I N T E R N A T I O N A L
16 Pages Number 90 7th year
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
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Thursday, April 23, 2015
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller, Sophie Marceau on Cannes jury
Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
Scarlett Johansson waves to fans upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘The Avengers Age of Ultron’ in London, Tuesday, 21 April, 2015.
‘The Avengers’ set for blockbuster return
PARIS - Filmstars Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller and Sophie Marceau, as well as cult director Guillermo del Toro are among the members of this year’s Cannes film festival jury, organisers announced Tuesday. Other members of the jury for the May festival, which is being presided over by the Coen brothers, are Canadian director Xavier Dolan, Spanish actress Rossy de Palma and Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore. The jury will choose the winners in a range of acting and film-making categories, including the top prize, the Palme D’Or, presented at the closing ceremony on May 24. Dolan is by far the youngest member of the jury at just 26. His debut film “I Killed My Mother” appeared at Cannes when he was only 20, and his second feature “Mommy” won the third-place Jury Prize last year. The paparazzi will be particularly excited by the presence of Miller, who spent years being hounded by tabloids before finally getting a chance to prove her acting skills in recent hits “Foxcatcher” and “American Sniper”. The jury will be picking from a crop of entries that include American film “The Sea of Trees” starring Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts.
Also in the running is “Sicario” starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, about a CIA operation to bring down a Mexican cartel. That entry may pose a quandary for Gyllenhaal, who is close to “Sicario” director Denis Villeneuve after appearing in his last two features. Cate Blanchett heads up another entrant, “Carol”, a lesbian love story set in New York, while Rachel Weisz will be in two movies: the Italian-directed “Youth” also featuring Michael Caine and Jane Fonda, and Greece’s “The Lobster” with Colin Farrel. Other movies chosen included several Asian picks -- “The Assassin” from Taiwan, “Umimachi Diary” from Japan, “Mountains May Depart” from China, and an Australian version of “Macbeth” starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Also on the jury is Rossy de Palma, an acting muse for Spanish directing legend Pedro Almodovar, while French actress Marceau has mixed popular favourites with arthouse classics, and is probably best-known outside France for her roles in Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” and the James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough”. The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 13 to 24. (afp)
LOS ANGELES - Three years after saving the Earth -- and breaking a few box office records -- “The Avengers” are back with a power-packed punch this week with their latest blockbuster adventure. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye take on a new baddie who wants to wipe out Humanity, in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” out from Tuesday in much of the world. Returning director Joss Whedon pits the superhero gang against their own shortcomings as they take on their ultimate enemy -- but also plays with the chemistry that developed between them in their first run-out. The original 2012 “The Avengers” became the third-highest grossing movie in cinema history, taking over $1.5 billion at the box office, only beaten by “Avatar” (2009) and “Titanic” (1997). The pressure on Whedon was therefore enormous -- but the 50-year-old said he drew the most inspiration from amidst the first film’s very success, and from the interplay between the main characters. He looked for “what little moments are there between these characters that I haven’t gotten to do yet, what conversations they haven’t had yet,
what haven’t I shown?” Whedon told reporters in Los Angeles. Relationships are indeed richer between Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). There is also more humor to temper filmgoers’ pure adrenalin rush. The main thing was “to make sure that everybody had their moment, that it’s all connected to the movie, to the main thing,” said the filmmaker, who spent hundreds of hours editing the movie. The result is two hours of turbo-driven action, superhero fist-fights and technology at the service of a story full of surprises, which US critics have already hailed as a huge hit. Industry journal Variety called it a “supersized spandex soap opera that’s heavy on catastrophic action but surprisingly light on its feet, and rich in the human-scale emotion that can cut even a raging Hulk down to size.” (afp)
Jake Gyllenhaal
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File
WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps
e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Back? I was never away, says Barca’s Iniesta
Hong Kong faces resistance with Beijing-backed election plan Page 6
Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan
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Page 13
Honeymoon over for Indonesian leader as U-turns erode authority
DENPASAR - When Indonesian President Joko Widodo wanted to push this year’s budget through the opposition-dominated parliament, he left it to his advisers to hash out a deal with lawmakers. Among the sweeteners his aides offered parliament members was to roughly double their allowance for down payments on new cars to $15,000. The plan backfired. Amid public fury over the concession in a country where graft is pervasive, the aides scrambled to reverse it, one of several policy flip-flops that have eroded support for Widodo since he took office six months ago. His meteoric rise from furniture businessman to president of the world’s third-largest democracy, and the first to come from outside the political or military establishment, was widely seen as a watershed moment for Indonesia. Here was a leader, his supporters said, who would root out corruption, promote people based on merit rather than connections and create an environment where the stalling economy could reignite and investment flourish. But in interviews with Reuters, government officials and palace insiders portrayed the president as sometimes out of his depth and struggling to get around entrenched vested interests. Mis-steps like the car allowance decree have hurt Widodo’s reputation and cost him time. His strained relationship with the powerful head of his political party, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, further complicates his job. “The ‘realpolitik’ situation is taking energy away from the real work; the economic programme, the roads and ports that need to be built,” Eko Sulistyo, a member of the presidential office, told Reuters. “(His) concentration and focus can be fragmented and broken because of the politics (around him),” he added. “That affects the ministers’ and government’s performance.” But Sulistyo, like others interviewed, believes Widodo can run the government successfully and still enjoys the support of Indonesians. One of the president’s main prob-
lems is structural. He does not have a parliamentary majority allowing him to push through all the reforms he would like to. Despite that, he has delivered on some of his promises that investors say are key to setting Indonesia on the path to sustainable economic growth, including slashing fuel subsidies and revamping the budget to boost infrastructure spending. “It’s only been six months, and to significantly improve the state of the country, it will take time,” said a minister and presidential adviser who asked to remain
anonymous. “I believe we’re on the right path. There is a lot of interference from different angles ... Because of that, people don’t see the good things that are happening.” There have been setbacks, however. Widodo conceded that he had not read the decree on car allowances before signing it, drawing widespread scorn on social media and in newspapers, which drew up lists of other U-turns. They included
reversing a visa waiver for citizens of 30 countries, dropping a ban on government bodies using hotels for meetings and backtracking on a requirement for foreigners working in the country to pass Indonesian language tests. Police Trouble
Widodo has also been weakened in the eyes of his people by the domineering Megawati, leader of Widodo’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and his political patron. At a recent party congress on the island of Bali, the president sat hunched in a front-row seat while Megawati harangued members to follow party directions,
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saying that this included the president himself. Widodo left the three-day convention after only a few hours and without having delivered a prepared speech of his own. Relations between the two were strained earlier this year over who should be made national police chief, party insiders said. Widodo waited for weeks before bowing to pressure and ditching candidate Budi Gunawan, who is close to Megawati, after he had been implicated in a bribery scandal. Gunawan maintained his innocence, and the case against him was eventually dropped by the anti-graft agency, but not before a public outcry over Widodo’s wavering. “These days they (Widodo and Megawati) talk less frequently. There is definitely a problem with communication between PDI-P and Jokowi,” said PDI-P official Andreas Pareira, using Widodo’s popular local nickname. Megawati declined to comment for this article. For some foreign investors, Widodo’s floundering threatens to dampen sentiment at a time when the economy is growing at its slowest pace in five years and needs a kickstart from investment in infrastructure and manufacturing. “Six months in we’re still facing a big question mark about whether Jokowi is really in the driver’s seat,” said Jakob Sorensen, head of the European Business Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta. In a rare speech in English, Widodo told a business forum this week: “Please come and invest in Indonesia. Because where we see challenges, I see opportunity. And if you have any problem, call me.” (rtr) 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
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Bali News
International
Bali ‘invaded’ by drugs from all corners
DENPASAR - The widespread circulation of narcotics in Bali has the Chief of Bali Police, Ronny Sompie, worried that the younger generation will become damaged. The distribution of illicit drugs comes from all directions, arriving by land, sea and air. Therefore, Sompie has ordered his staff to act decisively in enforcing the laws pertaining to drug traffickers. “We continually strive to help the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) and the BNNP of Bali, and the Municipality of Denpasar by inviting people to realize that drugs can harm the health and the future of the younger generation of human resources,” said Ronny during the implementation of Operation Sympathetic in front of the Bali Police Headquarters, on Tuesday (Apr. 21). There must be a decisive effort made by law enforcement stop drug traffickers, who are responsible
for the rampant proliferation of substances that bring them finical gain while disrupting the human resource potential of Indonesia and the future of young people in general. “Bali is a tourist destination and has become the backbone of Indonesia’s tourism industry. Other than being strategically positioned geographically, Bali is also easily accessible to people who can arrive to the island by air, sea or over bridges,” said the former Spokesperson of the National Police Headquarters.
The drug prevention program is being conducted by the Bali Police in cooperation with the BNNP Bali, communities and customary villages in order to break the links of the transportation chain. For air travel, Police are cooperating with the authority, competence and work space (at the airport), of the Customs and Excise Office because they are on the front lines of prevention. Moreover, this cooperation is supported by advanced devices that can detect drugs entering the airport (and harbors).
The harbours of Banyuwangi and Lombok are also prone to allowing the infiltration of such illicit items into Bali. Ronny admitted that police cannot work independently to overcome the problem, the support of all sectors is required, including the general public. “Give us information. The Bali Police have nine county police stations and the spearheads of this program are in the subdistrict police stations, so they can accommodate a lot of information.. Prevention must be done early on, law enforcement is the final effort when prevention has not worked” he said. Law enforcement continues to be carried out by the Denpasar Police Traffic Affairs. On April 1-17,
the Chief of Narcotic Unit, Gede Ganefo, said that his party arrested 18 suspects and confiscated 301.14 grams crystal meth, 983 grams of ecstasy, 1.93 grams of marijuana and 1,360 double L pills. The total evidence is worth approximately IDR 1 billion. Recently a 30 year old drug dealer with the initial Wt, was arrested and although she wanted to bring her 6 month old baby to the Denpasar Police Station, her request was denied in consideration of the baby’s health. Wt was captured on Jalan Cargo Permata, Denpasar, where evidence consisting of 27 packages weighing 39.10 grams, were found on Friday (Apr. 17). (kmb36)
Premium quota reduced, people directed to use Pertamax TABANAN - Pertamina plans to launch a new type of fuel product with under the brand -name Pertalite and will remove the current Premium fuel as early as May 2015. The quota of Premium fuel allotted to each gas station will be reduced from the normal quota, as some fear that people will over-react to this scarcity. One gas station operator in Sanggulan, I.B. Raka Wiryanata, revealed on Tuesday (Apr. 21) that the current Premium is still available. However, sales have begun to be restricted in accordance with the circular sent by Pertamina whereby gas stations are required to empty their tank up to 75 percent of what was previously used to store Premium fuel. “Right now, we only have 25 percent of our usual Premium stocks, so the market demand for this type of fuel will not be served as usual,” he said. Raka explained that the emptying of fuel tanks was required as of Monday (Apr. 13) in preparation for the introduction of Pertalite fuel at the beginning of next month. Pertamina has however increased the allocation of Pertamax to gas stations, so that if there is not enough Premium fuel, people are invited to buy Pertamax and as of May -Permalite. According to Raka, the gas station he manages previously
The people using motorcycle are buying Pertamax in the petrol station had a quota of two tanks of Premium or about 30,000 liters from Pertamina and one tank of Pertamax. Now, two tanks of Pertamax and one tank of Pre-
mium are allowed. The initial information received by Raka was simply that he had to empty the tank. Meanwhile, there is no clarity
about the price of Pertalite. As a gas station operator, he welcomes the launch of Pertalite, which apparently should rovide a better profit margin for gas
IBP/San
stain operators. Currently, the profits obtained by gas station operator selling Premium is still around IDR 200 per liter. (kmb24)
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
Kids Club facilities in the heart of Seminyak
SEMINYAK - Courtyard by Marriott Bali Seminyak offers a destination for families seeking the ultimate holiday experience right in the heart of Seminyak, from its Kids Club facilities to a delicious Kids menu. The 287-room hotel provides an extensive Kids Club for kids from 4 to 12 years old to roam around and explore while parents are out and about – with facilities such as comfy Playstation pods, ball pit, to all sorts of arts & crafts. On top of that, the Kids Club also offers a range of daily activities for the little ones from the classic face painting and Balinese dress ups to kids’ yoga and watermelon crush games. For those younger than 4 years old and want to join in the fun, a guardian must be present or the Kids Club’s babysitting services will assist on an additional charge. All guests with kids will receive two hour complimentary access to all Kids Club facilities and activities. After a day of playing around, kids can hop on up to Seminyak Kitchen and enjoy the restaurant’s delicious kids menu with items such as Yummy Burger, Grilled Cheese on Toast, and the classic Mac and Cheese. For those seeking a fun filled family vacation, book the resort’s Experience Kids Club Package inclusive of a stay at the Deluxe Room, daily breakfast for two adults and two children at Seminyak Kitchen, complimentary one time 60 minute Balinese Massage for two adults at Zanti The Retreat, and unlimited access to Kids Club and all its activities.
Activities
Thursday, April 23, 2015
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IBP/Courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott
Balinese Temple Ceremony Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc. The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion. The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines. In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015
Health
International
Another study finds no link between vaccine, autism
MIAMI - Yet another scientific study has found no link between autism and the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), even among high risk children, according to US research published Tuesday.
The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) are based on a study of about 95,000 youths. All those in the study had older siblings. Some of the elder children had autism and some did not. Since autism can run in families, researchers decided to look at whether vaccines could make autism even more likely in children who had siblings with autism. They found that vaccines had no effect on autism risk, whether or not a sibling in the family was diagnosed. “Consistent with studies in other populations, we observed no association between MMR vaccination and increased ASD risk among privately insured children,” said the study, led by Anjali Jain, a doctor in Falls Church, Virginia. “We also found no evidence that receipt of either one or two doses of MMR vaccination was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children who had older siblings with ASD.” Autism is on the rise, and affects as many as one in 68 children in the United States, but its causes remain poorly understood. Fears about vaccines and autism began to spread after the publication in 1998 of an article by Andrew Wakefield that purported to find a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in 12 children. It was later found to be fraudulent and was retracted by the journal that
published it. Britain has also stripped the author, Andrew Wakefield, of his medical license. But concerns over vaccine safety, particularly in the Internet age, have proven difficult to quell. “Although a substantial body of research over the last 15 years has found no link between the MMR vaccine and ASD, parents and others continue to associate the vaccine with ASD,” said the JAMA study.
“Surveys of parents who have children with ASD suggest that many believe the MMR vaccine was a contributing cause.” Children who have an older sibling with autism are less likely to get vaccinated, the study found. The MMR vaccination rate for the children with unaffected siblings was 92 percent by age five. In contrast, the MMR vaccination rates for children with older
siblings with ASD was 86 percent by age five. An accompanying editorial by Bryan King, a doctor at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, said the data is clear. “The only conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that there is no signal to suggest a relationship between MMR and the development of autism in children with or without a sibling who has autism,”
King wrote. “Taken together, some dozen studies have now shown that the age of onset of ASD does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, the severity or course of ASD does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, and now the risk of ASD recurrence in families does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.” (afp)
PARIS - A form of mental training which helps people recognise the onset of depression, and control it, works as well as anti-depressants in preventing relapse, researchers said Monday. Dubbed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the method may offer a welcome alternative for people wishing to avoid long-term use of anti-depressants, which can have unpleasant side effects like insomnia, constipation and sexual problems, said a study in The Lancet medical journal. In a two-year trial with 424 depression sufferers in England,
researchers found that MBCT users faced a “similar” risk of relapse to those on anti-depressants. The method was not more effective than drugs, as many had hoped, but the findings nevertheless suggested “a new choice for the millions of people with recurrent depression on repeat prescriptions,” said study leader Willem Kuyken, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford. Depression is often a recurring disorder, and people with a history of the ailment are frequently placed on a long-term course, typically about two years, of anti-
depressants. Previous research had shown that anti-depressants can reduce the risk of relapse by up to two-thirds when taken correctly, but dosage adherence is hugely variable. Without treatment, as many as four out of five people relapse at some point, Kuyken said in a statement. The side effects, however, have fuelled interest in alternative methods like MBCT. It entails training depression sufferers to accept that negative feelings and thoughts are likely to recur, to recognise them when they
do, and deal with them effectively rather than trigger a depressive spiral by dwelling on the gloomy. The new study claims to be the first-ever, large-scale comparison between the efficacy of MBCT and anti-depressants. The trial volunteers were randomly divided into two groups. Half continued taking their medication while the rest phased out the drugs in favour of MBCT. The training involved eight group sessions of two hours and 15 minutes each, with daily home practice. Participants were given the option of four follow-up sessions
over the following 12 months. All 424 volunteers were assessed for a period of two years with a diagnostic tool called the “structured clinical interview”, which measures mental state. The MBCT group had a 44percent relapse rate, the researchers found, compared to 47 percent in the group taking anti-depressants. “As a group intervention, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was relatively low cost compared to therapies provided on an individual basis,” study co-author Sarah Byford from King’s College London said. (afp)
AP Photo/Aaron Favila
In this April 7, 2015, photo, Jose Antonio Canoy arrives at the Puzzle Cafe, which his family co-owns, in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines. Yet another scientific study has found no link between autism and the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), even among high risk children, according to US research published Tuesday.
Mind training as effective as anti-depressants
Bali News
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Illegal backfilling on Melasti Beach
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MANGUPURA - A rearrangement project on Melasti Beach in Ungasan village, South Kuta, is approaching completion. It is estimated that the area will be operative by the middle of next year. But apparently, the project including backfilling about 100 meters from the shoreline intended as a berm area, has been done without permission from the central government. Headman of Ungasan, village Wayan Sugita Putra, confirmed that this was in fact the case and explained that the coastal rearrangement project is intended to be as a tourist attraction, while the beach backfilling will be used as a venue to organize local community rituals. “Due to the urgent needs of the customary village, we have not applied for a license yet. The construction project spreads along 80 meters extending over the sea. It will be used for sweeping sekah during cremation ceremonies and for offering animal sacrifices or mendem pakelem. Without the new platform, we are forced to hire a boat or ask for help from National SAR Agency,” he said. Sugita went on to say that attempts had been made to follow the legal process of applying for permission from relevant authorities within the central government, but they went ahead with the project before receiving a response. “Because it is being built for good of the customary village, I think the permit application will be discussed with the central government,” he said. In addition to the ritual needs of the local community, the beach
backfilling can also be used as a mooring point for small boats carrying tourist. However, if the central government does permit this usage, it will be only function as a platform for customary ceremonies. “If mooring is not granted permission, we will only use it for ceremonies and put up barriers so that no one can enter the area when there is no ceremony,” he explained. Sugita said that the costal arrangement project which is independently funded is already underway. If possible, the development of this tourism supporting facilities will be equipped with a stage for Kecak Dance performances, a gazebo and other tourism supporting facilities. “It will be managed by the customary village. We expect that before June 2016 it can be officially opened. Indeed, there have already been visitors but the area is not being managed like Pandawa Beach which sells tickets to visitors,” he said. The arrangement of Melasti Beach which so far has cost IDR 8 billion is being funded by the rural community themselves. “We
IBP/Yudi Karnaedi
A rearrangement project on Melasti Beach in Ungasan village, South Kuta, is approaching completion. It is estimated that the area will be operative by the middle of next year. But apparently, the project including backfilling about 100 meters from the shoreline intended as a berm area, has been done without permission from the central government. estimate that the whole project will cost approximately IDR 20 billion,” he said. Head of the Badung Human Settlements (DCK), Ni Putu Dessy Darmayanti, when contacted said that she not aware of the project
taking place on the beach that is often used by the Hindu community to perform melasti rituals. “We have not been notified about the backfilling of Melasti Beach. Let me look into it,” she said briefly. Head of the Badung Livestock,
Bali hopes to receive 30 million tourists in 2029
DENPASAR - The administration of Bali province has set a target of 30 million tourists arrivals for 2029, Governor of Bali Made Mangku Pastika said. “We have set a target to receive 30 million tourists in 2029. As compared to Singapore, whose land area is only one seventh of Bali island, the city state can attract 37 million tourists every year,” the governor noted. According to him, Bali will be able to achieve the target by constructing supporting infrastructures and developing new tourism destinations. Pastika added that the high target does not mean that tourism offered by Bali is mass tourism as administrations will be selecting tourists and deciding who will be allowed to come to the island so that the environment here can be maintained. “If the environment is good, we can be a green and organic province that attracts classy communities,” he stated. The governor affirmed that the administration will not promote Bali in a cheap way and will project the island as a luxurious tourism destination. “To make Bali a classy tourism destination, we have to make it healthy, beautiful, and green,” Pastika noted, adding that the tourism sector in Bali has been directed to be environmentally friendly. IBP/Wawan The administration of Bali province is targeting four million tourist visits in 2015. The average A tourists took picture during a ritual ceremony that held in Sanur Beach. The number of tourist arrivals in Bali in recent years administration of Bali province has set a target of 30 million tourists arrivals for had been over three million. (ant) 2029.
Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, I Made Badra, also stated that his party never issued any permits for this project, nor have they received a permit application. “We have not received any proposal and never issued a permit,” he said. (kmb27)
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Bali News
Thursday, April 23, 2015
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
International
Prevent students from writing graffiti, Police hold expression movement BANGLI - To anticipate the graffiti action on uniform undertaken by high school and vocational school students after the announcement of national exam in the middle of May, Bangli Police in cooperation with the Education Agency held the Student Expression Movement at Captain Mudita Square Bangli, Tuesday (Apr. 21). Other than collecting used school uniform, Bangli Police also provide a space for students to express their joy through signature on a sheet of white cloth provided. The student expression movement was attended by hundreds of student representatives from high schools and vocational schools in Bangli commenced with a joint assembly. Participating students were invited to read the pledge of public security and order. The event was attended by the Regent of Bangli Made Gianyar, Commander of the Bangli/1626 Military District Agus Wahyudi Iriyanto and a number of officers of the Bangli Police. The Japanese cave located in Klungkung
IBP/File
Semarapura Festival around the corner, ‘Japanese cave’ still dirty
SEMARAPURA - Although the preparation of the Semarapura Festival 2015 are underway, a number of locations in the area have yet to receive due attention. The so-called “Japanese cave” in Koripan hamlet, Banjarangkan village that will be featured as a tourist attraction in the Semarapura Festival tour , for instance, remains in a deplorable condition. Other than for lack of appropriate decorations, the grass in wildly overgrown as Regent of Klungkung, I Nyoman Suwirta said exasperatedly. “The Japanese cave is very dirty and the grounds are grossly unkempt” explained Regent of Klungkung, Suwirta. The Japanese cave will be part of the Semarapura Festival tour on Monday (Apr. 27) and such poor conditions are still to be found in a number of other areas as well, including a section of road sections at Sampalan, Gunaksa. To immediately remove the weeds from a number of road sections, the regent is calling on the entire staff of Klungkung County to perform a cleanup, on Friday (Apr. 24) so that the entire region of Klungkung, especially the centre of activities will be clean and comfortable for the opening of the Semarapura Festival, on Saturday (Apr. 25). “We’ll assign staff divided into groups to be placed at certain points along the road where grass must be uprooted” he added. Responding to the poor condition of a number of road sections, the Acting Head of the Klungkung Sanitation and Landscaping Agency (DKP), Wayan Sumarta, revealed
that every day there have been officers sweeping the roads of Klungkung, especially the road in front of the Japanese cave. However, the janitors are not assigned to pull out wild grass growing along the roads, so that in fact, many roads are overgrown by weeds. To overcome this unsightly problem, Sumarta is asking the local community to participate in maintaining the environment, by -amongst other things, pulling out weeds. The Agency will always help to transport the waste that people collect. If the task of pulling out the weeds is assigned to janitors, Wayan Sumarta says that he would have to calculate the cost of such a request, as well as the number of janitors needed to perform the additional task. “So far we have not considered that option, but if it is required, we will calculate cost of hiring the additional janitors” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Apr. 21). (dwa)
Chief of Bangli Police, Suswanto, when met on the sidelines of the activity, said that such an event has been carried out for the second time. Similar activity was organized in 2014. “We want to continue this kind of positive activity. At the same time, it also serves as a form of mental revolution inviting general public as a pioneer of social activities,” he said. With such an event, Suswanto hoped that the students will not celebrate their graduation excessively, let alone write graffiti on their school uniform. According to Suswanto, it will be very nice if the used school uniforms can be donated to other students who are more in need. Through this expression, younger generation is also expected to fortify themselves from negative things. “In the expression ahead of the graduation, the students also expressed a pledge. One of which is to maintain the reputation and not breaking the law and norms,” he said. (kmb40)
Cemcem herbal drink makers face ingredient shortage
BANGLI - Ahead of dry season, the makers of cemcem (wild mango) herbal drink at Penglipuran traditional village begin to feel anxious. They estimate that in August and September will be difficult to find cemcem leaves. Definitely, it is feared to have an impact on the decline in production. One of the makers of cemcem herbal drink, Nengah Budianti, said on Tuesday that currently her business is growing rapidly. However, this does not take place any time. She described that around August and September coinciding with dry season, a lot of cemcem leaves are falling. “Around August or September, the cemcem leaves will fall, so that we will be difficult to find the ingredients,” she explained. She also disclosed that to meet the needs all this time Budianti only gets cemcem leaves from Bangli County, such as Demulih village (Susut subdistrict), Kubu, Pengotan and Bunutin village (Bangli subdistrict). In one day, she spends eight baskets of cemcem leaves to produce 500 bottles of cemcem herbal drink. “For the ingredients, we just get from Bangli area,” she said. Other than being hampered by cemcem leaves, Budianti also admitted that she must buy bottle to Tabanan in order to get a cheaper price, namely at IDR 70,000 per 100 pieces. It is much cheaper than in Bangli reaching IDR 90,000 per 100 pieces. “I must buy the bottle to Tabanan for a cheaper one, while in Bangli it is
more expensive,” she said. Budianti admitted to find no other obstacle. The woman pursuing the cemcem herbal drink business for ten years was previously constrained by the matter of marketing. He said that her homemade herbal drink was often not able to penetrate market. Not infrequently, she was unable to sell out the products. “I have to introduce this cemcem herbal drink product to the market for two years. Now, the marketing is smooth,” he said. On the other hand, she told that in line with the tourism development at Penglipuran village and high public interest in this traditional drink, it is no longer becoming a side business, but becoming the main business. Previously, Budianti was more focused on opening a small shop business, but today she is more focused on the business having been inherited through generations. “I give more focuses on getting involved in this business. The results are promising,” she said. A medium-sized bottle of her herbal drink is usually sold for IDR 5,000. To indicate the identity of her product and avoid any claims from other makers, Budianti also complements her cemcem herbal drink bottle with a label containing the name of her business. For marketing, currently she has owned regular customers that come to the place of production. The remaining ones are taken by local residents. “Customers come from some areas in Klungkung, Denpasar and Gianyar,” she concluded. (kmb45)
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Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban said Wednesday their spring offensive in Afghanistan will begin this week, the first time the insurgents’ annual campaign against the Afghan government will take place without NATO troops on the battlefield.
AP Photo/Jacques Brinon
French Prime Minister Manuel Vall, center, and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, right, leaves the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, after a cabinet meeting while French President Francois Hollande looks on, Wednesday, April 21, 2015.
Paris extremist’s misfire thwarts imminent attack on church
PARIS — An Islamic extremist with an arsenal of loaded guns was only prevented from opening fire on Sunday morning churchgoers because he accidentally shot himself, French officials said. The 24-year-old computer science student, who was also suspected in the death of a young woman whose body was found on Sunday just ahead of his arrest, had been flagged as a risk last year and earlier this year but there was no specific reason to open a judicial investigation, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Wednesday. A French security official, who was not authorized to publicly release details, said the suspect — an Algerian who had lived in France for several years — was arrested in Paris Sunday after he apparently shot himself by accident and called for an ambulance. He was waiting outside for first aid when police arrived at the scene. They discovered a blood trail leading to his car, which contained loaded guns and notes about potential targets. “Documents were also found and they prove, without any ambiguity, that the individual was preparing an imminent attack, in all probability, against one or two
churches,” Cazeneuve said. In the man’s apartment, in southeastern Paris, more weapons were found as well as Islamic extremist material, the official said. There was no immediate evidence that the suspect had direct ties to any organized groups, the official said. Aurelie Chatelain, a 32-yearold Frenchwoman visiting Paris for a training session for her work, was found shot to death on Sunday morning in her car. The security official said Chatelain appeared to have been killed at random and ballistics evidence linked her death to the suspect. “The terrorists target France to divide us” said Prime Minister Manuel Valls at a news conference Wednesday. France has been on edge since the Jan. 7-9 attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket left 20 people dead, including the three gunmen. In that case, at least two of the gunmen had been flagged to French intelligence — and the third had been recently released from prison after serving a sentence involving his ties to Islamic extremists — but surveillance was called off months before the attack.(ap)
In past years, spring and the melting of snow on the mountains along the border with Pakistan marked a significant upsurge in the fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces along with their local allies. This fighting season, the insurgents will face just Afghan forces after the withdrawal of most international combat troops at the end of last year. A Taliban statement, which was emailed to media, said the offensive — dubbed “Azm” or perseverance in Dari and Arabic — will begin on Friday. It added that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the Taliban call themselves, is “determined to prolong the ongoing jihad,” or holy war. The statement also said that under U.S. leadership, the “crusaders” will maintain “control of our land and space” through security agreements with the Afghan government. The agreements allow NATO and the U.S. to keep a limited number of noncombat troops in Afghanistan to train and assist Afghan forces in their fight against the insurgency. “For the complete liberation of our beloved homeland from the yoke of foreign occupation and for the implementation of Islamic rule throughout the country, the Islamic Emirate is determined to prolong the ongoing jihad against the foreign invaders as well as their internal stooges,” the Taliban said.
In recent weeks, attacks in the north and east of the country have intensified in the build-up to the warm weather fighting season. The insurgents can be expected to fight until snow falls on the Hindu Kush, when the militants return to the mountains. Fighting even stops in many places for meals and prayers. But after more than a decade of war, the Taliban appear no closer to their goal of overthrowing the Kabul government. This has opened up an opportunity for what is perceived to be an affiliate of the Islamic State group, which already controls large parts of Iraq and Syria, to establish a small presence in Afghanistan. The development has alarmed many Afghans, including influential warlord Ismail Khan, former governor of western Herat province, who called on President Ashraf Ghani to improve security and kickstart a moribund economy to avoid a war with an IS offshoot. Afghan forces have been fighting local Taliban in southern Helmand province for more than two months now, hoping to dislodge them from one of their bastions ahead of the spring offensive. Fighting has been fierce as the insurgents seek to protect supply lines for men, guns and drugs that provide a major source of their funding. Helmand’s opium crop
accounts for most of the world’s heroin supply. Despite the nascent IS presence, the Taliban also appear to be spreading their own influence to areas where they have not had a significant presence in the past. In northern Samangan province, police said that a firefight broke out late on Tuesday when they surrounded a house where Taliban fighters were holding a meeting. Sediq Azizi, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Afghan security forces killed a Taliban commander identified as Mullah Bashir along with four other insurgents. One policeman was killed, he said, and another two were wounded. Bashir’s mother was also wounded, he said. In eastern Nagharhar province, where the Taliban have long been active, Ahamd Zia Abdulazai, spokesman for the provincial governor, said that a prosecutor and his driver were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Behsud district. On Tuesday, a bomb blast near a police station in the southern city of Kandahar killed three people and wounded 17, while a separate bomb killed one person and wounded five in the north, in Kunduz province. Kandahar province is the heartland of the Taliban insurgency — and the city was the capital of the extremists’ government from 1996-2001. (ap)
AP Photo
Afghan security forces work at the site of a bombing in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Afghan officials say an explosion near a police station has killed several people and wounded over a dozen. Authorities initially believed a car bomb caused the explosion, but later said they were unsure what happened.
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International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Bali News
International
Japan logs 1st trade surplus in nearly 3 years on cheap oil
TABANAN - The first reported case of rabies in Tabanan occurred in 2009 and within just one year 18 people -both children and adults, had died from the virus. One of the victims, who was just 7 years old, showed symptoms as quickly as 11 days after being bitten. Head of the Tabanan Health Agency, Nyoman Suratmika, explained on Wednesday that those 18 rabies victims had not received the anti-rabies vaccine (VAR).
TOKYO — Japan posted its first monthly trade surplus in nearly three years in March thanks to falling import costs from cheaper oil prices, along with a modest recovery in exports.
AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi
People walk in front of a container ship docked at a container terminal in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 22, 2015. Japan posted its first monthly trade surplus in nearly three years in March thanks to falling import costs from cheaper oil prices, along with a modest recovery in exports.
April 2014 to March 2015, it said. Exports rose 5.4 percent from the year before, while imports fell 1 percent. Japan’s trade balance slipped into deficits after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters led to a closure of its nuclear plants. Costs for imports of oil and gas soared to compensate. Japan’s imports of oil, gas, coal and other fuels fell 37 percent in March from a year earlier, to 1.77 trillion yen ($14.8 billion). The last time the country ran a monthly trade surplus was in June 2012. The recovery in the U.S. economy, Japan’s biggest export market, also helped boost shipments of cars and machinery. Japan’s exports to the U.S. jumped 21 percent in March from the year before, while imports climbed 24 percent, leading to a surplus of 603 billion yen ($5 billion). Japan’s imports from China, meanwhile, fell almost 20 percent, partly due to the Chinese lunar new year holidays, while its exports to China rose almost 4 percent. (ap)
Russia adapting to new economic reality
MOSCOW - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday Russia was suffering significant economic problems because of international sanctions, but the situation could have been much worse and Russia was adapting. Referring to Western sanctions imposed last year because of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Medvedev told parliament: “Losses from the restrictions which were introduced
are significant. “According to the estimates of some foreign experts, Russia has suffered losses of 25 billion euros ($26.7 billion) in total, which is 1.5 percent of gross domestic product, and in 2015 it could increase several times,” he said in an annual speech to parliament about the government’s record. Medvedev said Russia’s economy had contracted by around 2 per-
cent in the first quarter, but that the economic situation could have been far worse and was stabilising. He linked the sanctions to Russia’s takeover of the Ukrainian province of Crimea a year ago, but said the “historic” step had been justified. “For many the return of Crimea was the restoration of historic justice, which in its significance is equivalent to the fall of the Berlin
Wall, the reunification of Germany or the return to China of Hong Kong and Macao,” he said. Although the economic situation was stabilising, “there should not be any illusions” about the difficulties, which had been made worse by the collapse in international oil prices and “by several domestic problems that we weren’t able to solve”. However, Russia had seen worse
in the past and could cope, Medvedev said. “If external pressure intensifies, and oil prices remain at an extremely low level for a long time, we will have to develop in a new economic reality,” he said. “I am convinced that we will be able to live even in such a reality. The experience of the recent period has shown that we have learnt how to do this.” (rtr)
Low wages, trade deals luring auto plants and jobs to Mexico
DETROIT — Mexico has become the most attractive place in North America to build new automobile factories, a shift that has siphoned jobs from the U.S. and Canada, yet helped keep car and truck prices in check for consumers. In the past two years, eight automakers have opened or announced new plants or expansions in Mexico. Just last week, Toyota announced a new plant in Guanajuato to build the popular Corolla, work now done in Canada, while Ford unveiled plans for
Mexican engine and transmission factories. Low labor costs and fewer tariffs are the swing factors. A worker in Mexico costs car companies an average of $8 an hour, including wages and benefits. That compares with $58 in the U.S. for General Motors and $38 at Volkswagen’s factory in Tennessee, the lowest hourly cost in the U.S., according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Ann Arbor, Michigan. German auto workers cost about $52 an hour.
Mexico also trumps the U.S. on free trade. It has agreements with 45 countries, meaning low tariffs for exporting globally. That, along with low labor costs, convinced Audi to build an SUV factory in the state of Puebla. The German automaker will save $6,000 per vehicle in tariffs when it ships a Q5 to Europe, compared with building the same vehicle in the U.S., says Sean McAlinden, chief economist at CAR. Audi also sells the Q5 in the U.S., where tariffs on cars built
in Mexico were dropped under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The cost savings also should allow automakers to add expensive fuel-saving features to meet stricter U.S. government gas mileage requirements without raising car prices. Two-thirds of cars made in Mexico are shipped to the U.S. While Mexico’s auto industry booms and workers welcome the above-average wages, they are speaking out more loudly about working conditions.
Mexican auto production more than doubled in the past 10 years. The consulting firm IHS Automotive expects it to rise another 50 percent to just under 5 million by 2022. U.S. production is expected to increase only 3 percent, to 12.2 million vehicles, in the next 7 years. Automakers now have 18 factories in Mexico, many built in the past 10 years. In four years, five more will be built, moving the country from the world’s seventhbiggest auto producer to fifth. (ap)
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18 deaths caused by rabies in Tabanan
BUSINESS
But the stronger-than-expected surplus is unlikely to persist, analysts said. Japan relies on imports for virtually all of its oil, gas and coal. Oil prices already have begun to recover from the trough of below $50 they hit earlier this year and have yet to be reflected in Japan’s imports. “What’s more, we expect the yen to weaken further in coming months, which should lift the cost of imports by more than the yen-value of exports. The upshot is that the trade balance is unlikely to remain in surplus for long,” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. The Finance Ministry said Wednesday that preliminary data showed a 14.5 percent drop in imports in March from a year earlier, to 6.7 trillion yen ($55.6 billion). Exports climbed 8.5 percent from a year earlier to 6.9 trillion yen ($57.9 billion), leaving a surplus of 229.3 billion yen ($1.9 billion). Based on preliminary data for October to March, Japan logged a trade deficit of 9.1 trillion yen ($76 billion) in the fiscal year from
Thursday, April 23, 2015
IBP/Dewa Kusuma
Environmental damage occurred due to the marine debris consisting of timber chunks and bark on the beach near Brongbong hamlet, Celukan Bawang, Gerokgak. Officially this condition has been reported by representative of Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group to Buleleng Police station.
Fishermen complain of illegal activities SINGARAJA - Environmental damage occurred due to marine debris consisting of timber chunks and bark on the beach near Brongbong hamlet, Celukan Bawang, Gerokgak. The damage was officially reported to the Buleleng Police by representative of the Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group. The fishermen demanded justice and an investigation into the the timber unloading and loading activities that has destroyed fishing nets. Chairman of the Gema Nusantara NGO, Antonius Sanjaya Kiabeni, explained on Wednesday that a number of representatives of the community of Celukan Bawang reported that the headman of Celukan Bawang, Mohammed Ashari, is alleged to be complicit by having issued a license for the barge loading and unloading of timber. Such activities have resulted in environmental pollution and damaged fishing nets caused by stray timber and debris. “We have reported the environmental pollution in the coastal areas of Brongbong hamlet. Law No.32/2009 regulates the environment, and restricts polluting activities such the loading and unloading of timber which causes debris to litter the sea bed. As a result of this polluting activity, fishing nets are also torn and cannot no longer be used,” said Kiabeni at the Buleleng Police station. Bakti Kosgoro fishermen’s group has made coordinated with the
Buleleng Forestry and Plantation Agency related to the mechanism of timber log distribution. Before being stored or processed at CV Wahyu Karya a special license is required. Allegedly they do not hold a license, therefor the government has been asked to look into the matter. Headman of Celukan Bawang was eventually reported with the allegation of having granted a license to the harbormaster and CV Wahyu Karya for using their timber loading mechanism on Brongbong Beach. “I allege that there is a conspiracy between the authorities and the entrepreneur that is harming fishermen. Fishermen are unable to develop seaweed farms due to the loading and unloading activities. We suspect the headman of Celukan Bawang is involved in this,” he said. The Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group head, Baidi Suparlan, asserted that as a consequence of the barge loading and unloading timber, bark and leaves and other debris end up in the ocean and cause fishermen to suffer losses. “When we cast our nets, we do not catch fish, but instead get timber bark. The timber refuse eventually sinks to the sea floor, and our nets get torn by this debris. We ask that the timber log loading and unloading not take place in this location and instead return to its originally location at Celukan Bawang harbor,” he said. (kmb34)
According to Suratmika if one is bitten by a stray dog and does not receive the anti-rabbies vaccine, it is almost guaranteed that the victim has rabies. The amount of time it takes for symptoms to manifest depends to a great extent on where one has been bitten and how many times. Bites occurring near the head or parts of the body that have a lot of nerves of symptom to appear highly depends on the location and the number of injuries. For example if one has been bitten near the head, or on parts of the body with a lot of nerve endings, or if one has been bitten many times, the infection will occur more quickly. The seven year old who was bitten in 2009, had wounds on his face, the back of his head and buttocks. Other children who had been bitten on their fingertips, showed symptoms 1. 5
months after being bitten, whereas those with bites on the arms and buttocks showed symptoms after 4 months. Suratmika said that after witnessing this deaths, the importance of anti-rabbies vaccines and wound care for victims of rabies positive dogs, became very clear to him. “When bite victims have access to the vaccine, they can avoid contracting the deadly virus” he said. The success rate of the vaccine in preventing rabies can be seen from the absence of further casualties in Tabanan after the vaccine started being administered. “Between 2009 and 2010, when rabies dog bite victims did not get vaccinated, they all died, whereas after the vaccine started being administered to bite victims, there have been no rabies related deaths,”
said Suratmika. Although it has been six years since the first rabies victim appeared, in Tabanan, there are still dog bite cases in Tabanan. In 2014, a total of 6,318 cases were recorded with an average of 550 bites per month. “In 2015, the number of bite cases remains high, with an average of 20 people bitten per day,” he explained. The current problem is that the vaccine supply is running thin due to the matter of purchasing. The Tabanan Health Agency is coping with the shortage by being more selective about anti-rabies vaccine administration. “Cases are sorted. If the dog bite occurred due to provocation or if the patient has previously received the vaccine , then only wound care is provided,” said Suratmika. (kmb24)
A man hold his dog while it got anti-rabies vaccine shot. The first reported case of rabies in Tabanan occurred in 2009 and within just one year 18 people -both children and adults, had died from the virus.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015
W
RLD AP Photo/Kin Cheung
A pro-democracy protester, center, holds a placard reading “overrule” in front of pro-Beijing protesters outside the Legislative Council where election reform proposals were unveiled, in Hong Kong Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
Hong Kong faces resistance with Beijingbacked election plan
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s government unveiled election reform proposals Wednesday, setting the stage for another round of confrontation with pro-democracy activists and lawmakers opposed to Beijing-mandated restrictions on candidates for the city’s top job. The long-expected reform package made some tweaks but gave little ground to pro-democracy leaders, whose rejection of the government’s initial proposal last year sparked protests that saw key streets in the city occupied for nearly three months and violent clashes with riot police. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested during what was called the Occupy Central protest movement that marked the city’s most tumultuous period since China took control of the territory from Britain in 1997. The reform package, which needs the city’s legislature’s approval before it breaks for summer in July, could fail to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority, or 47 out of 70 seats, to pass. With pro-democracy lawmakers controlling 27 seats, the government is hoping it can persuade four members to switch sides. Outlining the reform package’s details to lawmakers, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said that under the government’s proposals, the city’s 5 million eligible voters could choose from up to three candidates in 2017. But she said the power to select candidates would remain in the hands of a 1,200-member group of tycoons and other elites viewed as sympathetic to the mainland Chinese government. Lam said the reforms would allow for up to 10 nominees to be shortlisted by
the panel, which would then winnow the number down to three candidates through a secret ballot. That’s in line with a blueprint Beijing issued last Aug. 31 limiting the number of candidates and ruling out open nominations for them. Prodemocracy leaders have blasted the restrictions as “fake democracy.” “The proposal allows a ‘small circle’ to control the election result by controlling the nomination process. Hong Kong will become an election machine,” said lawmaker Alan Leong, vowing that the pro-democracy camp would reject it. He was one of about two dozen opposition lawmakers, most wearing yellow Xs on black shirts and some holding yellow umbrellas — a symbol of the protest movement — who walked out of the legislative chamber after Lam’s speech. There were some minor scuffles outside the legislature as pro-democracy protesters faced off against pro-Beijing demonstrators waving red Chinese flags. Speaking beforehand, the city’s deeply unpopular current leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, said the government would not give any ground to pro-democracy groups’ demands. “At the moment, we don’t see any room for compromise,” he said, warning lawmakers this could be the last chance in a while to change the
system so they should seize it while they can. “Launching political reform is not easy,” said Leung, who was handpicked for the job by the elite panel. “If it’s vetoed this time, I believe it will be a number of years before we can launch it again.” The struggle for Hong Kong’s political future has divided the city and highlighted widening differences with its mainland masters. Residents of Hong Kong, a British colony for more than 150 years, feel their city is a world apart from mainland China thanks to its rule of law and guaranteed Western-style civil liberties such as freedom of speech. Beijing promised to let Hong Kong retain control of much of its own affairs under the principle of “one country, two systems” and pledged to let residents eventually elect their own leader. But the insistence on screening candidates underscores fears about the tightening grip of China’s Communist leaders. Joshua Wong, the teenage student leader who became the protest movement’s most famous face, dismissed the reform package. “Those minor adjustments raised by the government are totally useless,” said Wong, 18. “We hope to have the freedom to choose rather than just get the right to elect some of the candidates.” (ap)
International
Southeast Asian leaders urged to act on Rohingya crisis KUALA LUMPUR — Southeast Asian lawmakers on Wednesday urged their leaders to discuss Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim crisis at their summit in Malaysia this weekend, saying it has led to the highest outflow of asylum seekers by sea in the region since the Vietnam War. Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 50 million, is home to an estimated 1.3 million Rohingya, and most are considered stateless. Though many of their families arrived from Bangladesh generations ago, almost all are denied citizenship by Myanmar as well as Bangladesh. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a grouping of regional lawmakers, said in a statement that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations must abandon its policy of not interfering in each other’s affairs, which has been used as a justification to avoid holding a discussion on the Rohingya issue. “We are seeing a dire situation in ASEAN,” Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago told a news conference ahead of the two-day summit that starts Sunday. “The Rohingya issue has become an ASEAN problem because we have a huge amount of refugees fleeing into Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.” “It has also led to a regional human trafficking epidemic. A human catastrophe is happening and ASEAN leaders cannot and should not hide behind the notion of non-interference,” Santiago said. The Rohingya issue has emerged as a sensitive topic as Myanmar tries to move away from decades of repressive military rule
toward democracy. In the last 2 1/2 years, attacks by Buddhist mobs have left hundreds of Rohingya dead and 140,000 trapped in camps where they live without access to adequate health care, education or jobs. More than 100,000 Rohingya have also fled Myanmar’s western shores by boat, according to estimates provided by experts tracking their movements. The ASEAN Parliamentarians earlier released a report on the Rohingya crisis following a fact-finding mission to Myanmar in early April. The report will be sent to ASEAN leaders along with an appeal letter, Santiago said. In the letter, which was released to the media, ASEAN Parliamentarians said the delegation had identified “troubling signs of anti-Muslim rhetoric and broader incitement to violence,” and warned that this could increase in the run-up to Myanmar’s elections in November. “The protracted culture of abuse and resulting high risk of atrocities threaten Myanmar’s political transition, put strains on regional economies and support the rise of extremist ideologies that pose security threats throughout Southeast Asia,” the letter said. The group said the human rights crisis in Myanmar was exacerbated by ASEAN’s failure to take action and urged leaders to act to prevent a further escalation of the crisis that could affect the entire region. The United Nations has also urged Myanmar to give Rohingya equal access to citizenship and to crack down on Buddhist violence against them and other Muslims. (ap)
Japanese leader doesn’t offer customary apology for WWII JAKARTA — South Korea expressed deep regret Wednesday that Japan’s leader did not repeat his predecessors’ apologies for the country’s aggression during World War II. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Asian and African leaders in Indonesia on Wednesday that Japan has “feelings of deep remorse” over the war. But he did not express a “heartfelt apology” for Japan’s past “colonial rule and aggression” — key phrases that previous prime ministers have used in official statements about the war. Abe’s remarks are fueling speculation that he also will not apologize in a key statement in August marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for nearly half an hour Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-African Summit in Jakarta. Both leaders refused to talk to re-
porters afterward. Ties between Japan and its closest neighbors China and South Korea, both victims of Japanese militarism before and during World War II, have worsened in recent years largely over history and territorial issues. Critics say Abe’s administration has stepped up efforts to whitewash the country’s wartime atrocities. On Monday, Abe said he does not plan to repeat a landmark apology made in 1995 by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama that included the three key phrases. Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a similar apology in 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, and at the Asian-African meeting the same year. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep regret because Prime Minister Abe omitted the key expressions of apology and repentance.”(ap)
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
11
INDONESIA Indonesia calls for new financial global architecture
JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Wednesday for a new global financial order that is open to emerging economic powers and leaves the “obsolete ideas” of Bretton Woods institutions in the past. Widodo’s speech in Jakarta opened a meeting of Asian and African nations to mark the 60th anniversary of a conference that was seen as a united stand by the developing world against colonialism and led to the Cold War era’s non-aligned movement. Among the leaders listening were Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who were expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference, the latest sign of a thaw in relations between the Asian rivals. Sino-Japanese ties have chilled in recent years due to feuds over the two neighbours’ wartime past as well as territorial rows and regional rivalry. Bilateral talks in Jakarta on Wednesday could promote a cautious rapprochement that began when Abe and Xi met at a summit in Beijing late last year. Widodo made no mention of the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that is seen as a threat to the Western-dominated World Bank and Asian Development Bank, but Indonesia is one of nearly 60 countries that have offered to be founding members of the AIIB. The United States and Japan have not thrown their support behind the bank, which is seen as a threat to U.S. efforts to extend its influence in the Asia-Pacific region and balance China’s growing financial clout. “There is a shifting world reality ... Those who say the global economic problems shall only be solved through the World Bank, the IMF and the ADB, these are obsolete
ideas,” Widodo said. “There needs to be change.” “It’s imperative that we build a new international economic order that is open to new emerging economic powers.” The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were at the centre of the post-World War Two Bretton Woods monetary order created by the United States and Europe. Indonesia invited heads of state and government from 109 Asian and African countries, but there have been dozens of no-shows and officials said only 34 leaders turned up. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, speaking at the conference, said countries in Asia and Africa “should no longer be consigned to the role of exporters of primary goods and importers of finished goods”. He called it a “role that has historically been assigned to us by the colonial powers and starting from the days of colonialism”. The world order has changed dramatically since nearly 30 heads of state gathered in 1955 to discuss security and economic development away from global powers embroiled in the Cold War. Many of those countries, such as China and India, are now themselves at top tables like the Group of 20 and wield significant economic power. Widodo said the group was meeting again in a changed world but still it needed to stand together against the domination of “a certain group of countries” to avoid unfairness and global imbalances. (rtr)
Mast Irham/Pool Photo via AP
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, greets Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani upon arrival for the Asian African Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
Iranian President asks AA leader to fight terrorism JAKARTA - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asks Asian and African leaders to join force in fighting terrorism, aggression and extremism. “Let us together prevent violence, aggression, terrorism and extremism from spilling the blood of innocent people,” Rouhani said addressing an Asian African summit meeting on Wednesday. Asian and African leaders gathered in Indonesia to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Asian African Conference (AAC), which was held in Band-
ung in 1955. Rouhani said terrorism and extremism have spread widely to various countries in Asia and Africa. “Terrorists and extremists, especially in Iraq and Iran have committed barbarism murdering innocent people on political motives destroying infrastructure of the two countries,” he said. He said the extremists and terrorists received logistics and financial as well as intelligence support from some international and regional players for illegal
goals. “Meanwhile, the sponsors ignore the fact that instability and crisis in a region would have impact on the whole world,” he said. Therefore, he called on all Asian African leaders to revive the Spirit of Bandung Ten principles that could avert conflict in the two continents. “Even now the world is experiencing a big change, the value of the Ten Principles of Bandung should remain high in the agenda of global diplomacy,” he added. (ant)
Three Philippines charged with illegal fishing PALU - Three Philippines fishermen faced the first session of their trial at the Palu district court in Central Sulawesi on Wednesday on charge of illegal fishing. The three - Jessie D Casturico , M Qhairul Bin Samaluddin and Charlie Negrillo Ibajan were ar-
rested on March 18, 2015 by patrolling Palu customs officer . They were nabbed when fishing in Indonesia’s economic exclusive zone off Sulawesi without official document. The session was adjourned until April 24 to hear testimonies from
witnesses who are the crew members of the vessel. The suspects and six crew membe3rs are detained in the immigration detention house in Palu. Their ship is held by the directorate general of customs and excise office in Palu. (ant)
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Destination
Thursday, April 23, 2015
MANGUPURA - Sangeh is a natural attraction relying on the wildlife and forest as the main tourist attraction. Sangeh tourist object is located at Sangeh village, Abiansemal subdistrict, Badung Regency. It is precisely about 21 km north of Denpasar. Sangeh does not only attract foreign tourists, but also domestic tourists and even the locals of Bali. When you want to make a visit, take the Denpasar–Plaga route or Jalan A. Yani to the north. After some 21 km, on the left side you will encounter a small forest filled with large tropical trees. Approximately 20 attendants
Bukit Sari Sangeh
are on duty to maintain the sanitation, safety of tourists, as well as the orderliness of merchants and photographers. Those attendants are spread within the neighborhood of Sangeh forest area. On the whole, this tourist attraction spreads across 13.969 hectares of land bordering with rice fields in the north, Yeh Penet River in the west, and Batursari settlement in the south and east. Sangeh forest has a variety of plant species. There are approximately 6,443 nutmeg trees, 27 species of other trees consisting of gliricidia, silk plant, milkwood pine, banyan tree and others. In
addition, there are also 22 types of shrubs such sea pearl, shoebutton and others. Aside from becoming the native home to apes, this forest area of 10.8 hectares is also inhabited by two species of mammals such as monkeys and raccoons, 8 bird species such as Java sparrow and turtledoves, three kinds of reptile such as snakes and 2 types of amphibians. The long-tailed gray ape (Macaca fascicularis) has become the prominent attraction for tourist to visit Sangeh. This tourist attraction also has 4 temples, such as the Bukitsari Tem-
International
ple located in west part of the forest, Melanting Temple (middle), Tirta Temple (front) and Anyar Temple at the entrance to the forest. The four temples are venerated by customary village of Sangeh, except for the Anyar Temple is only venerated by Batursari residents. In the Southwest corner is built an isolation cage for the rogue apes. Additionally, it also serves a laboratory to treat the sick monkeys. In front of the entrance lie two small buildings used as ticket booth and a post of the Natural Resources Conservation (KSDA). Recently, the management car-
Sports
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
7
Rosberg bouncing back - Mercedes F1 boss Wolff ried out a reforestation and forest area expansion of around 3.169 hectares. It is said the forest originated from the forest of Mount Agung scheduled to travel to Mengwi. At that time, it moved slowly in the evening. Unfortunately, a man came across the forest and shouted at it, so that the forest suddenly stopped. This belief is supported by the existence of nutmeg trees in the forest area that cannot be found in any other areas. Even, one or two can be found, but it surely grows at haunted temple area.
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says the aggression Nico Rosberg showed in the Bahrain Grand Prix will be the launchpad for a resurgence despite the disappointing end to his race. Under pressure
following a string of defeats by team-mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg put in an aggressive performance at
Sakhir. The German lost third place to CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS : Kimi Raikkonen at the start, but snatched the position back before Pos Driver Points passing the other Ferrari of Sebas1 Lewis Hamilton 93 tian Vettel for second. Rosberg was 2 Nico Rosberg 66 twice repassed by Vettel, who used 3 Sebastian Vettel 65 the undercut, during the pitstops, 4 Kimi Raikkonen 42 but reclaimed second each time 5 Felipe Massa 31 with a pass on track. He ultimately fell back to third behind Raikkonen on the penultimate lap after his brakeby-wire system failed. “Anyone who doubted Nico saw Nico at his best fighting hard, overtaking,” said Wolff. “He did everything right. “Losing that position because of a brake Mercedes Formula One Driver Nico Rosberg of Germany drives during Bahrain’s F1 Grand failure is a pity. Prix at Bahrain International Circuit, south of Manama, April 19, 2015. “Without that, I think he was
Wizards take 2-0 lead over Raptors
driving so well that he would have kept the Ferrari behind - but he had no weapons to defend.” Rosberg, who has finished behind Hamilton in each of this season’s four races, trails his team-mate by 27 points in the drivers’ standings. Wolff said Rosberg is still very much in the title hunt but pinpointed qualifying as an area to improve. “Qualify on pole and control the race from there,” said Wolff, when asked what Rosberg needed to do to get back on terms with Hamilton. “You saw Lewis qualify on pole and run away and be in control of the race [in Bahrain], similar to what we had in China, is key to scoring maximum points. “It’s four races into the season, there’s another 15 left - which is quite a lot. “So I have no doubt after his driving in Bahrain, which was exceptional, we’ll have a very strong Nico bouncing back next time.” (net)
TORONTO — Washington, Cleveland and Houston all earned 2-0 leads in their NBA first-round playoff series with victories on Tuesday, continuing the previous day’s pattern. All five of the series that have played two games now stand at 2-0, with the Wizards, Cavaliers and Rockets joining Monday’s winners Chicago and Golden State with the early two-game buffer in the best-of-seven series.
IBP/File Photo
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Washington’s 117-106 victory at Toronto owed most to John Wall, who had 26 points and 17 assists, and Bradley Beal, who scored 28 points. Marcin Gortat scored 16 points, Otto Porter had 15 and Paul Pierce added 10 for the Wizards, who return home to host Game 3 on Friday. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams scored 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost four straight playoff games over the past two seasons. Washington lost 15 of its final 19 road games in the regular season, but rediscovered its best away from home in times for the playoffs. Dating back to last year, the Wizards have won seven of eight away from home in the postseason. DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points, Patrick Patterson had 15 and Amir Johnson added 10 for Toronto, which has won just one playoff series in six previous postseason appearances. Cleveland shook off a persistent Boston to win 99-91 at home, with LeBron James leading the way with 30 points and Kyrie Irving contributing 26. James scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, moved past
Hall of Famer Jerry West on the career playoff scoring list and made sure the Cavs didn’t slip up at home. He and Irving combined for all of Cleveland’s 24 points in the final period. Timofey Mozgov added 16 points and Tristan Thompson had 11 rebounds for Cleveland. Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points for the Celtics, whose bench outscored Cleveland’s 51-7 but did not get anywhere near enough from the starting five. Game 3 is Thursday in Boston. Houston also pulled away in the last quarter to beat Texas rival Dallas 111-99. Dwight Howard, who scored 28 points, and James Harden, who added 24, dominated early in the final period to steer the Rockets to victory. The Mavericks scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a three-point lead. But with Harden on the bench, Houston scored the next 11 points, powered by three alley-oop passes from Smith to Howard, to take a 92-84 lead with about 8 minutes left. Smith finished with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Monta Ellis had 24 points for Dallas, which hosts Game 3 on Friday. (ap)
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) makes a jump shot over Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) during the second half in Game 2 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs, Tuesday, April 21, 2015, in Toronto.
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International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Sp rt AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta runs with the ball during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
Back? I was never away, says Barca’s Iniesta
Already leading 3-1 from last week’s first leg in Paris, Neymar’s goal, the first of a double in a 2-0 win for Barca on the night, effectively killed PSG’s chances of a comeback. The Catalan giants eased through to the last four for the seventh time in eight seasons and a record 11th time in the Champions
League era. Iniesta’s stunning slalom in the buildup to the opening goal brought the home fans at the Nou Camp to their feet. Receiving the ball from centre back Javier Mascherano deep in the Barca half with his back to the PSG goal, a clever feint took Iniesta past advancing midfielder
Yohan Cabaye. Forward Edinson Cavani attempted to rob the ball but Iniesta simply motored past him before a burst of pace took him away from midfielder Marco Verratti’s desperate lunge. Advancing on the retreating PSG back line, Iniesta waited until
the perfect moment before threading a pass between the defenders and Neymar took the ball around PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and poked it into the empty net. It was only a third assist of the season for Iniesta in the Champions League, while he has made none in La Liga and two in the King’s Cup as Barca chase a treble of trophies to match their historic haul from 2009 under Pep Guardiola. “I was never away but some people see things one way and others another,” Iniesta told reporters. “I always try to do things well,”
SINGAPORE - Discussions have taken place about scrapping Singapore’s ailing 10-team soccer league, the Straits Times reported on Wednesday. Unhappy club chairmen met with Football Association of Singapore (FAS) officials on Monday, where heated exchanges took place over slumping attendances and the inability to find sponsors, the paper said. The league was reduced from 12 teams this season after one withdrew because of costs and two others merged, with the paper reporting that the remain-
ing 10 received subsidies of S$800,000 ($593,384) a year. “Even our national coach was quoted as saying he does not go to S.League games, so we told the FAS that things need to change,” an unnamed chairman told the daily. “We have grown tired of sourcing for sponsors and wooing fans when FAS themselves have their eyes on the Lions XII and the Asean Super League.” The Lions XII are a Singapore select side that play in the Malaysian Super League, with their Malaysian counterparts Hariman Muda one of
three foreign sides to compete in the S.League. Club chairmen are unhappy that a number of Singapore’s best players are ring-fenced off from them in order to play for the Lions or the Young Lions, a Singaporean under-23 side that plays in the S.League. Singapore are also expected to home two franchises in the Southeast Asian Super League, which has been slated for next year. Where those players will come from is a concern for club chairmen, who have seen attendances slump to less than 500
in some matches this season, the league’s 20th. Three options were discussed at Monday’s meeting at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the paper said, with one involving scrapping the S.League and focussing on having four teams competing in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian Super League. Another option was to dump the Young Lions and Lions XII, while the third was to involve a larger number of younger players in the S.League. While fans in the wealthy city-state
MADRID - Andres Iniesta will always be a hero to Barcelona and Spain fans but some had started to question whether the 30-year-old’s best days were behind him. The playmaker’s outrageous skills were on full display again on Tuesday, however, as he cut through the Paris St Germain midfield and released Neymar in front of goal to put Barca 1-0 ahead in the 14th minute of their Champions League quarter-final, second leg.
he added. “I am very happy with the way everything is working out. I think you can always improve everything.” Barca will learn who their opponents in the last four are in Friday’s draw, with Bayern Munich already through after they crushed Porto on Tuesday. Holders Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid later on Wednesday with the city rivals locked at 0-0, while Italian champions Juventus have a 1-0 advantage when they play at Ligue 1 side Monaco. (rtr)
turn away from domestic action as the national team have slumped to their worst ever position of 162nd in the world rankings, they continue to look elsewhere, mainly England, for their football fix. “The leagues in Thailand and Malaysia are pulling away and the standards of once footballing minnows like Guam and Cambodia are catching up with ours,” another unnamed chairman said. “If these aren’t enough to scream that change is needed, I don’t know what is.” (ap)
Singapore’s S.League could be scrapped - report
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Montreal seek history in CONCACAF Champions League final
Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact are seeking to end Mexico’s stranglehold on the CONCACAF Champions League when they take on Club America in the first leg of the tournament’s final on Wednesday. Victory over the current Mexican champions and five-times CONCACAF champions would make Montreal the first Canadian team to win the competition and the first team from MLS to raise the trophy since the current format was introduced in 2008. A crowd of about 100,000 is expected at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and the home side start as clear favourites. But in defeating Mexicans Pachuca in the quarter-finals and surviving a hostile atmosphere on the road in Costa Rica against Alajuelense in the semi-final, Montreal have shown they can handle pressure.
“We know the crowd will be amazing and the atmosphere will be epic,” said Montreal’s Ghanian midfielder Dominic Oduro. “But you just have to have fun with it. It is a once in a lifetime thing and we know we have a good team. We can’t be afraid of them.” The L.A. Galaxy (2000) and D.C United (1998) are the only MLS teams have ever become CONCACAF champions, and that was back when the tournament was the knockout CONCACAF Champions Cup. Since the switch to the Champions League structure only one MLS team has reached the final with Real Salt Lake losing to Mexico’s Monterrey in 2011. Every other final has been an allMexican affair with Cruz Azul beating Toluca in last year’s final, marking the ninth consecutive success for a Mexi-
can club. America possess a dangerous strike pairing of Mexican international Oribe Peralta and Argentine Dario Benedetto, who scored four times in the 6-0 crushing of Costa Rica’s Herediano in the semi-final second leg. Montreal have a little Argentine flair of their own in midfielder Ignacio Piatti, part of the San Lorenzo team who won the Copa Libertadores last year. America have been inconsistent of late and on Saturday suffered a 4-0 home defeat in Liga MX by Ronaldinho’s Queretaro. “Defeats are always painful but this came at a good time,” said coach Gustavo Matosas. “We can avenge this loss on Wednesday but we must lift ourselves quickly to get ready for an important final,” he added. The return leg will be played in Montreal on April 29. (ap)
Stephen Keshi signs new contract as Nigeria coach ABUJA, Nigeria — Stephen Keshi signed a two-year contract to continue as head coach of Nigeria on Tuesday, calling it “a new page” after a tumultuous story so far that has seen him guide the country to the African title, resign, return, get fired and then be reinstated. Keshi and the Nigerian Football Federation agreed the new deal after lengthy negotiations, putting Keshi back in charge ahead of the start of 2017 African Cup qualifiers in June and 2018 World Cup qualifiers later in the year. Nigeria, the African champion in 2013, needs to bounce back after failing to qualify to defend its title at this year’s continental championship. “This job is too big for Keshi alone. It has to be a collective effort. We have to team up to do this,” Keshi said. Keshi and the federation haven’t always worked smoothly together before, though. A day after guiding Nigeria to its first continental title in 19 years in South Africa in 2013, Keshi said he had resigned, blaming federation officials for trying to oust him from his job earlier in the tournament. He rescinded his resignation. Last year, he took Nigeria to the second round of the World Cup, but was later fired as Nigeria failed
to make the 2015 African Cup. His short-term replacement said Keshi was still the best man for the job and he returned on a game-by-game deal. Keshi has also complained and threatened to leave over his wages not being paid on time, and reportedly called the initial terms he was offered by the NFF to continue as coach “a slave contract.” “This is a new page in Nigerian football and what happened in the past has happened,” Keshi said Tuesday as he was presented to media. “I have what it takes to take the country forward.”
Monaco: Radamel Falcao’s future at United still unsure
The 53-year-old Keshi is a former Nigerian captain and defender and won the African Cup of Nations as a player in 1994. Two years ago he became the first black African coach to win the Cup of Nations in two decades and only the second man ever to win it as a player and a coach. This contract will take him through the 2017 African Cup of Nations. “We have absolute and undiluted confidence in Stephen Keshi to take Nigerian football to new heights,” federation vice president Felix Anyansi Agwu said. (ap) FILE - A Tuesday, June 24, 2014 photo from files showing Nigeria’s soccer coach, Stephen Keshi, speaking during a news conference at Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File
MONACO — Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev says Manchester United will wait until the end of the season to decide whether to use its option to buy loan striker Radamel Falcao. Vasilyev told local newspaper Nice Matin that he recently met with United of-
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Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach
Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara celebrates
Guardiola weathers first Bayern Munich storm in style
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola weathered his first major crisis at the German club, coming out stronger after his team crushed Porto 7-4 on aggregate on Tuesday to move into the Champions League last four. The Spaniard in his second season in charge was with his back to the wall after their surprise 3-1 first leg defeat in Portugal last week. Never had one of his teams lost before the semi-finals in the competition but that prospect suddenly seemed real. Damned to succeed, Guardiola repeatedly said he was aware of what he needed to deliver at the five-time European champions for whom a league and German Cup double was just not enough. He arrived at Bayern after their 2013 treble-winning season and expectations have not been lowered since. A semifinal exit last season only heightened pressure on Guardiola to deliver another treble this time round. But plagued by injuries in recent months and a rare internal strife after long-time team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt quit after 38 years, saying his medical team was blamed for the loss to Porto, Bayern had a farfrom-perfect preparation. The doctor is hugely respected by Bayern players with many saying they would continue taking his advice and Guardiola suddenly in the firing line for allegedly
ficials, and they remain perplexed following the Colombia forward’s poor season. Vasilyev said, “This is not his best season, but they’ve opted to decide at the end of the championship.” After a knee injury kept him out of the World Cup, Falcao left Monaco on a year-
falling out with a Bayern icon. Failure to advance against Porto would have added to an already difficult week and would no doubt fan speculation about the coach’s future in Munich despite having a contract to 2016. With Premier League clubs circling, a slip-up on Tuesday could prove decisive for both the club and the coach. But the Spaniard, who won 14 titles in his four seasons at Barcelona, thrived under adverse conditions with his team playing arguably their best game this season, even without injured Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Alaba. “I felt it in the last few days that we would advance,” Guardiola said after Bayern fired five goals in 26 first-half minutes. “This is about life or death and I know how very important it was,” he said. “I know what is expected of me in this team. It is about winning just like at Barcelona.” Fans are now dreaming of a trophy on German soil in June’s final in Berlin and with players gradually returning from injury, Guardiola is confident Bayern will further improve. “We can play even better,” he said in what is no doubt a warning to other title contenders. “After the loss in Porto the players were my heroes. Now it’s easy to love them.” (rtr)
long loan. But he has struggled to adapt to the English Premier League, scoring only four goals in 25 appearances with United. Vasilyev added that Falcao left Monaco because “he wanted to play at a higher level,” and he had a difficult relationship with then-coach Claudio Ranieri. (ap)
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International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Sp rt AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta runs with the ball during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
Back? I was never away, says Barca’s Iniesta
Already leading 3-1 from last week’s first leg in Paris, Neymar’s goal, the first of a double in a 2-0 win for Barca on the night, effectively killed PSG’s chances of a comeback. The Catalan giants eased through to the last four for the seventh time in eight seasons and a record 11th time in the Champions
League era. Iniesta’s stunning slalom in the buildup to the opening goal brought the home fans at the Nou Camp to their feet. Receiving the ball from centre back Javier Mascherano deep in the Barca half with his back to the PSG goal, a clever feint took Iniesta past advancing midfielder
Yohan Cabaye. Forward Edinson Cavani attempted to rob the ball but Iniesta simply motored past him before a burst of pace took him away from midfielder Marco Verratti’s desperate lunge. Advancing on the retreating PSG back line, Iniesta waited until
the perfect moment before threading a pass between the defenders and Neymar took the ball around PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and poked it into the empty net. It was only a third assist of the season for Iniesta in the Champions League, while he has made none in La Liga and two in the King’s Cup as Barca chase a treble of trophies to match their historic haul from 2009 under Pep Guardiola. “I was never away but some people see things one way and others another,” Iniesta told reporters. “I always try to do things well,”
SINGAPORE - Discussions have taken place about scrapping Singapore’s ailing 10-team soccer league, the Straits Times reported on Wednesday. Unhappy club chairmen met with Football Association of Singapore (FAS) officials on Monday, where heated exchanges took place over slumping attendances and the inability to find sponsors, the paper said. The league was reduced from 12 teams this season after one withdrew because of costs and two others merged, with the paper reporting that the remain-
ing 10 received subsidies of S$800,000 ($593,384) a year. “Even our national coach was quoted as saying he does not go to S.League games, so we told the FAS that things need to change,” an unnamed chairman told the daily. “We have grown tired of sourcing for sponsors and wooing fans when FAS themselves have their eyes on the Lions XII and the Asean Super League.” The Lions XII are a Singapore select side that play in the Malaysian Super League, with their Malaysian counterparts Hariman Muda one of
three foreign sides to compete in the S.League. Club chairmen are unhappy that a number of Singapore’s best players are ring-fenced off from them in order to play for the Lions or the Young Lions, a Singaporean under-23 side that plays in the S.League. Singapore are also expected to home two franchises in the Southeast Asian Super League, which has been slated for next year. Where those players will come from is a concern for club chairmen, who have seen attendances slump to less than 500
in some matches this season, the league’s 20th. Three options were discussed at Monday’s meeting at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the paper said, with one involving scrapping the S.League and focussing on having four teams competing in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian Super League. Another option was to dump the Young Lions and Lions XII, while the third was to involve a larger number of younger players in the S.League. While fans in the wealthy city-state
MADRID - Andres Iniesta will always be a hero to Barcelona and Spain fans but some had started to question whether the 30-year-old’s best days were behind him. The playmaker’s outrageous skills were on full display again on Tuesday, however, as he cut through the Paris St Germain midfield and released Neymar in front of goal to put Barca 1-0 ahead in the 14th minute of their Champions League quarter-final, second leg.
he added. “I am very happy with the way everything is working out. I think you can always improve everything.” Barca will learn who their opponents in the last four are in Friday’s draw, with Bayern Munich already through after they crushed Porto on Tuesday. Holders Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid later on Wednesday with the city rivals locked at 0-0, while Italian champions Juventus have a 1-0 advantage when they play at Ligue 1 side Monaco. (rtr)
turn away from domestic action as the national team have slumped to their worst ever position of 162nd in the world rankings, they continue to look elsewhere, mainly England, for their football fix. “The leagues in Thailand and Malaysia are pulling away and the standards of once footballing minnows like Guam and Cambodia are catching up with ours,” another unnamed chairman said. “If these aren’t enough to scream that change is needed, I don’t know what is.” (ap)
Singapore’s S.League could be scrapped - report
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Montreal seek history in CONCACAF Champions League final
Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact are seeking to end Mexico’s stranglehold on the CONCACAF Champions League when they take on Club America in the first leg of the tournament’s final on Wednesday. Victory over the current Mexican champions and five-times CONCACAF champions would make Montreal the first Canadian team to win the competition and the first team from MLS to raise the trophy since the current format was introduced in 2008. A crowd of about 100,000 is expected at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and the home side start as clear favourites. But in defeating Mexicans Pachuca in the quarter-finals and surviving a hostile atmosphere on the road in Costa Rica against Alajuelense in the semi-final, Montreal have shown they can handle pressure.
“We know the crowd will be amazing and the atmosphere will be epic,” said Montreal’s Ghanian midfielder Dominic Oduro. “But you just have to have fun with it. It is a once in a lifetime thing and we know we have a good team. We can’t be afraid of them.” The L.A. Galaxy (2000) and D.C United (1998) are the only MLS teams have ever become CONCACAF champions, and that was back when the tournament was the knockout CONCACAF Champions Cup. Since the switch to the Champions League structure only one MLS team has reached the final with Real Salt Lake losing to Mexico’s Monterrey in 2011. Every other final has been an allMexican affair with Cruz Azul beating Toluca in last year’s final, marking the ninth consecutive success for a Mexi-
can club. America possess a dangerous strike pairing of Mexican international Oribe Peralta and Argentine Dario Benedetto, who scored four times in the 6-0 crushing of Costa Rica’s Herediano in the semi-final second leg. Montreal have a little Argentine flair of their own in midfielder Ignacio Piatti, part of the San Lorenzo team who won the Copa Libertadores last year. America have been inconsistent of late and on Saturday suffered a 4-0 home defeat in Liga MX by Ronaldinho’s Queretaro. “Defeats are always painful but this came at a good time,” said coach Gustavo Matosas. “We can avenge this loss on Wednesday but we must lift ourselves quickly to get ready for an important final,” he added. The return leg will be played in Montreal on April 29. (ap)
Stephen Keshi signs new contract as Nigeria coach ABUJA, Nigeria — Stephen Keshi signed a two-year contract to continue as head coach of Nigeria on Tuesday, calling it “a new page” after a tumultuous story so far that has seen him guide the country to the African title, resign, return, get fired and then be reinstated. Keshi and the Nigerian Football Federation agreed the new deal after lengthy negotiations, putting Keshi back in charge ahead of the start of 2017 African Cup qualifiers in June and 2018 World Cup qualifiers later in the year. Nigeria, the African champion in 2013, needs to bounce back after failing to qualify to defend its title at this year’s continental championship. “This job is too big for Keshi alone. It has to be a collective effort. We have to team up to do this,” Keshi said. Keshi and the federation haven’t always worked smoothly together before, though. A day after guiding Nigeria to its first continental title in 19 years in South Africa in 2013, Keshi said he had resigned, blaming federation officials for trying to oust him from his job earlier in the tournament. He rescinded his resignation. Last year, he took Nigeria to the second round of the World Cup, but was later fired as Nigeria failed
to make the 2015 African Cup. His short-term replacement said Keshi was still the best man for the job and he returned on a game-by-game deal. Keshi has also complained and threatened to leave over his wages not being paid on time, and reportedly called the initial terms he was offered by the NFF to continue as coach “a slave contract.” “This is a new page in Nigerian football and what happened in the past has happened,” Keshi said Tuesday as he was presented to media. “I have what it takes to take the country forward.”
Monaco: Radamel Falcao’s future at United still unsure
The 53-year-old Keshi is a former Nigerian captain and defender and won the African Cup of Nations as a player in 1994. Two years ago he became the first black African coach to win the Cup of Nations in two decades and only the second man ever to win it as a player and a coach. This contract will take him through the 2017 African Cup of Nations. “We have absolute and undiluted confidence in Stephen Keshi to take Nigerian football to new heights,” federation vice president Felix Anyansi Agwu said. (ap) FILE - A Tuesday, June 24, 2014 photo from files showing Nigeria’s soccer coach, Stephen Keshi, speaking during a news conference at Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File
MONACO — Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev says Manchester United will wait until the end of the season to decide whether to use its option to buy loan striker Radamel Falcao. Vasilyev told local newspaper Nice Matin that he recently met with United of-
9
Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach
Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara celebrates
Guardiola weathers first Bayern Munich storm in style
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola weathered his first major crisis at the German club, coming out stronger after his team crushed Porto 7-4 on aggregate on Tuesday to move into the Champions League last four. The Spaniard in his second season in charge was with his back to the wall after their surprise 3-1 first leg defeat in Portugal last week. Never had one of his teams lost before the semi-finals in the competition but that prospect suddenly seemed real. Damned to succeed, Guardiola repeatedly said he was aware of what he needed to deliver at the five-time European champions for whom a league and German Cup double was just not enough. He arrived at Bayern after their 2013 treble-winning season and expectations have not been lowered since. A semifinal exit last season only heightened pressure on Guardiola to deliver another treble this time round. But plagued by injuries in recent months and a rare internal strife after long-time team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt quit after 38 years, saying his medical team was blamed for the loss to Porto, Bayern had a farfrom-perfect preparation. The doctor is hugely respected by Bayern players with many saying they would continue taking his advice and Guardiola suddenly in the firing line for allegedly
ficials, and they remain perplexed following the Colombia forward’s poor season. Vasilyev said, “This is not his best season, but they’ve opted to decide at the end of the championship.” After a knee injury kept him out of the World Cup, Falcao left Monaco on a year-
falling out with a Bayern icon. Failure to advance against Porto would have added to an already difficult week and would no doubt fan speculation about the coach’s future in Munich despite having a contract to 2016. With Premier League clubs circling, a slip-up on Tuesday could prove decisive for both the club and the coach. But the Spaniard, who won 14 titles in his four seasons at Barcelona, thrived under adverse conditions with his team playing arguably their best game this season, even without injured Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Alaba. “I felt it in the last few days that we would advance,” Guardiola said after Bayern fired five goals in 26 first-half minutes. “This is about life or death and I know how very important it was,” he said. “I know what is expected of me in this team. It is about winning just like at Barcelona.” Fans are now dreaming of a trophy on German soil in June’s final in Berlin and with players gradually returning from injury, Guardiola is confident Bayern will further improve. “We can play even better,” he said in what is no doubt a warning to other title contenders. “After the loss in Porto the players were my heroes. Now it’s easy to love them.” (rtr)
long loan. But he has struggled to adapt to the English Premier League, scoring only four goals in 25 appearances with United. Vasilyev added that Falcao left Monaco because “he wanted to play at a higher level,” and he had a difficult relationship with then-coach Claudio Ranieri. (ap)
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Destination
Thursday, April 23, 2015
MANGUPURA - Sangeh is a natural attraction relying on the wildlife and forest as the main tourist attraction. Sangeh tourist object is located at Sangeh village, Abiansemal subdistrict, Badung Regency. It is precisely about 21 km north of Denpasar. Sangeh does not only attract foreign tourists, but also domestic tourists and even the locals of Bali. When you want to make a visit, take the Denpasar–Plaga route or Jalan A. Yani to the north. After some 21 km, on the left side you will encounter a small forest filled with large tropical trees. Approximately 20 attendants
Bukit Sari Sangeh
are on duty to maintain the sanitation, safety of tourists, as well as the orderliness of merchants and photographers. Those attendants are spread within the neighborhood of Sangeh forest area. On the whole, this tourist attraction spreads across 13.969 hectares of land bordering with rice fields in the north, Yeh Penet River in the west, and Batursari settlement in the south and east. Sangeh forest has a variety of plant species. There are approximately 6,443 nutmeg trees, 27 species of other trees consisting of gliricidia, silk plant, milkwood pine, banyan tree and others. In
addition, there are also 22 types of shrubs such sea pearl, shoebutton and others. Aside from becoming the native home to apes, this forest area of 10.8 hectares is also inhabited by two species of mammals such as monkeys and raccoons, 8 bird species such as Java sparrow and turtledoves, three kinds of reptile such as snakes and 2 types of amphibians. The long-tailed gray ape (Macaca fascicularis) has become the prominent attraction for tourist to visit Sangeh. This tourist attraction also has 4 temples, such as the Bukitsari Tem-
International
ple located in west part of the forest, Melanting Temple (middle), Tirta Temple (front) and Anyar Temple at the entrance to the forest. The four temples are venerated by customary village of Sangeh, except for the Anyar Temple is only venerated by Batursari residents. In the Southwest corner is built an isolation cage for the rogue apes. Additionally, it also serves a laboratory to treat the sick monkeys. In front of the entrance lie two small buildings used as ticket booth and a post of the Natural Resources Conservation (KSDA). Recently, the management car-
Sports
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
7
Rosberg bouncing back - Mercedes F1 boss Wolff ried out a reforestation and forest area expansion of around 3.169 hectares. It is said the forest originated from the forest of Mount Agung scheduled to travel to Mengwi. At that time, it moved slowly in the evening. Unfortunately, a man came across the forest and shouted at it, so that the forest suddenly stopped. This belief is supported by the existence of nutmeg trees in the forest area that cannot be found in any other areas. Even, one or two can be found, but it surely grows at haunted temple area.
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says the aggression Nico Rosberg showed in the Bahrain Grand Prix will be the launchpad for a resurgence despite the disappointing end to his race. Under pressure
following a string of defeats by team-mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg put in an aggressive performance at
Sakhir. The German lost third place to CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS : Kimi Raikkonen at the start, but snatched the position back before Pos Driver Points passing the other Ferrari of Sebas1 Lewis Hamilton 93 tian Vettel for second. Rosberg was 2 Nico Rosberg 66 twice repassed by Vettel, who used 3 Sebastian Vettel 65 the undercut, during the pitstops, 4 Kimi Raikkonen 42 but reclaimed second each time 5 Felipe Massa 31 with a pass on track. He ultimately fell back to third behind Raikkonen on the penultimate lap after his brakeby-wire system failed. “Anyone who doubted Nico saw Nico at his best fighting hard, overtaking,” said Wolff. “He did everything right. “Losing that position because of a brake Mercedes Formula One Driver Nico Rosberg of Germany drives during Bahrain’s F1 Grand failure is a pity. Prix at Bahrain International Circuit, south of Manama, April 19, 2015. “Without that, I think he was
Wizards take 2-0 lead over Raptors
driving so well that he would have kept the Ferrari behind - but he had no weapons to defend.” Rosberg, who has finished behind Hamilton in each of this season’s four races, trails his team-mate by 27 points in the drivers’ standings. Wolff said Rosberg is still very much in the title hunt but pinpointed qualifying as an area to improve. “Qualify on pole and control the race from there,” said Wolff, when asked what Rosberg needed to do to get back on terms with Hamilton. “You saw Lewis qualify on pole and run away and be in control of the race [in Bahrain], similar to what we had in China, is key to scoring maximum points. “It’s four races into the season, there’s another 15 left - which is quite a lot. “So I have no doubt after his driving in Bahrain, which was exceptional, we’ll have a very strong Nico bouncing back next time.” (net)
TORONTO — Washington, Cleveland and Houston all earned 2-0 leads in their NBA first-round playoff series with victories on Tuesday, continuing the previous day’s pattern. All five of the series that have played two games now stand at 2-0, with the Wizards, Cavaliers and Rockets joining Monday’s winners Chicago and Golden State with the early two-game buffer in the best-of-seven series.
IBP/File Photo
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Washington’s 117-106 victory at Toronto owed most to John Wall, who had 26 points and 17 assists, and Bradley Beal, who scored 28 points. Marcin Gortat scored 16 points, Otto Porter had 15 and Paul Pierce added 10 for the Wizards, who return home to host Game 3 on Friday. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams scored 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost four straight playoff games over the past two seasons. Washington lost 15 of its final 19 road games in the regular season, but rediscovered its best away from home in times for the playoffs. Dating back to last year, the Wizards have won seven of eight away from home in the postseason. DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points, Patrick Patterson had 15 and Amir Johnson added 10 for Toronto, which has won just one playoff series in six previous postseason appearances. Cleveland shook off a persistent Boston to win 99-91 at home, with LeBron James leading the way with 30 points and Kyrie Irving contributing 26. James scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, moved past
Hall of Famer Jerry West on the career playoff scoring list and made sure the Cavs didn’t slip up at home. He and Irving combined for all of Cleveland’s 24 points in the final period. Timofey Mozgov added 16 points and Tristan Thompson had 11 rebounds for Cleveland. Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points for the Celtics, whose bench outscored Cleveland’s 51-7 but did not get anywhere near enough from the starting five. Game 3 is Thursday in Boston. Houston also pulled away in the last quarter to beat Texas rival Dallas 111-99. Dwight Howard, who scored 28 points, and James Harden, who added 24, dominated early in the final period to steer the Rockets to victory. The Mavericks scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a three-point lead. But with Harden on the bench, Houston scored the next 11 points, powered by three alley-oop passes from Smith to Howard, to take a 92-84 lead with about 8 minutes left. Smith finished with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Monta Ellis had 24 points for Dallas, which hosts Game 3 on Friday. (ap)
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) makes a jump shot over Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) during the second half in Game 2 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs, Tuesday, April 21, 2015, in Toronto.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015
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RLD AP Photo/Kin Cheung
A pro-democracy protester, center, holds a placard reading “overrule” in front of pro-Beijing protesters outside the Legislative Council where election reform proposals were unveiled, in Hong Kong Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
Hong Kong faces resistance with Beijingbacked election plan
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s government unveiled election reform proposals Wednesday, setting the stage for another round of confrontation with pro-democracy activists and lawmakers opposed to Beijing-mandated restrictions on candidates for the city’s top job. The long-expected reform package made some tweaks but gave little ground to pro-democracy leaders, whose rejection of the government’s initial proposal last year sparked protests that saw key streets in the city occupied for nearly three months and violent clashes with riot police. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested during what was called the Occupy Central protest movement that marked the city’s most tumultuous period since China took control of the territory from Britain in 1997. The reform package, which needs the city’s legislature’s approval before it breaks for summer in July, could fail to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority, or 47 out of 70 seats, to pass. With pro-democracy lawmakers controlling 27 seats, the government is hoping it can persuade four members to switch sides. Outlining the reform package’s details to lawmakers, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said that under the government’s proposals, the city’s 5 million eligible voters could choose from up to three candidates in 2017. But she said the power to select candidates would remain in the hands of a 1,200-member group of tycoons and other elites viewed as sympathetic to the mainland Chinese government. Lam said the reforms would allow for up to 10 nominees to be shortlisted by
the panel, which would then winnow the number down to three candidates through a secret ballot. That’s in line with a blueprint Beijing issued last Aug. 31 limiting the number of candidates and ruling out open nominations for them. Prodemocracy leaders have blasted the restrictions as “fake democracy.” “The proposal allows a ‘small circle’ to control the election result by controlling the nomination process. Hong Kong will become an election machine,” said lawmaker Alan Leong, vowing that the pro-democracy camp would reject it. He was one of about two dozen opposition lawmakers, most wearing yellow Xs on black shirts and some holding yellow umbrellas — a symbol of the protest movement — who walked out of the legislative chamber after Lam’s speech. There were some minor scuffles outside the legislature as pro-democracy protesters faced off against pro-Beijing demonstrators waving red Chinese flags. Speaking beforehand, the city’s deeply unpopular current leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, said the government would not give any ground to pro-democracy groups’ demands. “At the moment, we don’t see any room for compromise,” he said, warning lawmakers this could be the last chance in a while to change the
system so they should seize it while they can. “Launching political reform is not easy,” said Leung, who was handpicked for the job by the elite panel. “If it’s vetoed this time, I believe it will be a number of years before we can launch it again.” The struggle for Hong Kong’s political future has divided the city and highlighted widening differences with its mainland masters. Residents of Hong Kong, a British colony for more than 150 years, feel their city is a world apart from mainland China thanks to its rule of law and guaranteed Western-style civil liberties such as freedom of speech. Beijing promised to let Hong Kong retain control of much of its own affairs under the principle of “one country, two systems” and pledged to let residents eventually elect their own leader. But the insistence on screening candidates underscores fears about the tightening grip of China’s Communist leaders. Joshua Wong, the teenage student leader who became the protest movement’s most famous face, dismissed the reform package. “Those minor adjustments raised by the government are totally useless,” said Wong, 18. “We hope to have the freedom to choose rather than just get the right to elect some of the candidates.” (ap)
International
Southeast Asian leaders urged to act on Rohingya crisis KUALA LUMPUR — Southeast Asian lawmakers on Wednesday urged their leaders to discuss Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim crisis at their summit in Malaysia this weekend, saying it has led to the highest outflow of asylum seekers by sea in the region since the Vietnam War. Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 50 million, is home to an estimated 1.3 million Rohingya, and most are considered stateless. Though many of their families arrived from Bangladesh generations ago, almost all are denied citizenship by Myanmar as well as Bangladesh. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a grouping of regional lawmakers, said in a statement that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations must abandon its policy of not interfering in each other’s affairs, which has been used as a justification to avoid holding a discussion on the Rohingya issue. “We are seeing a dire situation in ASEAN,” Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago told a news conference ahead of the two-day summit that starts Sunday. “The Rohingya issue has become an ASEAN problem because we have a huge amount of refugees fleeing into Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.” “It has also led to a regional human trafficking epidemic. A human catastrophe is happening and ASEAN leaders cannot and should not hide behind the notion of non-interference,” Santiago said. The Rohingya issue has emerged as a sensitive topic as Myanmar tries to move away from decades of repressive military rule
toward democracy. In the last 2 1/2 years, attacks by Buddhist mobs have left hundreds of Rohingya dead and 140,000 trapped in camps where they live without access to adequate health care, education or jobs. More than 100,000 Rohingya have also fled Myanmar’s western shores by boat, according to estimates provided by experts tracking their movements. The ASEAN Parliamentarians earlier released a report on the Rohingya crisis following a fact-finding mission to Myanmar in early April. The report will be sent to ASEAN leaders along with an appeal letter, Santiago said. In the letter, which was released to the media, ASEAN Parliamentarians said the delegation had identified “troubling signs of anti-Muslim rhetoric and broader incitement to violence,” and warned that this could increase in the run-up to Myanmar’s elections in November. “The protracted culture of abuse and resulting high risk of atrocities threaten Myanmar’s political transition, put strains on regional economies and support the rise of extremist ideologies that pose security threats throughout Southeast Asia,” the letter said. The group said the human rights crisis in Myanmar was exacerbated by ASEAN’s failure to take action and urged leaders to act to prevent a further escalation of the crisis that could affect the entire region. The United Nations has also urged Myanmar to give Rohingya equal access to citizenship and to crack down on Buddhist violence against them and other Muslims. (ap)
Japanese leader doesn’t offer customary apology for WWII JAKARTA — South Korea expressed deep regret Wednesday that Japan’s leader did not repeat his predecessors’ apologies for the country’s aggression during World War II. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Asian and African leaders in Indonesia on Wednesday that Japan has “feelings of deep remorse” over the war. But he did not express a “heartfelt apology” for Japan’s past “colonial rule and aggression” — key phrases that previous prime ministers have used in official statements about the war. Abe’s remarks are fueling speculation that he also will not apologize in a key statement in August marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for nearly half an hour Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-African Summit in Jakarta. Both leaders refused to talk to re-
porters afterward. Ties between Japan and its closest neighbors China and South Korea, both victims of Japanese militarism before and during World War II, have worsened in recent years largely over history and territorial issues. Critics say Abe’s administration has stepped up efforts to whitewash the country’s wartime atrocities. On Monday, Abe said he does not plan to repeat a landmark apology made in 1995 by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama that included the three key phrases. Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a similar apology in 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, and at the Asian-African meeting the same year. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep regret because Prime Minister Abe omitted the key expressions of apology and repentance.”(ap)
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
11
INDONESIA Indonesia calls for new financial global architecture
JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Wednesday for a new global financial order that is open to emerging economic powers and leaves the “obsolete ideas” of Bretton Woods institutions in the past. Widodo’s speech in Jakarta opened a meeting of Asian and African nations to mark the 60th anniversary of a conference that was seen as a united stand by the developing world against colonialism and led to the Cold War era’s non-aligned movement. Among the leaders listening were Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who were expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference, the latest sign of a thaw in relations between the Asian rivals. Sino-Japanese ties have chilled in recent years due to feuds over the two neighbours’ wartime past as well as territorial rows and regional rivalry. Bilateral talks in Jakarta on Wednesday could promote a cautious rapprochement that began when Abe and Xi met at a summit in Beijing late last year. Widodo made no mention of the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that is seen as a threat to the Western-dominated World Bank and Asian Development Bank, but Indonesia is one of nearly 60 countries that have offered to be founding members of the AIIB. The United States and Japan have not thrown their support behind the bank, which is seen as a threat to U.S. efforts to extend its influence in the Asia-Pacific region and balance China’s growing financial clout. “There is a shifting world reality ... Those who say the global economic problems shall only be solved through the World Bank, the IMF and the ADB, these are obsolete
ideas,” Widodo said. “There needs to be change.” “It’s imperative that we build a new international economic order that is open to new emerging economic powers.” The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were at the centre of the post-World War Two Bretton Woods monetary order created by the United States and Europe. Indonesia invited heads of state and government from 109 Asian and African countries, but there have been dozens of no-shows and officials said only 34 leaders turned up. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, speaking at the conference, said countries in Asia and Africa “should no longer be consigned to the role of exporters of primary goods and importers of finished goods”. He called it a “role that has historically been assigned to us by the colonial powers and starting from the days of colonialism”. The world order has changed dramatically since nearly 30 heads of state gathered in 1955 to discuss security and economic development away from global powers embroiled in the Cold War. Many of those countries, such as China and India, are now themselves at top tables like the Group of 20 and wield significant economic power. Widodo said the group was meeting again in a changed world but still it needed to stand together against the domination of “a certain group of countries” to avoid unfairness and global imbalances. (rtr)
Mast Irham/Pool Photo via AP
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, greets Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani upon arrival for the Asian African Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
Iranian President asks AA leader to fight terrorism JAKARTA - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asks Asian and African leaders to join force in fighting terrorism, aggression and extremism. “Let us together prevent violence, aggression, terrorism and extremism from spilling the blood of innocent people,” Rouhani said addressing an Asian African summit meeting on Wednesday. Asian and African leaders gathered in Indonesia to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Asian African Conference (AAC), which was held in Band-
ung in 1955. Rouhani said terrorism and extremism have spread widely to various countries in Asia and Africa. “Terrorists and extremists, especially in Iraq and Iran have committed barbarism murdering innocent people on political motives destroying infrastructure of the two countries,” he said. He said the extremists and terrorists received logistics and financial as well as intelligence support from some international and regional players for illegal
goals. “Meanwhile, the sponsors ignore the fact that instability and crisis in a region would have impact on the whole world,” he said. Therefore, he called on all Asian African leaders to revive the Spirit of Bandung Ten principles that could avert conflict in the two continents. “Even now the world is experiencing a big change, the value of the Ten Principles of Bandung should remain high in the agenda of global diplomacy,” he added. (ant)
Three Philippines charged with illegal fishing PALU - Three Philippines fishermen faced the first session of their trial at the Palu district court in Central Sulawesi on Wednesday on charge of illegal fishing. The three - Jessie D Casturico , M Qhairul Bin Samaluddin and Charlie Negrillo Ibajan were ar-
rested on March 18, 2015 by patrolling Palu customs officer . They were nabbed when fishing in Indonesia’s economic exclusive zone off Sulawesi without official document. The session was adjourned until April 24 to hear testimonies from
witnesses who are the crew members of the vessel. The suspects and six crew membe3rs are detained in the immigration detention house in Palu. Their ship is held by the directorate general of customs and excise office in Palu. (ant)
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International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Bali News
International
Japan logs 1st trade surplus in nearly 3 years on cheap oil
TABANAN - The first reported case of rabies in Tabanan occurred in 2009 and within just one year 18 people -both children and adults, had died from the virus. One of the victims, who was just 7 years old, showed symptoms as quickly as 11 days after being bitten. Head of the Tabanan Health Agency, Nyoman Suratmika, explained on Wednesday that those 18 rabies victims had not received the anti-rabies vaccine (VAR).
TOKYO — Japan posted its first monthly trade surplus in nearly three years in March thanks to falling import costs from cheaper oil prices, along with a modest recovery in exports.
AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi
People walk in front of a container ship docked at a container terminal in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 22, 2015. Japan posted its first monthly trade surplus in nearly three years in March thanks to falling import costs from cheaper oil prices, along with a modest recovery in exports.
April 2014 to March 2015, it said. Exports rose 5.4 percent from the year before, while imports fell 1 percent. Japan’s trade balance slipped into deficits after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters led to a closure of its nuclear plants. Costs for imports of oil and gas soared to compensate. Japan’s imports of oil, gas, coal and other fuels fell 37 percent in March from a year earlier, to 1.77 trillion yen ($14.8 billion). The last time the country ran a monthly trade surplus was in June 2012. The recovery in the U.S. economy, Japan’s biggest export market, also helped boost shipments of cars and machinery. Japan’s exports to the U.S. jumped 21 percent in March from the year before, while imports climbed 24 percent, leading to a surplus of 603 billion yen ($5 billion). Japan’s imports from China, meanwhile, fell almost 20 percent, partly due to the Chinese lunar new year holidays, while its exports to China rose almost 4 percent. (ap)
Russia adapting to new economic reality
MOSCOW - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday Russia was suffering significant economic problems because of international sanctions, but the situation could have been much worse and Russia was adapting. Referring to Western sanctions imposed last year because of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Medvedev told parliament: “Losses from the restrictions which were introduced
are significant. “According to the estimates of some foreign experts, Russia has suffered losses of 25 billion euros ($26.7 billion) in total, which is 1.5 percent of gross domestic product, and in 2015 it could increase several times,” he said in an annual speech to parliament about the government’s record. Medvedev said Russia’s economy had contracted by around 2 per-
cent in the first quarter, but that the economic situation could have been far worse and was stabilising. He linked the sanctions to Russia’s takeover of the Ukrainian province of Crimea a year ago, but said the “historic” step had been justified. “For many the return of Crimea was the restoration of historic justice, which in its significance is equivalent to the fall of the Berlin
Wall, the reunification of Germany or the return to China of Hong Kong and Macao,” he said. Although the economic situation was stabilising, “there should not be any illusions” about the difficulties, which had been made worse by the collapse in international oil prices and “by several domestic problems that we weren’t able to solve”. However, Russia had seen worse
in the past and could cope, Medvedev said. “If external pressure intensifies, and oil prices remain at an extremely low level for a long time, we will have to develop in a new economic reality,” he said. “I am convinced that we will be able to live even in such a reality. The experience of the recent period has shown that we have learnt how to do this.” (rtr)
Low wages, trade deals luring auto plants and jobs to Mexico
DETROIT — Mexico has become the most attractive place in North America to build new automobile factories, a shift that has siphoned jobs from the U.S. and Canada, yet helped keep car and truck prices in check for consumers. In the past two years, eight automakers have opened or announced new plants or expansions in Mexico. Just last week, Toyota announced a new plant in Guanajuato to build the popular Corolla, work now done in Canada, while Ford unveiled plans for
Mexican engine and transmission factories. Low labor costs and fewer tariffs are the swing factors. A worker in Mexico costs car companies an average of $8 an hour, including wages and benefits. That compares with $58 in the U.S. for General Motors and $38 at Volkswagen’s factory in Tennessee, the lowest hourly cost in the U.S., according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Ann Arbor, Michigan. German auto workers cost about $52 an hour.
Mexico also trumps the U.S. on free trade. It has agreements with 45 countries, meaning low tariffs for exporting globally. That, along with low labor costs, convinced Audi to build an SUV factory in the state of Puebla. The German automaker will save $6,000 per vehicle in tariffs when it ships a Q5 to Europe, compared with building the same vehicle in the U.S., says Sean McAlinden, chief economist at CAR. Audi also sells the Q5 in the U.S., where tariffs on cars built
in Mexico were dropped under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The cost savings also should allow automakers to add expensive fuel-saving features to meet stricter U.S. government gas mileage requirements without raising car prices. Two-thirds of cars made in Mexico are shipped to the U.S. While Mexico’s auto industry booms and workers welcome the above-average wages, they are speaking out more loudly about working conditions.
Mexican auto production more than doubled in the past 10 years. The consulting firm IHS Automotive expects it to rise another 50 percent to just under 5 million by 2022. U.S. production is expected to increase only 3 percent, to 12.2 million vehicles, in the next 7 years. Automakers now have 18 factories in Mexico, many built in the past 10 years. In four years, five more will be built, moving the country from the world’s seventhbiggest auto producer to fifth. (ap)
5
18 deaths caused by rabies in Tabanan
BUSINESS
But the stronger-than-expected surplus is unlikely to persist, analysts said. Japan relies on imports for virtually all of its oil, gas and coal. Oil prices already have begun to recover from the trough of below $50 they hit earlier this year and have yet to be reflected in Japan’s imports. “What’s more, we expect the yen to weaken further in coming months, which should lift the cost of imports by more than the yen-value of exports. The upshot is that the trade balance is unlikely to remain in surplus for long,” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. The Finance Ministry said Wednesday that preliminary data showed a 14.5 percent drop in imports in March from a year earlier, to 6.7 trillion yen ($55.6 billion). Exports climbed 8.5 percent from a year earlier to 6.9 trillion yen ($57.9 billion), leaving a surplus of 229.3 billion yen ($1.9 billion). Based on preliminary data for October to March, Japan logged a trade deficit of 9.1 trillion yen ($76 billion) in the fiscal year from
Thursday, April 23, 2015
IBP/Dewa Kusuma
Environmental damage occurred due to the marine debris consisting of timber chunks and bark on the beach near Brongbong hamlet, Celukan Bawang, Gerokgak. Officially this condition has been reported by representative of Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group to Buleleng Police station.
Fishermen complain of illegal activities SINGARAJA - Environmental damage occurred due to marine debris consisting of timber chunks and bark on the beach near Brongbong hamlet, Celukan Bawang, Gerokgak. The damage was officially reported to the Buleleng Police by representative of the Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group. The fishermen demanded justice and an investigation into the the timber unloading and loading activities that has destroyed fishing nets. Chairman of the Gema Nusantara NGO, Antonius Sanjaya Kiabeni, explained on Wednesday that a number of representatives of the community of Celukan Bawang reported that the headman of Celukan Bawang, Mohammed Ashari, is alleged to be complicit by having issued a license for the barge loading and unloading of timber. Such activities have resulted in environmental pollution and damaged fishing nets caused by stray timber and debris. “We have reported the environmental pollution in the coastal areas of Brongbong hamlet. Law No.32/2009 regulates the environment, and restricts polluting activities such the loading and unloading of timber which causes debris to litter the sea bed. As a result of this polluting activity, fishing nets are also torn and cannot no longer be used,” said Kiabeni at the Buleleng Police station. Bakti Kosgoro fishermen’s group has made coordinated with the
Buleleng Forestry and Plantation Agency related to the mechanism of timber log distribution. Before being stored or processed at CV Wahyu Karya a special license is required. Allegedly they do not hold a license, therefor the government has been asked to look into the matter. Headman of Celukan Bawang was eventually reported with the allegation of having granted a license to the harbormaster and CV Wahyu Karya for using their timber loading mechanism on Brongbong Beach. “I allege that there is a conspiracy between the authorities and the entrepreneur that is harming fishermen. Fishermen are unable to develop seaweed farms due to the loading and unloading activities. We suspect the headman of Celukan Bawang is involved in this,” he said. The Bakti Kosgoro fishermen group head, Baidi Suparlan, asserted that as a consequence of the barge loading and unloading timber, bark and leaves and other debris end up in the ocean and cause fishermen to suffer losses. “When we cast our nets, we do not catch fish, but instead get timber bark. The timber refuse eventually sinks to the sea floor, and our nets get torn by this debris. We ask that the timber log loading and unloading not take place in this location and instead return to its originally location at Celukan Bawang harbor,” he said. (kmb34)
According to Suratmika if one is bitten by a stray dog and does not receive the anti-rabbies vaccine, it is almost guaranteed that the victim has rabies. The amount of time it takes for symptoms to manifest depends to a great extent on where one has been bitten and how many times. Bites occurring near the head or parts of the body that have a lot of nerves of symptom to appear highly depends on the location and the number of injuries. For example if one has been bitten near the head, or on parts of the body with a lot of nerve endings, or if one has been bitten many times, the infection will occur more quickly. The seven year old who was bitten in 2009, had wounds on his face, the back of his head and buttocks. Other children who had been bitten on their fingertips, showed symptoms 1. 5
months after being bitten, whereas those with bites on the arms and buttocks showed symptoms after 4 months. Suratmika said that after witnessing this deaths, the importance of anti-rabbies vaccines and wound care for victims of rabies positive dogs, became very clear to him. “When bite victims have access to the vaccine, they can avoid contracting the deadly virus” he said. The success rate of the vaccine in preventing rabies can be seen from the absence of further casualties in Tabanan after the vaccine started being administered. “Between 2009 and 2010, when rabies dog bite victims did not get vaccinated, they all died, whereas after the vaccine started being administered to bite victims, there have been no rabies related deaths,”
said Suratmika. Although it has been six years since the first rabies victim appeared, in Tabanan, there are still dog bite cases in Tabanan. In 2014, a total of 6,318 cases were recorded with an average of 550 bites per month. “In 2015, the number of bite cases remains high, with an average of 20 people bitten per day,” he explained. The current problem is that the vaccine supply is running thin due to the matter of purchasing. The Tabanan Health Agency is coping with the shortage by being more selective about anti-rabies vaccine administration. “Cases are sorted. If the dog bite occurred due to provocation or if the patient has previously received the vaccine , then only wound care is provided,” said Suratmika. (kmb24)
A man hold his dog while it got anti-rabies vaccine shot. The first reported case of rabies in Tabanan occurred in 2009 and within just one year 18 people -both children and adults, had died from the virus.
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Bali News
Thursday, April 23, 2015
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
International
Prevent students from writing graffiti, Police hold expression movement BANGLI - To anticipate the graffiti action on uniform undertaken by high school and vocational school students after the announcement of national exam in the middle of May, Bangli Police in cooperation with the Education Agency held the Student Expression Movement at Captain Mudita Square Bangli, Tuesday (Apr. 21). Other than collecting used school uniform, Bangli Police also provide a space for students to express their joy through signature on a sheet of white cloth provided. The student expression movement was attended by hundreds of student representatives from high schools and vocational schools in Bangli commenced with a joint assembly. Participating students were invited to read the pledge of public security and order. The event was attended by the Regent of Bangli Made Gianyar, Commander of the Bangli/1626 Military District Agus Wahyudi Iriyanto and a number of officers of the Bangli Police. The Japanese cave located in Klungkung
IBP/File
Semarapura Festival around the corner, ‘Japanese cave’ still dirty
SEMARAPURA - Although the preparation of the Semarapura Festival 2015 are underway, a number of locations in the area have yet to receive due attention. The so-called “Japanese cave” in Koripan hamlet, Banjarangkan village that will be featured as a tourist attraction in the Semarapura Festival tour , for instance, remains in a deplorable condition. Other than for lack of appropriate decorations, the grass in wildly overgrown as Regent of Klungkung, I Nyoman Suwirta said exasperatedly. “The Japanese cave is very dirty and the grounds are grossly unkempt” explained Regent of Klungkung, Suwirta. The Japanese cave will be part of the Semarapura Festival tour on Monday (Apr. 27) and such poor conditions are still to be found in a number of other areas as well, including a section of road sections at Sampalan, Gunaksa. To immediately remove the weeds from a number of road sections, the regent is calling on the entire staff of Klungkung County to perform a cleanup, on Friday (Apr. 24) so that the entire region of Klungkung, especially the centre of activities will be clean and comfortable for the opening of the Semarapura Festival, on Saturday (Apr. 25). “We’ll assign staff divided into groups to be placed at certain points along the road where grass must be uprooted” he added. Responding to the poor condition of a number of road sections, the Acting Head of the Klungkung Sanitation and Landscaping Agency (DKP), Wayan Sumarta, revealed
that every day there have been officers sweeping the roads of Klungkung, especially the road in front of the Japanese cave. However, the janitors are not assigned to pull out wild grass growing along the roads, so that in fact, many roads are overgrown by weeds. To overcome this unsightly problem, Sumarta is asking the local community to participate in maintaining the environment, by -amongst other things, pulling out weeds. The Agency will always help to transport the waste that people collect. If the task of pulling out the weeds is assigned to janitors, Wayan Sumarta says that he would have to calculate the cost of such a request, as well as the number of janitors needed to perform the additional task. “So far we have not considered that option, but if it is required, we will calculate cost of hiring the additional janitors” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Apr. 21). (dwa)
Chief of Bangli Police, Suswanto, when met on the sidelines of the activity, said that such an event has been carried out for the second time. Similar activity was organized in 2014. “We want to continue this kind of positive activity. At the same time, it also serves as a form of mental revolution inviting general public as a pioneer of social activities,” he said. With such an event, Suswanto hoped that the students will not celebrate their graduation excessively, let alone write graffiti on their school uniform. According to Suswanto, it will be very nice if the used school uniforms can be donated to other students who are more in need. Through this expression, younger generation is also expected to fortify themselves from negative things. “In the expression ahead of the graduation, the students also expressed a pledge. One of which is to maintain the reputation and not breaking the law and norms,” he said. (kmb40)
Cemcem herbal drink makers face ingredient shortage
BANGLI - Ahead of dry season, the makers of cemcem (wild mango) herbal drink at Penglipuran traditional village begin to feel anxious. They estimate that in August and September will be difficult to find cemcem leaves. Definitely, it is feared to have an impact on the decline in production. One of the makers of cemcem herbal drink, Nengah Budianti, said on Tuesday that currently her business is growing rapidly. However, this does not take place any time. She described that around August and September coinciding with dry season, a lot of cemcem leaves are falling. “Around August or September, the cemcem leaves will fall, so that we will be difficult to find the ingredients,” she explained. She also disclosed that to meet the needs all this time Budianti only gets cemcem leaves from Bangli County, such as Demulih village (Susut subdistrict), Kubu, Pengotan and Bunutin village (Bangli subdistrict). In one day, she spends eight baskets of cemcem leaves to produce 500 bottles of cemcem herbal drink. “For the ingredients, we just get from Bangli area,” she said. Other than being hampered by cemcem leaves, Budianti also admitted that she must buy bottle to Tabanan in order to get a cheaper price, namely at IDR 70,000 per 100 pieces. It is much cheaper than in Bangli reaching IDR 90,000 per 100 pieces. “I must buy the bottle to Tabanan for a cheaper one, while in Bangli it is
more expensive,” she said. Budianti admitted to find no other obstacle. The woman pursuing the cemcem herbal drink business for ten years was previously constrained by the matter of marketing. He said that her homemade herbal drink was often not able to penetrate market. Not infrequently, she was unable to sell out the products. “I have to introduce this cemcem herbal drink product to the market for two years. Now, the marketing is smooth,” he said. On the other hand, she told that in line with the tourism development at Penglipuran village and high public interest in this traditional drink, it is no longer becoming a side business, but becoming the main business. Previously, Budianti was more focused on opening a small shop business, but today she is more focused on the business having been inherited through generations. “I give more focuses on getting involved in this business. The results are promising,” she said. A medium-sized bottle of her herbal drink is usually sold for IDR 5,000. To indicate the identity of her product and avoid any claims from other makers, Budianti also complements her cemcem herbal drink bottle with a label containing the name of her business. For marketing, currently she has owned regular customers that come to the place of production. The remaining ones are taken by local residents. “Customers come from some areas in Klungkung, Denpasar and Gianyar,” she concluded. (kmb45)
13
Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban said Wednesday their spring offensive in Afghanistan will begin this week, the first time the insurgents’ annual campaign against the Afghan government will take place without NATO troops on the battlefield.
AP Photo/Jacques Brinon
French Prime Minister Manuel Vall, center, and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, right, leaves the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, after a cabinet meeting while French President Francois Hollande looks on, Wednesday, April 21, 2015.
Paris extremist’s misfire thwarts imminent attack on church
PARIS — An Islamic extremist with an arsenal of loaded guns was only prevented from opening fire on Sunday morning churchgoers because he accidentally shot himself, French officials said. The 24-year-old computer science student, who was also suspected in the death of a young woman whose body was found on Sunday just ahead of his arrest, had been flagged as a risk last year and earlier this year but there was no specific reason to open a judicial investigation, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Wednesday. A French security official, who was not authorized to publicly release details, said the suspect — an Algerian who had lived in France for several years — was arrested in Paris Sunday after he apparently shot himself by accident and called for an ambulance. He was waiting outside for first aid when police arrived at the scene. They discovered a blood trail leading to his car, which contained loaded guns and notes about potential targets. “Documents were also found and they prove, without any ambiguity, that the individual was preparing an imminent attack, in all probability, against one or two
churches,” Cazeneuve said. In the man’s apartment, in southeastern Paris, more weapons were found as well as Islamic extremist material, the official said. There was no immediate evidence that the suspect had direct ties to any organized groups, the official said. Aurelie Chatelain, a 32-yearold Frenchwoman visiting Paris for a training session for her work, was found shot to death on Sunday morning in her car. The security official said Chatelain appeared to have been killed at random and ballistics evidence linked her death to the suspect. “The terrorists target France to divide us” said Prime Minister Manuel Valls at a news conference Wednesday. France has been on edge since the Jan. 7-9 attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket left 20 people dead, including the three gunmen. In that case, at least two of the gunmen had been flagged to French intelligence — and the third had been recently released from prison after serving a sentence involving his ties to Islamic extremists — but surveillance was called off months before the attack.(ap)
In past years, spring and the melting of snow on the mountains along the border with Pakistan marked a significant upsurge in the fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces along with their local allies. This fighting season, the insurgents will face just Afghan forces after the withdrawal of most international combat troops at the end of last year. A Taliban statement, which was emailed to media, said the offensive — dubbed “Azm” or perseverance in Dari and Arabic — will begin on Friday. It added that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the Taliban call themselves, is “determined to prolong the ongoing jihad,” or holy war. The statement also said that under U.S. leadership, the “crusaders” will maintain “control of our land and space” through security agreements with the Afghan government. The agreements allow NATO and the U.S. to keep a limited number of noncombat troops in Afghanistan to train and assist Afghan forces in their fight against the insurgency. “For the complete liberation of our beloved homeland from the yoke of foreign occupation and for the implementation of Islamic rule throughout the country, the Islamic Emirate is determined to prolong the ongoing jihad against the foreign invaders as well as their internal stooges,” the Taliban said.
In recent weeks, attacks in the north and east of the country have intensified in the build-up to the warm weather fighting season. The insurgents can be expected to fight until snow falls on the Hindu Kush, when the militants return to the mountains. Fighting even stops in many places for meals and prayers. But after more than a decade of war, the Taliban appear no closer to their goal of overthrowing the Kabul government. This has opened up an opportunity for what is perceived to be an affiliate of the Islamic State group, which already controls large parts of Iraq and Syria, to establish a small presence in Afghanistan. The development has alarmed many Afghans, including influential warlord Ismail Khan, former governor of western Herat province, who called on President Ashraf Ghani to improve security and kickstart a moribund economy to avoid a war with an IS offshoot. Afghan forces have been fighting local Taliban in southern Helmand province for more than two months now, hoping to dislodge them from one of their bastions ahead of the spring offensive. Fighting has been fierce as the insurgents seek to protect supply lines for men, guns and drugs that provide a major source of their funding. Helmand’s opium crop
accounts for most of the world’s heroin supply. Despite the nascent IS presence, the Taliban also appear to be spreading their own influence to areas where they have not had a significant presence in the past. In northern Samangan province, police said that a firefight broke out late on Tuesday when they surrounded a house where Taliban fighters were holding a meeting. Sediq Azizi, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Afghan security forces killed a Taliban commander identified as Mullah Bashir along with four other insurgents. One policeman was killed, he said, and another two were wounded. Bashir’s mother was also wounded, he said. In eastern Nagharhar province, where the Taliban have long been active, Ahamd Zia Abdulazai, spokesman for the provincial governor, said that a prosecutor and his driver were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Behsud district. On Tuesday, a bomb blast near a police station in the southern city of Kandahar killed three people and wounded 17, while a separate bomb killed one person and wounded five in the north, in Kunduz province. Kandahar province is the heartland of the Taliban insurgency — and the city was the capital of the extremists’ government from 1996-2001. (ap)
AP Photo
Afghan security forces work at the site of a bombing in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Afghan officials say an explosion near a police station has killed several people and wounded over a dozen. Authorities initially believed a car bomb caused the explosion, but later said they were unsure what happened.
14
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Health
International
Another study finds no link between vaccine, autism
MIAMI - Yet another scientific study has found no link between autism and the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), even among high risk children, according to US research published Tuesday.
The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) are based on a study of about 95,000 youths. All those in the study had older siblings. Some of the elder children had autism and some did not. Since autism can run in families, researchers decided to look at whether vaccines could make autism even more likely in children who had siblings with autism. They found that vaccines had no effect on autism risk, whether or not a sibling in the family was diagnosed. “Consistent with studies in other populations, we observed no association between MMR vaccination and increased ASD risk among privately insured children,” said the study, led by Anjali Jain, a doctor in Falls Church, Virginia. “We also found no evidence that receipt of either one or two doses of MMR vaccination was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children who had older siblings with ASD.” Autism is on the rise, and affects as many as one in 68 children in the United States, but its causes remain poorly understood. Fears about vaccines and autism began to spread after the publication in 1998 of an article by Andrew Wakefield that purported to find a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in 12 children. It was later found to be fraudulent and was retracted by the journal that
published it. Britain has also stripped the author, Andrew Wakefield, of his medical license. But concerns over vaccine safety, particularly in the Internet age, have proven difficult to quell. “Although a substantial body of research over the last 15 years has found no link between the MMR vaccine and ASD, parents and others continue to associate the vaccine with ASD,” said the JAMA study.
“Surveys of parents who have children with ASD suggest that many believe the MMR vaccine was a contributing cause.” Children who have an older sibling with autism are less likely to get vaccinated, the study found. The MMR vaccination rate for the children with unaffected siblings was 92 percent by age five. In contrast, the MMR vaccination rates for children with older
siblings with ASD was 86 percent by age five. An accompanying editorial by Bryan King, a doctor at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, said the data is clear. “The only conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that there is no signal to suggest a relationship between MMR and the development of autism in children with or without a sibling who has autism,”
King wrote. “Taken together, some dozen studies have now shown that the age of onset of ASD does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, the severity or course of ASD does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, and now the risk of ASD recurrence in families does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.” (afp)
PARIS - A form of mental training which helps people recognise the onset of depression, and control it, works as well as anti-depressants in preventing relapse, researchers said Monday. Dubbed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the method may offer a welcome alternative for people wishing to avoid long-term use of anti-depressants, which can have unpleasant side effects like insomnia, constipation and sexual problems, said a study in The Lancet medical journal. In a two-year trial with 424 depression sufferers in England,
researchers found that MBCT users faced a “similar” risk of relapse to those on anti-depressants. The method was not more effective than drugs, as many had hoped, but the findings nevertheless suggested “a new choice for the millions of people with recurrent depression on repeat prescriptions,” said study leader Willem Kuyken, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford. Depression is often a recurring disorder, and people with a history of the ailment are frequently placed on a long-term course, typically about two years, of anti-
depressants. Previous research had shown that anti-depressants can reduce the risk of relapse by up to two-thirds when taken correctly, but dosage adherence is hugely variable. Without treatment, as many as four out of five people relapse at some point, Kuyken said in a statement. The side effects, however, have fuelled interest in alternative methods like MBCT. It entails training depression sufferers to accept that negative feelings and thoughts are likely to recur, to recognise them when they
do, and deal with them effectively rather than trigger a depressive spiral by dwelling on the gloomy. The new study claims to be the first-ever, large-scale comparison between the efficacy of MBCT and anti-depressants. The trial volunteers were randomly divided into two groups. Half continued taking their medication while the rest phased out the drugs in favour of MBCT. The training involved eight group sessions of two hours and 15 minutes each, with daily home practice. Participants were given the option of four follow-up sessions
over the following 12 months. All 424 volunteers were assessed for a period of two years with a diagnostic tool called the “structured clinical interview”, which measures mental state. The MBCT group had a 44percent relapse rate, the researchers found, compared to 47 percent in the group taking anti-depressants. “As a group intervention, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was relatively low cost compared to therapies provided on an individual basis,” study co-author Sarah Byford from King’s College London said. (afp)
AP Photo/Aaron Favila
In this April 7, 2015, photo, Jose Antonio Canoy arrives at the Puzzle Cafe, which his family co-owns, in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines. Yet another scientific study has found no link between autism and the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), even among high risk children, according to US research published Tuesday.
Mind training as effective as anti-depressants
Bali News
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Illegal backfilling on Melasti Beach
3
MANGUPURA - A rearrangement project on Melasti Beach in Ungasan village, South Kuta, is approaching completion. It is estimated that the area will be operative by the middle of next year. But apparently, the project including backfilling about 100 meters from the shoreline intended as a berm area, has been done without permission from the central government. Headman of Ungasan, village Wayan Sugita Putra, confirmed that this was in fact the case and explained that the coastal rearrangement project is intended to be as a tourist attraction, while the beach backfilling will be used as a venue to organize local community rituals. “Due to the urgent needs of the customary village, we have not applied for a license yet. The construction project spreads along 80 meters extending over the sea. It will be used for sweeping sekah during cremation ceremonies and for offering animal sacrifices or mendem pakelem. Without the new platform, we are forced to hire a boat or ask for help from National SAR Agency,” he said. Sugita went on to say that attempts had been made to follow the legal process of applying for permission from relevant authorities within the central government, but they went ahead with the project before receiving a response. “Because it is being built for good of the customary village, I think the permit application will be discussed with the central government,” he said. In addition to the ritual needs of the local community, the beach
backfilling can also be used as a mooring point for small boats carrying tourist. However, if the central government does permit this usage, it will be only function as a platform for customary ceremonies. “If mooring is not granted permission, we will only use it for ceremonies and put up barriers so that no one can enter the area when there is no ceremony,” he explained. Sugita said that the costal arrangement project which is independently funded is already underway. If possible, the development of this tourism supporting facilities will be equipped with a stage for Kecak Dance performances, a gazebo and other tourism supporting facilities. “It will be managed by the customary village. We expect that before June 2016 it can be officially opened. Indeed, there have already been visitors but the area is not being managed like Pandawa Beach which sells tickets to visitors,” he said. The arrangement of Melasti Beach which so far has cost IDR 8 billion is being funded by the rural community themselves. “We
IBP/Yudi Karnaedi
A rearrangement project on Melasti Beach in Ungasan village, South Kuta, is approaching completion. It is estimated that the area will be operative by the middle of next year. But apparently, the project including backfilling about 100 meters from the shoreline intended as a berm area, has been done without permission from the central government. estimate that the whole project will cost approximately IDR 20 billion,” he said. Head of the Badung Human Settlements (DCK), Ni Putu Dessy Darmayanti, when contacted said that she not aware of the project
taking place on the beach that is often used by the Hindu community to perform melasti rituals. “We have not been notified about the backfilling of Melasti Beach. Let me look into it,” she said briefly. Head of the Badung Livestock,
Bali hopes to receive 30 million tourists in 2029
DENPASAR - The administration of Bali province has set a target of 30 million tourists arrivals for 2029, Governor of Bali Made Mangku Pastika said. “We have set a target to receive 30 million tourists in 2029. As compared to Singapore, whose land area is only one seventh of Bali island, the city state can attract 37 million tourists every year,” the governor noted. According to him, Bali will be able to achieve the target by constructing supporting infrastructures and developing new tourism destinations. Pastika added that the high target does not mean that tourism offered by Bali is mass tourism as administrations will be selecting tourists and deciding who will be allowed to come to the island so that the environment here can be maintained. “If the environment is good, we can be a green and organic province that attracts classy communities,” he stated. The governor affirmed that the administration will not promote Bali in a cheap way and will project the island as a luxurious tourism destination. “To make Bali a classy tourism destination, we have to make it healthy, beautiful, and green,” Pastika noted, adding that the tourism sector in Bali has been directed to be environmentally friendly. IBP/Wawan The administration of Bali province is targeting four million tourist visits in 2015. The average A tourists took picture during a ritual ceremony that held in Sanur Beach. The number of tourist arrivals in Bali in recent years administration of Bali province has set a target of 30 million tourists arrivals for had been over three million. (ant) 2029.
Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, I Made Badra, also stated that his party never issued any permits for this project, nor have they received a permit application. “We have not received any proposal and never issued a permit,” he said. (kmb27)
2
International
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Bali News
International
Bali ‘invaded’ by drugs from all corners
DENPASAR - The widespread circulation of narcotics in Bali has the Chief of Bali Police, Ronny Sompie, worried that the younger generation will become damaged. The distribution of illicit drugs comes from all directions, arriving by land, sea and air. Therefore, Sompie has ordered his staff to act decisively in enforcing the laws pertaining to drug traffickers. “We continually strive to help the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) and the BNNP of Bali, and the Municipality of Denpasar by inviting people to realize that drugs can harm the health and the future of the younger generation of human resources,” said Ronny during the implementation of Operation Sympathetic in front of the Bali Police Headquarters, on Tuesday (Apr. 21). There must be a decisive effort made by law enforcement stop drug traffickers, who are responsible
for the rampant proliferation of substances that bring them finical gain while disrupting the human resource potential of Indonesia and the future of young people in general. “Bali is a tourist destination and has become the backbone of Indonesia’s tourism industry. Other than being strategically positioned geographically, Bali is also easily accessible to people who can arrive to the island by air, sea or over bridges,” said the former Spokesperson of the National Police Headquarters.
The drug prevention program is being conducted by the Bali Police in cooperation with the BNNP Bali, communities and customary villages in order to break the links of the transportation chain. For air travel, Police are cooperating with the authority, competence and work space (at the airport), of the Customs and Excise Office because they are on the front lines of prevention. Moreover, this cooperation is supported by advanced devices that can detect drugs entering the airport (and harbors).
The harbours of Banyuwangi and Lombok are also prone to allowing the infiltration of such illicit items into Bali. Ronny admitted that police cannot work independently to overcome the problem, the support of all sectors is required, including the general public. “Give us information. The Bali Police have nine county police stations and the spearheads of this program are in the subdistrict police stations, so they can accommodate a lot of information.. Prevention must be done early on, law enforcement is the final effort when prevention has not worked” he said. Law enforcement continues to be carried out by the Denpasar Police Traffic Affairs. On April 1-17,
the Chief of Narcotic Unit, Gede Ganefo, said that his party arrested 18 suspects and confiscated 301.14 grams crystal meth, 983 grams of ecstasy, 1.93 grams of marijuana and 1,360 double L pills. The total evidence is worth approximately IDR 1 billion. Recently a 30 year old drug dealer with the initial Wt, was arrested and although she wanted to bring her 6 month old baby to the Denpasar Police Station, her request was denied in consideration of the baby’s health. Wt was captured on Jalan Cargo Permata, Denpasar, where evidence consisting of 27 packages weighing 39.10 grams, were found on Friday (Apr. 17). (kmb36)
Premium quota reduced, people directed to use Pertamax TABANAN - Pertamina plans to launch a new type of fuel product with under the brand -name Pertalite and will remove the current Premium fuel as early as May 2015. The quota of Premium fuel allotted to each gas station will be reduced from the normal quota, as some fear that people will over-react to this scarcity. One gas station operator in Sanggulan, I.B. Raka Wiryanata, revealed on Tuesday (Apr. 21) that the current Premium is still available. However, sales have begun to be restricted in accordance with the circular sent by Pertamina whereby gas stations are required to empty their tank up to 75 percent of what was previously used to store Premium fuel. “Right now, we only have 25 percent of our usual Premium stocks, so the market demand for this type of fuel will not be served as usual,” he said. Raka explained that the emptying of fuel tanks was required as of Monday (Apr. 13) in preparation for the introduction of Pertalite fuel at the beginning of next month. Pertamina has however increased the allocation of Pertamax to gas stations, so that if there is not enough Premium fuel, people are invited to buy Pertamax and as of May -Permalite. According to Raka, the gas station he manages previously
The people using motorcycle are buying Pertamax in the petrol station had a quota of two tanks of Premium or about 30,000 liters from Pertamina and one tank of Pertamax. Now, two tanks of Pertamax and one tank of Pre-
mium are allowed. The initial information received by Raka was simply that he had to empty the tank. Meanwhile, there is no clarity
about the price of Pertalite. As a gas station operator, he welcomes the launch of Pertalite, which apparently should rovide a better profit margin for gas
IBP/San
stain operators. Currently, the profits obtained by gas station operator selling Premium is still around IDR 200 per liter. (kmb24)
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
Kids Club facilities in the heart of Seminyak
SEMINYAK - Courtyard by Marriott Bali Seminyak offers a destination for families seeking the ultimate holiday experience right in the heart of Seminyak, from its Kids Club facilities to a delicious Kids menu. The 287-room hotel provides an extensive Kids Club for kids from 4 to 12 years old to roam around and explore while parents are out and about – with facilities such as comfy Playstation pods, ball pit, to all sorts of arts & crafts. On top of that, the Kids Club also offers a range of daily activities for the little ones from the classic face painting and Balinese dress ups to kids’ yoga and watermelon crush games. For those younger than 4 years old and want to join in the fun, a guardian must be present or the Kids Club’s babysitting services will assist on an additional charge. All guests with kids will receive two hour complimentary access to all Kids Club facilities and activities. After a day of playing around, kids can hop on up to Seminyak Kitchen and enjoy the restaurant’s delicious kids menu with items such as Yummy Burger, Grilled Cheese on Toast, and the classic Mac and Cheese. For those seeking a fun filled family vacation, book the resort’s Experience Kids Club Package inclusive of a stay at the Deluxe Room, daily breakfast for two adults and two children at Seminyak Kitchen, complimentary one time 60 minute Balinese Massage for two adults at Zanti The Retreat, and unlimited access to Kids Club and all its activities.
Activities
Thursday, April 23, 2015
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IBP/Courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott
Balinese Temple Ceremony Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc. The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion. The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines. In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.
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Thursday, April 23, 2015
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller, Sophie Marceau on Cannes jury
Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
Scarlett Johansson waves to fans upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘The Avengers Age of Ultron’ in London, Tuesday, 21 April, 2015.
‘The Avengers’ set for blockbuster return
PARIS - Filmstars Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller and Sophie Marceau, as well as cult director Guillermo del Toro are among the members of this year’s Cannes film festival jury, organisers announced Tuesday. Other members of the jury for the May festival, which is being presided over by the Coen brothers, are Canadian director Xavier Dolan, Spanish actress Rossy de Palma and Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore. The jury will choose the winners in a range of acting and film-making categories, including the top prize, the Palme D’Or, presented at the closing ceremony on May 24. Dolan is by far the youngest member of the jury at just 26. His debut film “I Killed My Mother” appeared at Cannes when he was only 20, and his second feature “Mommy” won the third-place Jury Prize last year. The paparazzi will be particularly excited by the presence of Miller, who spent years being hounded by tabloids before finally getting a chance to prove her acting skills in recent hits “Foxcatcher” and “American Sniper”. The jury will be picking from a crop of entries that include American film “The Sea of Trees” starring Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts.
Also in the running is “Sicario” starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, about a CIA operation to bring down a Mexican cartel. That entry may pose a quandary for Gyllenhaal, who is close to “Sicario” director Denis Villeneuve after appearing in his last two features. Cate Blanchett heads up another entrant, “Carol”, a lesbian love story set in New York, while Rachel Weisz will be in two movies: the Italian-directed “Youth” also featuring Michael Caine and Jane Fonda, and Greece’s “The Lobster” with Colin Farrel. Other movies chosen included several Asian picks -- “The Assassin” from Taiwan, “Umimachi Diary” from Japan, “Mountains May Depart” from China, and an Australian version of “Macbeth” starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Also on the jury is Rossy de Palma, an acting muse for Spanish directing legend Pedro Almodovar, while French actress Marceau has mixed popular favourites with arthouse classics, and is probably best-known outside France for her roles in Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” and the James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough”. The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 13 to 24. (afp)
LOS ANGELES - Three years after saving the Earth -- and breaking a few box office records -- “The Avengers” are back with a power-packed punch this week with their latest blockbuster adventure. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye take on a new baddie who wants to wipe out Humanity, in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” out from Tuesday in much of the world. Returning director Joss Whedon pits the superhero gang against their own shortcomings as they take on their ultimate enemy -- but also plays with the chemistry that developed between them in their first run-out. The original 2012 “The Avengers” became the third-highest grossing movie in cinema history, taking over $1.5 billion at the box office, only beaten by “Avatar” (2009) and “Titanic” (1997). The pressure on Whedon was therefore enormous -- but the 50-year-old said he drew the most inspiration from amidst the first film’s very success, and from the interplay between the main characters. He looked for “what little moments are there between these characters that I haven’t gotten to do yet, what conversations they haven’t had yet,
what haven’t I shown?” Whedon told reporters in Los Angeles. Relationships are indeed richer between Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). There is also more humor to temper filmgoers’ pure adrenalin rush. The main thing was “to make sure that everybody had their moment, that it’s all connected to the movie, to the main thing,” said the filmmaker, who spent hundreds of hours editing the movie. The result is two hours of turbo-driven action, superhero fist-fights and technology at the service of a story full of surprises, which US critics have already hailed as a huge hit. Industry journal Variety called it a “supersized spandex soap opera that’s heavy on catastrophic action but surprisingly light on its feet, and rich in the human-scale emotion that can cut even a raging Hulk down to size.” (afp)
Jake Gyllenhaal
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File
WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps
e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Back? I was never away, says Barca’s Iniesta
Hong Kong faces resistance with Beijing-backed election plan Page 6
Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan
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Honeymoon over for Indonesian leader as U-turns erode authority
DENPASAR - When Indonesian President Joko Widodo wanted to push this year’s budget through the opposition-dominated parliament, he left it to his advisers to hash out a deal with lawmakers. Among the sweeteners his aides offered parliament members was to roughly double their allowance for down payments on new cars to $15,000. The plan backfired. Amid public fury over the concession in a country where graft is pervasive, the aides scrambled to reverse it, one of several policy flip-flops that have eroded support for Widodo since he took office six months ago. His meteoric rise from furniture businessman to president of the world’s third-largest democracy, and the first to come from outside the political or military establishment, was widely seen as a watershed moment for Indonesia. Here was a leader, his supporters said, who would root out corruption, promote people based on merit rather than connections and create an environment where the stalling economy could reignite and investment flourish. But in interviews with Reuters, government officials and palace insiders portrayed the president as sometimes out of his depth and struggling to get around entrenched vested interests. Mis-steps like the car allowance decree have hurt Widodo’s reputation and cost him time. His strained relationship with the powerful head of his political party, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, further complicates his job. “The ‘realpolitik’ situation is taking energy away from the real work; the economic programme, the roads and ports that need to be built,” Eko Sulistyo, a member of the presidential office, told Reuters. “(His) concentration and focus can be fragmented and broken because of the politics (around him),” he added. “That affects the ministers’ and government’s performance.” But Sulistyo, like others interviewed, believes Widodo can run the government successfully and still enjoys the support of Indonesians. One of the president’s main prob-
lems is structural. He does not have a parliamentary majority allowing him to push through all the reforms he would like to. Despite that, he has delivered on some of his promises that investors say are key to setting Indonesia on the path to sustainable economic growth, including slashing fuel subsidies and revamping the budget to boost infrastructure spending. “It’s only been six months, and to significantly improve the state of the country, it will take time,” said a minister and presidential adviser who asked to remain
anonymous. “I believe we’re on the right path. There is a lot of interference from different angles ... Because of that, people don’t see the good things that are happening.” There have been setbacks, however. Widodo conceded that he had not read the decree on car allowances before signing it, drawing widespread scorn on social media and in newspapers, which drew up lists of other U-turns. They included
reversing a visa waiver for citizens of 30 countries, dropping a ban on government bodies using hotels for meetings and backtracking on a requirement for foreigners working in the country to pass Indonesian language tests. Police Trouble
Widodo has also been weakened in the eyes of his people by the domineering Megawati, leader of Widodo’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and his political patron. At a recent party congress on the island of Bali, the president sat hunched in a front-row seat while Megawati harangued members to follow party directions,
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saying that this included the president himself. Widodo left the three-day convention after only a few hours and without having delivered a prepared speech of his own. Relations between the two were strained earlier this year over who should be made national police chief, party insiders said. Widodo waited for weeks before bowing to pressure and ditching candidate Budi Gunawan, who is close to Megawati, after he had been implicated in a bribery scandal. Gunawan maintained his innocence, and the case against him was eventually dropped by the anti-graft agency, but not before a public outcry over Widodo’s wavering. “These days they (Widodo and Megawati) talk less frequently. There is definitely a problem with communication between PDI-P and Jokowi,” said PDI-P official Andreas Pareira, using Widodo’s popular local nickname. Megawati declined to comment for this article. For some foreign investors, Widodo’s floundering threatens to dampen sentiment at a time when the economy is growing at its slowest pace in five years and needs a kickstart from investment in infrastructure and manufacturing. “Six months in we’re still facing a big question mark about whether Jokowi is really in the driver’s seat,” said Jakob Sorensen, head of the European Business Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta. In a rare speech in English, Widodo told a business forum this week: “Please come and invest in Indonesia. Because where we see challenges, I see opportunity. And if you have any problem, call me.” (rtr) 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.