, which has won four of five games in the absence of injured AllStar Blake Griffin. DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points for the Kings. Oklahoma City won its fifth straight, beating Charlotte 110-103, with Russell Westbrook contributing 33 points and 10 assists. New Orleans’ Eric Gordon scored 16 of his 24 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans won 105-91 at Miami, even after losing Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson to injuries. (ap)
REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
McLaren Formula One racing driver Jenson Button (bottom) of Britain drives his car ahead of compatriot Mercedes Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton during pre-season testing at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 2, 2015.
Button believes McLaren could win before end of F1 season
IBP/File Photo
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Jenson Button believes the new McLaren-Honda has the potential to be a race-winning car by the end of the year once the Formula 1 team gets on top of its problems. The Woking-based team has been hit by a spate of reliability issues in pre-season testing and although its fortunes improved on Friday when Fernando Alonso managed almost 60 laps, its running was limited again on Saturday.
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7
Harden cameo leads Rockets to win over Raptors
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Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) goes to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, in Houston. The Rockets won 98-76.
Button managed just 21 laps when the team suffered a failure of the new MGU-K seal design that was intended to resolve its problems earlier in the test. But despite McLaren’s on-going problems with the car, 2009 world champion Button remains optimistic, suggesting that the team’s progress in terms of performance is being masked by more problems. “We are not going to have a race-winning car at the first race, but we might have one at the last race,” said Button, who ended Saturday 10th quickest and bottom of the timesheets. “I think you will see big improvements from us. We have made massive steps since the first
test, but you don’t get to see it because we run into other problems we have to solve. “We are all quite interested to see what this car can do at full power because I think it has a lot of potential. It’s just difficult to extract right now.” BARREN YEARS FORGOTTEN
McLaren has not won a race since the 2012 season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix and only managed two podiums in 2014 - both achieved at the opening Australian Grand Prix. Jenson Button, F1 testing Barcelona 2015 But Button says he doesn’t expect a repeat of the struggles the team has encountered in 2013 and 2014 despite a difficult pre-season
with its new engine partner. “We’re not in for another tough season,” said Button. “Whether we are ready for the first race or not, that is something I can’t answer right now. “This is a very different situation to the last two years when we just weren’t quick enough. Now, it’s all new for us. “Everyone else out there has so much experience with these power units whereas Honda obviously doesn’t so it looks worse than it is. “I would love to be pounding round every day we drive the car but it’s just not the case right now. “There are problems which we need to solve which we will solve. “I hope the next test will be a good one for us in terms of mileage so we can feel confidence going to the first race and make the most of what we have and push the car to the limit. “Every time I get in the car, everything feels right - I just haven’t pushed this car yet.” (rtr)
6
Monday, February 23, 2015
W
RLD
AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File
FILE - In this March 20, 2013, file photo, Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew attends the Standard Chartered Singapore Forum in Singapore. Lee’s Office said in a statement Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, that Lee, 91, was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 5.
Singapore’s founder hospitalized with pneumonia
SINGAPORE — Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father, has been hospitalized for severe pneumonia, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Lee, 91, was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 5, the office said in a statement Saturday. His condition has stabilized and he remains on mechanical ventilation in intensive care, the statement said. It said Lee was conscious and lightly sedated, and that doctors were continuing to monitor his condition. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Lee Kuan Yew, said in a Facebook posting that he visited his father on Saturday to wish him a speedy recovery. “Visited my father in hospital this morning. Did not see him on the first day of the New Year, on the advice of doctors (both his and mine). So we wished him Happy New Year today, and a smooth recovery,” he said, adding it was the first time in a long while that the
family had missed reunion dinner for the Chinese New Year. A founding member of the ruling People’s Action Party, which transformed Singapore from a slow port city to a wealthy, bustling metropolis, Lee became prime minister in 1959 and held power for 31 years. He continued to work for the government, first as “senior minister,” a non-executive advisory post created for him, and from 2004 until 2011 as “minister mentor.” The PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011 as it struggled
to stem rising discontent over the high cost of living, an influx of foreign laborers and rising income inequality. Under Lee and his successors, Singapore — known for its ban on chewing gum sales and canings for crimes some countries would rule as minor — has strictly controlled public speech and assembly though has become socially more liberal and allowed greater artistic freedom in recent years. Lee commands immense respect among Singaporeans, who this year will celebrate the 50th independence anniversary. (ap)
International
Bangladesh ferry with 100 passengers sinks; at least 7 dead DHAKA, Bangladesh — A river ferry carrying about 100 passengers capsized in central Bangladesh on Sunday, killing at least seven people, officials said. A rescue operation was underway, but it was not clear exactly how many people were missing. The ferry was reportedly hit by a cargo vessel at the Daulatdia-Paturia crossing on the Padma River on Sunday afternoon, said fire department official Shahzadi Begum. Rescue teams were deployed and passing boats were helping in the operation, he said. The site is 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, an impoverished South Asian nation that is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers. The ferry was submerged at a depth of up to 6 meters (20 feet), said Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation. “Our divers have recovered six bodies from the sunken ferry, while another body of a child was retrieved earlier by local people,” Mia said by phone from the scene. He said officials had yet to determine how many passengers were missing. Ferries in Bangladesh usu-
ally do not maintain formal passenger lists. “We don’t have a clear picture about how many were exactly in the ferry when it sank,” Mia said. “But I think many have survived.” He said divers would soon be deployed to determine the exact position of the ferry. “We are trying to gather details from the survivors,” he said. A passenger who survived said many people got trapped inside when the ferry sank. “The passengers who were on the deck have survived, but many who were inside got trapped,” Hafizur Rahman Sheikh was quoted as saying by the Prothom Alo newspaper. Sheikh said the cargo vessel hit the middle of the ferry. The Padma is one of the largest rivers in Bangladesh, where overcrowding and poor safety standards are often blamed for ferry disasters. Last August, a ferry with a capacity of 85 passengers was found to be carrying more than 200 when it capsized on the Padma near Dhaka, leaving more than 100 people dead or missing. The ferry’s owner was arrested after weeks in hiding on charges of culpable homicide, unauthorized operation and overloading. (ap)
YANGON — Kokang ethnic rebels battling Myanmar’s government in the country’s north have denied a claim that they attacked a truck flying the Red Cross flag that was carrying refugees fleeing fighting in the area. Kokang spokesman Htun Myat Lin says the report by state media of Saturday’s attack was untrue, and that his group did not even have forces in the area of the alleged ambush. The state-run Myanma Ahlin
newspaper reported that the rebels used heavy weapons to attack a truck carrying 15 refugees, wounding five people, including a TV cameraman from state-run Myanma Radio and Television. The two sides traded similar accusations about an attack Tuesday on a seven-car Myanmar Red Cross convoy carrying 100 people that wounded a driver and a Red Cross volunteer. (ap)
Myanmar rebels deny attack on Red Crossprotected refugees
REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
A solider walks during Myanamar vice-president Sai Mauk Kham (not pictured) visit to a school to meet with government workers who fleet from Laukkai, in Lashio February 20, 2015.
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
11
INDONESIA Newly assigned envoy to Brazil recalls over delay
REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Donated money for Australia spread over a poster of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, during a small rally in reaction to a recent diplomatic rift over the country’s planned execution of two Australians, in Jakarta, February 22, 2015. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott attempted on Thursday to play down allegations of bullying Indonesia as a diplomatic rift deepens between the uneasy neighbours over Jakarta’s planned executions of two Australian drug smugglers.
Pro-Indonesia coalition holds “Coin For Australia”
JAKARTA - Pro-Indonesia Coalition organized a “Coin for Australia” movement during a car-free day at Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Sunday in protest against Prime Minister Tony Abbot’s recent statement. “Let us not let our dignity being bought by Tony Abbot,” action coordinator Andi Sinulingga said at the event. He said the coins collected during the event would be used to repay the aid that Australia has given to Indonesia when it dealt with tsunami incident in 2004. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has recently asked for the cancellation of the execution of two Australian drug convicts in exchange for the aid that Australia has given to Indonesia during the tsunami disaster. In response to the Australian prime minister’s statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said Indonesia understood well the position of the Australian government with regard to the imminent execution of its two citizens. She however said that the execution was purely a law enforcement system in Indonesia and it was not
aimed at certain nationalities. “We understand the Australian government wished to show its presence but although we know the position of the Australian government it must be understood that this is a law enforcement action against an extraordinary crime,” she said. The AGO plans to execute 11 convicts on death row, including the drug convicts from Australia, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, whose clemency pleas had been rejected by President Joko Widodo. Three convicts face execution over murder charges. They are Indonesian citizens Iyen bin Azwar, Harun bin Ajis, and Sargawi, alias Ali bin Sanusi. Six convicts, including five foreigners, to be put to death over
narcotics cases are Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso from the Philippines, Serge Areski Atlaoui from France, Martin Anderson, alias Belo, from Ghana, Indonesia citizen Zainal Abidin, Raheem Agbaje Salami from Cordova, and Rodrigo Gularte from Brazil. The Indonesian ministry of foreign affairs summoned the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia on the 20th February 2015, at 22.00 to convey its strongest possible terms of protest towards the unfriendly act of the Government of Brazil and presented a formal note of protest. The Government of Indonesia has also recalled home to Jakarta the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil until a time has been determined by the Government of Brazil for the presentation of his credentials. (ant)
JAKARTA — Indonesia said Saturday that it has recalled its newly designated ambassador to Brazil to protest the abrupt postponement of the approval of his credentials. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff welcomed ambassador Toto Riyanto at a ceremony Friday in the capital, Brasilia, but delayed approving his credentials amid tensions over the impending execution of a Brazilian citizen in Indonesia for a drug offense. Indonesia’s foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday that it was unacceptable to delay the approval of the credentials when the ambassador designate was already at the palace. Rodrigo Gularte, 42, is awaiting execution in Indonesia along with seven other foreigners from Australia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines. All have also lost their bids for presidential clemency — the final avenue of appeal for a death row convict in Indonesia. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said the executions will take place in about three or four weeks. Another Brazilian citizen, Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, was executed by an Indonesian firing squad last month for a drug offense, along with four other foreigners from Malawi, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Vietnam, with Jakarta brushing aside last-minute appeals by foreign leaders. Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws. There are 133 people on death row in the country, including 57 for drug crimes. (afp)
12
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
BUSINESS
AP Photo/Peter Morgan, file
In this Aug. 9, 2008 file photo, a woman and boy stand near Coca-Cola vending machines on the Olympic Green at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing. When beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo turned in their quarterly results last week, both blamed the dollar for cutting into their profits because, like most U.S. corporations, they rely on overseas sales.
Surging dollar takes bite out of US corporate profits
NEW YORK — The biggest obstacle for Coca-Cola and Pepsi these days isn’t tied to taste tests, the declining popularity of sugary drinks or even their century-long rivalry. It’s the surging U.S. dollar. lysts projected that profits would increase 9 percent in the first quarter. Today, they expect them to shrink more than 2 percent over that same period. A strong U.S. dollar might seem like a badge of honor, a reflection of U.S. economic power in the global economy, but for much of Corporate America, it’s bad for business. Almost half of all revenue for companies in the S&P 500 comes from outside the United States, mainly Europe and Asia. So when the dollar rises against the euro, it hurts in two ways: Prices of American-made goods become more expensive to customers in Europe, and goods that move off foreign shelves translate into fewer dollars, showing up as lower revenues and earnings on quarterly financial reports. Take Avon Products, a company that depends on customers in Latin America for nearly half of its sales. The cosmetics company reported that its revenue fell 12 percent and adjusted earnings sank 41 percent. Erase the dollar’s move against foreign currencies and the picture looks entirely different. Revenue would have climbed 5 percent, and adjusted earnings would have soared 29 percent. At Procter & Gamble, revenue fell 4 percent in the quarter but would have increased 2 percent if the dollar had stayed put. And the maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers doesn’t think the drag from the dollar is over yet. It estimates that the currency’s rise will shave $1.4
Monday, February 23, 2015
5
Hit by tornado Obama begins sales pitch on trade to wary U.S. public
The two soda giants rely on overseas customers for roughly half of their revenue. When they turned in their quarterly results last week, both reported a drop in sales. The strong dollar made all the difference: strip it out and shrinking sales suddenly rise. The dollar has been a source of constant complaint this earnings season. Global corporations from Avon Products to Yum Brands have said their quarterly results would have been much better if it hadn’t been for the rising dollar. For some, the currency’s strength has meant the difference between a profit and a loss. “It has really hit earnings,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Over the past year, the dollar has climbed 17 percent against major currencies. The surging dollar and plunging oil prices are the main reasons analysts keep cutting their forecasts for corporate profits even though economists expect the U.S. economy to pick up speed. Back in October, analysts estimated that companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index would post profit growth of 11 percent for the final three months of 2014. That forecast now looks overly optimistic. With only a handful of companies left to report, corporate profits are on track to rise more than 7 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. Forecasts for this year have taken a much bigger hit. In December, for example, ana-
Bali News
International
billion from its profit over the course of the full year. “This is the most significant fiscal year currency impact we have ever incurred,” said P&G’s chief financial officer, Jon Moeller, in a conference call discussing the latest results. The list of companies complaining of currency swings includes nearly every major industry. Microsoft, Google and other tech giants have taken a hit along with Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer and other drugmakers. Even Apple, which turned in a record profit of $18 billion in its latest quarter, said the rising dollar cost the company $2 billion in sales. Electric-car maker Tesla, the hotel chain Hilton, and the navigation device maker Garmin have joined the ranks of the dollar debilitated. On Thursday, Wal-Mart slashed its sales forecast for the rest of the year in half, largely because of the dollar. Overseas sales used to provide a boost to U.S. companies. When the economy floundered during the Great Recession, firms expanded their businesses abroad, harnessing faster growth across Asia and South America. What once looked like a prudent move, however, has come back to bite them. U.S. economic growth is outpacing Europe and Japan, and growth in China and other emerging giants has cooled off. The result: a rising U.S. currency means falling revenue for U.S companies. (ap)
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Saturday began a broad sales pitch to the U.S. public about the merits of free trade deals, an area in which he faces stiff resistance from many in his own Democratic party. Obama has said he wants to work with Congressional Republicans to finalize the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, an agreement that would stretch from Japan to Chile, covering 40 percent of the world economy. “I’m the first to admit that past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype,” Obama said in his weekly address. “But that doesn’t mean we should close ourselves off from new opportunities.” The first step in working with other nations to finalize the TPP deal is to pass “fast track” legislation to streamline the passage of trade deals through Congress. Polling data from the Pew Research Center shows Americans from both parties are skeptical about trade. Only one in five Americans think trade creates jobs, and only 17 percent believe trade leads to higher wages. Congressional Republicans have been supportive of trade deals. Senator Orrin Hatch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has said he hopes to introduce a “fast track” bill in February. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that Obama needed to “continue what must be a sustained effort to move his own party forward” on working on trade legislation. Labor and environmental groups allied with Democrats have been pushing hard against the idea. Even among the Obama-friendly crowd at the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, several people wore “Stop Fast Track” stickers. Obama said fast track authority would protect workers and promote businesses, and said exporting companies pay higher wages. He cast it as a way to push back against the exporting powerhouse of China. “As we speak, China is trying to write the rules for trade in the 21st century,” Obama said. “We can’t let that happen. We should write those rules.” (rtr)
Mercedes recalls more than 147,000 vehicles to fix seal
INDIANAPOLIS — Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 147,000 sedans and station wagons made over the past few years to fix a problem with an engine compartment seal that could spark a fire. The recall mostly affects E350 sedans from the 2013 through 2015 model years. The company says a rubber seal in the back of the engine bay that is designed to muffle noises can stick to the hood when it opens. It can then drop into the engine compartment, where it may increase the risk of a fire if it touches the exhaust system. Mercedes-Benz will start the recall next month. Car owners can then take their vehicles to dealers, who will fix the issue for free by attaching four additional retaining clips to the seal. (ap)
Some vehicles wrecked, one victim rushed to hospital
DENPASAR - Adverse weather condition once again resulted in disaster. One day after Saturdays’s flooding, strong winds accompanied by heavy rains hit the city of Denpasar causing trees to fall in a number of locations. Several vehicles were damaged and a few people were injured by falling trees. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in these incidents. According to data collected by the Denpasar Call Center, tress fell on Jalan Hayam Wuruk, Jalan Tukad Petanu, Jalan Sulatri, Jalan Meduri, Sanur and Tohpati. The worst incident was on Jalan Hayam Wuruk, in front of Alfa Prima campus where strong winds uprooted a chinaberry tree of about 30 cm in diameter, which toppled down upon a parked Nissan Evalia vehicle with license plate DK 1070 AV owned by Ruswi Utami. Two women on motorcycle, were injured by the falling chinaberry tree. One of the women lost consciousness after being hit by a branch. The victim was immediately rushed to hospital by an ambulance from the Denpasar Mitigation Agency (BPBD). Meanwhile, the other victim named Ayu Puspawati suffered abrasions on her arms and legs. According to local residents, the high winds occurred around 2:00 p.m. A moment before the tree fell down she
and some other people had heard a cracking sound. A number of motorists slowed down with some even stopping fro fear of being hit. However, both of the motorists who were hit by the tree had neither stopped nor slowed down causing them to be under the branch as it fell. Passerby tried to help the two victims out from under the branch before the BPBD officers arrived on the scene. Head of the Call Center Unit of Denpasar, Ngurah Gede Budita, said that high winds had caused trees to falls at a few locations in Denpasar, almost simultaneously. His party also deployed a team to handle these incidents. The three teams deployed were the Cokro, Main and Juanda units. However, since all the trees fell nearly simultaneously and some members of the BPBD team were searching for victims who had been swept away by floodwaters, the priority was given to handling the fallen trees on main roads. (kmb25)
Adverse weather
Tourist visits to Lake Beratan diminishes
TABANAN - Recent adverse weather conditions have had an impact on the decline in the number of tourists visiting the Ulundanu Beratan Bedugul tourist attraction, in Candikuning village, Tabanan. Based on the current data, the average daily visits to the tourist attraction, which relies on the beauty of the lake decreased to 1,400 people compared to the normal 1,700 to 1, 800 people per day. Operations Manager of the Ulundanu Beratan tourist attraction, Wayan Mustika, said on Friday (Feb. 20) that the 25% decline in tourists was due to adverse. In addition to adverse weather conditions, the increasing number of tourist destinations that take advantage of the potential of Ulundanu Beratan also has an impact on the decrease in visitors. The travel ban issued by a number of countries has also contributed to the decrease in visitors. According to Mustika about 60 percent of
the people who visit Ulundanu Beratan are foreigner tourists while the rest are domestic tourists. To address the decline in visitors, the management continues to seek creative ways t o intice potential visitors. One of which is by providing ATM machines in the area, as well as providing space for people, for those times when there are a lot of visitors. . Even though the number of tourist visits declined in February, Mustika has confidence that this would not affect the targeted number of visitors for the year set by the management of this site. The number of tourist visits in 2015 is expected to increase by 10 percent over last year. In December 2014, a total of 647,000 people visited the lake. “From 2009 the average tourist visits showed an increase of over 14 percent. We do hope that this year the trend of increase in visitors will continue” he said. (kmb24)
IBP/Sosiawan
The Narmada Bali Raja Park located at Taman Bali village, Bangli, previously planned to be made into a tourist attraction is in a very alarming condition. The park situated around the paddy fields is neglected and not maintained.
Narmada Bali Raja Park neglected
BANGLI - The Narmada Bali Raja Park located at Taman Bali village, Bangli, previously planned to be made into a tourist attraction is in a very alarming condition. The park situated around the paddy fields is neglected and not maintained. Such an extensive park looks not to be maintained. All the corners are overgrown by various weeds. Similarly, the resting place located at poolside just leaves the beam and seat, while the roof has gone. In addition, the ticket booth of the park is also seen to have collapsed. One of the residents, Pande Ketut Ardana, explained if the abandonment of the park had lasted since about ten years ago and there was no improvement at all. He said that to date there were still a few travelers visiting the park. However, with such circumstances, visitors hurried away. “Many travelers come here, but since it is abandoned like this visitors ultimately just dropped in for a while,” he said. Furthermore, Ardana said a parking lot as sup-
porting facility to tourist attraction had already been prepared. However, no one knew why the tourist attraction was then neglected and the parking lot was finally transformed into a store of building materials. “A parking space has been prepared, but unknown why it was suddenly dormant and neglected,” he added. Meanwhile, a legislator of the Bangli House, I Nyoman Gelgel Wisnawa, deplored the lack of attention given by the government to the attraction. He considered the tourism development in the county was only focused on Kintamani. No arrangement was given to the Narmada Bali Raja Park so that its condition was even rundown due to untreated. “Actually Bangli is rich in the potential to be developed into tourist attraction,” he said. In addition to the Narmada Bali Raja Park, Wisnawa added the potential tourist attractions to be developed were the Tirta Sudamala at Bebalang village and waterfalls at Kuning hamlet, Taman Bali village, Bangli subdistrict. (sos)
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Monday, February 23, 2015
Bali News
International
International
Livestock sector starts to become appealing to young farmers
TABANAN - Apparently the agricultural sector and pig farming in particular has started to draw the interest of a number of young people in Tabanan County as a promising livelihood. This sector has become a more promising prospect with the help of a number of government programs that provide low-interest loans distributed through several banks. One of the pig farmers in Tabanan, who is taking advantage of loans offered for the livestock sector is I Gusti P. Winiantara. He revealed that the low-interest loans recently offered by the government and distributed to a number of domestic banks has drawn the attention of young people in Tabanan. “The reason underlying my choice to raise pig is that it can be carried out as a side job. Other than being a job than still allows one to pursue other lines of work at the same time, the loan offered is also at a very affordable interest rate so that it will not be burdensome to young people, as it leaves room for profit even after paying back the loan installments”, said Winiantara Winiantara who is producing 300 heads of piglet per month explained that the average interest rate for bank loans for the agricultural sector in general are in the range of 4-6 percent, which is much lower than bank loans in general. He said that such affordable interest rates make pig farming attractive to young people. “Any business,
especially the agricultural business whose products’ prices always fluctuate, very much depends on the amount of interest set by banks for loans given to start of improve the business” he said. However, the limit for commercial loans for the agricultural sector is approximately IDR 100 million per person. He hopes that this amount would be increased so as to further stimulate the extensive agricultural sector in Tabanan. “In fact bank loans offered for businesses in the agricultural sector can reach as much as IDR 500 million. However, as far as I know, these capital loans are solely issued to business groups, not individuals” he affirmed. Actually, most young breeders function as individuals, rather than belonging to groups. Managing farming groups is still considered complicated especially in terms of accountability so that Winiantara hopes that the low-interest loan assistance will be increased, not only for farming groups but also for individuals. (kmb24)
BERLIN — Police say a fourth person has died from injuries suffered in an avalanche that struck five Italian skiers Saturday near the Great St. Bernhard Pass in the Swiss Alps. Swiss police said Sunday that the man died in hospital overnight. Two women and another man died Saturday after a massive rescue operation succeeded in pulling them out of up to 2.5 meters (8.2
RLD
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feet) of snow. A fifth skier suffered minor injuries while a sixth person avoided being swept away by the avalanche that struck the group — all in their early fifties and from the Milan region of Italy — at an altitude of 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) near an area known locally as “The Valley of Death.” Each year dozens of people die in avalanches in the Alps. (ap)
Bridge blocked by group protesting police shooting
IBP/File
The pig farm is seen in the picture. Livestock is now become one of the profession attracting the youth in Bali.
Farmers at Songan overwhelmed to clean up water hyacinth
The hyacinth plant is growing on Lake Batur, Kintamani, Bangli
Swiss police: 4th Italian skier dies of avalanche injuries
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Monday, February 23, 2015
IBP/Suasrina
BANGLI - The invasion of water hyacinth in Lake Batur Kintamani is getting more alarming. Other than causing the lake to look vile, the water hyacinth covering up the surface of the lake has also caused farmers to be unable to cultivate hundreds of hectares of land. Farmers claimed overwhelmed to clean it up due to the very rapid growth of water hyacinth. The most seriously invaded lakeside by water hyacinth can be seen in the area of Ulundanu hamlet, Songan village. It has become a problem since the past few years and has covered up hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and the lake surface. Some residents are complaining about such condition. As presented by one of the local community leaders, Jro Mangku Ariana, the proliferation of water hyacinth at lakeside area took place very quickly. As a result, local people were made overwhelmed
to do cleanup. “This has been going on since more than a year. Due to the invasion of water hyacinth, Lake Batur then looks shabby and the water is turbid due to the growing water hyacinth,” he said. In line with what revealed by Jro Mangku Ariana, another resident, Jro Salin Muliawan, said that at least 100 hectares of agricultural land could not be cultivated due to invasion of the water hyacinth. Other than disturbing horticulture farmers, the invasion also interfered with fish farmers that so far relied on their livelihood in Lake Batur. Responding to the current condition, people hoped the government to immediately intervene by cleaning up the water hyacinth. Moreover, the Lake Batur had been included in the Geopark area and recognized by the UNESCO. “All this time, residents are overwhelmed to clean up as the water hyacinth grows very quickly,” he said. (ina)
PASCO, Washington — A group, protesting the deadly police shooting of a Mexican immigrant, temporarily took over a bridge crossing the Columbia River. The Feb. 10 killing of Antonio ZambranoMontes __ captured on cellphone video by an onlooker — echoes recent police killings of unarmed black men in Missouri and New York City and has sparked calls for a federal investigation. The Tri-City Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1MJQxFr) that more than 50 people were in the group as night fell Saturday. The newspaper says the demonstrators shut down traffic along the cable bridge. The marchers shouted “We will not be silenced” and “We are all Antonio,” referring to ZambranoMontes, 35. “This is about the right not to be
shot by police because you have a rock in your hand,” said Alfredo Lamedo, 53, as he marched. “How many bullets were in that rock?” The killing was the fourth by law enforcement officers in Pasco in less than a year. It has roiled this fast-growing agricultural city of 68,000, where more than half the residents are Hispanic but few are members of the police force or the power structure. On Friday, the Mexican government said it expects ZambranoMontes’ body to be returned to his hometown in Michoacan state, Mexico, late next week, according to McClatchy Newspapers (http:// bit.ly/1D4tbVE.) Mexico’s consul in Seattle, Eduardo Baca Cuenca, made a special trip to Pasco on Friday to meet with family members and community leaders. (ap)
AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
Ukrainian prisoners of war help an injured serviceman using crutches march before a prisoner exchange in separatist controlled territory, near Zholobok, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed
ZHOLOBOK, Ukraine — Ukrainian military and separatist representatives exchanged dozens of prisoners under cover of darkness at a remote frontline location Saturday evening, kicking off a process intended to usher in peace to the conflict-ridden east. One hundred and thirty nine Ukrainian troops and 52 rebels were exchanged, according to a separatist official overseeing the prisoner swap at a no man’s land location near the village of Zholobok, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the rebel-held city Luhansk.
AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo
Police order protesters to disperse during a rally for Antonio Zambrano-Montes, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in Pasco, Wash. ZambranoMontes was shot and killed by Pasco police in Pasco on Tuesday.
A busload of Ukrainian soldiers in military fatigues was transported earlier in the day from the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk to a rural spot some 140 kilometers (90 miles) to the northeast, before joining up with other groups of fellow captives. After arriving at the location near Zholobok, the troops were made to line up and listen to a speech by a rebel representative, who ordered the men to leave the territory claimed by the separatist movements in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The soldiers — some of them using crutches, while one was carried on a stretcher — then walked for around 3 kilometers (2 miles) to a rendezvous point. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on his Twitter
account that he was informed the process had begun by the national security service. His spokesman, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, later said one more Ukrainian soldier prisoner was to be freed in the coming days. The peace agreement signed last week in Minsk foresees an exchange of all prisoners in the conflict. It is unclear how many are held in total on both sides, although the Donetsk separatists have said Ukraine is holding about 580 rebels as prisoners. Rebels said the bulk of the Ukrainian soldiers being released Saturday were captured during recent fighting for the strategic town of Debaltseve, which was taken over by separatists in the past week. The self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic added in
a statement that most of the people handed over by Ukrainian authorities were civilians. But “fewer than 50 percent of those exchanged (by the Donetsk People’s Republic) were military prisoners,” the statement said. The rebel statement cited what it said were observers at the swap saying many of the prisoners released by the Ukrainian government showed signs of maltreatment. “Some prisoners could not make their own way independently. Meanwhile, all of the military prisoners transferred to the Ukrainian representatives were in good shape,” it said. An Associated Press journalist saw at least one person released by government forces being pushed in a wheelchair. (ap)
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Monday, February 23, 2015
Traveling
Indonesia prays Islamic tourism drive can draw more visitors
International AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Aaron Lynett
Niagara Falls State Park visitors look over masses of ice formed around the American Falls, photographed from across the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015.
SENGIGI - Just a short hop from the Indonesian holiday hotspot of Bali, a Saudi tourist and his family listen to the call to prayer as the sun goes down on Lombok, the self-styled “island of 1,000 mosques”. Lombok is at the centre of an Islamic tourism drive in Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population and is hoping to boost the number of visitors from wealthy Middle Eastern countries. While aiming to continue to attract Western tourists who flock to its pristine beaches, the island is also seeking to promote its Islamic heritage, from numerous places of worship to shrines dedicated to ancient Muslim preachers. “I love it here because I can hear the azan (call to prayer) and people go to the mosque to pray,” said 58-year-old Sulaiman, the Saudi tourist, who gave only one name and was accompanied by his wife who was wearing an all-encompassing burqa. Indonesia is the world’s biggest archipelago nation, made up of more than 17,000 islands, but has long lagged behind smaller, more developed countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Thailand, in attracting tourists. Foreign visitor arrivals to Indonesia rose to 8.8 million in 2013, according to official figures, compared with 25.72 million in Malaysia and 26.55 million in Thailand. While there are no official figures for “sharia” tourism in Indonesia, the sector is experiencing strong growth internationally. In a recent report, Muslimoriented business group CrescentRating, predicted the sector would be worth $192 billion a year globally by 2020, up from $140 billion in 2013. “The economic growth of Middle Eastern countries is very good and we see an opportunity there,” senior tourism ministry official Rizki Handayani told AFP. Only around 190,000 Middle Eastern visitors came to Indonesia in 2013, according to official
figures, but authorities hope their Islamic tourism drive can increase numbers. The government has produced tourist guides promoting Indonesia as a “Muslim friendly destination”. It highlights the country’s best “sharia” tourism destinations and notes there are more than 600,000 mosques in the archipelago. Lombok, long overshadowed by its better known neighbour, Hindu-majority Bali, hopes the drive can help raise its profile. Authorities are planning to build a huge Islamic centre that will contain a mosque, a hotel and a study centre, and specially trained tour guides will point Muslim visitors in the direction of the nearest mosque at prayer time. Other parts of Indonesia are hoping to benefit from the initiative. Aceh province, in western Indonesia and the only part of the country to enforce Islamic sharia laws, and the capital Jakarta are both seeking to lure Middle Eastern tourists, who often bring many family members with them and spend lavishly. Riyanto Sofyan owns a chain of nine sharia hotels across Indonesia, including two in Jakarta. Alcohol-free cocktails are available, the call to prayer is played five times a day through the buildings, MTV has been removed from the list of TV channels available in the rooms, as it is deemed too risque, and hotel staff gently turn away unmarried couples. In Lombok, hotels are also promoting themselves as Islamic, with nine so far having gained coveted sharia certification. Echoing the system of stars for conventional hotels, sharia accommodation is labelled with the crescent moon, a symbol associated with Islam, with the best receiving three. A hotel must have signs point-
ing towards Mecca and copies of the Koran in its rooms, as well as a kitchen where halal food can be prepared, to gain its first crescent moon. Despite the optimism of officials, there are concerns that the push for Islamic tourism could put off other visitors who want to sunbathe in skimpy outfits and relax on the beach with a drink. But the local government insists it can promote sharia tourism without affecting the existing industry, and that party hotspots in the area -- such as tiny Gili Trawangan island, off the west coast of Lombok -- will remain unaffected. Authorities are considering clearly demarcating areas more suited to Muslim guests, where Western tourists should cover up. “We will make zones so that travel agents and guides have clear options depending on their guests’ wishes,” said local tourism chief M. Nasir, adding that visitors were already told they should not wear skimpy clothing when they head into cities or visit religious sites. Nevertheless for some Muslims, the clash of cultures may still be off-putting. While Sulaiman, who comes from Mecca, was enjoying his holiday in Senggigi, the main tourist strip on Lombok, some aspects made him feel uneasy. “I am not comfortable with a tourist place where there are people wearing things that are too revealing,” he said. Others had concerns about trying to artificially separate Muslim and non-Muslim tourists. American tourist Sarah Jorgensen, who was visiting Lombok, warned such a move could lead to tensions: “When you create borders then you have more opportunity for discrimination.” (afp)
‘Frozen’ Niagara Falls drawing tourists to winter spectacle NIAGARA FALLS — The winter’s deep freeze has transformed Niagara Falls into an icy spectacle, encasing the trees around it into crystal shells and drawing tourists. The Niagara River keeps flowing below the ice cover, so the falls aren’t completely frozen over. But the massive ice buildup near the brink has become a tourist magnet for the second straight year after several relatively mild winters. Visitors have been flocking to Niagara Falls State Park, next to the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction. The cold has created a thick coating of ice and snow on every surface near the falls, including railings, trees and boulders. Things aren’t expected to thaw out soon: Temperatures dipped to -7 degrees Fahrenheit (-22 Celsius) in Niagara Falls on Friday morning. (ap)
Bali News
International
Indonesia can attract Russian tourists KUTA- Indonesia can target Russia as one of its potential tourism markets, Russian Honorary Consul for Bali Chairul Nuku Hamka said. “Russia offers good tourism market potential for Indonesia because its tourists spend more and stay for longer visits,” he stated on Saturday. Based on statistical studies, two Russian tourists are comparable to 10 German tourists in terms of parameters such as spending and length of stay, he added. “Russian tourists prefer to stay in five-star hotels with a high market segment,” the Russian honorary consul explained. As many as 93,622 Russian tourists visited Indonesia in 2013, but the figure dropped to 88,775 in 2014. The decline in the visits of Russian tourists in 2014 was due to several factors. Besides the absence of direct flights from Indonesia to Russia, the breakaway of the former Soviet Union also suffered an embargo that caused the value of its currency ruble to depreciate. Of the total number of Russian tourists, 72 thousand visited Bali. “The average number of Russian tourists visiting Bali per month reaches 4,000 to 5,000,” Hamka pointed out. He noted that Russian tourists hope for regular direct flights that connect Indonesia with Russia to be started. So far, Russian tourists used a chartered plane, Transaero, which flies the Russian flag and serves tourists once a week, he explained. National flights do not have regular schedules for the Indonesia-Russia route. “Since 2011, Garuda Indonesia has been planning to introduce direct flights to four cities in Russia. However, the matter is still being deliberated, while flight permits for this purpose have yet to be issued,” the honorary
consul said. In an effort to attract Russian tourists to visit Indonesia and to develop connectivity between the two nations, Indonesia and Russia are now discussing the possibility of implementing visafree visits. Early this month, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to use the occasion of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations to enhance cooperation between the nations. The two state leaders made their statements in this regard in their congratulatory messages to each other from Jakarta and Moscow on February 3. “The celebration is expected to push both parties to enhance and deepen the existing bilateral relations the two countries have enjoyed all this time,” President Jokowi remarked in his congratulatory message. He highlighted that bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Russia had been growing stronger through friendship, equality, mutual respect and understanding. “Considering the significant cooperation potential that can be developed, we can now advance our good relations to a higher stage not only bilaterally, but on regional and global platforms as well,” he stressed. In his congratulatory message, Putin said that the bilateral relations between Russia and Indonesia were based on good traditions and dynamic progress, which covers new fields from time to time, as had been emphasized at the meeting between the two state leaders during the APEC Summit in Beijing last year. “I want to underline our readiness to continue the constructive cooperation to enhance our bilateral relations. These ties should be developed in the best interests of Russia and Indonesia to ensure stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region,” he stated. (ant)
Monday, February 23, 2015
IBP/Wawan
An airplane fly above the Ngurah Rai street. Bali’s Ngurah Rai International airport needs an additional runway as the one has been close to full capacity. Minister for State Enterprises Rini Soemarno additional runways are urgently needed.
Ngurah Rai Airport needs additional runway
DENPASAR - Bali’s Ngurah Rai International airport needs an additional runway as the one has been close to full capacity. Minister for State Enterprises Rini Soemarno additional runways are urgently needed. “We fear that unless steps are taken immediately many fights could be delayed,” Rini said after a meeting with Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika. She said renovation has been made of the domestic and international terminals but the capacity is still below requirement with growing number of holiday makers. By relying only on one runway, the terminals would need bigger capacity to accommodate growing number of passengers waiting for their aircraft, she said. Rini, therefore, proposed a longer additional runway and terminals.
Meanwhile, president director of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, Tommy Soetomo, said feasibility study of the plan is already underway. Tommy said the Ngurah Rai airport recorded an increase of 18.5 percent in international flights in the period of 2013-2014 from the previous year. He said ideally, the runway for international flight is at least 3,200 meters. He said despite the additional runway, development of the airport of Buleleng in northern Bali is still needed and important. “Development of the airport in
India tenth biggest tourist supplier to Bali DENPASAR - Indian tourists coming to Bali during the month of January 2015 reached 7,911 or rose by 40 percent from the same period last year making it the tenth biggest supplier of foreign tourists to the island. “It is only logical that more and more tourists from India have come to Bali because they share common Hindu religion with the majority of the Balinese,” tourism
practitioner Made Sudana said on Sunday. He said the promotion efforts made by the government of the Bali province to India some time ago seemed to have given encouraging results. The art troupes from the state Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) in Denpasar as well as from the Hindu Religion High Learning Institute (STAH) in Lombok, West Nusa
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Tenggara, that visited India some time ago seemed to have become a special attraction to make more Indian tourists to come to Bali. He said he believed the good relations and cultural cooperation between Bali and Indonesia so far would encourage more Indian citizens to have a holiday on the island. The presence of Indian cultural and Yoga centers and trainers from
India would also help spread information to Indian tourists regarding Bali. On the other hand, Sudana said, that more and more Balinese people have also been visiting India especially to see the Ganges river. He said he believed more followers of Indian spiritual leaders would conduct a religious trip to Bali which is one of the Hindu centers in Indonesia. (ant)
Northern Bali is for equitable development purpose,” he said. (ant)
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International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Bali News
Activities
International
Monday, February 23, 2015
Meliá Benoa
Threatened by AEA
Rural banks prepare reliable human resources
AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File
FILE - This combination of two file photos from Jan. 24, 2006, left, and Jan. 26, 2006 shows Australian drug traffickers Myuran Sukumaran, left, and Andrew Chan during their trial in Bali, Indonesia.
Two Bali Nine members isolated
DENPASAR - The Head of the Bali Prosecutor’s Office, Momock Bambang Sumiarso, visited Kerobokan Prison, on Friday (Feb. 20 having coordinated with prison authorities. Both of the inmates on death row, namely; Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were occupying an isolation cell. “I’m here to see the situation of the isolation cell at Kerobokan Prison” said Momock. He added that the plan to transfer the prisoners was indeed set to take place this week. However, according to the Bali Prosecutor’s Office, the authorities of Nusa Kambangan Prison are not ready yet, so the transfer will have to wait until the prison is ready. Meanwhile, a total of 20 prosecutors are prepared to undertake the death penalty against the Bali Nine duo. Apparently they are ready to accept instructions to take action whenever told to do so by the Attorney General, whether orally or in written. They would immediately carry out the tasks required of them. Spokesperson for Bali Prosecutor’s Office, Ashari Kurniawan, said that all preparations had been made for the transfer of the
two inmates on death row to Batu Prison on Nusa Kambangan. “We continue to monitor the preparations while monitoring developments with the Attorney General as well as the latest developments in the command as immediately instructed” he said. He also mentioned that the preparations was carried out from the ranks of the prosecutors to the Head of Bali Prosecutor’s Office by checking and reviewing Kerobokan Prison. All preparations
were done as well as possible, so that everything could go according to plan on the specified day. “In essence, we are ready and well-prepared to be instructed to take action anytime” affirmed Ashari Kurniawan. Regarding technical matters commonly implemented by the Attorney General, such as whether commands would be given orally or in written, Ashari Kurniawan could not confirm. (rah)
DENPASAR - Enforcement of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) this year and for the banking sector in 2020, creates both opportunities and threats to many economic sectors, including the national banking industry and particularly to rural banks (BPR). Various strategic measures must be taken for rural banks to fortify themselves against the increasingly tough competition. “For the early stages, we will focus on improving the competencies of the human resources in rural banks” said I Made Sumardhana, re-elected Chairman of the Indonesia Association of Rural Banks (Perbarindo) Denpasar Chapter. Sumardhana, explained that although the implementation of AEC for the banking industry was still quite far off, rural banks need to prepare themselves ahead of time. Improvement to the competencies of rural banks’ human resources is central to becoming strong enough to face the competion of the AEC in 2020, capital and information technology are also central. “From now on, we will intensify the increasing of competencies for the human resources of rural banks either by holding training sessions internally, or though associations or with third parties. Survival of the rural bank industry in our communities will be largely determined by the quality of its human resources” he said. Sumardhana, said that most owners and managers of rural banks in Bali and Denpasar in particular are committed to making improvement in order to face global competition. All rural banks in
Bali are committed to operating fairly and applying precautionary or prudential principles in order to remain safe and trusted by the community. “We will try to prepare superior human resources so that they can manage rural banks through good corporate governance” he explained. As for the provision of core capital to increase to IDR 6 billion by 2019, Sumardhana explained that almost all of the rural banks in Bali would strive to fulfill this provision and he feels that there is still enough time for rural banks in Bali to meet the provision. According to Sumardhana, by increasing the strength of their capital, rural banks would be able to run intermediary functions and compete in the era of the AEC. In Bali there are currently 138 rural banks consisting of 137 conventional rural banks and one sharia rural bank. Until last December, the number of loans distributed by rural banks in Bali reached IDR 7 trillion or grew by 17.99 percent (within the past year). The loan to deposit ratio (LDR) was 81.14 percent. The loan growth of rural banks in Bali is higher than the national growth in terms of their loans, reaching 14.68 percent. In performing loan expansions, the ratio of non-performing loan (NPL) of rural banks was 2.64 percent or lower than the national rate that was at 5.35 percent. Meanwhile, asset growth as of December 2014 had increased to 18.89 percent (within the past year). The asset growth of rural banks was higher than the national rate, which was only 13.03 percent. (kmb27)
One of the newly opened rural banks in Denpasar.
IBP/File
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TANJUNG BENOA - An intimate seaside holiday destination in Tanjung Benoa, north of Nusa Dua Area, Meliá Benoa All Inclusive Resort is the ultimate retreat for a soothing holiday as it lies close to a quaint fishing village and an art market. Conveniently located, the resort is a comfortable 15 minutes drive from the airport, 5 minutes from the Bali International Convention Centre and a short distance from water sports venues and other popular landmarks. There are 90 premium rooms, 32 executive Jr, suites and 5 family suites that mirror Bali’s graceful elegance and allure combining contemporary and minimalist style with Balinese touches. Individual AC split, direct-dial telephone, satellite LCD TV, Safe Deposit Box. WiFi (chargeable), Room service 24h. Private Balcony and tea/ coffee facilities. El Patio All Day Dining. Amarta Indonesia - Asian Fusion Restaurant. Menega Seaside Restaurant. Ayodya Lounge Bar. Nelayan Pool Bar. Spa. Fitness Centre. Water Sport Facilities. Kid’s Club. Three Meeting Rooms. 2 Internet corners (chargeable) Pool lagoon. Cabaret shows and Day /Night Entertainment. Exclusive areas for Balinese wedding celebrations in Wedding bale or in the beach.
Balinese Temple Ceremony IBP/File Photo
Profile
I Putu Eka Tenaya Suryawijaya
Cooks with love
Leading the innovative culinary team at H Sovereign Bali is Executive Chef I Putu Eka Tenaya Suryawijaya. As an executive chef, Chef Surya delivers a consistently sophisticated, yet entertaining. He created a traditional menu in modern ways focusing on superior ingredients from local purveyors to highlighting the best product of Kitchen Meliwis (one of dining venues at H Sovereign Bali) and an elegantly comfortable approach to the dining experience. The concept of Kitchen Meliwis is smart settings with an upbeat ambience that make guests feel at ease. It has an open-concept kitchen and takes a theatrical approach to cuisine where every dish is cooked exactly to order. Chef Surya cooks with love. Inspired by his mother and grandmother in the kitchen, Chef Surya has always been passionate about food. His culinary career began more than 20 years ago as a young man growing up in Bali. From the beginning he prided himself on providing guests with an extraordinary experience they would always remember. From 1993 to 1997, Chef Surya held
numerous culinary positions, including Assistant Japanese Chef at Hyatt Regency Hotel Surabaya, Japanese Chef at The Mandarin Oriental Surabaya and The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bali, and then Sous Chef at Le Meredien Nirwarna Golf and Spa Resort in Bali. In 1998, he moved to Dubai, Uni Emirates Arab to work at Le Meredien Hotel, Dubai as Executive Sous Chef. Working in Dubai added another facet to Chef Surya’s cooking. He realized that Indonesian cuisine is more famous than he thought for people around the world, everybody knows about Nasi Goreng and it makes him more passionate to spread out Indonesia Cuisine, especially Balinese Cuisine to international market. After 8 years in Dubai, Chef Surya came back to Bali as Executive Chef for Hard Rock Hotel Bali. Only for 2 years in Bali, then he moved to Perth, Australia to grab a new challenge as Executive Chef for Atrium at Intercontinental Hotel - Burswood Entertainment Complex. Chef Surya’s innovative cuisine
has three times earned him the Dubai National Culinary Team Member for International Saloon Culinary in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He also has been featured in 21st Edition of ‘Who’s Who in The World’, the leading source of up-to-date information about over 33,000 influential people from all walks of life, worldwide and has been chosen as the first Indonesian A m bassador of ‘Indonesian Chef Association – ICA’ for Australia Region. (kmb) IBP/kmb
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.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
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Price: Rp 3.000,-
Entertainment
Monday, February 23, 2015
Dozens of A-listers take a casual day for Oscar rehearsals
LOS ANGELES — Less than 24 hours before the super-fancy Oscar ceremony, it was jeans-and-sneakers day at the Dolby Theatre. Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Aniston, Liam Neeson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Watts, Kevin Hart, Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana were among the casually-clad stars rehearsing for the Academy Awards Saturday, while Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Marion Cotillard, Jared Leto, Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey dressed things up. A day before the Hollywood celebration seen around the world, stars paraded through the theater to test-drive their lines on the teleprompter, try out their show-day shoes and get comfortable with the winners’ envelope. “I’m so glad we’re doing this!” said Terrence Howard, who wore an ascot beneath his cardigan sweater, as he fumbled over his lines. He ran through them again and again, explaining, “I’ve been on vacation for a while.” Hart, wearing a letterman’s jacket and ripped jeans, showed a hint of nerves. “This is my first time,” he told a stage manager. “It’s pretty intense.” Other stars brought the comfort of experience with them. Aniston, who arrived in flip-flops, cargo pants and a denim jacket, carried high heels in a paper bag and put them on backstage. Kidman went a step further and rehearsed barefoot. Statuesque in a white, ruffle-front blouse and loose black trousers, Kidman shed her stilettos backstage because her show-day shoes aren’t quite as tall. “So I’ll be the right height,” she said. Leto and Chris Pratt had fun with their rehearsals, each pretending to trip on their way to the microphone. “Yes, I know, my jacket’s fabulous,” Leto said when he arrived center stage, having come straight from the Spirit Awards in an elaborate beaded blazer and a felt hat to rival Pharrell’s. Murphy, who wore an all-black ensemble of hoodie, pants, sneakers and shades, seemed serious as he rehearsed — until he was about to leave the stage. Jason Bateman, in a plaid shirt and jeans, had a special guest in tow: his 8-year-old daughter,
Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Channing Tatum, right, is seen on stage during rehearsals for the 87th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.
Francesca. “From here, we’re going to take it up a notch and go for frozen yogurt,” he said. Tatum, wearing a gray sweatshirt, baggy khakis, untied boots and his ballcap askew, took time backstage to chat with the students of Team Oscar: aspiring young filmmakers who won the chance to carry Oscar statuettes onstage during the big show. Tatum told them about dancing with Charlize Theron during his first Academy Awards appearance. He said he was so nervous that he started drinking as soon as they finished the performance, and was half-drunk when he went on the Jimmy Kimmel show later that night. Winfrey, who arrived camera-ready in a long, cream-colored skirt and matching sweater, brought best friend Gayle King to her rehearsal. King snapped cell-phone pictures of Winfrey on the Oscar stage before she practiced her lines, and took more photos after. Meanwhile, host Neil Patrick Harris popped out of his dressing room, saying, “Let’s go see what’s happening.” He met up with Winfrey on stage. The two hugged as King snapped away. (ap)
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Kirk Cameron, Cameron Diaz take anti-Oscar Razzie awards
LOS ANGELES - “Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas,” a film which promises to “put Christ back into Christmas” and actress Cameron Diaz triumphed Saturday at the Razzies anti-award show, Hollywood’s hall of shame. On the eve of the Oscars, the movie -- of which one critic said “even devout born-again Christians will find this hard to stomach” -- took the worst picture, as well as worst actor, worst screenplay and worst screen combo. The film has the dubious honor of a straight zero rating on the Rotten Tomatoes movie ranking website, where the LA Times critics said of it: “Virtually everything about this production feels thrown together.” Blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay meanwhile was named worst director for “Transformers: Age of Extinction” at the ceremony, formally called the Golden Raspberries, which celebrated Tinseltown’s worst output of 2014. Diaz was named worst actress for “The Other Woman” and “Sex Tape,” while worst supporting actress went to Megan Fox for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” In the anti-awards show hosted in a downtown Hollywood theater, the worst supporting actor accolade was won by Kelsey Grammer for performances including in “The Expendables 3” and “Transformers.” Big-screen musical adaptation “Annie,” starring Jamie Foxx and Oscar-nominated child star Quvenzhane Wallis, was named the worst
WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps
e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.
Monday, February 23, 2015 Singapore’s founder hospitalized with pneumonia
Barcelona’s winning streak ends with 1-0 home loss to Malaga
First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed
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Hotel occupancy declines, infrastructural repairs needed GIANYAR - Tourist visit to Bali, particularly to Gianyar, continue to increase from year to year. However, these numbers are inversely proportional to hotel room occupancy rates. The government of Gianyar plans to make some infrastructural repairs in 2015 in order to improve the comfort of travelers to the region.
IBP/Net
Actress Cameron Diaz triumphed Saturday at the Razzies anti-award show, Hollywood’s hall of shame. remake, sequel or rip-off. The Razzies were created in 1980 as an antidote to Hollywood’s starstudded, back-slapping annual awards season, which climaxes on February 22 this year with the 87th Oscars. All but one of the Razzie categories are chosen by the 800 or so members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, who earn voting rights by paying a $40 membership fee, with a $25 annual renewal. Nominees very rarely attend the Razzies. Sandra Bullock turned up to accept worst actress in 2010 for “All About Steve,” a day before winning best actress Oscar for “The Blind Side.” The Oscars will be held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in downtown Hollywood. (afp)
Chairman of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Bali Chapter, Tjokorda Arta Ardana Sukawati, recognizes that tourist arrivals to Bali continue to increase every year. However, the rate occupancy for hotels and villas in Bali continues to decrease. He said that such conditions are not only occurring in Gianyar but also in Nusa Dua, Kuta and other regions as well. “Gianyar is witnessing the same phenomenon. For instance, if we take December 2013 as an indicator, hotels in Ubud had an
occupancy rate of 78 percent, while in December 2014 the rate declined to 55 percent, which indicates a drastic reduction from month to month,” he emphasized. According to Cok Ace, as he is familiarly addressed, this condition is influenced by two main factors, namely the oversupply of rooms and the reduction in the length of stay for tourists in Bali. “Today, visitors to Bali are dominated by Asian tourists, especially Chinese tourists. They are different from European and American tourists who tend to stay for longer periods of time. Whereas, Asian tourists such as those from China and Thailand tend to take short trips, so once they feel satisfied, they quickly go
home,” he explained. Meanwhile, Head of the Government of Gianyar Tourism Office, I.B. Brahmanta, said that the reduction in hotel room occupancy rates is a shared responsibility. For this reason, his office will be coordinating with other relevant agencies in order to improve infrastructure. “In regards to this issue, we have to coordinate with all relevant agencies, particularly those handling infrastructural improvements in 2015,” he said. According to Brahmanta, if infrastructure is improved allowing for convenience, travelers who regularly visit Gianyar, especially Ubud will feel more comfortable. “If their stay in Gianyar is comfortable with good infrastructure, they will stay for longer periods of time in the hotels and villas of Gianyar,” he said. (kmb35)
Tourist visit to Bali, particularly to Gianyar, continue to increase from year to year. However, these numbers are inversely proportional to hotel room occupancy rates. The government of Gianyar plans to make some infrastructural repairs in 2015 in order to improve the comfort of travelers to the region.
IBP/Wawan
News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http://globalfmbali. listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http://radioglobalfmbali.com and http://ustream. tv/channel/global-fm-bali