I N T E R N A T I O N A L
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
16 Pages Number 110 7th year
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Monday, May 25, 2015
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Marion Cotillard is queen of red carpet at Cannes’ ‘Macbeth’
Ethiopians vote in 1st election without former strongman Page 6
CANNES — Marion Cotillard plays a queen in Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth,” but at its Cannes premiere she was also a bejeweled queen of the red carpet. In a blue-and-rose truncated minidress from Dior’s haute couture springsummer 2015 collection, Cotillard sparkled Saturday as she posed alongside co-star Michael Fassbender, thanks to the outfit’s myriad embroidered pailettes
and jewels. The Oscar-winner, who’s known for her fashion-forward style, bucked the trend for classical va-va-voom and voluminous dresses that have been popular during this year’s Cannes Film
Festival. Although the look showed off the 39-year-old’s enviable legs, she might have benefited from a scarf, as the overcast Cannes sky caused a rather chilly spell. (ap)
Judge allowing new lawsuit in Sofia Vergara embryo fight
Sofia Vergara
Victoria Will/Invision/AP
SANTA MONICA — Sofia Vergara’s ex-fiance will be allowed to file an amended lawsuit seeking custody of two embryos he created with the “Modern Family” star, a judge ruled Friday. Superior Court Judge Lawrence Cho ruled that Nicholas Loeb can file the revised complaint, which for the first time will seek custody of the embryos. Loeb, who dated Vergara for several years before breaking up last year, sued the actress in August seeking a ruling that the embryos could not be destroyed. Vergara’s attorney opposed allowing the amended lawsuit, arguing during a hearing that Loeb has failed to state a viable legal claim to the embryos. Attorney Fred Silberberg noted that Loeb signed an agreement that both parties needed to consent to what happened to the embryos.
He accused Loeb, who wrote about the dispute over the embryos in the New York Times, of using the lawsuit to raise his own profile. “It is almost a sham pleading under the law,” Silberberg told Cho. Loeb’s attorney, Christina Goodrich, disputed Silberberg’s characterization and argued that the case presents a novel legal question. She said the fate of the embryos has been a very personal, private struggle for her client. “He does believe that they are his daughters,” Goodrich said. Loeb’s initial lawsuit identified him and Vergara as John and Jane Doe, but the new complaint will use their names. Vergara and Loeb broke up in May 2014. (afp)
e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Valencia grabs Spain’s last CL spot; Almeria, Eibar go down Page 8
Mass graves of suspected trafficking victims found in Malaysia Page 13
Studies to expand the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar
DENPASAR - Tourist visits to a number of attractions in the city of Denpasar have increased tions thus far. However, he claimed by approximately 62% since the launch of the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar. The Municipality that the average visitor is quite satisfied and enjoyed the attractions of Denpasar therefore plans to expand the areas included in the city tour. Head of the Denpasar Tourism Office, Wayan Gunawan, said on Friday (May 22) that the increase in tourists has been due to the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar launched last March. He pointed out that last year an average of 1,600 people visited Badung Market per month, while this year there have been between 2,100 to 3,300 people per month. “This year’s average has climbed to 2,600 tourists per month,” said Gunawan.
So far it is mostly tourists from Australia, America and Europe who join the The Heritage City Tour of Denpasar and they are particularly interested in the Badung Market, while domestic tourists, are more interested in visiting the Bali Museum. According to Gunawan, evaluations of the city tour program are currently limited to quantitative data and considering that the previous number of visitors has not been well recorded, it is hard to
get a good idea of the success rate. However such quantitative evaluations will continue to be carried out according to plan, for the next 6 months. “Obviously, in terms of numbers, there has clearly been an increase in visitors, and we expect these numbers to continue to rise. These evaluations will be used as input in the development of the next program,” he said. Gunawan admitted that there have been no formal qualitative evalua-
Heritage City Tour of Denpasar. “We have not disseminated any questionnaire yet, but many visitors have said that they enjoyed the attractions on the tour,” he said. He also said assuredly that the City Tour will continue to be improved upon. Currently the grand design of the city tour package is being worked on and the assessment team includes academics from the Nusa Dua Tourism College (STP). Some of Denpasar’s attractions, like Sanur
Beach will be included in the next program. Also they are looking into the possibility of a full trip around the entire City of Denpasar. The Denpasar Tourism Office aims to have the grand design for the Denpasar city tour package ready by the end of 2015. (kmb25) 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.
Cate Blanchett lesbian love story wins Queer Palm at Cannes
CANNES - A lesbian love story starring Cate Blanchett scooped the Queer Palm award on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The unofficial prize went to “Carol” by director Todd Haynes, which tells the story of a love affair in 1950s New York at a time when homosexuality was criminalised. Critics at the festival have swooned over the elegant movie, which is seen as a frontrunner for the top Palme d’Or prize on Sunday and is already being discussed as a possible Oscar contender.
“It is more than just a simple film -- it is a historic moment -- the first time a story of love between two women has been treated with the respect and importance that we accord to all other cinematic romances,” said Queer Palm jury president Desiree Akhavan, an American actress and director. The prize coincided with good news for gay rights activists in Ireland, where voters backed the legalisation of same-sex marriages, as well as the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in Austria after last year’s victory by transvestite singer Conchita Wurst.
The Queer Palm jury also gave a special mention to “The Lobster”, an eccentric fable about lovers who risk being turned into animals if they fail to find a partner, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. Although the film did not contain explicit gay themes, the jury said it “ridiculed absurd social norms and conventions related to sexual relations”. Akhavan said the special mention for “The Lobster” reflected the lack of overtly gay representation among this year’s official selection in Cannes.
“I had a lot of difficulty finding qualities in the selection of films this year. None seemed gay enough,” she said. She rejected criticism of the Queer Palm, including from French filmmaker Xavier Dolan who last year said he found it “disgusting” for distinguishing between gay and straight cinema. “It’s through queer cinema that I found confidence in myself and the strength to come out at a time when I was trying to understand what being gay meant and how it would influence my life,” said Akhavan. (afp)
IBP/Suryawan
Tourist visits to a number of attractions in the city of Denpasar have increased by approximately 62% since the launch of the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar.
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International
Monday, May 25, 2015
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Monday, May 25, 2015
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Balinese language lacks of enthusiasts
BANGLI - Amid the development of the modern era, some younger generations do not let their prestige go down. It is reflected in the way they speak, at least they speak Indonesian. The use of Balinese language has not become the main priority, whereas it poses one of the Balinese identities.
IBP/File
The students are playing chess. Nowadays, the younger generation of Bali often reluctant to use Balinese Language
In addition, the low interest in learning Balinese language is getting worse when the government issued new regulation related to the subject of Balinese language at school merged with the subject of the art and culture. This phenomenon has an impact on low interest of new student candidates in choosing the Balinese Language Studies at several universities in Bali. Young generation is more interested in looking for foreign language majors as considered to have a higher prestige. This phenomenon triggers the concerns in the circle of academicians. One of them is the lecturer of the Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) Denpasar, I Gede Gita Purnama. He explained that Balinese language and literature is a part of the culture remaining to exist today. Aside from serving as a local language, the Balinese language is also implemented in Hindu ceremonies. “One of the spirits owned by Balinese culture is Balinese language and literature, so that it must be maintained and developed,” he said. For the time being, he disclosed that his worries over the fate of Balinese language definitely exists, but the optimism to maintain is bigger so that he always has a passion to find a way to develop Balinese language with a technologybased method as an important step that must be taken in the middle of the growing age. He added that although the Balinese language cannot be sold like foreign languages, but mastering Balinese language is one of the
strengths for younger generation when they want to compete in the global market and it can become a cultural identity to build a competitive character. “Balinese language is the identity that can be used to compete. It is not inferior to foreign languages,” said the alumni of the Udayana University. Addressing this issue, said Gita Purnama, other than requiring the education of Balinese language at schools, the government and private sector should also make synergies in publishing textbooks in Balinese language in which the distribution must reach all levels of society. In addition, the government must also make a regional bylaw (Perda) that requires the use of Balinese language on a particular day, both at school and in institutions. In the meantime, in relation to the number of teacher of Balinese language across Bangli County, so far there have been a total of 39 people spreading throughout the subdistrict. The Head of the Bangli Education Agency, I Nyoman Suteja, said that his party could not give an answer whether the number of teachers is sufficient or not to deal with the whole school. To know it, his party will make data collection considering some time ago the government of Bangli placed a number of non-permanent teachers at some schools. “To know whether they are adequate or not, we cannot deliver it. We are now still making data collection,” he said. (sos)
Due to selfie on cliff top, a tourist falls off SEMARAPURA - Due to taking selfie photo from the top of a cliff, a foreign tourist plummeted due to founder. Local residents then did a search for the victim who is the citizen of Singapore on behalf of Mohamed Aslam Bin Sahul, 21. Unfortunately, the victim jumping into the sea could not be saved despite being rushed to a local health center. Chief of Nusa Penida Police, Gede Arianta, revealed that the accident afflicting the tourist occurred
at noon, Thursday (May 21). The victim came to Nusa Lembongan for vacation and stayed at Villa Secret Point. Before the incident, the victim was with the other group members enjoying the view around in Nusa Lembongan. While at the Sandy Bay Cliff at noon, the victim invited his friends to take selfie together. At that time, the position of the victim and his colleagues were back to the cliff. The victim on the side of the cliff suddenly foundered and plunged
into the sea on the western side of Nusa Lembongan. Hearing the incident, local residents were immediately made a search for the victim at sea. The victim could just be found in the evening and immediately rushed to health center of Nusa Penida II, but unfortunately the victim’s life could not be saved. Over the incident, Gede Arianta advised visitors to be more careful when taking photos on a cliff because there has been no safety barrier on
the cliff so that it is very hazardous when being at cliff area. “We do hope that guests and residents wishing to take pictures together must be careful,” said Arianta. Separately, on Wednesday (May 20) a worker named Supriya from Malang, East Java, died suddenly. The victim who worked to make a chair at the house of a local resident of Nusa Lembongan previously complained of pain in the chest. At that time, the victim took a rest and slept, but few minutes later the
victim suffered convulsions. The victim was rushed to the health center of Nusa Penida II by his friend Abdul Latif, Norman and Komang Widia. On arriving at the health center, he was declared to have died. Based on the results of examination by local doctor, the victim was suspected to get a heart attack. From the victim’s body was not found any indications of violence. The body of the victim has been brought to Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar. (dwa)
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Puri Santrian launch new wing
SANUR - Puri Santrian is delighted to announce that it hosted an exclusive melaspas (inaugural) ceremony recently to spiritually bless its new wing. This event was carefully timed so that the wing will be fully in operation for the beginning of the European summer holiday season. Melaspas is a Balinese Hindu ritual that must be performed for any newly built home or structure before it is considered habitable. A purification ceremony essentially brings a building to life through elaborate offerings, prayers and sacred chants by a high-caste priest. This auspicious occasion took place before the audience of invited guests, including key travel partners, local agents and representatives from neighbouring hotels. In-house guests were also in attendance providing a rare opportunity to personally experience Bali’s rich cultural heritage. Live gamelan music and a light-hearted performance by a troupe of costumed comedians provided background entertainment during the ceremony. Employees from all restaurants and resorts under the Santrian banner were also on hand to help with the proceedings and to serve refreshments. A delicious buffet lunch was later made available to all guests
in a relaxed ambience of the Beach Club restaurant. It was an extensive spread featuring the array of traditional Balinese dishes such as roasted suckling pig, grilled satays and spicy vegetable salads. The new wing at Puri Santrian features an additional 36 Premier Deluxe rooms supported by a 25-meter infinity pool and ample space to soak up the sun. Besides, there is a stylish relaxation pavilion to anticipate the needs of seasoned travellers. Located in a quiet corner of the property, the wing is three storeys high and has an elevator to ensure that all rooms are fully accessible to mature guests with mobility issues. Ida Bagus Sid-
harta Putra said that the inaugural ceremony of the building is meant to add the strength of the Santrian Group in the face of tremendous competition among hotel business in Bali. As an old hotel belonging to the local, the product improvement must be made, so that it can be more competitive. “Hopefully, after the inaugural ceremony the hotel room can be fully occupied,” he hoped. In this case, Puri Santrian remains to put forward the concept of modern Balinese because the market is travelers from Europe and Australia. “By maintaining the concept of Bali, the longing of travelers for Bali can be seen at the Puri Santrian,” he concluded. (kmb)
Balinese Temple Ceremony Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc. The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion. The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines. In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.
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Traveling
Monday, May 25, 2015
Hawaii’s Waimanalo Bay Beach Park tops Dr. Beach’s list Bay Beach Park has lifeguards on duty and the water is not very deep or treacherous, Leatherman says. “There are a lot of beaches in Hawaii that are absolutely gorgeous but not very safe,” he added. Phillip Quiton Jr., a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Kaneohe, Hawaii, was fishing with friends Warrick and Warren Kekauoha on Waimanalo Bay on Tuesday. He said he comes to the beach a lot to fish, but never to surf. “There isn’t much surf here,” he said of the relatively calm blue waters. But it’s good for fishing, he said. “Nobody else is here, I guess for whatever reason they believe there isn’t much fish.” A few minutes later one of his friends landed a bonefish. Quiton said the ease of access and rock-free sand are other factors for frequenting this particular stretch of shore. Ali Junell, of Portland Oregon, and Kristen Carmichael, of Los Angeles, were lounging on the beach near the three fishermen on Tuesday. They were told about the spot by a friend who lives and works nearby. “There’s no one here,” Junell said. “It’s pretty empty and the waves aren’t overwhelming.” “It’s nice to be at a beach with blue water that you can get in if it gets too hot,” she added.
Hamoa Beach on Maui also made this year’s list, joining beaches in Florida, Massachusetts, the Carolinas and California to round out the top 10. Hawaiian beaches have won the top beach designation 14 of the 25 years Leatherman has published the list. After Waimanalo, the other beaches on this year’s list are Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, Florida, in the No. 2 spot, followed by St. George Island State Park on the Florida Panhandle; Hamoa Beach on Maui, Hawaii; Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, South Carlolina; Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples, Florida; and East Beach in Santa Barbara, California. Up until now, any beach that won the top spot on Dr. Beach’s list was retired and became ineligible for inclusion in subsequent years. However, Dr. Beach says after 25 years of publication, next year he will clear the slate and allow any beach in the nation to once again be eligible for the contest and for the top pick. “I’m going to start all over next year,” he said. “This is the end of a 25-year, quarter century run and every beach is eligible again next year.” (ap)
DENPASAR - Plastic rice at issue lately drives the concerns over the use of plastic in food. Indeed plastic is hazardous material, let alone be used for food.
AP Photo/Caleb Jones
In this May 19, 2015 photo, the sun rises over Waimanalo Bay in Waimanalo, Hawaii
AP Photo/Caleb Jones
In this May 19, 2015 photo, Ali Junell, of Portland, Ore., left, and Kristen Carmichael, of Los Angeles, sit on the beach at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Waimanalo, Hawaii.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort via AP
This undated photo provided by the Kiawah Island Golf Resort shows sunrise as seen from Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
1. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii 2. Barefoot Beach, Bonita Springs, Florida 3. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle 4. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii 5. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina 6. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida 7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts 8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina 10. East Beach, Santa Barbara, California
Endang Widowati, the Head of the Denpasar Agency of Drug and Food Control (BBPOM), said in Denpasar that the use of plastic in food, especially hot food, is very hazardous. Indeed plastic may not be exposed to heat. She continued that plastic in hot temperatures can produces polymer particles that can get into food. She said that particular plastics
may be exposed to heat such as a gallon. For example, the temperature during the cleansing process may reach 70 degrees. “But it does not necessarily mean that it can be heated excessively,” he said, Saturday (May 23). Some kinds of colored translucent plastic commonly used to wrap sugar are safer than the other kinds. However, it is still not allowed to
wrap heated food, such as in the use of steaming food and wrap hot food like fried meatballs. Such plastic can also be used to store food in refrigerator. Endang mentioned that black ‘crackle’ plastic is more hazardous than the other types because black plastic is a plastic that has been recycled for many times. Moreover, the recycling process uses various
chemicals. Additionally, the origin of the plastic is unclear and can be from former rubbish. In addition, Endang revealed that storage of mineral water in plastic bottle must also get serious attention, let alone use PVC plastic. “Storage of mineral water may not be in hot place, for example, in a car and motorcycle. It will taste definitely different because it contains plastic particles,” he said. That is why the bottled drinking water factories may not install PVC
NEGARA - Aside from having tourism potential, Perancak Beach is also one of the favorite beaches for sea turtles to lay eggs (nest). This is what underlies some societies making turtle conservation organization that had endangered because of poaching. It should be recognized that the concept of conservation of wild and protected animals do not only require determination and commitment, but also financial support. The animal conservation groups and similar organizations must be experiencing the problems. As a result, many parties often underestimate the conservation effort. Indeed the financial constraint can be covered either by donation or independent business. One of which is by applying the concept of ecotourism by involving local community at the breeding location, for example. Bali, as the island of tourist destination, actually has a very big chance for that. Unfortunately, at some places it is even commercialized for mass tourism and ignores the concept of conservation. Precisely, the exploitation is feared to undermine the conservation effort. One of the current successful ecotourism programs is parrot conservation in the Moluccas. Tour guides escorting guests and bird researchers are local residents who were previously the crooked beaked bird hunters. Now, the surrounding communities are empowered by providing homestay for researchers. Currently, Bali remains to get international highlight in the matter of turtle because trafficking rate of this protected animal is still rampant. Despite since 2000 the number of sea turtle consumption and trafficking has decreased by 80 percent, it remains to happen so far. On that account, all the components, namely the society and government must work together to stop the trafficking. Kurma Asih turtle conservation group at Perancak village, Jembrana, Bali is one of the conservation groups
currently trying the ecotourism concept. Compared to similar conservation groups such as in Kuta, Badung or Klungkung, this group is indeed still unable to attract the attention of many travelers as it is located far from the center of tourism. Actually, Perancak is the largest turtle nest in Bali. To support this conservation, it is needed the synergy with the community. Moreover, the Jembrana coastal communities have the habit of trading turtle eggs. Turtle nest is widely found along the coast from Gilimanuk to Pekutatan. Fishermen along the coast often obtain turtle eggs and sell them. This condition draws the concern of the Kurma Asih turtle conservation group so that they are forced to give rewards in the form of money which in essence serves a stimulus for the protection of turtle eggs. “If we do not buy those eggs,
people will sell them to others because turtle egg also becomes a target,” said Ketut Tirta, one of the founders of the turtle conservation group at Perancak. With these stimulants, many fishermen from the coastal areas of Jembrana and Tabanan even give turtle eggs to the group. The ecotourism developed at Perancak village teams up with an independent and international nonprofit network or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), namely the ProFauna Indonesia. This NGO engages in wildlife protection with the Kurma Asih group of Perancak in developing conservation with a slightly different approach, namely the development of conservation and community-based ecotourism. Local communities are involved so that they get economic benefits. As a result, it can reduce or mitigate the
exploitation of turtles in this region. “All this time, the turtle egg trafficking remains to happen so that we must reduce and stop it in the future. For any reason, the trafficking of turtle eggs is not allowed as it belongs to a protected species,” said Chairman of ProFauna Indonesia, Rosek Nursahid, some time ago. The support is not in terms of financial support, but in the form of education and training such as bringing in practitioners of turtle conservation, helping promote and mentoring. Besides, it will also team up with international volunteer agencies such as those from France and Australia. “They will send volunteers to Perancak and they will definitely pay. The volunteers will pay for the cost of accommodation, consumption and so on here. Then, 100 percent of the income will go to the community
Travaasa Hana via AP
This undated photo provided by Travaasa Hana shows Hamoa Beach, in Maui, Hawaii.
IBP/Olo
Aside from having tourism potential, Perancak Beach is also one of the favorite beaches for sea turtles to lay eggs (nest). This is what underlies some societies making turtle conservation organization that had endangered because of poaching.
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pipeline in the production process, but must use stainless steel pipeline. “Bottled water must meet the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as requirement of the production,” she said. Similarly, she added that her party will come down to the field to see the production process, personnel, production facilities and the reservoir as well as test results. “If it qualifies, the permit can be issued,” she added. Unlike the refill water, its test is made each time. (kmb42)
and it is surely earmarked for the conservation of the sea turtles. Thus, there is an alternative income for the community,” added the activist from Malang, East Java. This effort is welcomed by the activists of turtle conservationists at Perancak. In the future, I Wayan Anom Astika Jaya hoped the conservation effort can be collaborative with ecotourism in improving the local economy. “At the end, such effort can provide alternative income for fishermen by establishing a homestay for researchers and volunteers coming from various countries, not only from the results of catching fish. Thus, it does not merely empower the Kurma Asih but also the community of Perancak village in general,” he explained. (olo)
Turtle conservation by applying ecotourism concept
Dr. Beach’s best beaches list for summer 2015
9. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
Monday, May 25, 2015
Plastic use in hot food, extremely hazardous
HONOLULU — As the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, Waimanalo Bay’s powdery white coral sand glows in the morning light. A few people lounge in the sand as a fisherman casts his line into the turquoise water. On Thursday, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park was named the top beach on an annual top 10 list of U.S. beaches compiled by a coastal science professor known as Dr. Beach. Professor Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University compiles the popular list of best public beaches in the United States using 50 criteria, including best sand and water quality, environmental management and amenities. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park beat out Barefoot Beach in Florida as the top pick for 2015, according to Dr. Beach. In recent years Leatherman has given extra points to beaches that have good safety records and no-smoking rules. “Cigarette butts are the number one form of litter on beaches — plastics in terms of volume but in terms of numbers it’s cigarette butts — so I’m starting to give beaches extra credit for no smoking,” Leatherman said in a telephone interview Monday. Leatherman said he has been to beaches where he counted 10 cigarette butts in a square meter, but smoking is illegal on beaches in Oahu, giving the island a boost on the list. Leatherman cited Waimanalo’s unassuming location, on a single-lane road in a rural stretch of the windward coast of Oahu, as another reason for its selection as the best of 2015. It’s located in a quiet town near an Air Force base, far away from the busy streets of Waikiki. “It’s a beach that a lot of people don’t know much about,” Leatherman said. “I think it’s one of those little gems.” He added that a lot of tourists and out-of-staters probably “miss it all together.” Leatherman, who visits all the beaches on his lists, said Waimanalo Bay Beach Park is one of the longest in Hawaii and is the longest on the island of Oahu. “If you’re into beachcombing, you’ve got plenty of beach to walk on,” he said. Clean water and sand were important factors for Leatherman in deciding this year’s best beaches. Safety and environmental management were also key components. Waimanalo
Bali News
International
International
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Monday, May 25, 2015
Bali News
International
Joged Bungbung of Buleleng still exists
SINGARAJA - Other than being known as the birthplace of the gong kebyar art, in fact Buleleng is also the birthplace of joged bungbung. As evidence, the art created as a social dance was first created at Kalopaksa village or currently known as Lokapaksa village, Seririt subdistrict. Since it was created, this art has evolved to several villages in Buleleng and other regions in Bali. Amid the glory of the joged bungbung, its image had been tarnished due to the shift in the quality of the dance looking like an erotic dance and even the art is labeled as ‘porn joged.’ The field data collected by Bali Post indicate that the early history of the creation of joged bungbung in Buleleng was begun with the dance performance by a group of farmers at Lokapaksa village, Seririt subdistrict. Amid the weariness of cultivating paddy fields, farmers spent their spare time by displaying a simple dance. It is accompanied with a set of bamboo gamelan instrument or known as tingklik. Although being modestly worked on, in fact the dancers were able to entertain the farmers at the time. From this village in West Buleleng, this joged bungbung art evolved to several villages in Buleleng. Aside from showing
a relatively rapid development, the other villages establishing joged bungbung troupes also tried to make creative innovation in terms of gamelan instrument and melody of the gamelan strains. Moreover, creation of the dance is also enriched by combining the dance movement with that of other regions such as Jaipong Dance developed outside Bali. This creation is inevitable to meet the demand from those who organize the joged art for the purposes of religious ceremonies or a specific event. Moreover, this creation is made in response to the competition against the fellow joged bungbung troupes in other
regions, so that the troupes compete to present the most creative in order to survive in accordance with the demand of the public. Amid the development and creation is made, the joged bungbung dance has experienced adversities. It occurs because the dance seems to have excessively deviated. The joged bungbung born in Buleleng is labeled by the public as ‘porn joged.’ This disastrous situation happened because a troupe inadvertently performed the joged dance at public place where the dancers performed unusual dance. Moreover, the dance led to show off erotic dance. Unfortunately, the issue on ‘porn joged’ widely spread in the media
and even in the internet. Now, the impact of the issue on ‘porn joged’ having removed the original style still exists although local government has made a recovery effort toward the image of the joged bungbung of Buleleng. As a result, it is then difficulty to look for a dancer because people do not want to be labeled as a ‘porn joged’ dancer. More seriously, the conditions have led some joged bungbung troupes to go bankrupt because they no longer have dancers. When they insist on holding out, they have trouble to get the performance order because lately people tend to look for joged bungbung troupe with sexy dance. The Head of the Buleleng Culture and Tourism Agency, Gede Suyasa, accompanied by Regional Section Head I Wayan Sujana said that despite hit by the issue on ‘porn joged’ the art born in Buleleng still survives. So far, a total of 40 troupes are still recorded. From the search
IBP/Mudiarta
Joged Bungbung of Buleleng is still exist until now
results and guidance made, indeed a half of the troupes are inactive. According to Sujana, it is triggered by the impact of the shift in the dance creations tending to be erotic joged dance widely sought after by consumers. “Quantitatively, the troupe is quite a lot and remains to exist. However, based on the data collection made that half of the troupes are no longer active. It was triggered by the issue on ‘porn joged’ that is widely sought after,” he said. Since being hit by the issue, provincial and local government have targeted the development efforts to joged bungbung troupes across Bali including in Buleleng. The guidance makes the artists realize to remain preserve the original movement style of the joged bungbung art. The troupes are expected to still refer to the original dance movement style in appropriate with the norms of ethics and decency in society. From the history of its birth, the original dance movement is just like performing bodily movement with the combination of tempting, glancing and swaging movement. “Its original dance movement is tempting so that the audience can participate in dancing or ngibing. During the coaching, this original dance movement is continued to be instilled, so that the impression of erotic dance can be eliminated,” he said. Apart from the coaching related to dance movement, the coach team also suggested the customary village to participate in advising people so that they can perform the movement of joged bungbung dance in appropriate with the norms of decency in society. In addition, the coach team also plans to incorporate a ban in the customary village from staging ‘porn joged’ art in the appendix of the customary bylaw or awig-awig of the customary village concerned. “The effort has been done and we in Buleleng with the Listibya have also taken to foster the joged troupes in order that they remain to preserve the original dance movement style. Although there is a demand, we expect the art troupes not to meet the demand for survival of the joged art,” he said. (mud)
Monday, May 25, 2015
International
52 dead in China floods, including 2 kids on overloaded bus
BEIJING — The death toll in China’s latest round of flooding has risen to at least 52, including two school children aboard a bus carrying more than twice its authorized passenger load that plunged into a pond, authorities said. At least six other people are missing in floods that have ravaged mountain districts of six provinces and autonomous regions in central and southeastern China. More than a quarter-million people have been moved to temporary shelters, and major damage has been inflicted on buildings and crops. Apart from the two schoolchildren, 42 others have died due to floods and heavy rains, including 16 in the collapse of a nine-story building in the city of Guiyang following a landslide. Eight other people were killed in the central province of Hunan when a bus skidded into a guardrail and overturned. The Guangxi regional govern-
ment said 21 other kindergarten students were sent to the hospital in the school bus accident on Friday, with three listed in serious condition. The bus was licensed to carry 11 people, but had a total of 26 on board. The driver, teachers and school administrators have been taken into custody, the government said. Overloaded buses have been involved in accidents killing scores of children in recent years as local schools are closed and consolidated into larger campuses farther away from the children’s village homes. Seasonal rains cause major flooding around China almost every year. The worst in recent history was in 1998, when 4,150 people died, most of them along the Yangtze River. The massive Three Gorges Dam has largely contained Yangtze flooding, but the problem persists in other parts of the country. (ap)
tion of the development plan of the road pedestrian considering the matter of consent. So, it will not repeat the similar case to road pedestrian in front of the Gianyar public market. Renovation of the urban park will be done gradually. According to the Head of the Gianyar Sanitation and Landscaping Agency (DKP), Wayan Kujus Parwita, the renovation is an early stage. The road pedestrian will be worked on after getting permission from the
National Road Authority, the Ministry of Public Works, he explained, Thursday (May 22). He added that the Ciung Wanara urban park of Gianyar having been a family recreation center since the beginning of May 2015 starts to be renovated and reorganized. One of the renovations will include the construction of a pool and fountain. The renovation and arrangement are expected to be completed in September 2015. According to the design plan,
other than the construction of pond and fountain, the arrangement of the urban park spreading across 2,600 square meters will also include children playground, lactation room for breastfeeding mother, representative toilets and arrangement of flower pots and plant greening. Renovation will be made without changing the existing sculptures like the Kala Rau, Garuda, Lord Indra with his chariot and goddess of the moon statue. However, the
renovation will be done for the landscape and hardscape up to the addition of a few accessories such as ponds, fountains, statues on the entrance with Dwarapala in the east or in front of the SMPN1 Gianyar junior high school. Not only that, the urban park will also be equipped with seating for visitors. “Rhythm of the fountain made will also set up. Moreover, later the fountains will be equipped with lighting,” he said. (kmb16)
REUTERS/Beawiharta
A Rohingya migrant, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, takes a bath after a haircut inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 22, 2015. Myanmar’s military commander-in-chief said some “boat people” landing in Malaysia and Indonesia this month are likely pretending to be Rohingya Muslims to receive U.N. aid and that many had fled neighbouring Bangladesh, state media reported on Friday.
Mass graves of suspected trafficking victims found in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Mass graves and suspected human-trafficking detention camps have been discovered by Malaysian police in towns and villages bordering Thailand, the country’s home minister said on Sunday. Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said officials are determining whether the graves were of human-trafficking victims, but did not say how many dead bodies were discovered.
Renovation of Ciung Wanara urban park still going on GIANYAR - Renovation project of the Ciung Wanara urban park worth IDR 3.4 billion has been started since last week. However, the reconstruction plan of the urban park and the area remains not to get a permit of road pedestrian from the National Road Authority, the Ministry of Public Works. Similarly, it also becomes a record of a member of Commission B of the Gianyar House, Ketut Karda. His party reminded in the presenta-
13
Zhou Hua/Xinhua via AP
In this Thursday, May 21, 2015 photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, residents move a motorcycle on a flooded street in Jiahui town of Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
“This is still under investigation,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Kuala Lumpur. According to media reports, the mass graves were believed to contain the bodies of hundreds of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Police discovered 30 large graves containing the remains of hundreds of people in two places in the northern state of Perlis, which borders Thailand, the Utusan Malaysia newspaper reported. The Star newspaper reported on its website that nearly 100 bodies were found in one grave on Friday. “I reckon it was a preliminary finding and eventually I think the number would be more than that,” Ahmad Zahid said when asked about reports of the number of mass graves discovered. Ahmad Zahid said the camps identified are in the areas of Klian Intan and villages near the border. “They have been there for quite some time. I suspect the camps
have been operating for at least five years,” he said. A police spokeswoman declined to comment, saying a news conference on the issue would be held on Monday. A police official who declined to be identified said police commandos and forensic experts from the capital, Kuala Lumpur, were at the site but it was unclear how many graves and bodies had been found. “Of course I believe that there are Malaysians involved,” Ahmad Zahid said, when asked about possible involvement of locals in the incident. Northern Malaysia is on a route for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingyas, who say they are fleeing persecution, and people from Bangladesh seeking work. Smugglers have also used southern Thailand, and police believe the discovery had a connection to mass graves found on the Thai side of the border this month. Twenty-six
bodies were exhumed from a grave in Thailand’s Songkhla province, over the border from Perlis, near a camp with suspected links to human trafficking. More than 3,000 migrants, most of them from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have landed on boats in Malaysia and Indonesia this month after a crackdown on trafficking in Thailand. On Sunday, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that starting next week, it would begin the repatriation of 720 Bangladeshi migrants over the next month. The cost of the repatriation would be met by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman at Indonesia’s disaster agency. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday pledged assistance and ordered the navy to rescue thousands adrift at sea. (rtr)
12
International
Monday, May 25, 2015
BUSINESS WTO to help settle US, New Zealand farm trade row with Indonesia meeting of WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body. US exports affected by Indonesia’s import licensing regimes totalled about $385 million in 2014, according to the US trade office. New Zealand said it also believed the Indonesian measures “undermine core WTO principles and are inconsistent with key obligations in the WTO agreements.” Indonesia meanwhile said it “regrets” that the United States and New Zealand had turned to the global trade body to settle the issue, insisting its policies were “fully consistent” with its WTO
obligations. It stressed it aimed to “safeguard and defend its policies/measures before the (WTO) panel.” The WTO, which polices global trade accords in an effort to ensure a level playing field for its member economies, creates a panel when parties to a dispute fail to reach an agreement during consultations. Once created, WTO’s panels of independent trade and legal experts usually take several months to render their decisions. They can authorise retaliatory trade measures if they rule in favour of a plaintiff. (afp)
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File
This Dec. 17, 2014, file photo shows the BlackBerry Classic, on display during a news conference, in New York. BlackBerry is laying off an unspecified number of workers around the world as the struggling smartphone manufacturer tries to make its device business profitable.
US government to review mystery of slow 1st quarter growth Struggling BlackBerry announces new round of layoffs
WASHINGTON — There’s something strange about the U.S. economy in the first three months of every year: It frequently grows at a much slower pace than in the other nine months. And on Friday, the government agency charged with calculating the economy’s growth rate said it would adjust its methods in an effort to resolve the problem. The changes could paint a much different picture of the economy’s recent performance. Concerns flared when the government said late last month that the economy expanded just 0.2 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter. But many economists have challenged the government’s data, and some have argued the first-quarter figure should be as high as 1.8 percent instead. At issue is a process known as “seasonal adjustment,” which is not nearly as convoluted as it sounds. Many routine patterns affect the economy, such as the layoff of temporary retail employees after
the winter holidays, or a spike in consumer spending around Easter. Seasonal adjustment attempts to factor out those patterns to get a clearer picture of how the economy is actually performing. Yet what appears to be a seasonal pattern still exists. Alec Phillips, an economist at Goldman Sachs, noticed that from 2010 through 2014, growth in the first three months of the year has averaged 0.6 percent, while it has averaged 2.9 percent in the other three quarters. And Macroeconomic Advisers, a forecasting firm, has found that the pattern goes back further: Since 1995, outside of recessions, the first quarter has grown at half the pace of the other three. Many Americans may spend less in the first quarter after ramping up their shopping over the holidays. That cutback would slow growth. But that’s exactly the type of pattern that seasonal adjustment should filter out. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco argued
that under a different method of adjustment, first-quarter growth this year would have been 1.8 percent, rather than 0.2 percent. The government seasonally adjusts components of gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy, before adding them together. The researchers argued that the final, aggregate data should also be adjusted. Other economists, including at the Federal Reserve in Washington, have concluded that the government’s figures are largely accurate. The first-quarter weakness over the years may be due to harsh winter weather and “statistical noise,” they concluded. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, which produces the figures, will have the last word. The agency says it “is working on a multi-pronged action plan to improve its estimates of gross domestic product.” It will release the results of its review July 30, when it issues second-quarter data. (ap)
Monday, May 25, 2015
ICMM accepts Palestine as new member
5
NUSA DUA - The International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) has accepted Palestine as a new member. The announcement was made during the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine held in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Friday.
GENEVA - The World Trade Organization agreed Wednesday to create a single panel of experts to study complaints from the United States and New Zealand over Indonesia’s import rules for agricultural products. Washington and Wellington have accused Indonesia of breaking international trade rules with its wide-ranging import restrictions on farm products like fruits, vegetables, beef and poultry. Among the measures Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has taken since 2012 is a ban on importations of certain cuts of beef and on chicken parts, according to Washington’s complaint. “These restrictions appear to be in breach of core WTO obligations involving trade in goods, limiting opportunities for quality US products to reach Indonesia consumers,” the US trade representative told a
Bali News
International
MONTREAL - BlackBerry is laying off an unspecified number of workers around the world as the struggling smartphone manufacturer tries to make its device business profitable. The Canadian company, based in Waterloo, Ontario, said the cuts will impact those working on the software, hardware and applications side of the business. “As the company moves into its next stage of the turnaround, our intention is to reallocate resources in ways that will best enable us to capitalize on growth opportunities while driving toward sustainable profitability across all facets of our business,” BlackBerry said in a statement to AFP on Saturday. A spokeswoman declined to provide additional information about the cuts.
The company currently employs about 7,000 people internationally. BlackBerry, which only a decade ago was a titan in the smartphone business, has been forced into a major reorganization focusing more on software and services since being overtaken in the market for mobile devices. An IDC survey showed BlackBerry managed to capture just 0.4 percent of global smartphone sales in 2014. “One of our priorities is making our device business profitable,” BlackBerry said. “At the same time, we must grow software and licensing revenues. You will see in the coming months a significant ramping up in our customer-facing activities in sales and marketing.” (afp)
“Palestinians are accepted as new members of the ICMM,” Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu stated on Friday. As the new chairman of the ICMM, Indonesia also accepted Iran as a new member of the international committee, which is based in Brussels, Belgium. Secretary General of the ICMM Major General Roger Van Hoof said that the organization has 114 member countries. However, the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine was attended by 78 countries and some 800 experts and professionals in the field of military medicine as participants. At the 41st congress, a number of subjects, namely drugs, treatment of victims of chemical weapons and natural disasters, and the development of Ebola, were discussed. The next meeting will be held in New Delhi, India, in 2017. The meeting will discuss current issues in the field of military medicine. Earlier, Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu had pointed out that world military medicine will face severe challenges in the future as some
countries witness several armed conflicts and natural disasters. “Humanitarian crises that stem from armed conflicts or natural disasters are a challenge for military medicine,” Ryacudu noted at the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine here on Friday. He remarked that the challenge was a real threat of a nation as well as a chance for the country to contribute. The ICMM is currently chaired by Indonesia. Moreover, the minister hopes that medical personnel and military doctors in the country progress. “For two years, we expect Indonesian military doctors to treat complicated diseases such as Ebola,” he said. Ebola was one of the topics of discussion at the conference. The Ebola outbreak centered in the West African region and extended to a number of other countries. Through this conference, Ryacudu hopes there is cooperation among countries to combat Ebola and other diseases. “Cooperation among countries is expected to be achieved. It can increase knowledge and help to share experiences,” he emphasized. (ant)
Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu.
IBP/File Photo
Garuda to serve direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar
IBP/Net
The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will open direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar, to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia.
BEIJING - The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will open direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar, to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia. Garuda General Manager in Guangzhou Dharmawan J Hendrata said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) already approved the plan. “The license was issued on Thursday and it would be processed further by the Indonesian Transport Ministry,” Darmawan said. He said Garuda plans to start serving the new route on July 8 to coincide with the summer holidays. He said the new route is opened on growing demand for direct flight from Guangzhou to the resort island of Bali. He said Garuda Indonesia recorded a high load factor of 82 percent in flight between Guanzhou and Indonesia in the first quarter
of 2015 up from 70 percent in the same period last year. Garuda Indonesia already served non stop flights between Beijing and Denpasar starting 13 January 2015. Currently Garuda Indonesia has served four regular routes between the two countries including Beijing-Jakarta, Shanghai-Jakarta, Guanzghou-Jakarta, and BeijingDenpasar. Data at the tourism ministry showed that around 9.4 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2014. The number is expected to rise to 1.2 million in 2015. Chinese visitors were the fourth in number totaling 1 million in 2014. Indonesia hopes to draw more Chinese tourists to reach 10 million by 2019. (ant)
6
Monday, May 25, 2015
W
RLD
Syrian helicopter crashes; activists say militants downed it BEIRUT — A Syrian military helicopter crashed Sunday at the northern air base of Kweiras, killing all its crew, state TV said, as an activist group said it was shot down by Islamic State militants. The TV report quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the helicopter crashed Sunday as a result of a technical problem while taking off. The report did not say how many crew members were on abroad at the time of the crash.
AP Photo/Mulugeata Ayene
A woman casts her vote in Ethiopia’s general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, May 24, 2015. Ethiopians voted Sunday in national and regional elections, the country’s first since the 2012 death of its longtime leader, but the ruling party is expected to maintain its iron-clad grip on power.
Ethiopians vote in 1st election without former strongman
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians started voting Sunday in national and regional elections in which the ruling party is expected to maintain its iron-clad grip on power. More than 36 million voters were registered to vote in this East African nation of about 90 million people. Some opposition groups threatened to boycott the vote, saying their members are being harassed and detained — charges the government denies. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, a former university professorturned-politician, has been leading the country since the death in 2012 of strongman Meles Zenawi, who built the ruling coalition into a powerful political organization. These are Ethiopia’s first elections since Zenawi’s death. Desalegn is expected to remain in power. In 2010, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, won 99.6 percent of all parliamentary seats. Only one opposition lawmaker won a seat in an election that watchdog groups said was marred by intimidation and the harassment of opposition activists. Human Rights Watch called that victory “the culmination of the government’s five-year strategy of systematically closing down space for political dissent and independent criticism.” Those allegations have persisted in this year’s election. The
government has denied the charges, instead accusing the opposition — and neighboring arch-foe Eritrea — of plotting to disrupt the vote. “We remain vigilant and confident that the general election will be peaceful, free and fair, notwithstanding destabilization attempts that may be tried by Eritrea or its local emissaries, which we will respond to with stern measures,” Desalegn said Thursday. There were long lines of voters early Sunday inside Addis Ababa University’s main campus in the capital. Bewend Mathios, a native of southern Ethiopia who studies law at the university, said he had made an “informed decision” based on what the parties had said in media debates as well as leaflets distributed to students. But some Addis Ababa residents complained about the ruling party’s apparent domination. “Almost all of the election observ-
ers who were present at the polling stations were the ruling party’s sympathizers,” said Eyob Mesafint, a lawyer in Addis Ababa who supports the opposition. “We all know the hardships that opposition party members came through. They were not able to introduce their programs to their constituents as much as they could.” More than 45,000 polling stations will be open with nearly 250,000 election observers assigned to monitor them. The National Election Board of Ethiopia said provisional results are expected in a week but final results won’t be released before June 22. Ethiopia is a federal parliamentary republic and the party or coalition that wins the most seats in the 547seat parliament will form the next government. All parliament seats are being voted on Sunday, as well as local offices. (ap)
International
International
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamic State militants who have been laying siege to the base for months shot down the helicopter. The Observatory said one crew member was killed while the fate of the others remained unclear. Kweiras military air base is in the northern province of Aleppo and is close to the town of al-Bab, which is held by the Islamic State group. Syrian rebels have shot down helicopters in the past. (ap)
Saudi Arabia says suicide bomber was Islamic State operative RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Friday’s suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in the east of the country that killed 21 was carried out by an Islamic State militant, backing up an earlier claim by the group. The Interior Ministry identified the bomber as Saudi citizen Saleh bin Abdulrahman al-Qashaami in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency late Saturday. Al-Qashaami was wanted for being an active member of an ISlinked terrorist cell, the ministry said. Lab tests showed that the explosive use in the bombing was a military-grade compound known as RDX. The attack in the village of al-Qudeeh in the eastern Qatif region was the deadliest assault by militants in the kingdom since a 2004 al-Qaida attack on foreign worker compounds. It targeted members of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority — a sect that both the Islamic State group and ultraconservatives in Saudi Arabia regularly denounce as heretics.
A statement from the IS group’s al-Bayan radio station posted to militant websites Saturday said a new branch of the group was behind the attack, which it said was carried out by a Saudi going by the nom de guerre Abu Amer al-Najdi. The IS group’s activities are primarily focused on Iraq and Syria. Its claim of responsibility for Friday’s strike and the official Saudi confirmation bolster concerns it has established a toehold inside the oil-rich kingdom, as it has done in Libya and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. It has warned of more “black days” for Shiites in Saudi Arabia, a member of the U.S.-led coalition targeting the group. The Saudi Interior Ministry said the group also was responsible for the shooting death of a police officer in Riyadh earlier this month. It said five members of an IS cell killed Pvt. Majed Ayedh al-Ghamdi and burned his body. Authorities recovered guns, ammunition, explosives and other items from a farm linked to the militants, it said. (ap)
Monday, May 25, 2015
11
INDONESIA Indonesia begins search for migrant boats
JAKARTA - Indonesia has begun search and rescue operations for stranded migrant boats carrying Bangladeshis and ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar, an official said Sunday, after it dropped a hardline policy of refusing them sanctuary. Jakarta sparked international outrage by turning away vessels filled with desperate migrants, among thousands stranded at sea since a Thai crackdown on humantrafficking in early May threw the illicit trade into chaos. Along with neighbouring Malaysia, the government changed approach Wednesday with an announcement that they would take in boat people provided they could be resettled or repatriated within a year. While Indonesian fisherman have helped hundreds of stranded Rohingya and Bangladeshis to shore, so far there has been no official rescue effort from Jakarta. But four naval ships, a patrol aircraft, and two pontoons for migrants to disembark, have now been deployed in a search which started Friday evening, military spokesman Fuad Basya told AFP. “We have officially received an order from President (Joko Widodo) to carry out search and rescue operations, whether in Indonesian territory or international waters,” he said. “We will save the migrants and take them to shore,” he said, adding that as of late Saturday, no new boats had been sighted. In his first public comments on
the crisis since it started, Widodo on Saturday said that taking in the migrants was a “good solution” and that regional nations were acting out of a sense of humanity. But on Sunday he reportedly indicated that Jakarta may not be able to foot the bill for housing thousands of destitute people. “We’re counting and making calculations on the costs involved,” he was quoted as saying on Detikcom news website. “We still need international support on how this would be managed.” The Malaysian government announced Thursday that its navy and coastguard would be mobilised for search operations but so far it has not reported any rescues. Southeast Asia’s exodus of boat people has been fanned by persecution and poverty. Most making the perilous journey are Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where they are not recognised as citizens. Myanmar has faced increasing international pressure to stem the deluge from its shores and deliver urgent humanitarian relief to thousands still trapped at sea. On Friday its navy said it had carried out its first rescue of a migrant boat, when scores of barechested men were found crammed into the hull of a wooden fishing
REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
A Rohingya migrant boy (L), who arrived in Indonesia recently by boat, receives English and Indonesian lnguage classes from a volunteer at a temporary shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 24, 2015. vessel and taken to shore. Myanmar officials initially said that all 208 men were Bangladeshis and would soon be returned there. However, state media said Sunday that eight were from Rakhine. More than 3,500 migrants have
swum to shore or been rescued off the coasts of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh since the crisis erupted earlier this month. However, up to 2,000 vulnerable people are thought to still be stranded, and fears are growing for
them at a time when the dry winter months are about to give way to the monsoon. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon said Saturday that finding and saving the lives of those at sea should be a “top priority.” (ap)
Woman selection committee a breakthrough in fight against corruption
Militant photo via AP
This image taken from a militant website associated with Islamic State extremists, posted Saturday, May 23, 2015, purports to show a suicide bomber identified as a Saudi citizen with the nom de guerre Abu Amer al-Najdi who carried out an attack on a Shiite mosque.
JAKARTA - The all women committee to select the commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)is a breakthrough by the government in the fight against corruption in the country. The composition of the selection committee brought about a new hope of a healthier future in the country beset by rampant corruption, secretary general of the Coalition of Indonesian Women Dian Kartika Sari said.
The KPK selection committee gives a new hope of reform in the Corruption Eradication Commission,” Dian said on Sunday. President Joko Widodo has named nine members of the selection committee all women with different backgrounds. The selection committee is chaired by Destry Damayanti (an economic and monetary expert) with Enny Nurbaningsih (a constitutional law expert) as the deputy chairwoman.
The seven other members include Harkristuti Haskrisnowo (an expert in criminal law and human rights), Betti Alisjahbana (an expert in information technology and management affairs), Yenti Garnasih (an expert in money laundering law), Supra Wimbarti (apsychologist), Natalia Subagio, Diani Sadiawati and Meuthia Ganie-Rochman. Dian said all nine members of the selection committee have good reputation and vast experience. She said she hope the all woman
committee would inspire many women to come up and register as candidates for KPK commissioners. So far no woman has been selected commissioner of KPK. On Sunday President Jokowi said he would meet with the nine member KPK selection committee on Monday . He said he had made sure that the committee members had good trade records and competence and high integrity.
Many have expressed surprise and doubt with the committee made up of women only saying there should be men among the members. They said men would be more effective in dealing with corrupt suspects, who are dominated by men. The committee is to select three more commissioners to add to two already selected earlier to replace the present commissioners which will end their term in December. (ant)
10
Destination
Monday, May 25, 2015
International
International
Mangrove Tour at Jungutbatu Village SEMARAPURA - Since the year 2000 Jungutbatu village community on the Island of Nusa Lembongan, Klungkung offers a mangrove tour to travelers. Foreign and domestic travelers are taken around to mangrove forest by riding a sampan. This destination can be reached from Sanur and Benoa Harbor by a cruise ship or fast boat. Nowadays, at this Jungutbatu village has even been formed a group that provide services for mangrove boat tour. Like a public transport, 34 members coalesced into the group also
have a queue number when being in operation. “We recruit all the seaweed farmers because they have a sampan. Initially we did not use a queue, but we then try to negotiate about our future. From the idea, we establish a well-organized group,” said the Mangrove Tour Management Assistant, Gede Adnyana. Currently, each community has the initiative to promote mangrove tour to travelers. Now, the mangrove tours continue to grow in line with the rapid development of tourism at Lembongan. At this
moment more travelers are escorted by freelance tour guides than supplied by dive cruise dropping in on the island. “Every day at least 10 to 25 sampans take mangrove tour. During high season, we are definitely overwhelmed,” said Adnyana. He said that during June-July, this featured object is much visited by domestic travelers, while in August is dominated by foreign travelers. Rates are subject to a minimum of IDR 100,000 per boat with a maximum of four passengers.
REUTERS/Max Rossi
Ferrari Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives his car during the third free practice session at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix May 23, 2015.
Ecclestone says Rosberg/Vettel bad for Formula 1 business
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Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says German drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel are not good for business because they do not do enough to endear themselves to fans. TV audiences and race attendances in Germany have been in decline of late, with the German Grand Prix getting axed from the calendar this season for the first time since 1960. In a joint interview with Rosberg for the official F1 website, Ecclestone said the 2014 runner-up and four-time champion Vettel do not do enough to boost their individual profiles. “As the cancellation of the German Grand Prix indicates, Germany is a terrible market for Formula 1,” said Ecclestone. “On the contrary Lewis [Hamilton] is a hero in the UK. The British love Formula 1. “Sebastian is also not doing much for F1. People hardly recognise him on the street.” Ecclestone picked out world champion Hamilton, who is often seen at A-list parties, as a good promoter of F1, which he says has in turn boosted its profile in the UK and across the world. “I still believe that Lewis is the best champion that we have had in a long, long time,” said Ecclestone. “He manages to get to all different walks of life: red carpet, fashion business, and music - you name it. “That is not your [Nico’s] fault or his. You two are just very different characters. “When it comes to F1, I am a huge Lewis fan because he is a super promoter of the sport. “From a pure business aspect - sorry Nico if I have to say this - you are not so good for my business.” Rosberg responded: “Wait a minute. That is a hard call. “Bernie is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. “I also do think about our sport and want to make an effort - but in my own way. I am Nico and not Lewis.” Ecclestone added: “It sounds harder than it is meant. Unfortunately you don’t have the German fans on your side.” F1’s boss went on to suggest that the championship needs more figureheads. “True, I also would rather race than strut red carpets in Hollywood - and thank God this is not my job - but also the team principals should be more prominent,” he added. “Take away Toto Wolff’s Mercedes shirt and send him down a street - nobody would recognise him.”(rtr)
Sports
Monday, May 25, 2015
7
Curry, Golden State rout Houston 115-80 to take 3-0 lead
HOUSTON — Stephen Curry scored 40 points and the Golden State Warriors made it look easy against Houston, beating the Rockets 115-80 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors won the first two games by just five points combined. There would be no such drama in this one, with Curry leading them to a 26-point advantage in the second quarter.
Now the baby-faced MVP has Golden State just one victory away from its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975. Game 4 is Monday night in Houston. “We understand it’s a special moment, it’s just we’re wrapped up in our day to day grind of preparing for games and going out and exerting all the effort we need to make this story happen,” Curry said. “So it’s kind of hard to remove yourself from those emotions.” Curry was unstoppable, making seven 3-pointers to break the NBA record for most 3s in the playoffs in a season with 64. MVP runner-up James Harden finished with 17 points behind 10-of-11 free-throw shooting, but made just 3 of 16 shots as the Rockets dropped three straight for the first time all season. Dwight Howard, who played despite a knee injury suffered in Game 1, had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Houston rebounded from a 3-1 deficit in the conference semifinals to beat the Clippers and move on. No team in NBA history has won a series after falling behind 3-0. “We just can’t quit on each other,” Howard said. “We’ve come too far. We’ve been through too many battles to just allow it to end like tonight ... we’ve just got to man up.” Draymond Green and Klay Thompson added 17 points apiece for the Warriors. Curry had 37 points after three quarters and went to the bench for good with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining after his seventh 3-pointer made it 103-73. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. After coach Steve Kerr complained about turnovers in the last game, the Warriors had just one before halftime to help them run
away with this one early. “If we defend like crazy and take off the ball, we’re going to be in good shape,” Kerr said. The Rockets have rebounded from double-digit deficits in three of their eight wins this postseason, but this time they fell into a hole way too big to overcome. Especially when Harden’s shots weren’t falling. The Warriors were in control of this one from the start and were up by 12 at the end of the first. But things got out of hand quickly when Curry heated up. A pair of free throws by Harden cut the lead to nine points with about 6 minutes left in the quarter when Curry took over. He scored the next six points as part of a 16-5 run where he scored all but two of the Warriors points to push the lead to 54-34. Curry broke the record for 3s in the playoffs on a long one from the top of the key that put Golden State up 49-32 about 4 1/2 minutes before halftime. Reggie Miller set the previous mark of 58 in 2000. The Warriors led by 25 at halftime and Houston opened the third quarter strong, using a 13-6 spurt to get within 68-50. Thompson made a free throw after that before Curry took control once again, scoring the next five points, including a 3-pointer under heavy pressure, to push it to 75-50 midway through the third quarter. He wrapped up the third quarter in much the same way, scoring Golden State’s last five points, capped by a 3-pointer to make it 92-61 entering the fourth quarter. Howard was the only positive for the Rockets in the first half and he had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Harden made just one of eight shots in the first half, but had eight points after making all six of his free throws. The Warriors led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter behind 10 points from Australian Andrew Bogut. (ap)
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) fouls Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half in Game 3 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Houston.
8
International
Monday, May 25, 2015
Sp rt
Valencia grabs Spain’s last CL spot; Almeria, Eibar go down
BARCELONA, Spain — Valencia fought back twice to earn a Champions League berth with a 3-2 away win that relegated Almeria on a dramatic final day of the Spanish league Saturday. Eibar also went down despite beating last-place Cordoba 3-0, while Deportivo La Coruna stayed up after coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 at already crowned champion Barcelona. Lionel Messi had put Barcelona in front with his 42nd and 43rd league goals of the season. “Our supporters have a song that says this team never surrenders and that’s what happened,” said Deportivo coach Victor Sanchez del Amo. “We had the capacity to respond and this is the recompense for a job well done.” Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead runner-up Real Madrid to a 7-3 rout of Getafe as the Ballon d’Or holder finished as the league’s top scorer with the outstanding mark of 48 goals. That left him two goals shy of Messi’s milestone from 2012. Granada was rescued by a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid, which finished in third place a year after winning the league title. Sevilla had to settle for a fifth-place finish despite beating 10man Malaga 3-2. Unai Emery’s side can still reach the Champions League by successfully defending its Europa League title against Dnipro in Warsaw on Wednesday. Athletic Bilbao is bound for the Europa League along with Sevilla and Villarreal after securing seventh place with a 4-0 rout of Villarreal. Emotions ran highest at Almeria where the hosts twice scored to go ahead and provisionally escape the bottom three spots. But Valencia’s Nicolas Otamendi
answered Thomas Partey’s opener from a free kick, and Sofiane Feghouli struck just before halftime to cancel out Fernando Soriano’s goal. After losing goalkeeper Diego Alves to a left-leg injury, Valencia needed Paco Alcacer to run onto a long pass and fire the ball beyond goalie Ruben Martinez with 10 minutes left to clinch a top-four finish and a ticket to Europe’s top-tier competition. “My players knew how to handle the pressure,” said Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo. “Valencia has succeeded in earning a place among the best, which is where it should be.” At Camp Nou, Barcelona’s fans paid homage to Xavi Hernandez, who played his last league game after 17 seasons at the club. The midfielder is leaving the club for Qatar this summer, and supports held up an enormous banner that read: “Thanks Xavi, 17 seasons 1998-2015.” Xavi then received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Andres Iniesta with five minutes remaining. He responded by blowing kisses to the stands before showing some tears in the dugout after taking his club record to 765 appearances. Xavi will get one more chance to
International
Monday, May 25, 2015
Juventus beats Napoli 3-1 to celebrate league and cup double
MILAN - Juventus beat Napoli 3-1 in Serie A on Saturday as it celebrated winning the double of the Italian league and cup in a party atmosphere in Turin. Stefano Sturaro put Juventus in front with a spectacular first goal for the club and Simone Pepe sealed the win from the spot after Napoli defender Miguel Britos was sent off in stoppage time for headbutting Alvaro Morata. “Today is a perfect day,” Sturaro said. “There’s a great crowd, and I couldn’t have imagined a better day.” Napoli’s Champions League hopes are all but over as it remained three points behind third-place Lazio ahead of the Rome derby on Monday. It cannot now catch second-placed Roma and needs Lazio to lose the derby to leave it all to play for when the two meet in the final match of the season. In the evening match, Genoa snatched a late 3-2 victory over Inter
Milan to boost its hopes of qualifying for Europe. There was a special atmosphere at the Juventus Stadium, in the final home match of the season, and the team paraded the Italian Cup before kickoff, while it was presented with its fourth successive Serie A trophy after the match. Massimiliano Allegri can clinch an impressive treble in his first year in charge if Juventus beats Barcelona in the Champions League final on June 6. “Now we’ll enjoy these deserved three days off after a stressful period,” Juventus captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. “Then the countdown will start for our most important game in the last 12 years. But tonight we’ll celebrate, we really want to be together and share these achievements.” Juventus took the lead in the 13th minute with a well-worked move,
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
A giant banner of FC Barcelona Xavi Hernandez is displayed prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 23, 2015. play at Camp Nou next weekend and add to his club record 23 titles when Barcelona hosts Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona will then play Juventus for the European Cup in Berlin on June 6. Barcelona received an honor guard from Deportivo for its 23rd league crown, and the visitors seemed ready to roll over after Messi headed in Rafina’s cross in the fifth minute and
tapped in Neymar’s pass to make it 2-0 in the 60th. But Lucas Perez gave Deportivo a lifeline seven minutes later with a rising strike from just inside the area, and Diogo Salomao got the goal they were desperately searching for in the 76th. It was a double jubilation on the Camp Nou pitch after the game as Deportivo’s players celebrated staying up, before Xavi received the league
trophy and presented it to the crowd. “I want to leave with the treble. We want the Liga, we want the Copa and we want the Champions,” Xavi told Barcelona’s supporters. “Thanks for everything. You have made me the happiest man in the world.” Elsewhere, Real Sociedad thrashed Rayo Vallecano 4-2, 10-man Celta Vigo rallied to beat Espanyol 3-2, and Elche drew 0-0 at Levante. (ap)
Champions Bayern will come back stronger, says Guardiola REUTERS/Michael Dalder
Bayern Munich’s coach Pep Guardiola holds the trophy after their final German first division Bundesliga soccer match of the season against FSV Mainz 05 in Munich, Germany, May 23, 2015.
MUNICH - Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola pledged his team would come back stronger next season after they lifted the league trophy in a huge post-match party following a 2-0 victory over Mainz 05 to end their Bundesliga campaign in style. The Bavarians set a Bundesliga record by keeping a 22nd clean sheet of the season, while keeper Manuel Neuer’s 20th league game without conceding a goal was also a league record. Having let in only 18 goals in their 34 games, they also equalled their own league record from their treble-winning 2012/13 season for the fewest goals conceded. Bastian Schweinsteiger was on target in his 500th competitive game for the club after Robert Lewandowski had converted a penalty, with Bayern bouncing back from
three consecutive league losses. Fans had hoped for more than just the league title in coach Pep Guardiola’s second season in charge, with the Bavarians eliminated in the semi-finals of the German Cup as well as the Champions League. Yet their run to their 25th German league crown, which they wrapped up last month, still served to confirm that domestically they are in a class of their own. “Next season we will return even stronger in order to keep the fans satisfied,” Guardiola, who had changed into a dry set of clothes after being showered with beer on the pitch after the match, told reporters. “Onwards, always onwards.” “That is my goal. I want to congratulate my players and my staff as well as the fans who always supported us,” added
Guardiola, who had to deal with a lengthy injury list this year. “I hope to have the best possible squad next season,” he said. Midfielder Schweinsteiger said the season had been a success considering all the injuries they had suffered. “We won our third straight league title and that is something I had not achieved until now,” said Schweinsteiger, who has won eight Bundesliga titles and a total of 20 trophies with Bayern. “We were also close to reaching the other two finals. Considering the injuries we had, we did really well overall.” Guardiola has repeatedly committed to seeing out his contract that ends in 2016 and any extension talks will take place later this year the club and coach have said. (rtr)
9
AP Photo/Massimo Pinca
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, second right, holds up the Italian Cup trophy as Juventus players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Napoli at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, May 23, 2015.
which Roberto Pereyra finished off after beating the offside trap and controlling Kingsley Coman’s delightful chipped pass. There was a touching moment in the 39th minute when the crowd unveiled a tribute to the 39 fans who died in the Heysel tragedy, ahead of the 1985 European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool. A huge number 39 was displayed as well as a long banner with the words “no one really dies if they live on in the hearts of those who remain, forever” and the fans held up placards with the names of the victims. Napoli was a different side after the break as Benitez took off the disappointing Gonzalo Higuain and replaced him with Manolo Gabbiadini. The visitors leveled five minutes later after Kwadwo Asamoah, who was making his first appearance since a knee injury in November, handled Dries Mertens’ cross, although it appeared unintentional. Buffon did well to block Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty but David Lopez was the quickest to react, firing in the rebound from close range. David Lopez almost gave Napoli the lead in the 69th but Buffon pulled off a fantastic to save to force the volley over the bar. And it was Juventus which went back in front eight minutes later when Sturaro gathered with his back to goal, turned Raul Albiol and curled into the top left corner. Napoli laid siege to the Juventus goal but Britos ended any hopes of a comeback when he deliberately headbutted Morata as the two squared up. Pepe’s goal was his first in three years in what was almost certainly his final home match as his contract, which expires at the end of the season, has not been renewed. In Genoa, Inter was twice pegged back in a pulsating first half. Mauro Icardi netted his 20th goal of the season to move level with Juventus striker Carlos Tevez at the top of the scoring charts. He also had two goals ruled out in the space of 10 seconds. Rodrigo Palacio scored Inter’s other goal. Genoa forward Leonardo Pavoletti was on target for the third successive match, while Maxime Lestienne leveled again for the home side, after a collision between Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and defender Andrea Ranocchia. Inter twice hit the woodwork in the second half and it was Genoa which scored the winner in the final minute with a towering Juraj Kucka header on an Edenilson free kick. Genoa moved provisionally fifth, but could be denied entry into the Europa League should it qualify as it is appealing against a decision to deny it a UEFA license. (ap)
AP Photo/Oscar del Pozo
Real Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday May 9, 2015.
Ancelotti: ‘I continue at Madrid, or I take yearlong break’
MADRID — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he will take a year off from coaching if he is let go by the Spanish club. Ancelotti said after the last game of the season Saturday that “I continue here at Real Madrid, or I take a yearlong break.” A year after winning the Champions League, Madrid concluded a disappointing season without a major trophy with a 7-3 rout of Getafe. The Italian manager said he will
“clarify my future with the club” in a meeting with club executives on “Monday or Tuesday.” Ancelotti led Madrid to its 10th European Cup last season. But after finishing 2014 on a Spanish record 22-win streak, Madrid struggled in the second half of the season. It finished the league runner-up to Barcelona and was eliminated by Juventus from the Champions League semifinals. (ap)
Benfica celebrates league title with 4-1 win over Maritimo
LISBON, Portugal — Benfica celebrated its Portuguese league title with a 4-1 home win over Maritimo on Saturday, while Belenenses clinched the last Europa League berth of the final day of the season. Brazilians Lima and Jonas scored two goals each for the champions, who won their first back-to-back titles in 31 years and
their 34th league crown. Maritimo scored from an own goal by Jardel. With all the other European berths and the relegation fight concluded before the league finale, Belenenses secured a sixth-place finish good for a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 win at nine-man Gil Vicente. (ap)
8
International
Monday, May 25, 2015
Sp rt
Valencia grabs Spain’s last CL spot; Almeria, Eibar go down
BARCELONA, Spain — Valencia fought back twice to earn a Champions League berth with a 3-2 away win that relegated Almeria on a dramatic final day of the Spanish league Saturday. Eibar also went down despite beating last-place Cordoba 3-0, while Deportivo La Coruna stayed up after coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 at already crowned champion Barcelona. Lionel Messi had put Barcelona in front with his 42nd and 43rd league goals of the season. “Our supporters have a song that says this team never surrenders and that’s what happened,” said Deportivo coach Victor Sanchez del Amo. “We had the capacity to respond and this is the recompense for a job well done.” Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead runner-up Real Madrid to a 7-3 rout of Getafe as the Ballon d’Or holder finished as the league’s top scorer with the outstanding mark of 48 goals. That left him two goals shy of Messi’s milestone from 2012. Granada was rescued by a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid, which finished in third place a year after winning the league title. Sevilla had to settle for a fifth-place finish despite beating 10man Malaga 3-2. Unai Emery’s side can still reach the Champions League by successfully defending its Europa League title against Dnipro in Warsaw on Wednesday. Athletic Bilbao is bound for the Europa League along with Sevilla and Villarreal after securing seventh place with a 4-0 rout of Villarreal. Emotions ran highest at Almeria where the hosts twice scored to go ahead and provisionally escape the bottom three spots. But Valencia’s Nicolas Otamendi
answered Thomas Partey’s opener from a free kick, and Sofiane Feghouli struck just before halftime to cancel out Fernando Soriano’s goal. After losing goalkeeper Diego Alves to a left-leg injury, Valencia needed Paco Alcacer to run onto a long pass and fire the ball beyond goalie Ruben Martinez with 10 minutes left to clinch a top-four finish and a ticket to Europe’s top-tier competition. “My players knew how to handle the pressure,” said Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo. “Valencia has succeeded in earning a place among the best, which is where it should be.” At Camp Nou, Barcelona’s fans paid homage to Xavi Hernandez, who played his last league game after 17 seasons at the club. The midfielder is leaving the club for Qatar this summer, and supports held up an enormous banner that read: “Thanks Xavi, 17 seasons 1998-2015.” Xavi then received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Andres Iniesta with five minutes remaining. He responded by blowing kisses to the stands before showing some tears in the dugout after taking his club record to 765 appearances. Xavi will get one more chance to
International
Monday, May 25, 2015
Juventus beats Napoli 3-1 to celebrate league and cup double
MILAN - Juventus beat Napoli 3-1 in Serie A on Saturday as it celebrated winning the double of the Italian league and cup in a party atmosphere in Turin. Stefano Sturaro put Juventus in front with a spectacular first goal for the club and Simone Pepe sealed the win from the spot after Napoli defender Miguel Britos was sent off in stoppage time for headbutting Alvaro Morata. “Today is a perfect day,” Sturaro said. “There’s a great crowd, and I couldn’t have imagined a better day.” Napoli’s Champions League hopes are all but over as it remained three points behind third-place Lazio ahead of the Rome derby on Monday. It cannot now catch second-placed Roma and needs Lazio to lose the derby to leave it all to play for when the two meet in the final match of the season. In the evening match, Genoa snatched a late 3-2 victory over Inter
Milan to boost its hopes of qualifying for Europe. There was a special atmosphere at the Juventus Stadium, in the final home match of the season, and the team paraded the Italian Cup before kickoff, while it was presented with its fourth successive Serie A trophy after the match. Massimiliano Allegri can clinch an impressive treble in his first year in charge if Juventus beats Barcelona in the Champions League final on June 6. “Now we’ll enjoy these deserved three days off after a stressful period,” Juventus captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. “Then the countdown will start for our most important game in the last 12 years. But tonight we’ll celebrate, we really want to be together and share these achievements.” Juventus took the lead in the 13th minute with a well-worked move,
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
A giant banner of FC Barcelona Xavi Hernandez is displayed prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 23, 2015. play at Camp Nou next weekend and add to his club record 23 titles when Barcelona hosts Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona will then play Juventus for the European Cup in Berlin on June 6. Barcelona received an honor guard from Deportivo for its 23rd league crown, and the visitors seemed ready to roll over after Messi headed in Rafina’s cross in the fifth minute and
tapped in Neymar’s pass to make it 2-0 in the 60th. But Lucas Perez gave Deportivo a lifeline seven minutes later with a rising strike from just inside the area, and Diogo Salomao got the goal they were desperately searching for in the 76th. It was a double jubilation on the Camp Nou pitch after the game as Deportivo’s players celebrated staying up, before Xavi received the league
trophy and presented it to the crowd. “I want to leave with the treble. We want the Liga, we want the Copa and we want the Champions,” Xavi told Barcelona’s supporters. “Thanks for everything. You have made me the happiest man in the world.” Elsewhere, Real Sociedad thrashed Rayo Vallecano 4-2, 10-man Celta Vigo rallied to beat Espanyol 3-2, and Elche drew 0-0 at Levante. (ap)
Champions Bayern will come back stronger, says Guardiola REUTERS/Michael Dalder
Bayern Munich’s coach Pep Guardiola holds the trophy after their final German first division Bundesliga soccer match of the season against FSV Mainz 05 in Munich, Germany, May 23, 2015.
MUNICH - Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola pledged his team would come back stronger next season after they lifted the league trophy in a huge post-match party following a 2-0 victory over Mainz 05 to end their Bundesliga campaign in style. The Bavarians set a Bundesliga record by keeping a 22nd clean sheet of the season, while keeper Manuel Neuer’s 20th league game without conceding a goal was also a league record. Having let in only 18 goals in their 34 games, they also equalled their own league record from their treble-winning 2012/13 season for the fewest goals conceded. Bastian Schweinsteiger was on target in his 500th competitive game for the club after Robert Lewandowski had converted a penalty, with Bayern bouncing back from
three consecutive league losses. Fans had hoped for more than just the league title in coach Pep Guardiola’s second season in charge, with the Bavarians eliminated in the semi-finals of the German Cup as well as the Champions League. Yet their run to their 25th German league crown, which they wrapped up last month, still served to confirm that domestically they are in a class of their own. “Next season we will return even stronger in order to keep the fans satisfied,” Guardiola, who had changed into a dry set of clothes after being showered with beer on the pitch after the match, told reporters. “Onwards, always onwards.” “That is my goal. I want to congratulate my players and my staff as well as the fans who always supported us,” added
Guardiola, who had to deal with a lengthy injury list this year. “I hope to have the best possible squad next season,” he said. Midfielder Schweinsteiger said the season had been a success considering all the injuries they had suffered. “We won our third straight league title and that is something I had not achieved until now,” said Schweinsteiger, who has won eight Bundesliga titles and a total of 20 trophies with Bayern. “We were also close to reaching the other two finals. Considering the injuries we had, we did really well overall.” Guardiola has repeatedly committed to seeing out his contract that ends in 2016 and any extension talks will take place later this year the club and coach have said. (rtr)
9
AP Photo/Massimo Pinca
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, second right, holds up the Italian Cup trophy as Juventus players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Napoli at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, May 23, 2015.
which Roberto Pereyra finished off after beating the offside trap and controlling Kingsley Coman’s delightful chipped pass. There was a touching moment in the 39th minute when the crowd unveiled a tribute to the 39 fans who died in the Heysel tragedy, ahead of the 1985 European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool. A huge number 39 was displayed as well as a long banner with the words “no one really dies if they live on in the hearts of those who remain, forever” and the fans held up placards with the names of the victims. Napoli was a different side after the break as Benitez took off the disappointing Gonzalo Higuain and replaced him with Manolo Gabbiadini. The visitors leveled five minutes later after Kwadwo Asamoah, who was making his first appearance since a knee injury in November, handled Dries Mertens’ cross, although it appeared unintentional. Buffon did well to block Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty but David Lopez was the quickest to react, firing in the rebound from close range. David Lopez almost gave Napoli the lead in the 69th but Buffon pulled off a fantastic to save to force the volley over the bar. And it was Juventus which went back in front eight minutes later when Sturaro gathered with his back to goal, turned Raul Albiol and curled into the top left corner. Napoli laid siege to the Juventus goal but Britos ended any hopes of a comeback when he deliberately headbutted Morata as the two squared up. Pepe’s goal was his first in three years in what was almost certainly his final home match as his contract, which expires at the end of the season, has not been renewed. In Genoa, Inter was twice pegged back in a pulsating first half. Mauro Icardi netted his 20th goal of the season to move level with Juventus striker Carlos Tevez at the top of the scoring charts. He also had two goals ruled out in the space of 10 seconds. Rodrigo Palacio scored Inter’s other goal. Genoa forward Leonardo Pavoletti was on target for the third successive match, while Maxime Lestienne leveled again for the home side, after a collision between Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and defender Andrea Ranocchia. Inter twice hit the woodwork in the second half and it was Genoa which scored the winner in the final minute with a towering Juraj Kucka header on an Edenilson free kick. Genoa moved provisionally fifth, but could be denied entry into the Europa League should it qualify as it is appealing against a decision to deny it a UEFA license. (ap)
AP Photo/Oscar del Pozo
Real Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday May 9, 2015.
Ancelotti: ‘I continue at Madrid, or I take yearlong break’
MADRID — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he will take a year off from coaching if he is let go by the Spanish club. Ancelotti said after the last game of the season Saturday that “I continue here at Real Madrid, or I take a yearlong break.” A year after winning the Champions League, Madrid concluded a disappointing season without a major trophy with a 7-3 rout of Getafe. The Italian manager said he will
“clarify my future with the club” in a meeting with club executives on “Monday or Tuesday.” Ancelotti led Madrid to its 10th European Cup last season. But after finishing 2014 on a Spanish record 22-win streak, Madrid struggled in the second half of the season. It finished the league runner-up to Barcelona and was eliminated by Juventus from the Champions League semifinals. (ap)
Benfica celebrates league title with 4-1 win over Maritimo
LISBON, Portugal — Benfica celebrated its Portuguese league title with a 4-1 home win over Maritimo on Saturday, while Belenenses clinched the last Europa League berth of the final day of the season. Brazilians Lima and Jonas scored two goals each for the champions, who won their first back-to-back titles in 31 years and
their 34th league crown. Maritimo scored from an own goal by Jardel. With all the other European berths and the relegation fight concluded before the league finale, Belenenses secured a sixth-place finish good for a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 win at nine-man Gil Vicente. (ap)
10
Destination
Monday, May 25, 2015
International
International
Mangrove Tour at Jungutbatu Village SEMARAPURA - Since the year 2000 Jungutbatu village community on the Island of Nusa Lembongan, Klungkung offers a mangrove tour to travelers. Foreign and domestic travelers are taken around to mangrove forest by riding a sampan. This destination can be reached from Sanur and Benoa Harbor by a cruise ship or fast boat. Nowadays, at this Jungutbatu village has even been formed a group that provide services for mangrove boat tour. Like a public transport, 34 members coalesced into the group also
have a queue number when being in operation. “We recruit all the seaweed farmers because they have a sampan. Initially we did not use a queue, but we then try to negotiate about our future. From the idea, we establish a well-organized group,” said the Mangrove Tour Management Assistant, Gede Adnyana. Currently, each community has the initiative to promote mangrove tour to travelers. Now, the mangrove tours continue to grow in line with the rapid development of tourism at Lembongan. At this
moment more travelers are escorted by freelance tour guides than supplied by dive cruise dropping in on the island. “Every day at least 10 to 25 sampans take mangrove tour. During high season, we are definitely overwhelmed,” said Adnyana. He said that during June-July, this featured object is much visited by domestic travelers, while in August is dominated by foreign travelers. Rates are subject to a minimum of IDR 100,000 per boat with a maximum of four passengers.
REUTERS/Max Rossi
Ferrari Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives his car during the third free practice session at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix May 23, 2015.
Ecclestone says Rosberg/Vettel bad for Formula 1 business
IBP/kmb
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Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says German drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel are not good for business because they do not do enough to endear themselves to fans. TV audiences and race attendances in Germany have been in decline of late, with the German Grand Prix getting axed from the calendar this season for the first time since 1960. In a joint interview with Rosberg for the official F1 website, Ecclestone said the 2014 runner-up and four-time champion Vettel do not do enough to boost their individual profiles. “As the cancellation of the German Grand Prix indicates, Germany is a terrible market for Formula 1,” said Ecclestone. “On the contrary Lewis [Hamilton] is a hero in the UK. The British love Formula 1. “Sebastian is also not doing much for F1. People hardly recognise him on the street.” Ecclestone picked out world champion Hamilton, who is often seen at A-list parties, as a good promoter of F1, which he says has in turn boosted its profile in the UK and across the world. “I still believe that Lewis is the best champion that we have had in a long, long time,” said Ecclestone. “He manages to get to all different walks of life: red carpet, fashion business, and music - you name it. “That is not your [Nico’s] fault or his. You two are just very different characters. “When it comes to F1, I am a huge Lewis fan because he is a super promoter of the sport. “From a pure business aspect - sorry Nico if I have to say this - you are not so good for my business.” Rosberg responded: “Wait a minute. That is a hard call. “Bernie is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. “I also do think about our sport and want to make an effort - but in my own way. I am Nico and not Lewis.” Ecclestone added: “It sounds harder than it is meant. Unfortunately you don’t have the German fans on your side.” F1’s boss went on to suggest that the championship needs more figureheads. “True, I also would rather race than strut red carpets in Hollywood - and thank God this is not my job - but also the team principals should be more prominent,” he added. “Take away Toto Wolff’s Mercedes shirt and send him down a street - nobody would recognise him.”(rtr)
Sports
Monday, May 25, 2015
7
Curry, Golden State rout Houston 115-80 to take 3-0 lead
HOUSTON — Stephen Curry scored 40 points and the Golden State Warriors made it look easy against Houston, beating the Rockets 115-80 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors won the first two games by just five points combined. There would be no such drama in this one, with Curry leading them to a 26-point advantage in the second quarter.
Now the baby-faced MVP has Golden State just one victory away from its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975. Game 4 is Monday night in Houston. “We understand it’s a special moment, it’s just we’re wrapped up in our day to day grind of preparing for games and going out and exerting all the effort we need to make this story happen,” Curry said. “So it’s kind of hard to remove yourself from those emotions.” Curry was unstoppable, making seven 3-pointers to break the NBA record for most 3s in the playoffs in a season with 64. MVP runner-up James Harden finished with 17 points behind 10-of-11 free-throw shooting, but made just 3 of 16 shots as the Rockets dropped three straight for the first time all season. Dwight Howard, who played despite a knee injury suffered in Game 1, had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Houston rebounded from a 3-1 deficit in the conference semifinals to beat the Clippers and move on. No team in NBA history has won a series after falling behind 3-0. “We just can’t quit on each other,” Howard said. “We’ve come too far. We’ve been through too many battles to just allow it to end like tonight ... we’ve just got to man up.” Draymond Green and Klay Thompson added 17 points apiece for the Warriors. Curry had 37 points after three quarters and went to the bench for good with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining after his seventh 3-pointer made it 103-73. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. After coach Steve Kerr complained about turnovers in the last game, the Warriors had just one before halftime to help them run
away with this one early. “If we defend like crazy and take off the ball, we’re going to be in good shape,” Kerr said. The Rockets have rebounded from double-digit deficits in three of their eight wins this postseason, but this time they fell into a hole way too big to overcome. Especially when Harden’s shots weren’t falling. The Warriors were in control of this one from the start and were up by 12 at the end of the first. But things got out of hand quickly when Curry heated up. A pair of free throws by Harden cut the lead to nine points with about 6 minutes left in the quarter when Curry took over. He scored the next six points as part of a 16-5 run where he scored all but two of the Warriors points to push the lead to 54-34. Curry broke the record for 3s in the playoffs on a long one from the top of the key that put Golden State up 49-32 about 4 1/2 minutes before halftime. Reggie Miller set the previous mark of 58 in 2000. The Warriors led by 25 at halftime and Houston opened the third quarter strong, using a 13-6 spurt to get within 68-50. Thompson made a free throw after that before Curry took control once again, scoring the next five points, including a 3-pointer under heavy pressure, to push it to 75-50 midway through the third quarter. He wrapped up the third quarter in much the same way, scoring Golden State’s last five points, capped by a 3-pointer to make it 92-61 entering the fourth quarter. Howard was the only positive for the Rockets in the first half and he had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Harden made just one of eight shots in the first half, but had eight points after making all six of his free throws. The Warriors led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter behind 10 points from Australian Andrew Bogut. (ap)
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) fouls Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half in Game 3 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Houston.
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Monday, May 25, 2015
W
RLD
Syrian helicopter crashes; activists say militants downed it BEIRUT — A Syrian military helicopter crashed Sunday at the northern air base of Kweiras, killing all its crew, state TV said, as an activist group said it was shot down by Islamic State militants. The TV report quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the helicopter crashed Sunday as a result of a technical problem while taking off. The report did not say how many crew members were on abroad at the time of the crash.
AP Photo/Mulugeata Ayene
A woman casts her vote in Ethiopia’s general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, May 24, 2015. Ethiopians voted Sunday in national and regional elections, the country’s first since the 2012 death of its longtime leader, but the ruling party is expected to maintain its iron-clad grip on power.
Ethiopians vote in 1st election without former strongman
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians started voting Sunday in national and regional elections in which the ruling party is expected to maintain its iron-clad grip on power. More than 36 million voters were registered to vote in this East African nation of about 90 million people. Some opposition groups threatened to boycott the vote, saying their members are being harassed and detained — charges the government denies. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, a former university professorturned-politician, has been leading the country since the death in 2012 of strongman Meles Zenawi, who built the ruling coalition into a powerful political organization. These are Ethiopia’s first elections since Zenawi’s death. Desalegn is expected to remain in power. In 2010, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, won 99.6 percent of all parliamentary seats. Only one opposition lawmaker won a seat in an election that watchdog groups said was marred by intimidation and the harassment of opposition activists. Human Rights Watch called that victory “the culmination of the government’s five-year strategy of systematically closing down space for political dissent and independent criticism.” Those allegations have persisted in this year’s election. The
government has denied the charges, instead accusing the opposition — and neighboring arch-foe Eritrea — of plotting to disrupt the vote. “We remain vigilant and confident that the general election will be peaceful, free and fair, notwithstanding destabilization attempts that may be tried by Eritrea or its local emissaries, which we will respond to with stern measures,” Desalegn said Thursday. There were long lines of voters early Sunday inside Addis Ababa University’s main campus in the capital. Bewend Mathios, a native of southern Ethiopia who studies law at the university, said he had made an “informed decision” based on what the parties had said in media debates as well as leaflets distributed to students. But some Addis Ababa residents complained about the ruling party’s apparent domination. “Almost all of the election observ-
ers who were present at the polling stations were the ruling party’s sympathizers,” said Eyob Mesafint, a lawyer in Addis Ababa who supports the opposition. “We all know the hardships that opposition party members came through. They were not able to introduce their programs to their constituents as much as they could.” More than 45,000 polling stations will be open with nearly 250,000 election observers assigned to monitor them. The National Election Board of Ethiopia said provisional results are expected in a week but final results won’t be released before June 22. Ethiopia is a federal parliamentary republic and the party or coalition that wins the most seats in the 547seat parliament will form the next government. All parliament seats are being voted on Sunday, as well as local offices. (ap)
International
International
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamic State militants who have been laying siege to the base for months shot down the helicopter. The Observatory said one crew member was killed while the fate of the others remained unclear. Kweiras military air base is in the northern province of Aleppo and is close to the town of al-Bab, which is held by the Islamic State group. Syrian rebels have shot down helicopters in the past. (ap)
Saudi Arabia says suicide bomber was Islamic State operative RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Friday’s suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in the east of the country that killed 21 was carried out by an Islamic State militant, backing up an earlier claim by the group. The Interior Ministry identified the bomber as Saudi citizen Saleh bin Abdulrahman al-Qashaami in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency late Saturday. Al-Qashaami was wanted for being an active member of an ISlinked terrorist cell, the ministry said. Lab tests showed that the explosive use in the bombing was a military-grade compound known as RDX. The attack in the village of al-Qudeeh in the eastern Qatif region was the deadliest assault by militants in the kingdom since a 2004 al-Qaida attack on foreign worker compounds. It targeted members of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority — a sect that both the Islamic State group and ultraconservatives in Saudi Arabia regularly denounce as heretics.
A statement from the IS group’s al-Bayan radio station posted to militant websites Saturday said a new branch of the group was behind the attack, which it said was carried out by a Saudi going by the nom de guerre Abu Amer al-Najdi. The IS group’s activities are primarily focused on Iraq and Syria. Its claim of responsibility for Friday’s strike and the official Saudi confirmation bolster concerns it has established a toehold inside the oil-rich kingdom, as it has done in Libya and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. It has warned of more “black days” for Shiites in Saudi Arabia, a member of the U.S.-led coalition targeting the group. The Saudi Interior Ministry said the group also was responsible for the shooting death of a police officer in Riyadh earlier this month. It said five members of an IS cell killed Pvt. Majed Ayedh al-Ghamdi and burned his body. Authorities recovered guns, ammunition, explosives and other items from a farm linked to the militants, it said. (ap)
Monday, May 25, 2015
11
INDONESIA Indonesia begins search for migrant boats
JAKARTA - Indonesia has begun search and rescue operations for stranded migrant boats carrying Bangladeshis and ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar, an official said Sunday, after it dropped a hardline policy of refusing them sanctuary. Jakarta sparked international outrage by turning away vessels filled with desperate migrants, among thousands stranded at sea since a Thai crackdown on humantrafficking in early May threw the illicit trade into chaos. Along with neighbouring Malaysia, the government changed approach Wednesday with an announcement that they would take in boat people provided they could be resettled or repatriated within a year. While Indonesian fisherman have helped hundreds of stranded Rohingya and Bangladeshis to shore, so far there has been no official rescue effort from Jakarta. But four naval ships, a patrol aircraft, and two pontoons for migrants to disembark, have now been deployed in a search which started Friday evening, military spokesman Fuad Basya told AFP. “We have officially received an order from President (Joko Widodo) to carry out search and rescue operations, whether in Indonesian territory or international waters,” he said. “We will save the migrants and take them to shore,” he said, adding that as of late Saturday, no new boats had been sighted. In his first public comments on
the crisis since it started, Widodo on Saturday said that taking in the migrants was a “good solution” and that regional nations were acting out of a sense of humanity. But on Sunday he reportedly indicated that Jakarta may not be able to foot the bill for housing thousands of destitute people. “We’re counting and making calculations on the costs involved,” he was quoted as saying on Detikcom news website. “We still need international support on how this would be managed.” The Malaysian government announced Thursday that its navy and coastguard would be mobilised for search operations but so far it has not reported any rescues. Southeast Asia’s exodus of boat people has been fanned by persecution and poverty. Most making the perilous journey are Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where they are not recognised as citizens. Myanmar has faced increasing international pressure to stem the deluge from its shores and deliver urgent humanitarian relief to thousands still trapped at sea. On Friday its navy said it had carried out its first rescue of a migrant boat, when scores of barechested men were found crammed into the hull of a wooden fishing
REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
A Rohingya migrant boy (L), who arrived in Indonesia recently by boat, receives English and Indonesian lnguage classes from a volunteer at a temporary shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 24, 2015. vessel and taken to shore. Myanmar officials initially said that all 208 men were Bangladeshis and would soon be returned there. However, state media said Sunday that eight were from Rakhine. More than 3,500 migrants have
swum to shore or been rescued off the coasts of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh since the crisis erupted earlier this month. However, up to 2,000 vulnerable people are thought to still be stranded, and fears are growing for
them at a time when the dry winter months are about to give way to the monsoon. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon said Saturday that finding and saving the lives of those at sea should be a “top priority.” (ap)
Woman selection committee a breakthrough in fight against corruption
Militant photo via AP
This image taken from a militant website associated with Islamic State extremists, posted Saturday, May 23, 2015, purports to show a suicide bomber identified as a Saudi citizen with the nom de guerre Abu Amer al-Najdi who carried out an attack on a Shiite mosque.
JAKARTA - The all women committee to select the commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)is a breakthrough by the government in the fight against corruption in the country. The composition of the selection committee brought about a new hope of a healthier future in the country beset by rampant corruption, secretary general of the Coalition of Indonesian Women Dian Kartika Sari said.
The KPK selection committee gives a new hope of reform in the Corruption Eradication Commission,” Dian said on Sunday. President Joko Widodo has named nine members of the selection committee all women with different backgrounds. The selection committee is chaired by Destry Damayanti (an economic and monetary expert) with Enny Nurbaningsih (a constitutional law expert) as the deputy chairwoman.
The seven other members include Harkristuti Haskrisnowo (an expert in criminal law and human rights), Betti Alisjahbana (an expert in information technology and management affairs), Yenti Garnasih (an expert in money laundering law), Supra Wimbarti (apsychologist), Natalia Subagio, Diani Sadiawati and Meuthia Ganie-Rochman. Dian said all nine members of the selection committee have good reputation and vast experience. She said she hope the all woman
committee would inspire many women to come up and register as candidates for KPK commissioners. So far no woman has been selected commissioner of KPK. On Sunday President Jokowi said he would meet with the nine member KPK selection committee on Monday . He said he had made sure that the committee members had good trade records and competence and high integrity.
Many have expressed surprise and doubt with the committee made up of women only saying there should be men among the members. They said men would be more effective in dealing with corrupt suspects, who are dominated by men. The committee is to select three more commissioners to add to two already selected earlier to replace the present commissioners which will end their term in December. (ant)
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International
Monday, May 25, 2015
BUSINESS WTO to help settle US, New Zealand farm trade row with Indonesia meeting of WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body. US exports affected by Indonesia’s import licensing regimes totalled about $385 million in 2014, according to the US trade office. New Zealand said it also believed the Indonesian measures “undermine core WTO principles and are inconsistent with key obligations in the WTO agreements.” Indonesia meanwhile said it “regrets” that the United States and New Zealand had turned to the global trade body to settle the issue, insisting its policies were “fully consistent” with its WTO
obligations. It stressed it aimed to “safeguard and defend its policies/measures before the (WTO) panel.” The WTO, which polices global trade accords in an effort to ensure a level playing field for its member economies, creates a panel when parties to a dispute fail to reach an agreement during consultations. Once created, WTO’s panels of independent trade and legal experts usually take several months to render their decisions. They can authorise retaliatory trade measures if they rule in favour of a plaintiff. (afp)
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File
This Dec. 17, 2014, file photo shows the BlackBerry Classic, on display during a news conference, in New York. BlackBerry is laying off an unspecified number of workers around the world as the struggling smartphone manufacturer tries to make its device business profitable.
US government to review mystery of slow 1st quarter growth Struggling BlackBerry announces new round of layoffs
WASHINGTON — There’s something strange about the U.S. economy in the first three months of every year: It frequently grows at a much slower pace than in the other nine months. And on Friday, the government agency charged with calculating the economy’s growth rate said it would adjust its methods in an effort to resolve the problem. The changes could paint a much different picture of the economy’s recent performance. Concerns flared when the government said late last month that the economy expanded just 0.2 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter. But many economists have challenged the government’s data, and some have argued the first-quarter figure should be as high as 1.8 percent instead. At issue is a process known as “seasonal adjustment,” which is not nearly as convoluted as it sounds. Many routine patterns affect the economy, such as the layoff of temporary retail employees after
the winter holidays, or a spike in consumer spending around Easter. Seasonal adjustment attempts to factor out those patterns to get a clearer picture of how the economy is actually performing. Yet what appears to be a seasonal pattern still exists. Alec Phillips, an economist at Goldman Sachs, noticed that from 2010 through 2014, growth in the first three months of the year has averaged 0.6 percent, while it has averaged 2.9 percent in the other three quarters. And Macroeconomic Advisers, a forecasting firm, has found that the pattern goes back further: Since 1995, outside of recessions, the first quarter has grown at half the pace of the other three. Many Americans may spend less in the first quarter after ramping up their shopping over the holidays. That cutback would slow growth. But that’s exactly the type of pattern that seasonal adjustment should filter out. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco argued
that under a different method of adjustment, first-quarter growth this year would have been 1.8 percent, rather than 0.2 percent. The government seasonally adjusts components of gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy, before adding them together. The researchers argued that the final, aggregate data should also be adjusted. Other economists, including at the Federal Reserve in Washington, have concluded that the government’s figures are largely accurate. The first-quarter weakness over the years may be due to harsh winter weather and “statistical noise,” they concluded. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, which produces the figures, will have the last word. The agency says it “is working on a multi-pronged action plan to improve its estimates of gross domestic product.” It will release the results of its review July 30, when it issues second-quarter data. (ap)
Monday, May 25, 2015
ICMM accepts Palestine as new member
5
NUSA DUA - The International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) has accepted Palestine as a new member. The announcement was made during the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine held in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Friday.
GENEVA - The World Trade Organization agreed Wednesday to create a single panel of experts to study complaints from the United States and New Zealand over Indonesia’s import rules for agricultural products. Washington and Wellington have accused Indonesia of breaking international trade rules with its wide-ranging import restrictions on farm products like fruits, vegetables, beef and poultry. Among the measures Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has taken since 2012 is a ban on importations of certain cuts of beef and on chicken parts, according to Washington’s complaint. “These restrictions appear to be in breach of core WTO obligations involving trade in goods, limiting opportunities for quality US products to reach Indonesia consumers,” the US trade representative told a
Bali News
International
MONTREAL - BlackBerry is laying off an unspecified number of workers around the world as the struggling smartphone manufacturer tries to make its device business profitable. The Canadian company, based in Waterloo, Ontario, said the cuts will impact those working on the software, hardware and applications side of the business. “As the company moves into its next stage of the turnaround, our intention is to reallocate resources in ways that will best enable us to capitalize on growth opportunities while driving toward sustainable profitability across all facets of our business,” BlackBerry said in a statement to AFP on Saturday. A spokeswoman declined to provide additional information about the cuts.
The company currently employs about 7,000 people internationally. BlackBerry, which only a decade ago was a titan in the smartphone business, has been forced into a major reorganization focusing more on software and services since being overtaken in the market for mobile devices. An IDC survey showed BlackBerry managed to capture just 0.4 percent of global smartphone sales in 2014. “One of our priorities is making our device business profitable,” BlackBerry said. “At the same time, we must grow software and licensing revenues. You will see in the coming months a significant ramping up in our customer-facing activities in sales and marketing.” (afp)
“Palestinians are accepted as new members of the ICMM,” Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu stated on Friday. As the new chairman of the ICMM, Indonesia also accepted Iran as a new member of the international committee, which is based in Brussels, Belgium. Secretary General of the ICMM Major General Roger Van Hoof said that the organization has 114 member countries. However, the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine was attended by 78 countries and some 800 experts and professionals in the field of military medicine as participants. At the 41st congress, a number of subjects, namely drugs, treatment of victims of chemical weapons and natural disasters, and the development of Ebola, were discussed. The next meeting will be held in New Delhi, India, in 2017. The meeting will discuss current issues in the field of military medicine. Earlier, Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu had pointed out that world military medicine will face severe challenges in the future as some
countries witness several armed conflicts and natural disasters. “Humanitarian crises that stem from armed conflicts or natural disasters are a challenge for military medicine,” Ryacudu noted at the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine here on Friday. He remarked that the challenge was a real threat of a nation as well as a chance for the country to contribute. The ICMM is currently chaired by Indonesia. Moreover, the minister hopes that medical personnel and military doctors in the country progress. “For two years, we expect Indonesian military doctors to treat complicated diseases such as Ebola,” he said. Ebola was one of the topics of discussion at the conference. The Ebola outbreak centered in the West African region and extended to a number of other countries. Through this conference, Ryacudu hopes there is cooperation among countries to combat Ebola and other diseases. “Cooperation among countries is expected to be achieved. It can increase knowledge and help to share experiences,” he emphasized. (ant)
Defense Minister of Indonesia Ryamizard Ryacudu.
IBP/File Photo
Garuda to serve direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar
IBP/Net
The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will open direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar, to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia.
BEIJING - The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will open direct flights between Guangzhou and Denpasar, to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia. Garuda General Manager in Guangzhou Dharmawan J Hendrata said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) already approved the plan. “The license was issued on Thursday and it would be processed further by the Indonesian Transport Ministry,” Darmawan said. He said Garuda plans to start serving the new route on July 8 to coincide with the summer holidays. He said the new route is opened on growing demand for direct flight from Guangzhou to the resort island of Bali. He said Garuda Indonesia recorded a high load factor of 82 percent in flight between Guanzhou and Indonesia in the first quarter
of 2015 up from 70 percent in the same period last year. Garuda Indonesia already served non stop flights between Beijing and Denpasar starting 13 January 2015. Currently Garuda Indonesia has served four regular routes between the two countries including Beijing-Jakarta, Shanghai-Jakarta, Guanzghou-Jakarta, and BeijingDenpasar. Data at the tourism ministry showed that around 9.4 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2014. The number is expected to rise to 1.2 million in 2015. Chinese visitors were the fourth in number totaling 1 million in 2014. Indonesia hopes to draw more Chinese tourists to reach 10 million by 2019. (ant)
4
Monday, May 25, 2015
Bali News
International
Joged Bungbung of Buleleng still exists
SINGARAJA - Other than being known as the birthplace of the gong kebyar art, in fact Buleleng is also the birthplace of joged bungbung. As evidence, the art created as a social dance was first created at Kalopaksa village or currently known as Lokapaksa village, Seririt subdistrict. Since it was created, this art has evolved to several villages in Buleleng and other regions in Bali. Amid the glory of the joged bungbung, its image had been tarnished due to the shift in the quality of the dance looking like an erotic dance and even the art is labeled as ‘porn joged.’ The field data collected by Bali Post indicate that the early history of the creation of joged bungbung in Buleleng was begun with the dance performance by a group of farmers at Lokapaksa village, Seririt subdistrict. Amid the weariness of cultivating paddy fields, farmers spent their spare time by displaying a simple dance. It is accompanied with a set of bamboo gamelan instrument or known as tingklik. Although being modestly worked on, in fact the dancers were able to entertain the farmers at the time. From this village in West Buleleng, this joged bungbung art evolved to several villages in Buleleng. Aside from showing
a relatively rapid development, the other villages establishing joged bungbung troupes also tried to make creative innovation in terms of gamelan instrument and melody of the gamelan strains. Moreover, creation of the dance is also enriched by combining the dance movement with that of other regions such as Jaipong Dance developed outside Bali. This creation is inevitable to meet the demand from those who organize the joged art for the purposes of religious ceremonies or a specific event. Moreover, this creation is made in response to the competition against the fellow joged bungbung troupes in other
regions, so that the troupes compete to present the most creative in order to survive in accordance with the demand of the public. Amid the development and creation is made, the joged bungbung dance has experienced adversities. It occurs because the dance seems to have excessively deviated. The joged bungbung born in Buleleng is labeled by the public as ‘porn joged.’ This disastrous situation happened because a troupe inadvertently performed the joged dance at public place where the dancers performed unusual dance. Moreover, the dance led to show off erotic dance. Unfortunately, the issue on ‘porn joged’ widely spread in the media
and even in the internet. Now, the impact of the issue on ‘porn joged’ having removed the original style still exists although local government has made a recovery effort toward the image of the joged bungbung of Buleleng. As a result, it is then difficulty to look for a dancer because people do not want to be labeled as a ‘porn joged’ dancer. More seriously, the conditions have led some joged bungbung troupes to go bankrupt because they no longer have dancers. When they insist on holding out, they have trouble to get the performance order because lately people tend to look for joged bungbung troupe with sexy dance. The Head of the Buleleng Culture and Tourism Agency, Gede Suyasa, accompanied by Regional Section Head I Wayan Sujana said that despite hit by the issue on ‘porn joged’ the art born in Buleleng still survives. So far, a total of 40 troupes are still recorded. From the search
IBP/Mudiarta
Joged Bungbung of Buleleng is still exist until now
results and guidance made, indeed a half of the troupes are inactive. According to Sujana, it is triggered by the impact of the shift in the dance creations tending to be erotic joged dance widely sought after by consumers. “Quantitatively, the troupe is quite a lot and remains to exist. However, based on the data collection made that half of the troupes are no longer active. It was triggered by the issue on ‘porn joged’ that is widely sought after,” he said. Since being hit by the issue, provincial and local government have targeted the development efforts to joged bungbung troupes across Bali including in Buleleng. The guidance makes the artists realize to remain preserve the original movement style of the joged bungbung art. The troupes are expected to still refer to the original dance movement style in appropriate with the norms of ethics and decency in society. From the history of its birth, the original dance movement is just like performing bodily movement with the combination of tempting, glancing and swaging movement. “Its original dance movement is tempting so that the audience can participate in dancing or ngibing. During the coaching, this original dance movement is continued to be instilled, so that the impression of erotic dance can be eliminated,” he said. Apart from the coaching related to dance movement, the coach team also suggested the customary village to participate in advising people so that they can perform the movement of joged bungbung dance in appropriate with the norms of decency in society. In addition, the coach team also plans to incorporate a ban in the customary village from staging ‘porn joged’ art in the appendix of the customary bylaw or awig-awig of the customary village concerned. “The effort has been done and we in Buleleng with the Listibya have also taken to foster the joged troupes in order that they remain to preserve the original dance movement style. Although there is a demand, we expect the art troupes not to meet the demand for survival of the joged art,” he said. (mud)
Monday, May 25, 2015
International
52 dead in China floods, including 2 kids on overloaded bus
BEIJING — The death toll in China’s latest round of flooding has risen to at least 52, including two school children aboard a bus carrying more than twice its authorized passenger load that plunged into a pond, authorities said. At least six other people are missing in floods that have ravaged mountain districts of six provinces and autonomous regions in central and southeastern China. More than a quarter-million people have been moved to temporary shelters, and major damage has been inflicted on buildings and crops. Apart from the two schoolchildren, 42 others have died due to floods and heavy rains, including 16 in the collapse of a nine-story building in the city of Guiyang following a landslide. Eight other people were killed in the central province of Hunan when a bus skidded into a guardrail and overturned. The Guangxi regional govern-
ment said 21 other kindergarten students were sent to the hospital in the school bus accident on Friday, with three listed in serious condition. The bus was licensed to carry 11 people, but had a total of 26 on board. The driver, teachers and school administrators have been taken into custody, the government said. Overloaded buses have been involved in accidents killing scores of children in recent years as local schools are closed and consolidated into larger campuses farther away from the children’s village homes. Seasonal rains cause major flooding around China almost every year. The worst in recent history was in 1998, when 4,150 people died, most of them along the Yangtze River. The massive Three Gorges Dam has largely contained Yangtze flooding, but the problem persists in other parts of the country. (ap)
tion of the development plan of the road pedestrian considering the matter of consent. So, it will not repeat the similar case to road pedestrian in front of the Gianyar public market. Renovation of the urban park will be done gradually. According to the Head of the Gianyar Sanitation and Landscaping Agency (DKP), Wayan Kujus Parwita, the renovation is an early stage. The road pedestrian will be worked on after getting permission from the
National Road Authority, the Ministry of Public Works, he explained, Thursday (May 22). He added that the Ciung Wanara urban park of Gianyar having been a family recreation center since the beginning of May 2015 starts to be renovated and reorganized. One of the renovations will include the construction of a pool and fountain. The renovation and arrangement are expected to be completed in September 2015. According to the design plan,
other than the construction of pond and fountain, the arrangement of the urban park spreading across 2,600 square meters will also include children playground, lactation room for breastfeeding mother, representative toilets and arrangement of flower pots and plant greening. Renovation will be made without changing the existing sculptures like the Kala Rau, Garuda, Lord Indra with his chariot and goddess of the moon statue. However, the
renovation will be done for the landscape and hardscape up to the addition of a few accessories such as ponds, fountains, statues on the entrance with Dwarapala in the east or in front of the SMPN1 Gianyar junior high school. Not only that, the urban park will also be equipped with seating for visitors. “Rhythm of the fountain made will also set up. Moreover, later the fountains will be equipped with lighting,” he said. (kmb16)
REUTERS/Beawiharta
A Rohingya migrant, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, takes a bath after a haircut inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 22, 2015. Myanmar’s military commander-in-chief said some “boat people” landing in Malaysia and Indonesia this month are likely pretending to be Rohingya Muslims to receive U.N. aid and that many had fled neighbouring Bangladesh, state media reported on Friday.
Mass graves of suspected trafficking victims found in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Mass graves and suspected human-trafficking detention camps have been discovered by Malaysian police in towns and villages bordering Thailand, the country’s home minister said on Sunday. Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said officials are determining whether the graves were of human-trafficking victims, but did not say how many dead bodies were discovered.
Renovation of Ciung Wanara urban park still going on GIANYAR - Renovation project of the Ciung Wanara urban park worth IDR 3.4 billion has been started since last week. However, the reconstruction plan of the urban park and the area remains not to get a permit of road pedestrian from the National Road Authority, the Ministry of Public Works. Similarly, it also becomes a record of a member of Commission B of the Gianyar House, Ketut Karda. His party reminded in the presenta-
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Zhou Hua/Xinhua via AP
In this Thursday, May 21, 2015 photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, residents move a motorcycle on a flooded street in Jiahui town of Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
“This is still under investigation,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Kuala Lumpur. According to media reports, the mass graves were believed to contain the bodies of hundreds of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Police discovered 30 large graves containing the remains of hundreds of people in two places in the northern state of Perlis, which borders Thailand, the Utusan Malaysia newspaper reported. The Star newspaper reported on its website that nearly 100 bodies were found in one grave on Friday. “I reckon it was a preliminary finding and eventually I think the number would be more than that,” Ahmad Zahid said when asked about reports of the number of mass graves discovered. Ahmad Zahid said the camps identified are in the areas of Klian Intan and villages near the border. “They have been there for quite some time. I suspect the camps
have been operating for at least five years,” he said. A police spokeswoman declined to comment, saying a news conference on the issue would be held on Monday. A police official who declined to be identified said police commandos and forensic experts from the capital, Kuala Lumpur, were at the site but it was unclear how many graves and bodies had been found. “Of course I believe that there are Malaysians involved,” Ahmad Zahid said, when asked about possible involvement of locals in the incident. Northern Malaysia is on a route for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingyas, who say they are fleeing persecution, and people from Bangladesh seeking work. Smugglers have also used southern Thailand, and police believe the discovery had a connection to mass graves found on the Thai side of the border this month. Twenty-six
bodies were exhumed from a grave in Thailand’s Songkhla province, over the border from Perlis, near a camp with suspected links to human trafficking. More than 3,000 migrants, most of them from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have landed on boats in Malaysia and Indonesia this month after a crackdown on trafficking in Thailand. On Sunday, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that starting next week, it would begin the repatriation of 720 Bangladeshi migrants over the next month. The cost of the repatriation would be met by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman at Indonesia’s disaster agency. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday pledged assistance and ordered the navy to rescue thousands adrift at sea. (rtr)
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Traveling
Monday, May 25, 2015
Hawaii’s Waimanalo Bay Beach Park tops Dr. Beach’s list Bay Beach Park has lifeguards on duty and the water is not very deep or treacherous, Leatherman says. “There are a lot of beaches in Hawaii that are absolutely gorgeous but not very safe,” he added. Phillip Quiton Jr., a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Kaneohe, Hawaii, was fishing with friends Warrick and Warren Kekauoha on Waimanalo Bay on Tuesday. He said he comes to the beach a lot to fish, but never to surf. “There isn’t much surf here,” he said of the relatively calm blue waters. But it’s good for fishing, he said. “Nobody else is here, I guess for whatever reason they believe there isn’t much fish.” A few minutes later one of his friends landed a bonefish. Quiton said the ease of access and rock-free sand are other factors for frequenting this particular stretch of shore. Ali Junell, of Portland Oregon, and Kristen Carmichael, of Los Angeles, were lounging on the beach near the three fishermen on Tuesday. They were told about the spot by a friend who lives and works nearby. “There’s no one here,” Junell said. “It’s pretty empty and the waves aren’t overwhelming.” “It’s nice to be at a beach with blue water that you can get in if it gets too hot,” she added.
Hamoa Beach on Maui also made this year’s list, joining beaches in Florida, Massachusetts, the Carolinas and California to round out the top 10. Hawaiian beaches have won the top beach designation 14 of the 25 years Leatherman has published the list. After Waimanalo, the other beaches on this year’s list are Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, Florida, in the No. 2 spot, followed by St. George Island State Park on the Florida Panhandle; Hamoa Beach on Maui, Hawaii; Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, South Carlolina; Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples, Florida; and East Beach in Santa Barbara, California. Up until now, any beach that won the top spot on Dr. Beach’s list was retired and became ineligible for inclusion in subsequent years. However, Dr. Beach says after 25 years of publication, next year he will clear the slate and allow any beach in the nation to once again be eligible for the contest and for the top pick. “I’m going to start all over next year,” he said. “This is the end of a 25-year, quarter century run and every beach is eligible again next year.” (ap)
DENPASAR - Plastic rice at issue lately drives the concerns over the use of plastic in food. Indeed plastic is hazardous material, let alone be used for food.
AP Photo/Caleb Jones
In this May 19, 2015 photo, the sun rises over Waimanalo Bay in Waimanalo, Hawaii
AP Photo/Caleb Jones
In this May 19, 2015 photo, Ali Junell, of Portland, Ore., left, and Kristen Carmichael, of Los Angeles, sit on the beach at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Waimanalo, Hawaii.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort via AP
This undated photo provided by the Kiawah Island Golf Resort shows sunrise as seen from Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
1. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii 2. Barefoot Beach, Bonita Springs, Florida 3. St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle 4. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii 5. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina 6. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida 7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts 8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina 10. East Beach, Santa Barbara, California
Endang Widowati, the Head of the Denpasar Agency of Drug and Food Control (BBPOM), said in Denpasar that the use of plastic in food, especially hot food, is very hazardous. Indeed plastic may not be exposed to heat. She continued that plastic in hot temperatures can produces polymer particles that can get into food. She said that particular plastics
may be exposed to heat such as a gallon. For example, the temperature during the cleansing process may reach 70 degrees. “But it does not necessarily mean that it can be heated excessively,” he said, Saturday (May 23). Some kinds of colored translucent plastic commonly used to wrap sugar are safer than the other kinds. However, it is still not allowed to
wrap heated food, such as in the use of steaming food and wrap hot food like fried meatballs. Such plastic can also be used to store food in refrigerator. Endang mentioned that black ‘crackle’ plastic is more hazardous than the other types because black plastic is a plastic that has been recycled for many times. Moreover, the recycling process uses various
chemicals. Additionally, the origin of the plastic is unclear and can be from former rubbish. In addition, Endang revealed that storage of mineral water in plastic bottle must also get serious attention, let alone use PVC plastic. “Storage of mineral water may not be in hot place, for example, in a car and motorcycle. It will taste definitely different because it contains plastic particles,” he said. That is why the bottled drinking water factories may not install PVC
NEGARA - Aside from having tourism potential, Perancak Beach is also one of the favorite beaches for sea turtles to lay eggs (nest). This is what underlies some societies making turtle conservation organization that had endangered because of poaching. It should be recognized that the concept of conservation of wild and protected animals do not only require determination and commitment, but also financial support. The animal conservation groups and similar organizations must be experiencing the problems. As a result, many parties often underestimate the conservation effort. Indeed the financial constraint can be covered either by donation or independent business. One of which is by applying the concept of ecotourism by involving local community at the breeding location, for example. Bali, as the island of tourist destination, actually has a very big chance for that. Unfortunately, at some places it is even commercialized for mass tourism and ignores the concept of conservation. Precisely, the exploitation is feared to undermine the conservation effort. One of the current successful ecotourism programs is parrot conservation in the Moluccas. Tour guides escorting guests and bird researchers are local residents who were previously the crooked beaked bird hunters. Now, the surrounding communities are empowered by providing homestay for researchers. Currently, Bali remains to get international highlight in the matter of turtle because trafficking rate of this protected animal is still rampant. Despite since 2000 the number of sea turtle consumption and trafficking has decreased by 80 percent, it remains to happen so far. On that account, all the components, namely the society and government must work together to stop the trafficking. Kurma Asih turtle conservation group at Perancak village, Jembrana, Bali is one of the conservation groups
currently trying the ecotourism concept. Compared to similar conservation groups such as in Kuta, Badung or Klungkung, this group is indeed still unable to attract the attention of many travelers as it is located far from the center of tourism. Actually, Perancak is the largest turtle nest in Bali. To support this conservation, it is needed the synergy with the community. Moreover, the Jembrana coastal communities have the habit of trading turtle eggs. Turtle nest is widely found along the coast from Gilimanuk to Pekutatan. Fishermen along the coast often obtain turtle eggs and sell them. This condition draws the concern of the Kurma Asih turtle conservation group so that they are forced to give rewards in the form of money which in essence serves a stimulus for the protection of turtle eggs. “If we do not buy those eggs,
people will sell them to others because turtle egg also becomes a target,” said Ketut Tirta, one of the founders of the turtle conservation group at Perancak. With these stimulants, many fishermen from the coastal areas of Jembrana and Tabanan even give turtle eggs to the group. The ecotourism developed at Perancak village teams up with an independent and international nonprofit network or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), namely the ProFauna Indonesia. This NGO engages in wildlife protection with the Kurma Asih group of Perancak in developing conservation with a slightly different approach, namely the development of conservation and community-based ecotourism. Local communities are involved so that they get economic benefits. As a result, it can reduce or mitigate the
exploitation of turtles in this region. “All this time, the turtle egg trafficking remains to happen so that we must reduce and stop it in the future. For any reason, the trafficking of turtle eggs is not allowed as it belongs to a protected species,” said Chairman of ProFauna Indonesia, Rosek Nursahid, some time ago. The support is not in terms of financial support, but in the form of education and training such as bringing in practitioners of turtle conservation, helping promote and mentoring. Besides, it will also team up with international volunteer agencies such as those from France and Australia. “They will send volunteers to Perancak and they will definitely pay. The volunteers will pay for the cost of accommodation, consumption and so on here. Then, 100 percent of the income will go to the community
Travaasa Hana via AP
This undated photo provided by Travaasa Hana shows Hamoa Beach, in Maui, Hawaii.
IBP/Olo
Aside from having tourism potential, Perancak Beach is also one of the favorite beaches for sea turtles to lay eggs (nest). This is what underlies some societies making turtle conservation organization that had endangered because of poaching.
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pipeline in the production process, but must use stainless steel pipeline. “Bottled water must meet the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as requirement of the production,” she said. Similarly, she added that her party will come down to the field to see the production process, personnel, production facilities and the reservoir as well as test results. “If it qualifies, the permit can be issued,” she added. Unlike the refill water, its test is made each time. (kmb42)
and it is surely earmarked for the conservation of the sea turtles. Thus, there is an alternative income for the community,” added the activist from Malang, East Java. This effort is welcomed by the activists of turtle conservationists at Perancak. In the future, I Wayan Anom Astika Jaya hoped the conservation effort can be collaborative with ecotourism in improving the local economy. “At the end, such effort can provide alternative income for fishermen by establishing a homestay for researchers and volunteers coming from various countries, not only from the results of catching fish. Thus, it does not merely empower the Kurma Asih but also the community of Perancak village in general,” he explained. (olo)
Turtle conservation by applying ecotourism concept
Dr. Beach’s best beaches list for summer 2015
9. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
Monday, May 25, 2015
Plastic use in hot food, extremely hazardous
HONOLULU — As the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, Waimanalo Bay’s powdery white coral sand glows in the morning light. A few people lounge in the sand as a fisherman casts his line into the turquoise water. On Thursday, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park was named the top beach on an annual top 10 list of U.S. beaches compiled by a coastal science professor known as Dr. Beach. Professor Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University compiles the popular list of best public beaches in the United States using 50 criteria, including best sand and water quality, environmental management and amenities. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park beat out Barefoot Beach in Florida as the top pick for 2015, according to Dr. Beach. In recent years Leatherman has given extra points to beaches that have good safety records and no-smoking rules. “Cigarette butts are the number one form of litter on beaches — plastics in terms of volume but in terms of numbers it’s cigarette butts — so I’m starting to give beaches extra credit for no smoking,” Leatherman said in a telephone interview Monday. Leatherman said he has been to beaches where he counted 10 cigarette butts in a square meter, but smoking is illegal on beaches in Oahu, giving the island a boost on the list. Leatherman cited Waimanalo’s unassuming location, on a single-lane road in a rural stretch of the windward coast of Oahu, as another reason for its selection as the best of 2015. It’s located in a quiet town near an Air Force base, far away from the busy streets of Waikiki. “It’s a beach that a lot of people don’t know much about,” Leatherman said. “I think it’s one of those little gems.” He added that a lot of tourists and out-of-staters probably “miss it all together.” Leatherman, who visits all the beaches on his lists, said Waimanalo Bay Beach Park is one of the longest in Hawaii and is the longest on the island of Oahu. “If you’re into beachcombing, you’ve got plenty of beach to walk on,” he said. Clean water and sand were important factors for Leatherman in deciding this year’s best beaches. Safety and environmental management were also key components. Waimanalo
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Monday, May 25, 2015
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Balinese language lacks of enthusiasts
BANGLI - Amid the development of the modern era, some younger generations do not let their prestige go down. It is reflected in the way they speak, at least they speak Indonesian. The use of Balinese language has not become the main priority, whereas it poses one of the Balinese identities.
IBP/File
The students are playing chess. Nowadays, the younger generation of Bali often reluctant to use Balinese Language
In addition, the low interest in learning Balinese language is getting worse when the government issued new regulation related to the subject of Balinese language at school merged with the subject of the art and culture. This phenomenon has an impact on low interest of new student candidates in choosing the Balinese Language Studies at several universities in Bali. Young generation is more interested in looking for foreign language majors as considered to have a higher prestige. This phenomenon triggers the concerns in the circle of academicians. One of them is the lecturer of the Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) Denpasar, I Gede Gita Purnama. He explained that Balinese language and literature is a part of the culture remaining to exist today. Aside from serving as a local language, the Balinese language is also implemented in Hindu ceremonies. “One of the spirits owned by Balinese culture is Balinese language and literature, so that it must be maintained and developed,” he said. For the time being, he disclosed that his worries over the fate of Balinese language definitely exists, but the optimism to maintain is bigger so that he always has a passion to find a way to develop Balinese language with a technologybased method as an important step that must be taken in the middle of the growing age. He added that although the Balinese language cannot be sold like foreign languages, but mastering Balinese language is one of the
strengths for younger generation when they want to compete in the global market and it can become a cultural identity to build a competitive character. “Balinese language is the identity that can be used to compete. It is not inferior to foreign languages,” said the alumni of the Udayana University. Addressing this issue, said Gita Purnama, other than requiring the education of Balinese language at schools, the government and private sector should also make synergies in publishing textbooks in Balinese language in which the distribution must reach all levels of society. In addition, the government must also make a regional bylaw (Perda) that requires the use of Balinese language on a particular day, both at school and in institutions. In the meantime, in relation to the number of teacher of Balinese language across Bangli County, so far there have been a total of 39 people spreading throughout the subdistrict. The Head of the Bangli Education Agency, I Nyoman Suteja, said that his party could not give an answer whether the number of teachers is sufficient or not to deal with the whole school. To know it, his party will make data collection considering some time ago the government of Bangli placed a number of non-permanent teachers at some schools. “To know whether they are adequate or not, we cannot deliver it. We are now still making data collection,” he said. (sos)
Due to selfie on cliff top, a tourist falls off SEMARAPURA - Due to taking selfie photo from the top of a cliff, a foreign tourist plummeted due to founder. Local residents then did a search for the victim who is the citizen of Singapore on behalf of Mohamed Aslam Bin Sahul, 21. Unfortunately, the victim jumping into the sea could not be saved despite being rushed to a local health center. Chief of Nusa Penida Police, Gede Arianta, revealed that the accident afflicting the tourist occurred
at noon, Thursday (May 21). The victim came to Nusa Lembongan for vacation and stayed at Villa Secret Point. Before the incident, the victim was with the other group members enjoying the view around in Nusa Lembongan. While at the Sandy Bay Cliff at noon, the victim invited his friends to take selfie together. At that time, the position of the victim and his colleagues were back to the cliff. The victim on the side of the cliff suddenly foundered and plunged
into the sea on the western side of Nusa Lembongan. Hearing the incident, local residents were immediately made a search for the victim at sea. The victim could just be found in the evening and immediately rushed to health center of Nusa Penida II, but unfortunately the victim’s life could not be saved. Over the incident, Gede Arianta advised visitors to be more careful when taking photos on a cliff because there has been no safety barrier on
the cliff so that it is very hazardous when being at cliff area. “We do hope that guests and residents wishing to take pictures together must be careful,” said Arianta. Separately, on Wednesday (May 20) a worker named Supriya from Malang, East Java, died suddenly. The victim who worked to make a chair at the house of a local resident of Nusa Lembongan previously complained of pain in the chest. At that time, the victim took a rest and slept, but few minutes later the
victim suffered convulsions. The victim was rushed to the health center of Nusa Penida II by his friend Abdul Latif, Norman and Komang Widia. On arriving at the health center, he was declared to have died. Based on the results of examination by local doctor, the victim was suspected to get a heart attack. From the victim’s body was not found any indications of violence. The body of the victim has been brought to Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar. (dwa)
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Puri Santrian launch new wing
SANUR - Puri Santrian is delighted to announce that it hosted an exclusive melaspas (inaugural) ceremony recently to spiritually bless its new wing. This event was carefully timed so that the wing will be fully in operation for the beginning of the European summer holiday season. Melaspas is a Balinese Hindu ritual that must be performed for any newly built home or structure before it is considered habitable. A purification ceremony essentially brings a building to life through elaborate offerings, prayers and sacred chants by a high-caste priest. This auspicious occasion took place before the audience of invited guests, including key travel partners, local agents and representatives from neighbouring hotels. In-house guests were also in attendance providing a rare opportunity to personally experience Bali’s rich cultural heritage. Live gamelan music and a light-hearted performance by a troupe of costumed comedians provided background entertainment during the ceremony. Employees from all restaurants and resorts under the Santrian banner were also on hand to help with the proceedings and to serve refreshments. A delicious buffet lunch was later made available to all guests
in a relaxed ambience of the Beach Club restaurant. It was an extensive spread featuring the array of traditional Balinese dishes such as roasted suckling pig, grilled satays and spicy vegetable salads. The new wing at Puri Santrian features an additional 36 Premier Deluxe rooms supported by a 25-meter infinity pool and ample space to soak up the sun. Besides, there is a stylish relaxation pavilion to anticipate the needs of seasoned travellers. Located in a quiet corner of the property, the wing is three storeys high and has an elevator to ensure that all rooms are fully accessible to mature guests with mobility issues. Ida Bagus Sid-
harta Putra said that the inaugural ceremony of the building is meant to add the strength of the Santrian Group in the face of tremendous competition among hotel business in Bali. As an old hotel belonging to the local, the product improvement must be made, so that it can be more competitive. “Hopefully, after the inaugural ceremony the hotel room can be fully occupied,” he hoped. In this case, Puri Santrian remains to put forward the concept of modern Balinese because the market is travelers from Europe and Australia. “By maintaining the concept of Bali, the longing of travelers for Bali can be seen at the Puri Santrian,” he concluded. (kmb)
Balinese Temple Ceremony Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc. The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion. The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines. In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.
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Marion Cotillard is queen of red carpet at Cannes’ ‘Macbeth’
Ethiopians vote in 1st election without former strongman Page 6
CANNES — Marion Cotillard plays a queen in Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth,” but at its Cannes premiere she was also a bejeweled queen of the red carpet. In a blue-and-rose truncated minidress from Dior’s haute couture springsummer 2015 collection, Cotillard sparkled Saturday as she posed alongside co-star Michael Fassbender, thanks to the outfit’s myriad embroidered pailettes
and jewels. The Oscar-winner, who’s known for her fashion-forward style, bucked the trend for classical va-va-voom and voluminous dresses that have been popular during this year’s Cannes Film
Festival. Although the look showed off the 39-year-old’s enviable legs, she might have benefited from a scarf, as the overcast Cannes sky caused a rather chilly spell. (ap)
Judge allowing new lawsuit in Sofia Vergara embryo fight
Sofia Vergara
Victoria Will/Invision/AP
SANTA MONICA — Sofia Vergara’s ex-fiance will be allowed to file an amended lawsuit seeking custody of two embryos he created with the “Modern Family” star, a judge ruled Friday. Superior Court Judge Lawrence Cho ruled that Nicholas Loeb can file the revised complaint, which for the first time will seek custody of the embryos. Loeb, who dated Vergara for several years before breaking up last year, sued the actress in August seeking a ruling that the embryos could not be destroyed. Vergara’s attorney opposed allowing the amended lawsuit, arguing during a hearing that Loeb has failed to state a viable legal claim to the embryos. Attorney Fred Silberberg noted that Loeb signed an agreement that both parties needed to consent to what happened to the embryos.
He accused Loeb, who wrote about the dispute over the embryos in the New York Times, of using the lawsuit to raise his own profile. “It is almost a sham pleading under the law,” Silberberg told Cho. Loeb’s attorney, Christina Goodrich, disputed Silberberg’s characterization and argued that the case presents a novel legal question. She said the fate of the embryos has been a very personal, private struggle for her client. “He does believe that they are his daughters,” Goodrich said. Loeb’s initial lawsuit identified him and Vergara as John and Jane Doe, but the new complaint will use their names. Vergara and Loeb broke up in May 2014. (afp)
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Monday, May 25, 2015
Valencia grabs Spain’s last CL spot; Almeria, Eibar go down Page 8
Mass graves of suspected trafficking victims found in Malaysia Page 13
Studies to expand the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar
DENPASAR - Tourist visits to a number of attractions in the city of Denpasar have increased tions thus far. However, he claimed by approximately 62% since the launch of the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar. The Municipality that the average visitor is quite satisfied and enjoyed the attractions of Denpasar therefore plans to expand the areas included in the city tour. Head of the Denpasar Tourism Office, Wayan Gunawan, said on Friday (May 22) that the increase in tourists has been due to the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar launched last March. He pointed out that last year an average of 1,600 people visited Badung Market per month, while this year there have been between 2,100 to 3,300 people per month. “This year’s average has climbed to 2,600 tourists per month,” said Gunawan.
So far it is mostly tourists from Australia, America and Europe who join the The Heritage City Tour of Denpasar and they are particularly interested in the Badung Market, while domestic tourists, are more interested in visiting the Bali Museum. According to Gunawan, evaluations of the city tour program are currently limited to quantitative data and considering that the previous number of visitors has not been well recorded, it is hard to
get a good idea of the success rate. However such quantitative evaluations will continue to be carried out according to plan, for the next 6 months. “Obviously, in terms of numbers, there has clearly been an increase in visitors, and we expect these numbers to continue to rise. These evaluations will be used as input in the development of the next program,” he said. Gunawan admitted that there have been no formal qualitative evalua-
Heritage City Tour of Denpasar. “We have not disseminated any questionnaire yet, but many visitors have said that they enjoyed the attractions on the tour,” he said. He also said assuredly that the City Tour will continue to be improved upon. Currently the grand design of the city tour package is being worked on and the assessment team includes academics from the Nusa Dua Tourism College (STP). Some of Denpasar’s attractions, like Sanur
Beach will be included in the next program. Also they are looking into the possibility of a full trip around the entire City of Denpasar. The Denpasar Tourism Office aims to have the grand design for the Denpasar city tour package ready by the end of 2015. (kmb25) 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.
Cate Blanchett lesbian love story wins Queer Palm at Cannes
CANNES - A lesbian love story starring Cate Blanchett scooped the Queer Palm award on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The unofficial prize went to “Carol” by director Todd Haynes, which tells the story of a love affair in 1950s New York at a time when homosexuality was criminalised. Critics at the festival have swooned over the elegant movie, which is seen as a frontrunner for the top Palme d’Or prize on Sunday and is already being discussed as a possible Oscar contender.
“It is more than just a simple film -- it is a historic moment -- the first time a story of love between two women has been treated with the respect and importance that we accord to all other cinematic romances,” said Queer Palm jury president Desiree Akhavan, an American actress and director. The prize coincided with good news for gay rights activists in Ireland, where voters backed the legalisation of same-sex marriages, as well as the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in Austria after last year’s victory by transvestite singer Conchita Wurst.
The Queer Palm jury also gave a special mention to “The Lobster”, an eccentric fable about lovers who risk being turned into animals if they fail to find a partner, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. Although the film did not contain explicit gay themes, the jury said it “ridiculed absurd social norms and conventions related to sexual relations”. Akhavan said the special mention for “The Lobster” reflected the lack of overtly gay representation among this year’s official selection in Cannes.
“I had a lot of difficulty finding qualities in the selection of films this year. None seemed gay enough,” she said. She rejected criticism of the Queer Palm, including from French filmmaker Xavier Dolan who last year said he found it “disgusting” for distinguishing between gay and straight cinema. “It’s through queer cinema that I found confidence in myself and the strength to come out at a time when I was trying to understand what being gay meant and how it would influence my life,” said Akhavan. (afp)
IBP/Suryawan
Tourist visits to a number of attractions in the city of Denpasar have increased by approximately 62% since the launch of the Heritage City Tour of Denpasar.