Edition Tuesday, march 27, 2018 | Internasional Bali Post

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ Conquers ‘Black Panther’ at Weekend Box Office

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

LOS ANGELES - After weeks of speculating which film could slow “Black Panther’s” impressive roll, “Pacific Rim Uprising” took the top spot at the domestic box office.

Universal and Legendary’s “Pacific Rim Uprising” landed a respectable $28 million opening weekend at 3,708 locations. The monster battle movie has garnered mixed critical response, with a current 46 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Though it opened with a softer debut than Guillermo del Toro’s predecessor “Pacific Rim,” which saw $37 million in July 2013, the sequel was enough to dethrone “Black Panther” in the superhero tentpole’s sixth weekend. Steven S. DeKnight co-wrote and directed “Pacific Rim Uprising” with a reported $150 million budget. The original, which starred Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Charlie Hunnam, and Robert Kazinsky, went on to gross $411 million at the worldwide box office, thanks to a strong international showing, especially in China, where it made $112 million compared to the U.S.’ $101.8 million. The sequel is set 10 years after the Battle of the Breach with a new generation of Jaeger pilots ready to combat the evolving Kaiju monsters and prevent humanity’s extinction. John Boyega plays Jake Pentecost, the son of Elba’s character Stacker Pentecost, who sacrificed his life in the first film. Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona, and Day also star. Still, in its sixth weekend “Black Panther” continues to be a powerhouse, nabbing the No. 2 spot with $17 million at 3,370 sites. That number lands “Black Panther” one of the seven highest sixth weekends in history. To date, the Marvel film has taken in $631 million, making it the fifth-highest all-time domestic grosses ahead of “The Avengers.” (rtr)

A ComfortDelgro taxi passes Uber and Grab offices in Singapore March 26, 2018.

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Cast member Lily Ji poses at the premiere for “Pacific Rim: Uprising” in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 21, 2018.

Academy of Motion Pictures chief denies sexual harassment allegation

REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo

Motion Picture Academy President John Bailey

LOS ANGELES - The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, has denied a sexual harassment allegation, Variety reported on Saturday. In a memo sent to academy staff, President John Bailey said allegations in Hollywood trade publications that he tried to touch a woman inappropriately a decade ago on a movie set were untrue, Variety reported.

A representative for Bailey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently confirm any of the allegations. Bailey, a cinematographer whose credits range from “Groundhog Day” to “How to Be a Latin Lover,” said in the memo that media reports describing complaints to the academy were false and served only to tarnish his 50-year career, Variety reported. (rtr)

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REUTERS/Edgar Su

Uber sells Southeast Asia business to Grab after costly battle

SINGAPORE/SAN FRANCISCO - Ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc has agreed to sell its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab, the firms said on Monday, marking the U.S. company’s second retreat from an Asian market. The industry’s first big consolidation in Southeast Asia, home to about 640 million people, puts pressure on Indonesia’s Go-Jek, which is backed by Alphabet Inc’s Google and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. A shake-up in Asia’s fiercely competitive ride-hailing industry became likely earlier this year when Japan-based SoftBank Group Corp’s Vision Fund made a multibillion dollar investment in Uber. “It was really a very independent decision by both companies,” Grab President Ming Maa told Reuters, adding that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son was “highly supportive”. Uber will take a 27.5 percent stake in Singapore-based Grab and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board. Grab was last valued at an estimated $6 billion. “It will help us double down on

our plans for growth as we invest heavily in our products and technology,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) said it has the mandate to review whether any mergers will result in a “substantial lessening of competition” and to take action, but it has yet to receive a notification from the companies. “For example, CCS can require the merger to be unwound or modified to prevent the substantial lessening of competition,” the agency said in a statement. For Grab, the deal will help its meal-delivery service, which will

now merge with Uber Eats, compete with Go-Jek, according to a person close to Grab. Go-Jek is a dominant player in Indonesia, the region’s biggest economy, and has rapidly expanded beyond ride hailing to digital payments, food delivery, ondemand cleaning and massage. “Go-Jek is such a different app, with different behaviours, it is something I can’t see Grab competing with well in Indonesia for a long time, like at least a year,” said Vinnie Lauria, partner at Southeast Asia’s Golden Gate Ventures. Ridehailing companies throughout Asia have relied heavily on discounts and promotions, driving down

profit margins and increasing pressure for consolidation. Uber, which is preparing for a potential initial public offering in 2019, lost $4.5 billion last year and is facing fierce competition as well as a regulatory crackdown in Europe. Uber invested $700 million in its Southeast Asia business, less than the $2 billion it burned through in China before ceding its operations there to Didi. MORE CONSOLIDATION Uber anticipated making more deals with rivals, but said it had no plans to do another sale in which it consolidates its operations in exchange for a minority stake in a rival. “It is fair to ask whether consolidation is now the strategy of the day, given this is the third deal of its kind ... The answer is no,” Khosrowshahi said in a note to employees

that was shared with Reuters. “One of the potential dangers of our global strategy is that we take on too many battles across too many fronts and with too many competitors.” A source familiar with Uber’s strategy said the company was going to step up its battle with Ola in India, another competitive and costly market where rivals have heavily subsidised rides in an effort to gain market share. Uber has close to 60 percent of the market there, by some estimates. Continued to page 6 News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http:// globalfmbali.listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http:// radioglobalfmbali.com and http:// ustream.tv/channel/global-fm-bali.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Bali News

International

Dozens of residents used to live on the beach, now relocated

Geographic position of Jembrana district directly adjacent to the southern sea has a positive and negative impact. In the past 10 years, the land in the coastal area of Jembrana continues to shrink due to the southern coast’s pounding waves. Serious impact of sea waves happened in 2010, after which one by one of fisherman’s settlement at Munduk Asem hamlet, Cupel, disappeared. Then, it continued to the west, namely Candikusuma village, Melaya. At the village known to be a pier during the Dutch colonial era, dozens of homes and sanctums almost lost. Since the incident of Munduk Asem, central government gave assistance in the form of coastal revetment. Yet nature has another will, when one point can be stopped, abrasion even happened to other coast located in the same line. Ironically, the coastal points being vulnerable to abrasion belong to people’s settlements. Based on the data compiled by Bali Post, the abrasion hitting Cupel region has occurred since 2001 where 68 families have been moved from the beach. At that time, dozens of Munduk Asem residents had to evacuate en masse. The evacuees have now been occupying the relocation land of government assistance at Kembang hamlet for many years. The victims of abrasion have occupied their respective home with the area of 100 square meters since 2008. As the information collected, the house construction is a grant from the ministry of public housing in 2008. Meanwhile, the land, purchase and certification process are the assistance of district government worth IDR 3.75 million with details that the land costs IDR 2.75 per 100 square meters and the certificate fee of IDR 1 million. Kembang hamlet chief, Abdul Hamid,

said at least there are 20 residents living in the settlement after relocated due to the abrasion. “Now, they belong to Kembang resident and all of them have owned a certificate,” he explained on Sunday (Mar. 25). The conditions are almost the same as on Candikusuma having been handled with revetment by using armor rocks. At Tirtakusuma hamlet, there are about nine families having been relocated because their homes were destroyed by abrasion. Most victims of the abrasion are fishermen that earn less. Moreover, some residents of Candikusuma have lived for almost a year at local hamlet hall previously used as public market. Living in relocation is very much different from the conditions when they lived in self-built home. The land where they were born, grown to build a family had vanished. Due to such circumstances, they are now adapting to new environments and new life. Today, a similar thing is almost experienced by dozens of residents in Jineng Agung hamlet, Gilimanuk. The impact of abrasion in the area adjacent to Maneuver Parking is in a ravaged condition. A number of culverts previously installed to protect land throughout the neighborhood have also been destroyed. So, when high tidal water comes, it directly hit the house of residents. Moreover, the alley connecting the hamlet to Gilimanuk Market has gone. If this happens, residents having lived for decades on the beach will be out of the way. Ironically, this abrasion has occurred for years and has been visited by officials but there was no handling. Some time ago, since there is no handling against the abrasion, some residents in Gilimanuk expressed their disappointment by putting up banners. It is intentionally installed at a number of points of abrasion. They asked for promise of saving the land from abrasion. Meanwhile, the latest data of early 2018 indicate there are 22 points vulnerable to abrasion. The Head of the Jembrana Public Works Agency, I Wayan Darwin, said that along some 30 kilometers of coastal area, the abrasive critical beaches spreads over 22 dots. A number of attempts have been made such as by making revetment with the assistance from central government. However, it has not covered the entire areas because the handing is done gradually. All the vulnerable points have been followed up by submitting a handling proposal to central government. (olo)

IBP/Gus Olo

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

15

Celebrate Your Easter Brunch at THE HAVEN Bali Seminyak

Abrasion eliminates house and land

OF the totally 76 kilometers of coastal length in Jembrana district, dozens of kilometers are affected by coastal abrasion. The land previously jutted into the sea has disappeared after being eroded by nature. As the data collected from the Jembrana Public Works Agency some time ago at least there are dozens of coastal points are affected by abrasion. Other than disappearing land, many people’s settlements have also disappeared over the past 15 years.

Activities

International

THE HAVEN Bali Seminyak invites you to have an exciting Easter weekend with a range of fun-filled children’s activities and sumptuous brunch buffet for a family feast. For this holiday, the team will present a

IBP/Suastrawan

The clean up Putung activity done by the officials of Karangasem.

On Earth Family Day, Karangasem promotes Putung

AMLAPURA - School children, scouts and local officials in the district government of Karangasem were deployed to do clean-up action at Putung tourist attraction, East Duda village, Selat, Sunday (Mar. 25). The mutual assistance led by Regional Secretary of Karangasem district, Gede Adnya Mulyadi, was meant to beautify Putung which will host the Earth Family Day. The launching of Earth Family Day will be held on Tuesday (Mar. 27). The event related to the world peace gong is indeed a promotional event because it will be attended by a number of figures and a number of foreign tourists. District government of Karangasem deliberately chose Putung as the venue of the event to also promote the natural attractions. Hopefully, Putung having been one of the most favorite attractions returns to exist so that it gives added values for the economy of society. “We choose Putung to restore the existence of tourist attraction having not been properly taken care of. With this activity, we hope Putung can be recognized again by the public,” explained Regional Secretary Adnya Mulyadi. Currently, Putung is genuinely potential to be developed into an alternative tourism. At the object, district government of Karangasem has 1.2 hectares of land that can be built for tourism facilities. There are also tourist spots belonging to customary villages. Similarly, such tourist spots can only be developed with a maximum if the

parent namely Putung itself is well arranged. One of the adequately potential tourism to be developed into a tourist destination is Jagasatru Waterfall. The waterfall of 35 meter high is located in the cliff path, at the bottom of Putung. Administratively, Jagasatru waterfall belongs to the territory of Pateh, East Duda village. Putung tourism object offers the overlay of hilly areas with a panoramic view of the southern sea of Karangasem. From the peak, visitors are presented with very beautiful natural scenery. The cliff below is suitable for tracking activities and passing through the residents’ gardens. Jagasatru waterfall gives more values than tracking location elsewhere. Headman of Eastern Duda, I Gede Pawana, said that Putung with its Jagasatru waterfall is very potential to be developed. Road access to Jagasatru waterfall was opened five years ago, but a new path was built two years later. He acknowledged that local community has a desire to make the waterfall into a package with the Putung tourism object on it. But with the current state of Putung, the potential of Jagasatru waterfall cannot provide maximal contribution to local village and community. Actually, when viewed from its history, it is worth selling. “At the top of the waterfall, there is also a holy Sudamala Bathing Place. It has function to do purification and eliminate any kinds of impurities,” he said. (117)

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Science

International

Scientists develop brain scanner in a helmet

LONDON - British scientists have developed a lightweight and highly sensitive brain imaging device that can be worn as a helmet, allowing the patient to move about naturally.

Results from tests of the scanner showed that patients were able to stretch, nod and even drink tea or play table tennis while their brain activity was being recorded, millisecond by millisecond, by the magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Researchers who developed the device and published their results in the journal Nature said they hoped the new scanner would improve research and treatment for patients who can’t use traditional fixed MEG scanners, such as children with epilepsy, babies, or patients with disorders like Parkinson’s disease. “This has the potential to revolutionise the brain imaging field, and transform the scientific and clinical questions that can be addressed with human brain imaging,” said Gareth Barnes, a professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging at University College London, who co-led the work. Current MEG scanners are cumbersome and weigh

as much as half a tonne, partly because the sensors they use to measure the brain’s magnetic field need to be kept very cold - at minus 269 degrees Celsius, Barnes’ team explained. They also run into difficulties when patients are unable to stay very still - very young children or patients with movement disorders for example - since even a 5-millimeter movement can mean the images are unusable. In the helmet scanner, the researchers overcame these problems by using quantum sensors, which are lightweight, work at room temperature and can be placed directly onto scalp - increasing the amount of signal they are able to pick up. Matt Brookes, who worked with Barnes and built the prototype at Nottingham university, said that as well as overcoming the challenge of some patients being unable to stay still, the wearable scanner offers new possibilities in measuring peoples’ brain function during real world tasks and social interactions. “This has significant potential for impact on our understanding of not only healthy brain function but also on a range of neurological, neurodegenerative and mental health conditions.” (rtr)

Wellcome/Handout via REUTERS

A woman is seen wearing a lightweight and highly sensitive brain imaging device in this undated handout photograph supplied by Wellcome and released in London, Britain March 22, 2018.

International

French citizen undergoes extradition trial

MIT CSAIL/Handout via REUTERS

A robot fish dubbed SoFi, created by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory to explore marine environments, swims at Rainbow Reef off Taveuni, Fiji in this August 2015 handout photo.

If you want to find Nemo, you may need SoFi, the robotic fish WASHINGTON - When exploring marine environments, underwater robots tend to be a bull trout in a china shop, disturbing marine life with their bulk and disruptive propulsion. Enter SoFi, the soft, agile robotic fish with a delicate demeanor. Scientists said on Wednesday they have created a remote-controlled robot that swims quietly through coral reefs and schools of fish and uses a fisheye lens -- of course -- to capture high-resolution photos and video with a camera built into its nose. Dubbed SoFi, it can swim forward, move up and down, turn and change speeds, propelling itself by wiggling its tail side to side like a real fish, a motion created by pumping water with a small motor into two balloon-like tail chambers. SoFi, built with a generic fish design, is white, weighs less than 4 pounds (1.6 kg) and is about 18 inches (47 cm) long. SoFi’s “soft artificial muscle” tail is made of silicone elastomer, a type of rubber. Its nose houses the electronic elements. It has two side fins for maneuvering. “I chose SoFi, pronounced like Sophie, as a name because it not only abbreviates the word Soft Fish, but it also reminded me of a girl I liked a lot and had a crush on in high school,” said study lead

author Robert Katzschmann, a robotics researcher and PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “The name is mellifluous just like the way the robot glides and undulates in water,” added roboticist Daniela Rus, CSAIL’s director. SoFi is operated using a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller by a diver who can be almost 70 feet (21 meters away). CSAIL researchers tested SoFi in South Pacific coral reefs and coastal waters near Taveuni, Fiji’s third-largest island, as well as in an MIT pool. The untethered robot navigates for up to 40 minutes at depths reaching almost 60 feet (18 meters). Existing autonomous underwater vehicles typically are tethered to boats and powered by propellers or jets that can disrupt the natural environment. SoFi swims alongside fish and other marine creatures without sending them fleeing. “The robot can be used as a marine biology instrument and also to measure pollution in coastal waters, to create maps, to do inspection, to monitor and track,” Rus said. “This hopefully serves as inspiration for many more soft robotic creatures to come, both on land and in water,” Katzschmann added. (rtr)

DENPASAR — One by one of foreign citizens becoming Interpol fugitive undergo extradition trial. On Thursday (Mar. 22), a French citizen named Mathias Hubert Marie Echene, 47, an Interpol fugitive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), getting involved in a fraud case, underwent a trial of extradition appeal in the Denpasar District Court. The trial was led by Deputy Head of Denpasar District Court who is also the head of the judge panel, I Ketut Tirta, with prosecutor Dewa Arimbawa et al. Previously, this tourist was arrested at the International Arrival Terminal of Ngurah Rai Airport, Tuban, and detained in the Bali Police detention house. The application was submitted to the government of Indonesia through diplomatic channel based on the letter of Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Hong Kong

Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

3

No. 2516/JAK/IX/2017 dated September 25, 2017 addressed to the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia concerning the application of the law violator handover having escaped from the government of Hong Kong SAR on behalf of Mathias Hubert Marie Echene. In addition, continued the prosecutor, the hearing of the extradition request was following the letter of application for the submission of Mathias Hubert Marie Echene from the government’s senior legal advisor of mutual legal assistance unit of the International Law Division dated on September 14, 2017 and the letter of Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong SAR on the request of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, the People’s Republic of China, dated September 6, 2017, for the handover of the defendant Mathias along with all the documents. (kmb37) IBP/kmb35

A number of residents who are angry with this condition set up an installation art in the middle of paddy fields with the words ‘Save Carik’ meaning ‘Save Field.’

Rampantly invaded by investors

Residents of Tegenungan set ‘save field’ installation art

GIANYAR — High onslaught of investors converting agricultural land is now happening around Tegenungan hamlet, Kemenuh, Sukawati. A number of residents who are angry with this condition set up an installation art in the middle of paddy fields with the words ‘Save Carik’ meaning ‘Save Field.’

IBP/kmb37

Mathias Hubert Marie Echene, 47, an Interpol fugitive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), getting involved in a fraud case, underwent a trial of extradition appeal in the Denpasar District Court.

Hamlet chief of Tegenungan, Gusti Raka, said the area of his home village formerly considered green is now being thronged by investors. As evidence, many tourist accommodations have been established in the middle of paddy fields. The ‘save field’ installation art by a Tegenungan waterfall security guard was made about a month ago. “The installation art has been going on since a month ago,” he said. Installation of ‘Save Field’ is meant to protect the paddy fields. It also comes with the additional sign installation saying ‘Back to Nature’ and ‘Free Lifi’ (Balinese word meaning ‘snake’). The green signage is attached to the trunk of a coconut tree. The installation

can be seen clearly on the road section of Jalan Raya Tegenungan--Jalan Raya Sukawati, Gianyar. Precisely, it is located in the north of the Tegenungan waterfall attraction. The installation faces west of the street as if greeting the passing visitors. Gusti Raka assessed after the issuance of regional regulations on levies, village can no longer collect it with the intention of protecting its territory. According to him, with the presence of the regulation, the investors seem free to build a villa. In the past, Raka said that when there was no regulation on levying, his village had a very strict rules or awig-awig on development. “With such awig-awig, the paddy fields can be protected. Awig-awig is very strict to collect levies, but now with the presence of the levying rules, it is considered illegal,” he complained. He revealed that in the area indeed spreads the paddy fields. Some of the lands have been established with villa. There is also a plot of land. Besides, a house building seems to have been built in the middle of rice fields marked with ‘for sale’ signboard. (kmb35)

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Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Bali ignores arrack makers of Karangasem

REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

People check the damage after debris from ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia fell onto a house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 26, 2018.

IBP/kmb

Like chicken die in rice barn, gradually the number of arrack makers in Karangasem diminishes. They have pursued the profession through generations. Sunday (Mar. 25) said the market response to the original arrack of Karangasem is getting weaker. So, people also have to find alternative job such as being laborer to transport coconut from collector. “The image of the original arrack of Karangasem becomes damaged due to rampant circulation of mixed arrack,” complained Suardana. Original arrack of Karangasem is produced in traditional way. After slicing coconut tree, the ingredient in the form of a bucket of palm wine is tightly closed and silenced for a day. After that, this basic ingredient passes through distillation process in very simple place having been provided. It only needs a large basin, steam flow pipe, a large drum as a cooler and medium jerry can to hold final result. Suardana said the basic ingredient is

poured into a basin and then boiled for 4-5 hours. The steam produced from the decoction will flow to the drum before it seeps into jerry can. “Each day, I can usually process about 50 bottles (35 liters). Final result will reach about 5 liters of arrack,” said Suardana while adding that the results are directly taken to collector to be marketed in Denpasar. Despite complaining, he claimed to realize this situation. Due to high market demands, other collectors often make mixed arrack from ingredient without alcohol content to alcoholic beverages. It is very easy for him to identify which is the original and mixed arrack. However, for the lovers, as long as it can make people drunk, it will be continuously consumed even though the palm wine has been mixed with chemicals and other

unusual liquid such as metanol, oil, liquid Baygon to gasoline before drinking. “Sometimes the drinkers do not know the original arrack. As long as it can make them drunk, it will surely run out,” he said. Since the past time until now, the arrack makers have never been touched by local government policy. Let alone to develop, they have also never been facilitated to produce legally. Thus, they are often targeted by law enforcement officers. “We have produced arrack for nine years but our activity is never included in government programs. So far, we are still producing because our surrounding customers are often coming here. So, currently this activity is just used to kill time,” explained this father of three children. (gik)

Difficulty of arrack to enter restaurants

ALIGNMENT of regulation has never happened to arrack makers. Precisely, the government regulation gradually eliminates arrack makers in Karangasem. The business of arrack makers is made more difficult by the Regulation of the Minister of Trade No.06 / M-DAG / PER / 1/2015 concerning with the Control and Supervision on Procurement, Distribution and Sales of Alcoholic Beverages. This rule will eliminate the arrack makers. Without the rules, the local

people have faced difficulty to run arrack business. Not infrequently they must play hide-and-seek with police officers because so far the arrack of Karangasem does not have a label permit. Head of the Karangasem Industry and Trade Agency, I Gusti Ngurah Suarta, admitted on Sunday (Mar. 25) his agency is very aware of this situation. All the above mentioned obstacles, he argued, are also caused by the production of arrack for consumption that is also classified into a negative list

of investment as regulated in Presidential Regulation No. 39/2014. This rule makes local government powerless to defend arrack makers that have been pursuing this profession for years. This rule governs the closed and open business entity in the field of investment. Hence, this business is actually prohibited to keep producing. Seeing the regulation, the arrack makers in Karangasem have urged local governments to find out a solution. Until now, the situation is still uncertain.

“We really want this Karangasem arrack is able to support Bali tourism and come to hotels and restaurants in Bali, but it remains difficult. Minister of trade and presidential regulation must be revoked first. The arrack should also have distribution label permit first before distributed to hotel and restaurant,” he said. When met the minister of trade and Deputy Regent of Karangasem, I Wayan Artha Dipa, he also had time to convey the obstacles experienced by district government of Karangasem in accommodating

13

Japan’s Akie Abe ‘First Lady’ role now puts her in scandal’s spotlight

KARANGASEM district is known as the largest center for arrack makers in Bali. Rural people are very familiar with such intoxicating drink. Bali as the best tourist destination in the world should be able to accommodate home industry of Bali local community to support the needs of alcoholic beverages at hotels and restaurants instead of bringing in alcoholic beverages of various brands from overseas. However, the efforts toward such purpose are never achieved in Bali. Instead, the arrack makers are often caught by police officers on the road because they are considered to distribute alcohol without permission. Why does it happen? Like chicken die in rice barn, gradually the number of arrack makers in Karangasem diminishes. They have pursued the profession through generations. The latest data from the Karangasem Industry and Trade Agency indicate the number of arrack maker reaches 7,600 people centered in four subdistricts, namely Manggis, Sidemen, Abang and Kubu. Totally, the local home industry can produce 2,650,000 bottles per year or 220,000 bottles per month. Thus, the existence of arrack production has become one of the foundations of Karangasem community in meeting their needs of daily living. All this time, many people are involved in the arrack making in the four subdistricts above. They make use of the abundance of coconut trees in every nook and cranny of village. As the record, 800 people in Manggis subdistrict has pursued this arrack making with total production of 250,000 bottles per year; 3,700 people in Sidemen with production of 1,250,000 bottles per year and 2,500 people in Abang subdistrict with a total production of 980,000 bottles per year. Meanwhile, in Kubu Sub-district there are 600 people with a total production of 240,000 bottles per year. One of the arrack makers at Kesimpar Kangin hamlet, Kesimpar, Abang subdistrict, Nyoman Suardana, when met at his home on

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

the complaints of arrack makers. However, the minister also stated if the situation is difficult as revoking the existing regulation is not easy. The consideration should become a national issue. However, he said the minister has been studying this issue, so as not to eliminate the arrack makers whose number reaches thousands of people. “Instead of bringing in alcoholic drink to restaurants from overseas, it is better to empower local potential. Thus, it can have a greater impact on our society,” he said. (kmb31)

Saudi Arabia shoots down missiles from Yemen; 1 dead from debris

TOKYO - Japan’s first lady, Akie Abe, once known mainly for embracing progressive causes that put her at odds with her conservative spouse, is now in the hot seat as doubts revive about a murky land sale to a nationalist school to which she had ties. The daughter of a confectionary magnate, Abe has tried to carve out a U.S.-style public “First Lady” role in a land where political wives typically stay in the shadows. But that approach comes with risks, acquaintances and experts say. “Her ideas and those of other wives of prime ministers are different,” said Yu Toyonaga, head of a non-profit organisation promoting organic rice, who has done volunteer work with Akie Abe. “Rather than being a woman who is ‘useful’ within a maledominated society, she wants to interact ... as an autonomous person.” Opposition parties are demanding she testify in parliament about her ties to Moritomo Gakuen, the nationalist school operator whose deeply discounted purchase of state-owned land is at the heart of a suspected cronyism scandal and possible cover-up that has sliced Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s support ratings. The finance ministry admitted on March 12 that it had altered documents about the deal, including removing references to Akie Abe. Her husband has denied he or his wife intervened in the sale or that he ordered a cover-up. The prime minister is opposed to her testifying, but 62 percent of respondents to a Nikkei business daily poll published on Monday said she should answer questions in parliament. The survey showed Abe’s support sank to 42 percent while those opposed to his cabinet jumped to 49 percent. Akie Abe, 55, has made waves since her husband returned to office in 2012 for a second term with activities that include taking part in an LGBT rights parade, opposing nuclear power, and visiting protesters against a planned U.S. military facility on Okinawa - all positions that resonate with liberals. She also runs a tiny organic restaurant and has spoken in favour of legalising marijuana for medical use. (rtr)

RIYADH - Saudi air defenses shot down seven ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Sunday, with debris killing a man in what was the first death in the capital during the Saudi-led coalition’s three-year military campaign in Yemen. Saudi forces destroyed three missiles over northeastern Riyadh shortly before midnight, as well as others fired at the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. Debris from the missiles fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians, said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki, according to SPA. Reuters reporters in Riyadh heard several booms and saw smoke in the air. Another witness said he saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions. In al-Malqa neighbourhood, emergency personnel gathered near a crater in the ground and inspected shattered glass in nearby homes. The attack marked the third time in five months that missiles have

flown over Riyadh, as the Houthis step up efforts to demonstrate they can reach the Saudi capital, and threatened to escalate a regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthi-run SABA news agency reported the group’s missile force had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a Burkan H2 missile. The group also fired other types of missiles at airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha, another southern Saudi city, according to the SABA report. The Saudi-led coalition of Gulf Arab states launched military operations against the Houthis in Yemen in March 2015, after the Iran-aligned Shi’ite militia seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa and forced President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi to flee. Riyadh saw the ouster as a re-

gional power grab by arch-foe Iran, although the Houthis deny any help from Tehran, and has described Iran’s alleged supply of rockets to the Houthis as “direct military aggression.” The United States, which provides support to the coalition, has also displayed what it said were Iranian-made weapons supplied to the Houthis, calling them conclusive evidence that Tehran was violating U.N. resolutions. The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, unleashing a humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country. Nearly 1 million people have been infected with cholera. Coalition forces have made modest territorial gains over the course of the war but appear far from seizing back the capital. (rtr)

REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe visit a former home of Chiune Sugihara, a Jew-saving Japanese diplomat, in Kaunas, Lithuania January 14, 2018.

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International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

BUSINESS New lows for Spanish borrowing costs on ratings upgrade, Italy feels some pain LONDON - The premium investors demand to hold Spanish bonds over top-rated Germany fell to six-week lows on Monday after the country’s second ratings upgrade of the year led to a further outperformance of its bond market over its euro zone peers. Bond yields across the euro area were higher as reports that the United States and China have started negotiations to improve U.S. access to Chinese markets eased fears of a trade war and reduced the appeal of fixed income. Italian bonds were laggards, amid signs the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the anti-migrant League might explore an alliance to form a government. In contrast, Spanish bonds continued to outshine their peripheral peers after S&P Global on Friday raised Spain’s credit rating to A- from BBB+, citing a positive outlook for the economy and budgetary consolidation. Spain’s 10-year bond yield dipped to a 16-month low at 1.24 percent, pushing the gap over top-rated German peers to a low of 71 basis points. The Italian/Spanish yield spread was 64 bps, close to its widest in seven months. Spain is one of the best-returning government euro zone bond market in 2018 as the country pushes closer to better-rated euro zone states such as Belgium, France and Ireland, referred to as the “semi-core.” “The ratings upgrade, while backward looking, opens Spain up to a more conservative investor base,” said Patrick O’Donnell, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management. “Relative to Spain, you don’t necessarily have the growth in Italy, the reforms enforced by Spain during the crisis and the near-term political risks point in opposite directions.” The former Catalan leader Puigdemont was detained in Germany on Sunday, five months after entering selfimposed exile from Spain, where he faces up to 25 years in prison for organising an illegal secession referendum last year. FALLING BEHIND? Italy’s 10-year bond yield rose 3.5 bps to 1.91 percent , while German Bund yields were up 1 bps at 0.55 percent. The head of Italy’s 5-Star Movement at the weekend praised the League’s leader, Matteo Salvini, after the two parties agreed a deal to elect parliament’s speakers. Asked whether his movement could side with the League to form a government in the wake of an inconclusive March 4 election, 5-Star’s Luigi Di Maio did not rule anything out . The president is due to start formal consultations on forming a govt on April 3, however, political sources have told Reuters serious negotiations might have to wait until after regional elections slated for the end of April. The reaction in Italian bonds to political uncertainty has been relatively muted and upcoming bond sales may also explain weakness in Italian bonds, analysts said. “We have to wait and see because this is going to be a long-drawn out process in Italy,” said Peter Schaffrik, global macro strategist, RBC Capital Markets. (rtr)

International

Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Some Myths Related to Tanah Lot Attraction

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Having a promenade together with partner to witness the beauty of Tanah Lot tourist attraction will surely be impressive. Moreover, walking hand in hand while passing through every sturdy coral rock will certainly bring in very sweet memories. Fading sunlight at the nightfall as if gave the spirit to strengthen the affection. Unfortunately, Tanah Lot

REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), walks to hold a speech during the “Europe Lecture” of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2018.

IMF head tells euro zone time right to set up rainy day fund

BERLIN - International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde said on Monday euro zone leaders should set up a “rainy day fund” to help cushion member states in economic downturns. Officials in the bloc have been discussing such a fund since last year as one option for setting up a euro zone budget or boosting fiscal capacity -- an idea championed by France and to which opposition from Germany appears to be softening. In a speech in Berlin, the Fund’s managing director welcomed a “sustained and broadly shared upswing” in the global economy, which she said offered a precious window of opportunity for governments to “complete the architecture” of the euro zone. “There are other, forceful headwinds threatening,” Lagarde said. “Think of the rise of populism and the shortsighted siren call of protectionism.” Talks among euro zone finance ministers on an additional fiscal capacity have so far brought no conclusions, partly because Germany was long without a government following an inconclusive election in September. Leaders are likely in June to give direction to further work. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats offered some encouragement to that process in the coalition

deal they sealed last month, agreeing to support devoting specific budget funds to economic stabilisation, social convergence and structural reform in euro zone. Those funds - developed from the euro zone’s existing ESM bailout fund - should form the basis for a future bloc-wide “investment budget”, the parties said. SIX-MONTH LEAD-IN? Lagarde said the initial decision to get to work on building a rainy day fund could come quickly. “Within the next six months or so there could be a meeting of minds ... on the general principles and timeline,” she said. Even if details took five years to hammer out, the announcement would “let it be public that members of the currency union stick together”. For the euro zone to prepare for the next downturn, she urged members to develop a modernised capital markets union, an improved banking union and to move towards greater fiscal integration - starting with a central fiscal capacity that would reassure investors. Euro zone countries would contribute

to the rainy day fund each year, building up assets in good times that they could then tap during a downturn. In extreme circumstances, countries could borrow from the fund and repay loans with future contributions, she said. Transfers should be conditional on members sticking to EU fiscal rules. Lagarde recommended that countries pay a premium in good times based on the benefits they receive in bad times, incentivising members to streamline their economies and maintain fiscal discipline. These twin steps would aim to avoid permanent transfers, also a priority of euro zone officials’ own fund proposals. EU officials are also considering an unemployment re-insurance scheme, a fund to support investment during economic downturns and money to support structural reforms that help euro zone economies converge. On a capital markets union, she called for enhanced regulation and upgraded oversight arrangements to handle a likely influx of financial services firms to continental Europe after Brexit. Lagarde welcomed signs of progress on a banking union. (rtr)

Having a promenade together with partner to witness the beauty of Tanah Lot tourist attraction will surely be impressive. Moreover, walking hand in hand while passing through every sturdy coral rock will certainly bring in very sweet memories. Fading sunlight at the nightfall as if gave the spirit to strengthen the affection. Unfortunately, Tanah Lot retains a myth and taboo for couples taking their girlfriend of boyfriend to visit the place of worship. “Do not bring your girlfriend or boyfriend to Tanah Lot Temple” is the sentence often expressed by the elders on this Island of the Gods. Many Balinese people believe if unmarried couples have vacation or dating to Tanah Lot Temple will cause the relationship not to last longer or immediately break up. If the prohibition is violated, the relationship with the boyfriend or girlfriend is believed not to last long. It will become not harmonious leading to be separated. Although being difficult to prove, believe it or not, Balinese people especially young couples strongly believe in the myth. They never want to bring their partner to Tanah Lot Temple. Merely walking in the area of ??Tanah Lot area is commonly done by young couples. “The myth does not apply to married couples,” said Jero Niti, Public

Relations of Tanah Lot attraction. In the current modern era, explained Jero Niti, the myth remains to be trusted by the Hindu community in Bali, unlike tourists coming to visit with girlfriend or boyfriend. Does the myth also apply to them? “Tourists rarely care about it whether they are with a girlfriend or not. They certainly do not know whether they will break up or not,” she said. Another myth is related to the holy snake

living in the coral cave. The snake is believed to be the guardian of the temple securing people away from the threat of evil and destruction. It is said if there will be a natural disaster or disaster, the snake will show a sign through the emergence of the king or queen of the red sea snake. Balinese people believe if this sacred snake often moves to Tanah Lot temple at night to keep the purity of the temple. Meanwhile, there is also a myth of holy

water serving as remedy for looking young. The spring is located beneath of the Tanah Lot Temple. The spring coming out of the temple wall is believed to make people ageless. Thus, many Balinese people wish to pray or just use the water to wash their face. “Although the story on the myth of Tanah Lot Temple continues to circulate, tourists continuously come to the attraction located at Beraban village, Kediri, Tabanan,” said Jero Niti. (kmb)

Ayuk In Rib Soup Comes with Distinctive Taste Are you a fan of rib soup? Try to stop by at Sop Iga Ayuk In Restaurant located at Jalan Suwung Batankendal No. 11 Sesetan, South Denpasar. Precisely located in front of the bus guide terminal, it serves a variety of menus with the main ingredient of beef rib. It is easy to reach from tourist areas like ??Sanur, Sakenan and Benoa as well as from downtown Denpasar. This rib soup is appropriate for lunch and dinner. This restaurant opens every day starting at 10:00 until 21:00. Its special menus are quite tasty and delicious so they become preferred choice of customers. The three special menus are Original Rib Soup, Spicy Sour Rib Soup and Roasted Rib. “We serve these menus with special preparations, so they can be enjoyed by various circles, including foreign tourists,” said the owner,

Fausiah Saesaria Alindra. The menu of rib soup offers a distinctive flavor. The flesh is soft after passing through pressurized process, so it is easily taken out from the bone. Its gravy is delicious because of using local spices in combination with some special spices brought in from Lampung (Sumatra). “This is a special recipe from my mother. She is a great cook at the home village (Lampung) and is now trying to share with other people,” she explained. When ordering a portion of rib soup, customers do not have to wait too long. It simply takes 15 minutes and the menus are ready to be served. “Although the restaurant was just open a few months ago, we actually have been selling the menus since a year ago. However, we sell it through online. We also sell wrapped rice,” she added.

Ayuk considered the business is very positive, so she tries to open a food stall to provide services directly for customers. Nevertheless, she remains to serve buyers via online at home on Jalan Gemitir in the area of ??Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra. “When booking via online, there has been a special application. Simply place an order @ sopiga_ayukin, we are ready to deliver,” said Fausiah. Customers of Ayuk In are not only local residents of Bali, but also domestic and foreign tourists. Tourists from Java, Sumatra and other regions that do not know the location of the restaurant will surely order via online. Foreign tourists have also repeatedly ordered this rib soup. “This Balinese beef rib soup is indeed good. After opening, we are ready to offer 20 percent discount or buy 3 get 1 free,” concluded Fausiah. (kmb)

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

W

RLD

At least 64 people, some children, killed in Russian mall fire

MOSCOW - At least 64 people were killed by a fire which engulfed a busy shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russian investigators said on Monday, and some of the dead were children.

The fire, one of the deadliest in Russia since the break-up of the Soviet Union, swept through the upper floors of the “Winter Cherry” shopping centre on Sunday afternoon where a cinema complex and children’s play area were located. Emergency services said they had extinguished the blaze, but later said it had reignited, and that rescuers were struggling to reach the building’s upper floors because the roof had collapsed. TV footage on Monday showed thick black smoke rising from the yellow building. It was unclear if any people were still unaccounted for, but 11 people were being treated in hospital, including an 11-year-old boy who was in a serious condition. Earlier on Monday, people had posted appeals on social media seeking news of their relatives or friends, and authorities set up a centre in a school near the mall to deal with inquiries. Anna Kuznetsova, Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, said the fire had been caused by incompetence and warned there were many similar shopping centres. “Other regions, the bosses of other malls must right now, without waiting for (routine) checks, ask themselves: Have we done everything we can to ensure

something like this doesn’t happen here,” Kuznetsova said in a statement. The shopping mall, a former cake factory, had few windows or doors. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Witnesses were quoted by Russian media as saying that the fire alarm had failed to go off, and that many people had found themselves trapped because exit doors were locked. Video footage from inside the mall after the fire broke out showed a group of people in a smoke-filled staircase trying to smash a fire exit door, which was jammed. Russia’s Channel One TV station reported that some people had jumped from upper windows to escape the flames. State investigators, who have opened a criminal investigation into the blaze, said four people had been detained over the fire, including the owners and lessees of outlets inside the mall. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said it was trying to bring in the mall’s owner for questioning. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed local official source as saying the main theory being looked at was that the fire had been caused by an electrical short circuit. However, it quoted Vladimir Chernov, the region’s deputy governor, as saying on Sunday that the blaze had started when a child had set fire to the foam on a trampoline in a play area using a lighter. (rtr)

REUTERS/Marina Lisova

Members of the Emergency Situations Ministry work to extinguish a fire in a shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russia March 25, 2018. Picture taken March 25, 2018.

Uber...

From page 1 India accounts for more than 10 percent of Uber’s trips globally, but the company is not making money there yet. “Southeast Asia was really difficult for Uber. In India, that

competition is not across so many different fronts,” Lauria said. Uber previously retreated from China and Russia under former CEO Travis Kalanick. The deal with Grab is the first operations sale by Khosrowshahi, who started in September. Rajeev Misra, chief executive of SoftBank’s Vision

International

Fund, had urged the company to focus less on Asia and more on profitable markets such as Latin America, according to a person familiar with the matter. He saw opportunities for mergers and joint ventures between SoftBank-backed ride-hailing companies, particularly for collab-

Porn star says she was threatened to keep silence on Trump -TV interview WASHINGTON - An adult-film actress who claims she had sex with Donald Trump before he was president said on Sunday she had been threatened in 2011 while in a parking lot with her infant daughter to discourage her from discussing the relationship. Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she was on her way to a fitness class with her child when an unknown man approached her, according to a transcript of the interview released on Sunday. “And a guy walked up on me and said to me, ‘Leave Trump alone. Forget the story.’ And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, ‘That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.’ And then he was gone,” Daniels said. Daniels sued the president on March 6, stating Trump never signed an agreement for her to keep quiet about an “intimate” relationship between them. White House aides did not respond immediately to requests for comment after the interview aired. Trump did not respond to reporters’ shouted questions about whether he would watch the interview when he returned to the White House from Florida on Sunday evening. Daniels’ appearance represented back-to-back trouble for Trump after an interview broadcast last week on CNN with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a 10-month-long affair with Trump starting in 2006. Trump would have been married to his wife, Melania, during both the alleged extramarital relationships. The first lady accompanied him this weekend to his Florida golf club. A White House spokeswoman said Melania stayed behind, as is her custom during their son’s school holiday.

NOT ATTRACTED

Daniels told “60 Minutes” she and Trump had had sexual relations only once, but that she had seen him on other occasions and he had kept in touch with her. She said she was not attracted to Trump, who was 60 at the time. Daniels was 27 in 2006. The White House has denied he had an affair with Daniels, although Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen said he paid her $130,000 of his own money during the 2016 presidential election campaign. The payment could pose a legal problem. Watchdog groups have filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission, saying that it may have violated campaign finance law by exceeding the limit on the size of a contribution. Cohen, who has denied that there was an affair, has not explained why he made the payment or said whether Trump was aware of it. After the interview screened, Cohen’s lawyer Brent Blakely wrote to Daniels’ attorney to say she made false and defamatory comments, “namely that he (Cohen) was responsible for an alleged thug who supposedly visited” and threatened her. “In truth, Mr. Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred,” Blakely said in the letter. Daniels and her attorney would not discuss in the interview whether they had text messages or other materials that might verify her story. She was asked why she repeatedly signed statements denying the relationship with Trump, and acknowledged that there could be questions about her credibility. “I felt intimidated and ... honestly bullied. And I didn’t know what to do. And so I signed it,” Daniels said. (rtr)

orating on R&D, but the investor would never get actively involved with management decisions, the person said. SoftBank is also one of the main investors in other ride-hailing firms including China’s Didi Chuxing and India’s Ola. Uber includes the United States,

Australia, New Zealand and Latin America among its core markets – regions where it has more than 50 percent market share and is profitable or sees a path to profitability. A Grab spokeswoman said all Uber employees in its Southeast Asia operations would be offered employment in Grab. (rtr)

International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

11

Living in limbo: Indonesia’s refugees face uncertain future

MEDAN - W hen she was eight, Sharifa Begum was forced to flee her village in Myanmar’s Rakhine State after fighting erupted and homes were set on fire. Separated from her parents in the panic, she escaped with her 17-yearold brother and 66 other Rohingya people on a boat, drifting at sea for a month with little food or drinking water. Eventually rescued and towed to land by Indonesian fishermen, Begum - whose name has been changed to protect her identity - has since spent almost half her life living as a migrant in limbo. Like almost 14,000 other refugees in Indonesia and more than 250,000 across Southeast Asia, Begum, now 15, has no access to citizenship and few rights in the country where she lives - but she is unable to go home due to safety fears. “There is no peace back in Myanmar, so I cannot return,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a refugee centre in Medan, one of Indonesia’s largest cities, on the island of Sumatra. Since insurgent attacks last August sparked a military crackdown, amid reports of arson, murder and rape, nearly 700,000 more Rohingya have fled Myanmar, mostly to Bangladesh. As many wealthier countries around the world resettle fewer refugees and impose stricter criteria to accept migrants, Begum’s predicament could be shared in years to come by millions of others who flee their homes in response to pressures including climate change and persecution.

UNHCR that she - like many fellow refugees in Indonesia - is extremely unlikely to be resettled in a third country. Several aid workers in Indonesia said some refugees had attempted suicide or killed themselves after being given that information. Begum now faces an uncertain future in Indonesia, where she has no right to settle, as the country is not a signatory to the U.N. refugee convention. ‘MOST LOSE HOPE’

Mozhgan Moarefizadeh, an Iranian refugee and co-founder of the Refugees and Asylum-seekers Information Center, which runs projects around Jakarta, said those she works with often suffer mental health problems including depression and anxiety as a result of past abuses or experiences in their home countries. “Indonesia doesn’t give any rights to refugees,” said the Iranian, who has spent five years in Indonesia. “The challenge is to survive on a dayto-day basis. But most lose hope.” Indonesia’s government should support migrants with housing, healthcare, counselling and training, she said. Campaigns to boost awareness of the plight of refugees in Indonesia are needed both locally and overseas, she said. In Southeast Asia, only Cambodia, the Philippines and East Timor have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, which enshrines basic human rights for migrants and displaced people. Although Indonesia has not, it does have a long tradition of offering

protection to refugees, who in the past have used it as a transit country. But after Australia began tightening rules for asylum seekers about four years ago, many in Indonesia could hope only for a return home or official resettlement. With these options now unlikely for many, refugees in Indonesia largely from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia and Iraq - have been left stateless and rely on aid agencies to survive. “We have a population here that cannot work, where every day is the same,” said Mariam Khokhar, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Medan. “Families or single people stuck in time for four, five or six years.” Many live on a small monthly handout from the IOM or from relatives to pay for food and clothing. The IOM also provides basic services, such as healthcare, accommodation and training. Major humanitarian crises, such as the recent Rohingya flight from Myanmar to Bangladesh and Syrians escaping war to other Middle Eastern countries, often soak up a large chunk of international aid, officials said, with little funding left for those deemed to be residing in safer countries. “AN OPEN JAIL”

Life is monotonous for many refugees in Indonesia. Some have lived in the country for up to a decade, unable to move freely. “We feel like we’re in an open jail. We cannot work and we cannot

communicate freely,” said Rahmatallah, 35, a father of three who fled Afghanistan after death threats from the Taliban. “My daughter, who goes to a school where the other children have beautiful clothes, asked me for coloured pencils,” he said, fighting back tears. “It’s a very small thing that any father should provide for his child, but I cannot,” said Rahmatallah, who did not want to reveal his full name. While Indonesia’s refugees largely live peacefully alongside local people, often in cramped, cheap apartments, rooming houses or detention centres, there have been flashpoints of conflict. Some Indonesians, for instance, had wrongly believed their new neighbours were getting free government handouts, stirring resentment, said Gelora Ginting, head of Tuntungan district in Medan. This was resolved when aid agencies explained the bleaker reality, Ginting added. Because more than half of Indonesia’s refugees are Shia Muslims from Afghanistan, while Indonesian Muslims are mainly Sunni, religious tensions are another threat. Rising religious extremism in Indonesia could make things worse, experts warn. “These refugees, seeing the rise of sectarianism and Sunni militancy in Indonesia, and having already witnessed this back home ... don’t want to stay here,” said Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch in Jakarta. HELPING THE COMMUNITY

Barred from seeking paid work,

some refugees attend classes run by themselves or aid agencies to learn skills like English, carpentry and computer repair, hoping to prepare for the future and help out their host communities, said Mitra Salima Suryono of UNHCR Indonesia. Refugees in Medan who have trained as hairdressers now regularly cut hair for local and street children, while furniture made by migrants is donated to an orphanage. To keep the peace, many refugees attend regular meetings with police, community leaders and immigration officials. Indonesian officials say they have sympathy for what the migrants have been through - one reason they are willing to support them. “If we suffered conflicts like they had, we would want to be treated in the same way that us Indonesians now treat them,” said local official Ginting. Some efforts are underway to improve life for refugees. In late 2016, Indonesian President Joko Widodo began allowing refugee children to go to local schools. His administration is also seeking to phase out detention centres in favour of housing migrants within the community. Suryono, of UNHCR Indonesia, said her agency had helped more than 40 refugee children enroll in local schools, and was in talks with the government about letting refugees do work that benefits local communities and provides a little income. Indonesia’s foreign ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment. (rtr)

NO PLACE TO GO

By the end of 2016 there were about 22.5 million refugees worldwide, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), the highest number recorded since the agency was established in 1950, in the aftermath of World War Two. During 2016, 37 countries participated in UNHCR’s resettlement programme, taking in about 126,300 people, or less than 1 percent of the world’s refugee population. But in 2017, the number of refugees resettled fell by nearly half, to just over 65,000. It is likely to drop even further, refugee officials said, as the United States, Australia and Europe tighten restrictions. For Begum, the news is particularly bad: She has just been told by

Refugees play a game of soccer in Medan, Indonesia, February 24, 2018.

Thomson Reuters Foundation / Michael Taylor

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Destination

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Advantage Vettel, but Hamilton can feel confident

LONDON - Sebastian Vettel won the first round of what could be a long and lively Formula One title fight with Lewis Hamilton on Sunday but the Ferrari driver may be the one with more to worry about as they leave Australia.

Airport Rights Surf Spot

MANGUPURA - Bali Airport Reef, also nicknamed ‘Airport Rights’ and ‘Airport Lefts’, is a popular surf spot in Tuban, approximately 4 km south of the main strip of Kuta Beach. The surf spot’s name refers to the waves that form on both sides of the westernmost end of Ngurah Rai International Airport’s landing strip, which juts around 900 metres out to sea. It’s great for beginners during smaller waves, but can build up to provide serious barrelling action for pros during south-easterly trade winds. Boat access is recommended, as these surf breaks are roughly a kilometre out from the shore. Ride the Waves at Airport Rights The Bali Airport Reef surf breaks are nicknamed as though facing the shore from out at sea, or how airplanes would approach the runway as they land. Airport Lefts, north of the landing strip, offers a

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hollow left that’s best with southern swells. Lefts is the longer among the two breaks, sometimes available up to 2 km north from the strip, which usually roll on for around 70 metres to shore. Airport Rights, on the other hand, spans only a kilometre long, with fickler 1-2 metre waves. Both breaks are usually best during the dry months, between April and October. As a beginner, you can enjoy the considerably rideable waves near the shore. For the greater swells of up to 2 metre, you can try beyond the reef, which would require a rented boat ride out. Rights is most accessible from the beach of Kedonganan, while both are reachable if you’re staying at a hotel in southern Kuta or Tuban, such as The Patra Bali, the Holiday Inn Baruna Resort and the Sari Segara Resort. Crowds are unpredictable for both breaks, but it’s not as busy as Kuta most of the time, and the view of landing jets while you’re surfing can be amazing. (net)

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Saeed Khan/Pool via Reuters

Champions Mercedes messed up in Melbourne, their mistake denying Hamilton what had looked a nailed-on victory from pole position, but they also left rivals in no doubt about their pace. “At the moment we’re a bit worse off,” Vettel told reporters after repeating last year’s opening win thanks to a pitstop during a virtual safety car period that wrong-footed Mercedes, whose data wrongly indicated Hamilton had him covered. “Last year we had more pace at this point. If you look at the gaps the whole weekend, we’re not yet a true match,” added the German, who is vying with Hamilton to become a five-times champion. “I think if you look, and you are fair, then Lewis was fastest whereas last year I think we were fastest and it was very, very close.” Last year, Vettel led from Melbourne to Monza before his challenge imploded. Hamilton took pole on Saturday with one of the great qualifying laps of his career, lapping a massive 0.664 quicker than Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The time may have flattered him, with the Briton producing a near-perfect lap while Vettel would doubtless have been closer had he not made a mistake. But rivals also pointed to Mercedes’ qualifying ‘party mode’ engine setting with concern. “Mercedes is playing with everyone... with that engine, no one can beat Mercedes. They’re in a different world,” Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was quoted as saying after qualifying. Despite the pessimism, and the absence of Red Bull drivers from the year’s first podium, Melbourne did not dispel hopes of a threeway team battle. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth after starting eighth following a grid penalty, set the fastest lap of the race for Red Bull and was right on the tail of Raikkonen. “We are convinced that we had a better car than Ferrari, though the Mercedes still probably had something in hand,” said Red Bull principal Christian Horner. Melbourne is a hard track to overtake on but Bahrain is next up and more open. Vettel won there last year when it was the third race of the season but Hamilton will also fancy his chances. “We still got second. It feels like a dark cloud but it’s not,” the Briton had said on Sunday. “We have a great car, we are still the world champions and with a couple of adjustments we can win the next race.” (rtr)

Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

MIAMI - Croatian second seed Marin Cilic survived a tough examination by Canadian Vasek Pospisil to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open with a 7-5 7-6(4) victory after nearly two hours on Sunday. But the tournament, with world number one Roger Federer already ousted, lost another highly-ranked player when Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the third seed, was taken down 6-4 6-4 by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Indian Wells champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, the fifth seed, was more fortunate, winning his 13th consecutive match by defeating Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-2. The big-hitting Cilic fired six aces and saved all three break points he faced against Pospisil, but the 77th-ranked Canadian made it more difficult than the Croat prob-

ably expected. Trailing 5-6 0-40 in the second set, the Canadian saved three consecutive match points and hit a running forehand pass to cap a 33-shot rally before Cilic claimed victory in the tiebreak. “It was a relief at the end,” Cilic told reporters. “I had those three match points at 6-5 and there was that great rally at deuce. I was playing really well in the tie-break, returning really well and serving really good. “I saved the best for last and I’m really pleased with the victory.” Del Potro fired 17 winners, claiming all five points when crashing the net and turned back Nishikori’s lone break chance to take the match in 72 minutes. “I think I’m playing good,” Del Potro told reporters. “I can play even better, but I need to get confidence playing on this court,

trying to keep winning matches. But it is not easy. My body is starting to feel tight because of all my success.” The fifth seeded Argentine will face Filip Krajinovic in the fourth round on Tuesday after the Serbian defeated Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3 6-3. Meanwhile, South Korean Chung Hyeon, the 19th seed, needed just 62 minutes to dispatch American qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-1 6-1. The highest-ranked player from Asia at number 23, Chung has not dropped a set in the tournament and will take on Joao Sousa in the last 16 after the Portuguese outlasted American Jared Donaldson 1-6 6-3 6-4. Elsewhere, big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic pounded 10 aces to take down Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 7-6(5) 6-3. (rtr)

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sport

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina hits a forehand against Kei Nishikori of Japan (not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Tennis Center at Crandon Park. Del Potro won 6-2, 6-2.

8

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Sp rt Fund it like Beckham! Dashing David greets adoring fans in Jakarta

JAKARTA - He has consistently been known as an advocate for inspiring young children to play football.

And Sunday was no different as David Beckham attended a charity event in Jakarta, Indonesia to help finance football training schools for children in Indonesia. David, 42 greeted the young fans, who were all kitted out in football gear, with his typically warm demeanour. The event was hosted by insurance company AIA Indonesia who in a show of support for the country’s soccer development held charity matches.In collaboration with the Youth and Sports Ministry, the company hosted three games including a junior game, all-stars and soccer legends. David was set to join in the soccer legends game as part of the charity event. The former England midfielder cut a casual figure during his appearance in a dark grey t shirt which displayed his plethora of tattoos.

David posed for pictures with fans who seemed ecstatic to be meeting the football legend. Before his trip to Indonesia David stopped off in Singapore where he posted about trying some Japanese delicacies. On what is believed to be his third trip to his favourite Japanese restaurant in Singapore, David, happily charted his evening meal on his Instagram stories, showing off the various dishes of aquatic ejaculation he got to try. He posted one snap, proudly declaring that he was about to taste some sea bream sperm, showing the bonne bouche served with some lettuce. After this, another image came up, this time in a bigger portion, captioned ‘more sea bream sperm’ by the former Manchester United star. And it seemed the athlete just didn’t no when to say no to the plethora of semen coming his way, as a third image saw the chef serving yet another plate of food, with David captioning this: ‘More more more!’(rtr)

Colombia defeat a reminder of high-level requirements, says France coach

PARIS - France coach Didier Deschamps said that Friday’s 3-2 home defeat by Colombia in a friendly game served as a timely warning for Les Bleus, less than three months before the World Cup in Russia. France appeared to have the match under control as they opened

REUTERS/Phil Noble

Italy’s Andrea Belotti and Lorenzo Insigne before the match

Belotti not interested in warming bench at ‘big club’

MILAN - Italy and Torino forward Andrea Belotti will only move to a bigger club if he can be sure he plays regularly. “They tell me I should go and play in a big club which plays in the big cup competitions, but I will decide what is best for me,” Belotti told state broadcaster Rai. “I’m not interested in moving to a big club if I don’t play or get stuck on the bench. If I move, it’s to be a regular in the first team.” The 24-year-old attracted attention from around Europe after he scored 26 goals for Torino in Serie A last season and also became a regular for Italy. However, Torino president Urbano Cairo insisted he did not want to sell the player and inserted a 100 million

euro ($123.78 million) buyout clause into Belotti’s contract, which runs until 2021. This season has been less successful for Belotti, who has suffered two injuries, scored a modest six league goals and was part of an Italy team which failed to qualify for the World Cup. “I don’t want to see pictures of the game at San Siro again,” he said, referring to the 0-0 playoff draw against Sweden in November which cost Italy a place in Russia. “Personally, after the two injuries, I’m well, both physically and mentally. Fortunately, there are lots of games coming up so I can bounce back.” Italy play England in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. (rtr)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to accept the consequences of poor results but believes increasing speculation over his future at the club is due to “age discrimination”. Although Arsenal are set to finish their 14th straight season without winning the Premier League title, 68-year-old Wenger claims the demands for him to leave have grown in recent years because of prejudice against older managers. “You focus on doing well for your club and ignore all the rest,” he told BeIN Sport. “Overall the older you get the more it becomes a little bit age discrimination. “I can accept that if the results are not good enough... but overall that perpetual thing of a link with how long you’ve been at the club, how old you are, I find that a bit difficult to take.” Since taking charge of Arsenal in

1996, Wenger has led the club to three league titles and seven FA Cups wins but has failed to deliver success in European competitions. The Frenchman said finishing the season with a Europa League win, and subsequent qualification for the Champions League as a result, would not change his opinion on what he has given to the club over the years. “I am naive enough to believe that with the time going on, the perspective, the emotional context going, it will stand out what I’ve done for my club, not so much the last result or the last game I won or how much I’ve been applauded,” Wenger added. “I’m a little bit fed up with all that modern thing of completely taking care of your image. I’ve always worked my whole life with the idea it’s more important who you are than how you look.” (rtr)

up a 2-0 lead inside 26 minutes at the Stade de France but then completely lost their way as they conceded three goals to lose the match. Deschamps said that he addressed his players after the game in the dressing room. “I felt the players did not meet

the requirements of high level football,” he told French TV channel TF1 on Sunday. “I said what I had to say. I spoke about what I really didn’t like. My squad listen to me but sometimes they can slip like it happened against Colombia. “This defeat

REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

should act as a reminder.” France have the opportunity to recover from that disappointment when they meet World Cup hosts Russia in St Petersburg on Tuesday. They might be without fullback Lucas Digne, who picked up an injury on Friday. “He has a muscle

problem but nothing serious. We have to check it today,” said Deschamps. Midfielders Corentin Tolisso, Paul Pogba and forward Anthony Martial, who had minor knocks, took part in Saturday’s training session. (rtr)

Butland relishes England’s World Cup keeper battle

Jack Butland has hailed the competition to be England’s goalkeeper at the World Cup and believes there are still four or five contenders fighting to be manager Gareth Southgate’s first choice in Russia. The Stoke City stopper will start in goal for England in their friendly against Italy at Wembley on Tuesday and is one of four keepers in Southgate’s squad alongside Jordan Pickford, Joe Hart and Nick Pope. Everton’s Pickford played in Friday’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands and impressed with his distribution, an important attribute for Southgate, who wants the team to play out from the back and control possession. “I thought Jordan played really well last Friday... and it’s motivation for us all,” Butland told

reporters. “It’s a great way to go into a World Cup. Whoever is selected will be coming in off a battle, which is what you want. It’s probably a four or five horse race still.” Though Southgate is likely to field a much-changed side against the Italians, he will not deviate from his preferred three-at-the-back formation, with John Stones expected to keep his place in central defence. Stones has found playing time hard to come by for Manchester City of late, but is key to the way England are trying to play under Southgate, given his ability to pick a pass and comfort on the ball. The 23-year-old has been frozen out of the City team by a combination of January signing Aymeric Laporte, the vastly improved Nicolas

Otamendi and the return to fitness of skipper Vincent Kompany. “It’s difficult,” Stones said of his lack of game time at club level. “Every player wants to play weekin, week-out, but I’ve had games here and there. “I felt sharp and back to myself (against the Dutch) and I want to build on that for Tuesday. We created a lot of chances from playing out (from the back) and that’s a massive thing. “Everyone’s on board with it. If the odd mistake is made, you’ve got to stay mentally strong and not shy away from it.” England open their World Cup campaign against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18, before matches against their other Group G rivals Panama and Belgium. (rtr)

Wenger bemoans ‘age discrimination’ amid uncertainty

David Beckham holds a crying girl’s hand while greeting young soccer players at a crowded AIA Insurance charity event to encourage and assist young Indonesian soccer players around the country in Jakarta, Indonesia March 25, 2018.

9

England’s Jack Butland during traning

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

France coach Didier Deschamps

REUTERS/Charles Platiau

8

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Sp rt Fund it like Beckham! Dashing David greets adoring fans in Jakarta

JAKARTA - He has consistently been known as an advocate for inspiring young children to play football.

And Sunday was no different as David Beckham attended a charity event in Jakarta, Indonesia to help finance football training schools for children in Indonesia. David, 42 greeted the young fans, who were all kitted out in football gear, with his typically warm demeanour. The event was hosted by insurance company AIA Indonesia who in a show of support for the country’s soccer development held charity matches.In collaboration with the Youth and Sports Ministry, the company hosted three games including a junior game, all-stars and soccer legends. David was set to join in the soccer legends game as part of the charity event. The former England midfielder cut a casual figure during his appearance in a dark grey t shirt which displayed his plethora of tattoos.

David posed for pictures with fans who seemed ecstatic to be meeting the football legend. Before his trip to Indonesia David stopped off in Singapore where he posted about trying some Japanese delicacies. On what is believed to be his third trip to his favourite Japanese restaurant in Singapore, David, happily charted his evening meal on his Instagram stories, showing off the various dishes of aquatic ejaculation he got to try. He posted one snap, proudly declaring that he was about to taste some sea bream sperm, showing the bonne bouche served with some lettuce. After this, another image came up, this time in a bigger portion, captioned ‘more sea bream sperm’ by the former Manchester United star. And it seemed the athlete just didn’t no when to say no to the plethora of semen coming his way, as a third image saw the chef serving yet another plate of food, with David captioning this: ‘More more more!’(rtr)

Colombia defeat a reminder of high-level requirements, says France coach

PARIS - France coach Didier Deschamps said that Friday’s 3-2 home defeat by Colombia in a friendly game served as a timely warning for Les Bleus, less than three months before the World Cup in Russia. France appeared to have the match under control as they opened

REUTERS/Phil Noble

Italy’s Andrea Belotti and Lorenzo Insigne before the match

Belotti not interested in warming bench at ‘big club’

MILAN - Italy and Torino forward Andrea Belotti will only move to a bigger club if he can be sure he plays regularly. “They tell me I should go and play in a big club which plays in the big cup competitions, but I will decide what is best for me,” Belotti told state broadcaster Rai. “I’m not interested in moving to a big club if I don’t play or get stuck on the bench. If I move, it’s to be a regular in the first team.” The 24-year-old attracted attention from around Europe after he scored 26 goals for Torino in Serie A last season and also became a regular for Italy. However, Torino president Urbano Cairo insisted he did not want to sell the player and inserted a 100 million

euro ($123.78 million) buyout clause into Belotti’s contract, which runs until 2021. This season has been less successful for Belotti, who has suffered two injuries, scored a modest six league goals and was part of an Italy team which failed to qualify for the World Cup. “I don’t want to see pictures of the game at San Siro again,” he said, referring to the 0-0 playoff draw against Sweden in November which cost Italy a place in Russia. “Personally, after the two injuries, I’m well, both physically and mentally. Fortunately, there are lots of games coming up so I can bounce back.” Italy play England in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. (rtr)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to accept the consequences of poor results but believes increasing speculation over his future at the club is due to “age discrimination”. Although Arsenal are set to finish their 14th straight season without winning the Premier League title, 68-year-old Wenger claims the demands for him to leave have grown in recent years because of prejudice against older managers. “You focus on doing well for your club and ignore all the rest,” he told BeIN Sport. “Overall the older you get the more it becomes a little bit age discrimination. “I can accept that if the results are not good enough... but overall that perpetual thing of a link with how long you’ve been at the club, how old you are, I find that a bit difficult to take.” Since taking charge of Arsenal in

1996, Wenger has led the club to three league titles and seven FA Cups wins but has failed to deliver success in European competitions. The Frenchman said finishing the season with a Europa League win, and subsequent qualification for the Champions League as a result, would not change his opinion on what he has given to the club over the years. “I am naive enough to believe that with the time going on, the perspective, the emotional context going, it will stand out what I’ve done for my club, not so much the last result or the last game I won or how much I’ve been applauded,” Wenger added. “I’m a little bit fed up with all that modern thing of completely taking care of your image. I’ve always worked my whole life with the idea it’s more important who you are than how you look.” (rtr)

up a 2-0 lead inside 26 minutes at the Stade de France but then completely lost their way as they conceded three goals to lose the match. Deschamps said that he addressed his players after the game in the dressing room. “I felt the players did not meet

the requirements of high level football,” he told French TV channel TF1 on Sunday. “I said what I had to say. I spoke about what I really didn’t like. My squad listen to me but sometimes they can slip like it happened against Colombia. “This defeat

REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

should act as a reminder.” France have the opportunity to recover from that disappointment when they meet World Cup hosts Russia in St Petersburg on Tuesday. They might be without fullback Lucas Digne, who picked up an injury on Friday. “He has a muscle

problem but nothing serious. We have to check it today,” said Deschamps. Midfielders Corentin Tolisso, Paul Pogba and forward Anthony Martial, who had minor knocks, took part in Saturday’s training session. (rtr)

Butland relishes England’s World Cup keeper battle

Jack Butland has hailed the competition to be England’s goalkeeper at the World Cup and believes there are still four or five contenders fighting to be manager Gareth Southgate’s first choice in Russia. The Stoke City stopper will start in goal for England in their friendly against Italy at Wembley on Tuesday and is one of four keepers in Southgate’s squad alongside Jordan Pickford, Joe Hart and Nick Pope. Everton’s Pickford played in Friday’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands and impressed with his distribution, an important attribute for Southgate, who wants the team to play out from the back and control possession. “I thought Jordan played really well last Friday... and it’s motivation for us all,” Butland told

reporters. “It’s a great way to go into a World Cup. Whoever is selected will be coming in off a battle, which is what you want. It’s probably a four or five horse race still.” Though Southgate is likely to field a much-changed side against the Italians, he will not deviate from his preferred three-at-the-back formation, with John Stones expected to keep his place in central defence. Stones has found playing time hard to come by for Manchester City of late, but is key to the way England are trying to play under Southgate, given his ability to pick a pass and comfort on the ball. The 23-year-old has been frozen out of the City team by a combination of January signing Aymeric Laporte, the vastly improved Nicolas

Otamendi and the return to fitness of skipper Vincent Kompany. “It’s difficult,” Stones said of his lack of game time at club level. “Every player wants to play weekin, week-out, but I’ve had games here and there. “I felt sharp and back to myself (against the Dutch) and I want to build on that for Tuesday. We created a lot of chances from playing out (from the back) and that’s a massive thing. “Everyone’s on board with it. If the odd mistake is made, you’ve got to stay mentally strong and not shy away from it.” England open their World Cup campaign against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18, before matches against their other Group G rivals Panama and Belgium. (rtr)

Wenger bemoans ‘age discrimination’ amid uncertainty

David Beckham holds a crying girl’s hand while greeting young soccer players at a crowded AIA Insurance charity event to encourage and assist young Indonesian soccer players around the country in Jakarta, Indonesia March 25, 2018.

9

England’s Jack Butland during traning

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

France coach Didier Deschamps

REUTERS/Charles Platiau

10

Destination

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Advantage Vettel, but Hamilton can feel confident

LONDON - Sebastian Vettel won the first round of what could be a long and lively Formula One title fight with Lewis Hamilton on Sunday but the Ferrari driver may be the one with more to worry about as they leave Australia.

Airport Rights Surf Spot

MANGUPURA - Bali Airport Reef, also nicknamed ‘Airport Rights’ and ‘Airport Lefts’, is a popular surf spot in Tuban, approximately 4 km south of the main strip of Kuta Beach. The surf spot’s name refers to the waves that form on both sides of the westernmost end of Ngurah Rai International Airport’s landing strip, which juts around 900 metres out to sea. It’s great for beginners during smaller waves, but can build up to provide serious barrelling action for pros during south-easterly trade winds. Boat access is recommended, as these surf breaks are roughly a kilometre out from the shore. Ride the Waves at Airport Rights The Bali Airport Reef surf breaks are nicknamed as though facing the shore from out at sea, or how airplanes would approach the runway as they land. Airport Lefts, north of the landing strip, offers a

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hollow left that’s best with southern swells. Lefts is the longer among the two breaks, sometimes available up to 2 km north from the strip, which usually roll on for around 70 metres to shore. Airport Rights, on the other hand, spans only a kilometre long, with fickler 1-2 metre waves. Both breaks are usually best during the dry months, between April and October. As a beginner, you can enjoy the considerably rideable waves near the shore. For the greater swells of up to 2 metre, you can try beyond the reef, which would require a rented boat ride out. Rights is most accessible from the beach of Kedonganan, while both are reachable if you’re staying at a hotel in southern Kuta or Tuban, such as The Patra Bali, the Holiday Inn Baruna Resort and the Sari Segara Resort. Crowds are unpredictable for both breaks, but it’s not as busy as Kuta most of the time, and the view of landing jets while you’re surfing can be amazing. (net)

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Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton before the race.

Cilic, Del Potro advance as Dimitrov falls in Miami

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Saeed Khan/Pool via Reuters

Champions Mercedes messed up in Melbourne, their mistake denying Hamilton what had looked a nailed-on victory from pole position, but they also left rivals in no doubt about their pace. “At the moment we’re a bit worse off,” Vettel told reporters after repeating last year’s opening win thanks to a pitstop during a virtual safety car period that wrong-footed Mercedes, whose data wrongly indicated Hamilton had him covered. “Last year we had more pace at this point. If you look at the gaps the whole weekend, we’re not yet a true match,” added the German, who is vying with Hamilton to become a five-times champion. “I think if you look, and you are fair, then Lewis was fastest whereas last year I think we were fastest and it was very, very close.” Last year, Vettel led from Melbourne to Monza before his challenge imploded. Hamilton took pole on Saturday with one of the great qualifying laps of his career, lapping a massive 0.664 quicker than Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The time may have flattered him, with the Briton producing a near-perfect lap while Vettel would doubtless have been closer had he not made a mistake. But rivals also pointed to Mercedes’ qualifying ‘party mode’ engine setting with concern. “Mercedes is playing with everyone... with that engine, no one can beat Mercedes. They’re in a different world,” Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was quoted as saying after qualifying. Despite the pessimism, and the absence of Red Bull drivers from the year’s first podium, Melbourne did not dispel hopes of a threeway team battle. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth after starting eighth following a grid penalty, set the fastest lap of the race for Red Bull and was right on the tail of Raikkonen. “We are convinced that we had a better car than Ferrari, though the Mercedes still probably had something in hand,” said Red Bull principal Christian Horner. Melbourne is a hard track to overtake on but Bahrain is next up and more open. Vettel won there last year when it was the third race of the season but Hamilton will also fancy his chances. “We still got second. It feels like a dark cloud but it’s not,” the Briton had said on Sunday. “We have a great car, we are still the world champions and with a couple of adjustments we can win the next race.” (rtr)

Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

MIAMI - Croatian second seed Marin Cilic survived a tough examination by Canadian Vasek Pospisil to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open with a 7-5 7-6(4) victory after nearly two hours on Sunday. But the tournament, with world number one Roger Federer already ousted, lost another highly-ranked player when Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the third seed, was taken down 6-4 6-4 by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Indian Wells champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, the fifth seed, was more fortunate, winning his 13th consecutive match by defeating Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-2. The big-hitting Cilic fired six aces and saved all three break points he faced against Pospisil, but the 77th-ranked Canadian made it more difficult than the Croat prob-

ably expected. Trailing 5-6 0-40 in the second set, the Canadian saved three consecutive match points and hit a running forehand pass to cap a 33-shot rally before Cilic claimed victory in the tiebreak. “It was a relief at the end,” Cilic told reporters. “I had those three match points at 6-5 and there was that great rally at deuce. I was playing really well in the tie-break, returning really well and serving really good. “I saved the best for last and I’m really pleased with the victory.” Del Potro fired 17 winners, claiming all five points when crashing the net and turned back Nishikori’s lone break chance to take the match in 72 minutes. “I think I’m playing good,” Del Potro told reporters. “I can play even better, but I need to get confidence playing on this court,

trying to keep winning matches. But it is not easy. My body is starting to feel tight because of all my success.” The fifth seeded Argentine will face Filip Krajinovic in the fourth round on Tuesday after the Serbian defeated Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3 6-3. Meanwhile, South Korean Chung Hyeon, the 19th seed, needed just 62 minutes to dispatch American qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-1 6-1. The highest-ranked player from Asia at number 23, Chung has not dropped a set in the tournament and will take on Joao Sousa in the last 16 after the Portuguese outlasted American Jared Donaldson 1-6 6-3 6-4. Elsewhere, big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic pounded 10 aces to take down Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 7-6(5) 6-3. (rtr)

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sport

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina hits a forehand against Kei Nishikori of Japan (not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Tennis Center at Crandon Park. Del Potro won 6-2, 6-2.

6

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

W

RLD

At least 64 people, some children, killed in Russian mall fire

MOSCOW - At least 64 people were killed by a fire which engulfed a busy shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russian investigators said on Monday, and some of the dead were children.

The fire, one of the deadliest in Russia since the break-up of the Soviet Union, swept through the upper floors of the “Winter Cherry” shopping centre on Sunday afternoon where a cinema complex and children’s play area were located. Emergency services said they had extinguished the blaze, but later said it had reignited, and that rescuers were struggling to reach the building’s upper floors because the roof had collapsed. TV footage on Monday showed thick black smoke rising from the yellow building. It was unclear if any people were still unaccounted for, but 11 people were being treated in hospital, including an 11-year-old boy who was in a serious condition. Earlier on Monday, people had posted appeals on social media seeking news of their relatives or friends, and authorities set up a centre in a school near the mall to deal with inquiries. Anna Kuznetsova, Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, said the fire had been caused by incompetence and warned there were many similar shopping centres. “Other regions, the bosses of other malls must right now, without waiting for (routine) checks, ask themselves: Have we done everything we can to ensure

something like this doesn’t happen here,” Kuznetsova said in a statement. The shopping mall, a former cake factory, had few windows or doors. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Witnesses were quoted by Russian media as saying that the fire alarm had failed to go off, and that many people had found themselves trapped because exit doors were locked. Video footage from inside the mall after the fire broke out showed a group of people in a smoke-filled staircase trying to smash a fire exit door, which was jammed. Russia’s Channel One TV station reported that some people had jumped from upper windows to escape the flames. State investigators, who have opened a criminal investigation into the blaze, said four people had been detained over the fire, including the owners and lessees of outlets inside the mall. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said it was trying to bring in the mall’s owner for questioning. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed local official source as saying the main theory being looked at was that the fire had been caused by an electrical short circuit. However, it quoted Vladimir Chernov, the region’s deputy governor, as saying on Sunday that the blaze had started when a child had set fire to the foam on a trampoline in a play area using a lighter. (rtr)

REUTERS/Marina Lisova

Members of the Emergency Situations Ministry work to extinguish a fire in a shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russia March 25, 2018. Picture taken March 25, 2018.

Uber...

From page 1 India accounts for more than 10 percent of Uber’s trips globally, but the company is not making money there yet. “Southeast Asia was really difficult for Uber. In India, that

competition is not across so many different fronts,” Lauria said. Uber previously retreated from China and Russia under former CEO Travis Kalanick. The deal with Grab is the first operations sale by Khosrowshahi, who started in September. Rajeev Misra, chief executive of SoftBank’s Vision

International

Fund, had urged the company to focus less on Asia and more on profitable markets such as Latin America, according to a person familiar with the matter. He saw opportunities for mergers and joint ventures between SoftBank-backed ride-hailing companies, particularly for collab-

Porn star says she was threatened to keep silence on Trump -TV interview WASHINGTON - An adult-film actress who claims she had sex with Donald Trump before he was president said on Sunday she had been threatened in 2011 while in a parking lot with her infant daughter to discourage her from discussing the relationship. Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she was on her way to a fitness class with her child when an unknown man approached her, according to a transcript of the interview released on Sunday. “And a guy walked up on me and said to me, ‘Leave Trump alone. Forget the story.’ And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, ‘That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.’ And then he was gone,” Daniels said. Daniels sued the president on March 6, stating Trump never signed an agreement for her to keep quiet about an “intimate” relationship between them. White House aides did not respond immediately to requests for comment after the interview aired. Trump did not respond to reporters’ shouted questions about whether he would watch the interview when he returned to the White House from Florida on Sunday evening. Daniels’ appearance represented back-to-back trouble for Trump after an interview broadcast last week on CNN with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a 10-month-long affair with Trump starting in 2006. Trump would have been married to his wife, Melania, during both the alleged extramarital relationships. The first lady accompanied him this weekend to his Florida golf club. A White House spokeswoman said Melania stayed behind, as is her custom during their son’s school holiday.

NOT ATTRACTED

Daniels told “60 Minutes” she and Trump had had sexual relations only once, but that she had seen him on other occasions and he had kept in touch with her. She said she was not attracted to Trump, who was 60 at the time. Daniels was 27 in 2006. The White House has denied he had an affair with Daniels, although Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen said he paid her $130,000 of his own money during the 2016 presidential election campaign. The payment could pose a legal problem. Watchdog groups have filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission, saying that it may have violated campaign finance law by exceeding the limit on the size of a contribution. Cohen, who has denied that there was an affair, has not explained why he made the payment or said whether Trump was aware of it. After the interview screened, Cohen’s lawyer Brent Blakely wrote to Daniels’ attorney to say she made false and defamatory comments, “namely that he (Cohen) was responsible for an alleged thug who supposedly visited” and threatened her. “In truth, Mr. Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred,” Blakely said in the letter. Daniels and her attorney would not discuss in the interview whether they had text messages or other materials that might verify her story. She was asked why she repeatedly signed statements denying the relationship with Trump, and acknowledged that there could be questions about her credibility. “I felt intimidated and ... honestly bullied. And I didn’t know what to do. And so I signed it,” Daniels said. (rtr)

orating on R&D, but the investor would never get actively involved with management decisions, the person said. SoftBank is also one of the main investors in other ride-hailing firms including China’s Didi Chuxing and India’s Ola. Uber includes the United States,

Australia, New Zealand and Latin America among its core markets – regions where it has more than 50 percent market share and is profitable or sees a path to profitability. A Grab spokeswoman said all Uber employees in its Southeast Asia operations would be offered employment in Grab. (rtr)

International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

11

Living in limbo: Indonesia’s refugees face uncertain future

MEDAN - W hen she was eight, Sharifa Begum was forced to flee her village in Myanmar’s Rakhine State after fighting erupted and homes were set on fire. Separated from her parents in the panic, she escaped with her 17-yearold brother and 66 other Rohingya people on a boat, drifting at sea for a month with little food or drinking water. Eventually rescued and towed to land by Indonesian fishermen, Begum - whose name has been changed to protect her identity - has since spent almost half her life living as a migrant in limbo. Like almost 14,000 other refugees in Indonesia and more than 250,000 across Southeast Asia, Begum, now 15, has no access to citizenship and few rights in the country where she lives - but she is unable to go home due to safety fears. “There is no peace back in Myanmar, so I cannot return,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a refugee centre in Medan, one of Indonesia’s largest cities, on the island of Sumatra. Since insurgent attacks last August sparked a military crackdown, amid reports of arson, murder and rape, nearly 700,000 more Rohingya have fled Myanmar, mostly to Bangladesh. As many wealthier countries around the world resettle fewer refugees and impose stricter criteria to accept migrants, Begum’s predicament could be shared in years to come by millions of others who flee their homes in response to pressures including climate change and persecution.

UNHCR that she - like many fellow refugees in Indonesia - is extremely unlikely to be resettled in a third country. Several aid workers in Indonesia said some refugees had attempted suicide or killed themselves after being given that information. Begum now faces an uncertain future in Indonesia, where she has no right to settle, as the country is not a signatory to the U.N. refugee convention. ‘MOST LOSE HOPE’

Mozhgan Moarefizadeh, an Iranian refugee and co-founder of the Refugees and Asylum-seekers Information Center, which runs projects around Jakarta, said those she works with often suffer mental health problems including depression and anxiety as a result of past abuses or experiences in their home countries. “Indonesia doesn’t give any rights to refugees,” said the Iranian, who has spent five years in Indonesia. “The challenge is to survive on a dayto-day basis. But most lose hope.” Indonesia’s government should support migrants with housing, healthcare, counselling and training, she said. Campaigns to boost awareness of the plight of refugees in Indonesia are needed both locally and overseas, she said. In Southeast Asia, only Cambodia, the Philippines and East Timor have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, which enshrines basic human rights for migrants and displaced people. Although Indonesia has not, it does have a long tradition of offering

protection to refugees, who in the past have used it as a transit country. But after Australia began tightening rules for asylum seekers about four years ago, many in Indonesia could hope only for a return home or official resettlement. With these options now unlikely for many, refugees in Indonesia largely from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia and Iraq - have been left stateless and rely on aid agencies to survive. “We have a population here that cannot work, where every day is the same,” said Mariam Khokhar, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Medan. “Families or single people stuck in time for four, five or six years.” Many live on a small monthly handout from the IOM or from relatives to pay for food and clothing. The IOM also provides basic services, such as healthcare, accommodation and training. Major humanitarian crises, such as the recent Rohingya flight from Myanmar to Bangladesh and Syrians escaping war to other Middle Eastern countries, often soak up a large chunk of international aid, officials said, with little funding left for those deemed to be residing in safer countries. “AN OPEN JAIL”

Life is monotonous for many refugees in Indonesia. Some have lived in the country for up to a decade, unable to move freely. “We feel like we’re in an open jail. We cannot work and we cannot

communicate freely,” said Rahmatallah, 35, a father of three who fled Afghanistan after death threats from the Taliban. “My daughter, who goes to a school where the other children have beautiful clothes, asked me for coloured pencils,” he said, fighting back tears. “It’s a very small thing that any father should provide for his child, but I cannot,” said Rahmatallah, who did not want to reveal his full name. While Indonesia’s refugees largely live peacefully alongside local people, often in cramped, cheap apartments, rooming houses or detention centres, there have been flashpoints of conflict. Some Indonesians, for instance, had wrongly believed their new neighbours were getting free government handouts, stirring resentment, said Gelora Ginting, head of Tuntungan district in Medan. This was resolved when aid agencies explained the bleaker reality, Ginting added. Because more than half of Indonesia’s refugees are Shia Muslims from Afghanistan, while Indonesian Muslims are mainly Sunni, religious tensions are another threat. Rising religious extremism in Indonesia could make things worse, experts warn. “These refugees, seeing the rise of sectarianism and Sunni militancy in Indonesia, and having already witnessed this back home ... don’t want to stay here,” said Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch in Jakarta. HELPING THE COMMUNITY

Barred from seeking paid work,

some refugees attend classes run by themselves or aid agencies to learn skills like English, carpentry and computer repair, hoping to prepare for the future and help out their host communities, said Mitra Salima Suryono of UNHCR Indonesia. Refugees in Medan who have trained as hairdressers now regularly cut hair for local and street children, while furniture made by migrants is donated to an orphanage. To keep the peace, many refugees attend regular meetings with police, community leaders and immigration officials. Indonesian officials say they have sympathy for what the migrants have been through - one reason they are willing to support them. “If we suffered conflicts like they had, we would want to be treated in the same way that us Indonesians now treat them,” said local official Ginting. Some efforts are underway to improve life for refugees. In late 2016, Indonesian President Joko Widodo began allowing refugee children to go to local schools. His administration is also seeking to phase out detention centres in favour of housing migrants within the community. Suryono, of UNHCR Indonesia, said her agency had helped more than 40 refugee children enroll in local schools, and was in talks with the government about letting refugees do work that benefits local communities and provides a little income. Indonesia’s foreign ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment. (rtr)

NO PLACE TO GO

By the end of 2016 there were about 22.5 million refugees worldwide, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), the highest number recorded since the agency was established in 1950, in the aftermath of World War Two. During 2016, 37 countries participated in UNHCR’s resettlement programme, taking in about 126,300 people, or less than 1 percent of the world’s refugee population. But in 2017, the number of refugees resettled fell by nearly half, to just over 65,000. It is likely to drop even further, refugee officials said, as the United States, Australia and Europe tighten restrictions. For Begum, the news is particularly bad: She has just been told by

Refugees play a game of soccer in Medan, Indonesia, February 24, 2018.

Thomson Reuters Foundation / Michael Taylor

12

International

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

BUSINESS New lows for Spanish borrowing costs on ratings upgrade, Italy feels some pain LONDON - The premium investors demand to hold Spanish bonds over top-rated Germany fell to six-week lows on Monday after the country’s second ratings upgrade of the year led to a further outperformance of its bond market over its euro zone peers. Bond yields across the euro area were higher as reports that the United States and China have started negotiations to improve U.S. access to Chinese markets eased fears of a trade war and reduced the appeal of fixed income. Italian bonds were laggards, amid signs the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the anti-migrant League might explore an alliance to form a government. In contrast, Spanish bonds continued to outshine their peripheral peers after S&P Global on Friday raised Spain’s credit rating to A- from BBB+, citing a positive outlook for the economy and budgetary consolidation. Spain’s 10-year bond yield dipped to a 16-month low at 1.24 percent, pushing the gap over top-rated German peers to a low of 71 basis points. The Italian/Spanish yield spread was 64 bps, close to its widest in seven months. Spain is one of the best-returning government euro zone bond market in 2018 as the country pushes closer to better-rated euro zone states such as Belgium, France and Ireland, referred to as the “semi-core.” “The ratings upgrade, while backward looking, opens Spain up to a more conservative investor base,” said Patrick O’Donnell, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management. “Relative to Spain, you don’t necessarily have the growth in Italy, the reforms enforced by Spain during the crisis and the near-term political risks point in opposite directions.” The former Catalan leader Puigdemont was detained in Germany on Sunday, five months after entering selfimposed exile from Spain, where he faces up to 25 years in prison for organising an illegal secession referendum last year. FALLING BEHIND? Italy’s 10-year bond yield rose 3.5 bps to 1.91 percent , while German Bund yields were up 1 bps at 0.55 percent. The head of Italy’s 5-Star Movement at the weekend praised the League’s leader, Matteo Salvini, after the two parties agreed a deal to elect parliament’s speakers. Asked whether his movement could side with the League to form a government in the wake of an inconclusive March 4 election, 5-Star’s Luigi Di Maio did not rule anything out . The president is due to start formal consultations on forming a govt on April 3, however, political sources have told Reuters serious negotiations might have to wait until after regional elections slated for the end of April. The reaction in Italian bonds to political uncertainty has been relatively muted and upcoming bond sales may also explain weakness in Italian bonds, analysts said. “We have to wait and see because this is going to be a long-drawn out process in Italy,” said Peter Schaffrik, global macro strategist, RBC Capital Markets. (rtr)

International

Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Some Myths Related to Tanah Lot Attraction

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Having a promenade together with partner to witness the beauty of Tanah Lot tourist attraction will surely be impressive. Moreover, walking hand in hand while passing through every sturdy coral rock will certainly bring in very sweet memories. Fading sunlight at the nightfall as if gave the spirit to strengthen the affection. Unfortunately, Tanah Lot

REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), walks to hold a speech during the “Europe Lecture” of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2018.

IMF head tells euro zone time right to set up rainy day fund

BERLIN - International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde said on Monday euro zone leaders should set up a “rainy day fund” to help cushion member states in economic downturns. Officials in the bloc have been discussing such a fund since last year as one option for setting up a euro zone budget or boosting fiscal capacity -- an idea championed by France and to which opposition from Germany appears to be softening. In a speech in Berlin, the Fund’s managing director welcomed a “sustained and broadly shared upswing” in the global economy, which she said offered a precious window of opportunity for governments to “complete the architecture” of the euro zone. “There are other, forceful headwinds threatening,” Lagarde said. “Think of the rise of populism and the shortsighted siren call of protectionism.” Talks among euro zone finance ministers on an additional fiscal capacity have so far brought no conclusions, partly because Germany was long without a government following an inconclusive election in September. Leaders are likely in June to give direction to further work. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats offered some encouragement to that process in the coalition

deal they sealed last month, agreeing to support devoting specific budget funds to economic stabilisation, social convergence and structural reform in euro zone. Those funds - developed from the euro zone’s existing ESM bailout fund - should form the basis for a future bloc-wide “investment budget”, the parties said. SIX-MONTH LEAD-IN? Lagarde said the initial decision to get to work on building a rainy day fund could come quickly. “Within the next six months or so there could be a meeting of minds ... on the general principles and timeline,” she said. Even if details took five years to hammer out, the announcement would “let it be public that members of the currency union stick together”. For the euro zone to prepare for the next downturn, she urged members to develop a modernised capital markets union, an improved banking union and to move towards greater fiscal integration - starting with a central fiscal capacity that would reassure investors. Euro zone countries would contribute

to the rainy day fund each year, building up assets in good times that they could then tap during a downturn. In extreme circumstances, countries could borrow from the fund and repay loans with future contributions, she said. Transfers should be conditional on members sticking to EU fiscal rules. Lagarde recommended that countries pay a premium in good times based on the benefits they receive in bad times, incentivising members to streamline their economies and maintain fiscal discipline. These twin steps would aim to avoid permanent transfers, also a priority of euro zone officials’ own fund proposals. EU officials are also considering an unemployment re-insurance scheme, a fund to support investment during economic downturns and money to support structural reforms that help euro zone economies converge. On a capital markets union, she called for enhanced regulation and upgraded oversight arrangements to handle a likely influx of financial services firms to continental Europe after Brexit. Lagarde welcomed signs of progress on a banking union. (rtr)

Having a promenade together with partner to witness the beauty of Tanah Lot tourist attraction will surely be impressive. Moreover, walking hand in hand while passing through every sturdy coral rock will certainly bring in very sweet memories. Fading sunlight at the nightfall as if gave the spirit to strengthen the affection. Unfortunately, Tanah Lot retains a myth and taboo for couples taking their girlfriend of boyfriend to visit the place of worship. “Do not bring your girlfriend or boyfriend to Tanah Lot Temple” is the sentence often expressed by the elders on this Island of the Gods. Many Balinese people believe if unmarried couples have vacation or dating to Tanah Lot Temple will cause the relationship not to last longer or immediately break up. If the prohibition is violated, the relationship with the boyfriend or girlfriend is believed not to last long. It will become not harmonious leading to be separated. Although being difficult to prove, believe it or not, Balinese people especially young couples strongly believe in the myth. They never want to bring their partner to Tanah Lot Temple. Merely walking in the area of ??Tanah Lot area is commonly done by young couples. “The myth does not apply to married couples,” said Jero Niti, Public

Relations of Tanah Lot attraction. In the current modern era, explained Jero Niti, the myth remains to be trusted by the Hindu community in Bali, unlike tourists coming to visit with girlfriend or boyfriend. Does the myth also apply to them? “Tourists rarely care about it whether they are with a girlfriend or not. They certainly do not know whether they will break up or not,” she said. Another myth is related to the holy snake

living in the coral cave. The snake is believed to be the guardian of the temple securing people away from the threat of evil and destruction. It is said if there will be a natural disaster or disaster, the snake will show a sign through the emergence of the king or queen of the red sea snake. Balinese people believe if this sacred snake often moves to Tanah Lot temple at night to keep the purity of the temple. Meanwhile, there is also a myth of holy

water serving as remedy for looking young. The spring is located beneath of the Tanah Lot Temple. The spring coming out of the temple wall is believed to make people ageless. Thus, many Balinese people wish to pray or just use the water to wash their face. “Although the story on the myth of Tanah Lot Temple continues to circulate, tourists continuously come to the attraction located at Beraban village, Kediri, Tabanan,” said Jero Niti. (kmb)

Ayuk In Rib Soup Comes with Distinctive Taste Are you a fan of rib soup? Try to stop by at Sop Iga Ayuk In Restaurant located at Jalan Suwung Batankendal No. 11 Sesetan, South Denpasar. Precisely located in front of the bus guide terminal, it serves a variety of menus with the main ingredient of beef rib. It is easy to reach from tourist areas like ??Sanur, Sakenan and Benoa as well as from downtown Denpasar. This rib soup is appropriate for lunch and dinner. This restaurant opens every day starting at 10:00 until 21:00. Its special menus are quite tasty and delicious so they become preferred choice of customers. The three special menus are Original Rib Soup, Spicy Sour Rib Soup and Roasted Rib. “We serve these menus with special preparations, so they can be enjoyed by various circles, including foreign tourists,” said the owner,

Fausiah Saesaria Alindra. The menu of rib soup offers a distinctive flavor. The flesh is soft after passing through pressurized process, so it is easily taken out from the bone. Its gravy is delicious because of using local spices in combination with some special spices brought in from Lampung (Sumatra). “This is a special recipe from my mother. She is a great cook at the home village (Lampung) and is now trying to share with other people,” she explained. When ordering a portion of rib soup, customers do not have to wait too long. It simply takes 15 minutes and the menus are ready to be served. “Although the restaurant was just open a few months ago, we actually have been selling the menus since a year ago. However, we sell it through online. We also sell wrapped rice,” she added.

Ayuk considered the business is very positive, so she tries to open a food stall to provide services directly for customers. Nevertheless, she remains to serve buyers via online at home on Jalan Gemitir in the area of ??Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra. “When booking via online, there has been a special application. Simply place an order @ sopiga_ayukin, we are ready to deliver,” said Fausiah. Customers of Ayuk In are not only local residents of Bali, but also domestic and foreign tourists. Tourists from Java, Sumatra and other regions that do not know the location of the restaurant will surely order via online. Foreign tourists have also repeatedly ordered this rib soup. “This Balinese beef rib soup is indeed good. After opening, we are ready to offer 20 percent discount or buy 3 get 1 free,” concluded Fausiah. (kmb)

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Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

Bali ignores arrack makers of Karangasem

REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

People check the damage after debris from ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia fell onto a house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 26, 2018.

IBP/kmb

Like chicken die in rice barn, gradually the number of arrack makers in Karangasem diminishes. They have pursued the profession through generations. Sunday (Mar. 25) said the market response to the original arrack of Karangasem is getting weaker. So, people also have to find alternative job such as being laborer to transport coconut from collector. “The image of the original arrack of Karangasem becomes damaged due to rampant circulation of mixed arrack,” complained Suardana. Original arrack of Karangasem is produced in traditional way. After slicing coconut tree, the ingredient in the form of a bucket of palm wine is tightly closed and silenced for a day. After that, this basic ingredient passes through distillation process in very simple place having been provided. It only needs a large basin, steam flow pipe, a large drum as a cooler and medium jerry can to hold final result. Suardana said the basic ingredient is

poured into a basin and then boiled for 4-5 hours. The steam produced from the decoction will flow to the drum before it seeps into jerry can. “Each day, I can usually process about 50 bottles (35 liters). Final result will reach about 5 liters of arrack,” said Suardana while adding that the results are directly taken to collector to be marketed in Denpasar. Despite complaining, he claimed to realize this situation. Due to high market demands, other collectors often make mixed arrack from ingredient without alcohol content to alcoholic beverages. It is very easy for him to identify which is the original and mixed arrack. However, for the lovers, as long as it can make people drunk, it will be continuously consumed even though the palm wine has been mixed with chemicals and other

unusual liquid such as metanol, oil, liquid Baygon to gasoline before drinking. “Sometimes the drinkers do not know the original arrack. As long as it can make them drunk, it will surely run out,” he said. Since the past time until now, the arrack makers have never been touched by local government policy. Let alone to develop, they have also never been facilitated to produce legally. Thus, they are often targeted by law enforcement officers. “We have produced arrack for nine years but our activity is never included in government programs. So far, we are still producing because our surrounding customers are often coming here. So, currently this activity is just used to kill time,” explained this father of three children. (gik)

Difficulty of arrack to enter restaurants

ALIGNMENT of regulation has never happened to arrack makers. Precisely, the government regulation gradually eliminates arrack makers in Karangasem. The business of arrack makers is made more difficult by the Regulation of the Minister of Trade No.06 / M-DAG / PER / 1/2015 concerning with the Control and Supervision on Procurement, Distribution and Sales of Alcoholic Beverages. This rule will eliminate the arrack makers. Without the rules, the local

people have faced difficulty to run arrack business. Not infrequently they must play hide-and-seek with police officers because so far the arrack of Karangasem does not have a label permit. Head of the Karangasem Industry and Trade Agency, I Gusti Ngurah Suarta, admitted on Sunday (Mar. 25) his agency is very aware of this situation. All the above mentioned obstacles, he argued, are also caused by the production of arrack for consumption that is also classified into a negative list

of investment as regulated in Presidential Regulation No. 39/2014. This rule makes local government powerless to defend arrack makers that have been pursuing this profession for years. This rule governs the closed and open business entity in the field of investment. Hence, this business is actually prohibited to keep producing. Seeing the regulation, the arrack makers in Karangasem have urged local governments to find out a solution. Until now, the situation is still uncertain.

“We really want this Karangasem arrack is able to support Bali tourism and come to hotels and restaurants in Bali, but it remains difficult. Minister of trade and presidential regulation must be revoked first. The arrack should also have distribution label permit first before distributed to hotel and restaurant,” he said. When met the minister of trade and Deputy Regent of Karangasem, I Wayan Artha Dipa, he also had time to convey the obstacles experienced by district government of Karangasem in accommodating

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Japan’s Akie Abe ‘First Lady’ role now puts her in scandal’s spotlight

KARANGASEM district is known as the largest center for arrack makers in Bali. Rural people are very familiar with such intoxicating drink. Bali as the best tourist destination in the world should be able to accommodate home industry of Bali local community to support the needs of alcoholic beverages at hotels and restaurants instead of bringing in alcoholic beverages of various brands from overseas. However, the efforts toward such purpose are never achieved in Bali. Instead, the arrack makers are often caught by police officers on the road because they are considered to distribute alcohol without permission. Why does it happen? Like chicken die in rice barn, gradually the number of arrack makers in Karangasem diminishes. They have pursued the profession through generations. The latest data from the Karangasem Industry and Trade Agency indicate the number of arrack maker reaches 7,600 people centered in four subdistricts, namely Manggis, Sidemen, Abang and Kubu. Totally, the local home industry can produce 2,650,000 bottles per year or 220,000 bottles per month. Thus, the existence of arrack production has become one of the foundations of Karangasem community in meeting their needs of daily living. All this time, many people are involved in the arrack making in the four subdistricts above. They make use of the abundance of coconut trees in every nook and cranny of village. As the record, 800 people in Manggis subdistrict has pursued this arrack making with total production of 250,000 bottles per year; 3,700 people in Sidemen with production of 1,250,000 bottles per year and 2,500 people in Abang subdistrict with a total production of 980,000 bottles per year. Meanwhile, in Kubu Sub-district there are 600 people with a total production of 240,000 bottles per year. One of the arrack makers at Kesimpar Kangin hamlet, Kesimpar, Abang subdistrict, Nyoman Suardana, when met at his home on

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

International

the complaints of arrack makers. However, the minister also stated if the situation is difficult as revoking the existing regulation is not easy. The consideration should become a national issue. However, he said the minister has been studying this issue, so as not to eliminate the arrack makers whose number reaches thousands of people. “Instead of bringing in alcoholic drink to restaurants from overseas, it is better to empower local potential. Thus, it can have a greater impact on our society,” he said. (kmb31)

Saudi Arabia shoots down missiles from Yemen; 1 dead from debris

TOKYO - Japan’s first lady, Akie Abe, once known mainly for embracing progressive causes that put her at odds with her conservative spouse, is now in the hot seat as doubts revive about a murky land sale to a nationalist school to which she had ties. The daughter of a confectionary magnate, Abe has tried to carve out a U.S.-style public “First Lady” role in a land where political wives typically stay in the shadows. But that approach comes with risks, acquaintances and experts say. “Her ideas and those of other wives of prime ministers are different,” said Yu Toyonaga, head of a non-profit organisation promoting organic rice, who has done volunteer work with Akie Abe. “Rather than being a woman who is ‘useful’ within a maledominated society, she wants to interact ... as an autonomous person.” Opposition parties are demanding she testify in parliament about her ties to Moritomo Gakuen, the nationalist school operator whose deeply discounted purchase of state-owned land is at the heart of a suspected cronyism scandal and possible cover-up that has sliced Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s support ratings. The finance ministry admitted on March 12 that it had altered documents about the deal, including removing references to Akie Abe. Her husband has denied he or his wife intervened in the sale or that he ordered a cover-up. The prime minister is opposed to her testifying, but 62 percent of respondents to a Nikkei business daily poll published on Monday said she should answer questions in parliament. The survey showed Abe’s support sank to 42 percent while those opposed to his cabinet jumped to 49 percent. Akie Abe, 55, has made waves since her husband returned to office in 2012 for a second term with activities that include taking part in an LGBT rights parade, opposing nuclear power, and visiting protesters against a planned U.S. military facility on Okinawa - all positions that resonate with liberals. She also runs a tiny organic restaurant and has spoken in favour of legalising marijuana for medical use. (rtr)

RIYADH - Saudi air defenses shot down seven ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Sunday, with debris killing a man in what was the first death in the capital during the Saudi-led coalition’s three-year military campaign in Yemen. Saudi forces destroyed three missiles over northeastern Riyadh shortly before midnight, as well as others fired at the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. Debris from the missiles fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians, said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki, according to SPA. Reuters reporters in Riyadh heard several booms and saw smoke in the air. Another witness said he saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions. In al-Malqa neighbourhood, emergency personnel gathered near a crater in the ground and inspected shattered glass in nearby homes. The attack marked the third time in five months that missiles have

flown over Riyadh, as the Houthis step up efforts to demonstrate they can reach the Saudi capital, and threatened to escalate a regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthi-run SABA news agency reported the group’s missile force had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a Burkan H2 missile. The group also fired other types of missiles at airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha, another southern Saudi city, according to the SABA report. The Saudi-led coalition of Gulf Arab states launched military operations against the Houthis in Yemen in March 2015, after the Iran-aligned Shi’ite militia seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa and forced President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi to flee. Riyadh saw the ouster as a re-

gional power grab by arch-foe Iran, although the Houthis deny any help from Tehran, and has described Iran’s alleged supply of rockets to the Houthis as “direct military aggression.” The United States, which provides support to the coalition, has also displayed what it said were Iranian-made weapons supplied to the Houthis, calling them conclusive evidence that Tehran was violating U.N. resolutions. The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, unleashing a humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country. Nearly 1 million people have been infected with cholera. Coalition forces have made modest territorial gains over the course of the war but appear far from seizing back the capital. (rtr)

REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe visit a former home of Chiune Sugihara, a Jew-saving Japanese diplomat, in Kaunas, Lithuania January 14, 2018.

14

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Science

International

Scientists develop brain scanner in a helmet

LONDON - British scientists have developed a lightweight and highly sensitive brain imaging device that can be worn as a helmet, allowing the patient to move about naturally.

Results from tests of the scanner showed that patients were able to stretch, nod and even drink tea or play table tennis while their brain activity was being recorded, millisecond by millisecond, by the magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Researchers who developed the device and published their results in the journal Nature said they hoped the new scanner would improve research and treatment for patients who can’t use traditional fixed MEG scanners, such as children with epilepsy, babies, or patients with disorders like Parkinson’s disease. “This has the potential to revolutionise the brain imaging field, and transform the scientific and clinical questions that can be addressed with human brain imaging,” said Gareth Barnes, a professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging at University College London, who co-led the work. Current MEG scanners are cumbersome and weigh

as much as half a tonne, partly because the sensors they use to measure the brain’s magnetic field need to be kept very cold - at minus 269 degrees Celsius, Barnes’ team explained. They also run into difficulties when patients are unable to stay very still - very young children or patients with movement disorders for example - since even a 5-millimeter movement can mean the images are unusable. In the helmet scanner, the researchers overcame these problems by using quantum sensors, which are lightweight, work at room temperature and can be placed directly onto scalp - increasing the amount of signal they are able to pick up. Matt Brookes, who worked with Barnes and built the prototype at Nottingham university, said that as well as overcoming the challenge of some patients being unable to stay still, the wearable scanner offers new possibilities in measuring peoples’ brain function during real world tasks and social interactions. “This has significant potential for impact on our understanding of not only healthy brain function but also on a range of neurological, neurodegenerative and mental health conditions.” (rtr)

Wellcome/Handout via REUTERS

A woman is seen wearing a lightweight and highly sensitive brain imaging device in this undated handout photograph supplied by Wellcome and released in London, Britain March 22, 2018.

International

French citizen undergoes extradition trial

MIT CSAIL/Handout via REUTERS

A robot fish dubbed SoFi, created by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory to explore marine environments, swims at Rainbow Reef off Taveuni, Fiji in this August 2015 handout photo.

If you want to find Nemo, you may need SoFi, the robotic fish WASHINGTON - When exploring marine environments, underwater robots tend to be a bull trout in a china shop, disturbing marine life with their bulk and disruptive propulsion. Enter SoFi, the soft, agile robotic fish with a delicate demeanor. Scientists said on Wednesday they have created a remote-controlled robot that swims quietly through coral reefs and schools of fish and uses a fisheye lens -- of course -- to capture high-resolution photos and video with a camera built into its nose. Dubbed SoFi, it can swim forward, move up and down, turn and change speeds, propelling itself by wiggling its tail side to side like a real fish, a motion created by pumping water with a small motor into two balloon-like tail chambers. SoFi, built with a generic fish design, is white, weighs less than 4 pounds (1.6 kg) and is about 18 inches (47 cm) long. SoFi’s “soft artificial muscle” tail is made of silicone elastomer, a type of rubber. Its nose houses the electronic elements. It has two side fins for maneuvering. “I chose SoFi, pronounced like Sophie, as a name because it not only abbreviates the word Soft Fish, but it also reminded me of a girl I liked a lot and had a crush on in high school,” said study lead

author Robert Katzschmann, a robotics researcher and PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “The name is mellifluous just like the way the robot glides and undulates in water,” added roboticist Daniela Rus, CSAIL’s director. SoFi is operated using a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller by a diver who can be almost 70 feet (21 meters away). CSAIL researchers tested SoFi in South Pacific coral reefs and coastal waters near Taveuni, Fiji’s third-largest island, as well as in an MIT pool. The untethered robot navigates for up to 40 minutes at depths reaching almost 60 feet (18 meters). Existing autonomous underwater vehicles typically are tethered to boats and powered by propellers or jets that can disrupt the natural environment. SoFi swims alongside fish and other marine creatures without sending them fleeing. “The robot can be used as a marine biology instrument and also to measure pollution in coastal waters, to create maps, to do inspection, to monitor and track,” Rus said. “This hopefully serves as inspiration for many more soft robotic creatures to come, both on land and in water,” Katzschmann added. (rtr)

DENPASAR — One by one of foreign citizens becoming Interpol fugitive undergo extradition trial. On Thursday (Mar. 22), a French citizen named Mathias Hubert Marie Echene, 47, an Interpol fugitive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), getting involved in a fraud case, underwent a trial of extradition appeal in the Denpasar District Court. The trial was led by Deputy Head of Denpasar District Court who is also the head of the judge panel, I Ketut Tirta, with prosecutor Dewa Arimbawa et al. Previously, this tourist was arrested at the International Arrival Terminal of Ngurah Rai Airport, Tuban, and detained in the Bali Police detention house. The application was submitted to the government of Indonesia through diplomatic channel based on the letter of Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Hong Kong

Bali News

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

3

No. 2516/JAK/IX/2017 dated September 25, 2017 addressed to the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia concerning the application of the law violator handover having escaped from the government of Hong Kong SAR on behalf of Mathias Hubert Marie Echene. In addition, continued the prosecutor, the hearing of the extradition request was following the letter of application for the submission of Mathias Hubert Marie Echene from the government’s senior legal advisor of mutual legal assistance unit of the International Law Division dated on September 14, 2017 and the letter of Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong SAR on the request of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, the People’s Republic of China, dated September 6, 2017, for the handover of the defendant Mathias along with all the documents. (kmb37) IBP/kmb35

A number of residents who are angry with this condition set up an installation art in the middle of paddy fields with the words ‘Save Carik’ meaning ‘Save Field.’

Rampantly invaded by investors

Residents of Tegenungan set ‘save field’ installation art

GIANYAR — High onslaught of investors converting agricultural land is now happening around Tegenungan hamlet, Kemenuh, Sukawati. A number of residents who are angry with this condition set up an installation art in the middle of paddy fields with the words ‘Save Carik’ meaning ‘Save Field.’

IBP/kmb37

Mathias Hubert Marie Echene, 47, an Interpol fugitive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), getting involved in a fraud case, underwent a trial of extradition appeal in the Denpasar District Court.

Hamlet chief of Tegenungan, Gusti Raka, said the area of his home village formerly considered green is now being thronged by investors. As evidence, many tourist accommodations have been established in the middle of paddy fields. The ‘save field’ installation art by a Tegenungan waterfall security guard was made about a month ago. “The installation art has been going on since a month ago,” he said. Installation of ‘Save Field’ is meant to protect the paddy fields. It also comes with the additional sign installation saying ‘Back to Nature’ and ‘Free Lifi’ (Balinese word meaning ‘snake’). The green signage is attached to the trunk of a coconut tree. The installation

can be seen clearly on the road section of Jalan Raya Tegenungan--Jalan Raya Sukawati, Gianyar. Precisely, it is located in the north of the Tegenungan waterfall attraction. The installation faces west of the street as if greeting the passing visitors. Gusti Raka assessed after the issuance of regional regulations on levies, village can no longer collect it with the intention of protecting its territory. According to him, with the presence of the regulation, the investors seem free to build a villa. In the past, Raka said that when there was no regulation on levying, his village had a very strict rules or awig-awig on development. “With such awig-awig, the paddy fields can be protected. Awig-awig is very strict to collect levies, but now with the presence of the levying rules, it is considered illegal,” he complained. He revealed that in the area indeed spreads the paddy fields. Some of the lands have been established with villa. There is also a plot of land. Besides, a house building seems to have been built in the middle of rice fields marked with ‘for sale’ signboard. (kmb35)

2

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Bali News

International

Dozens of residents used to live on the beach, now relocated

Geographic position of Jembrana district directly adjacent to the southern sea has a positive and negative impact. In the past 10 years, the land in the coastal area of Jembrana continues to shrink due to the southern coast’s pounding waves. Serious impact of sea waves happened in 2010, after which one by one of fisherman’s settlement at Munduk Asem hamlet, Cupel, disappeared. Then, it continued to the west, namely Candikusuma village, Melaya. At the village known to be a pier during the Dutch colonial era, dozens of homes and sanctums almost lost. Since the incident of Munduk Asem, central government gave assistance in the form of coastal revetment. Yet nature has another will, when one point can be stopped, abrasion even happened to other coast located in the same line. Ironically, the coastal points being vulnerable to abrasion belong to people’s settlements. Based on the data compiled by Bali Post, the abrasion hitting Cupel region has occurred since 2001 where 68 families have been moved from the beach. At that time, dozens of Munduk Asem residents had to evacuate en masse. The evacuees have now been occupying the relocation land of government assistance at Kembang hamlet for many years. The victims of abrasion have occupied their respective home with the area of 100 square meters since 2008. As the information collected, the house construction is a grant from the ministry of public housing in 2008. Meanwhile, the land, purchase and certification process are the assistance of district government worth IDR 3.75 million with details that the land costs IDR 2.75 per 100 square meters and the certificate fee of IDR 1 million. Kembang hamlet chief, Abdul Hamid,

said at least there are 20 residents living in the settlement after relocated due to the abrasion. “Now, they belong to Kembang resident and all of them have owned a certificate,” he explained on Sunday (Mar. 25). The conditions are almost the same as on Candikusuma having been handled with revetment by using armor rocks. At Tirtakusuma hamlet, there are about nine families having been relocated because their homes were destroyed by abrasion. Most victims of the abrasion are fishermen that earn less. Moreover, some residents of Candikusuma have lived for almost a year at local hamlet hall previously used as public market. Living in relocation is very much different from the conditions when they lived in self-built home. The land where they were born, grown to build a family had vanished. Due to such circumstances, they are now adapting to new environments and new life. Today, a similar thing is almost experienced by dozens of residents in Jineng Agung hamlet, Gilimanuk. The impact of abrasion in the area adjacent to Maneuver Parking is in a ravaged condition. A number of culverts previously installed to protect land throughout the neighborhood have also been destroyed. So, when high tidal water comes, it directly hit the house of residents. Moreover, the alley connecting the hamlet to Gilimanuk Market has gone. If this happens, residents having lived for decades on the beach will be out of the way. Ironically, this abrasion has occurred for years and has been visited by officials but there was no handling. Some time ago, since there is no handling against the abrasion, some residents in Gilimanuk expressed their disappointment by putting up banners. It is intentionally installed at a number of points of abrasion. They asked for promise of saving the land from abrasion. Meanwhile, the latest data of early 2018 indicate there are 22 points vulnerable to abrasion. The Head of the Jembrana Public Works Agency, I Wayan Darwin, said that along some 30 kilometers of coastal area, the abrasive critical beaches spreads over 22 dots. A number of attempts have been made such as by making revetment with the assistance from central government. However, it has not covered the entire areas because the handing is done gradually. All the vulnerable points have been followed up by submitting a handling proposal to central government. (olo)

IBP/Gus Olo

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

15

Celebrate Your Easter Brunch at THE HAVEN Bali Seminyak

Abrasion eliminates house and land

OF the totally 76 kilometers of coastal length in Jembrana district, dozens of kilometers are affected by coastal abrasion. The land previously jutted into the sea has disappeared after being eroded by nature. As the data collected from the Jembrana Public Works Agency some time ago at least there are dozens of coastal points are affected by abrasion. Other than disappearing land, many people’s settlements have also disappeared over the past 15 years.

Activities

International

THE HAVEN Bali Seminyak invites you to have an exciting Easter weekend with a range of fun-filled children’s activities and sumptuous brunch buffet for a family feast. For this holiday, the team will present a

IBP/Suastrawan

The clean up Putung activity done by the officials of Karangasem.

On Earth Family Day, Karangasem promotes Putung

AMLAPURA - School children, scouts and local officials in the district government of Karangasem were deployed to do clean-up action at Putung tourist attraction, East Duda village, Selat, Sunday (Mar. 25). The mutual assistance led by Regional Secretary of Karangasem district, Gede Adnya Mulyadi, was meant to beautify Putung which will host the Earth Family Day. The launching of Earth Family Day will be held on Tuesday (Mar. 27). The event related to the world peace gong is indeed a promotional event because it will be attended by a number of figures and a number of foreign tourists. District government of Karangasem deliberately chose Putung as the venue of the event to also promote the natural attractions. Hopefully, Putung having been one of the most favorite attractions returns to exist so that it gives added values for the economy of society. “We choose Putung to restore the existence of tourist attraction having not been properly taken care of. With this activity, we hope Putung can be recognized again by the public,” explained Regional Secretary Adnya Mulyadi. Currently, Putung is genuinely potential to be developed into an alternative tourism. At the object, district government of Karangasem has 1.2 hectares of land that can be built for tourism facilities. There are also tourist spots belonging to customary villages. Similarly, such tourist spots can only be developed with a maximum if the

parent namely Putung itself is well arranged. One of the adequately potential tourism to be developed into a tourist destination is Jagasatru Waterfall. The waterfall of 35 meter high is located in the cliff path, at the bottom of Putung. Administratively, Jagasatru waterfall belongs to the territory of Pateh, East Duda village. Putung tourism object offers the overlay of hilly areas with a panoramic view of the southern sea of Karangasem. From the peak, visitors are presented with very beautiful natural scenery. The cliff below is suitable for tracking activities and passing through the residents’ gardens. Jagasatru waterfall gives more values than tracking location elsewhere. Headman of Eastern Duda, I Gede Pawana, said that Putung with its Jagasatru waterfall is very potential to be developed. Road access to Jagasatru waterfall was opened five years ago, but a new path was built two years later. He acknowledged that local community has a desire to make the waterfall into a package with the Putung tourism object on it. But with the current state of Putung, the potential of Jagasatru waterfall cannot provide maximal contribution to local village and community. Actually, when viewed from its history, it is worth selling. “At the top of the waterfall, there is also a holy Sudamala Bathing Place. It has function to do purification and eliminate any kinds of impurities,” he said. (117)

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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 79 10th year

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ Conquers ‘Black Panther’ at Weekend Box Office

e-mail: info_ibp@balipost.co.id online: http://www.internationalbalipost.com. http://epaper.internationalbalipost.com.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

LOS ANGELES - After weeks of speculating which film could slow “Black Panther’s” impressive roll, “Pacific Rim Uprising” took the top spot at the domestic box office.

Universal and Legendary’s “Pacific Rim Uprising” landed a respectable $28 million opening weekend at 3,708 locations. The monster battle movie has garnered mixed critical response, with a current 46 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Though it opened with a softer debut than Guillermo del Toro’s predecessor “Pacific Rim,” which saw $37 million in July 2013, the sequel was enough to dethrone “Black Panther” in the superhero tentpole’s sixth weekend. Steven S. DeKnight co-wrote and directed “Pacific Rim Uprising” with a reported $150 million budget. The original, which starred Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Charlie Hunnam, and Robert Kazinsky, went on to gross $411 million at the worldwide box office, thanks to a strong international showing, especially in China, where it made $112 million compared to the U.S.’ $101.8 million. The sequel is set 10 years after the Battle of the Breach with a new generation of Jaeger pilots ready to combat the evolving Kaiju monsters and prevent humanity’s extinction. John Boyega plays Jake Pentecost, the son of Elba’s character Stacker Pentecost, who sacrificed his life in the first film. Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona, and Day also star. Still, in its sixth weekend “Black Panther” continues to be a powerhouse, nabbing the No. 2 spot with $17 million at 3,370 sites. That number lands “Black Panther” one of the seven highest sixth weekends in history. To date, the Marvel film has taken in $631 million, making it the fifth-highest all-time domestic grosses ahead of “The Avengers.” (rtr)

A ComfortDelgro taxi passes Uber and Grab offices in Singapore March 26, 2018.

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Cast member Lily Ji poses at the premiere for “Pacific Rim: Uprising” in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 21, 2018.

Academy of Motion Pictures chief denies sexual harassment allegation

REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo

Motion Picture Academy President John Bailey

LOS ANGELES - The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, has denied a sexual harassment allegation, Variety reported on Saturday. In a memo sent to academy staff, President John Bailey said allegations in Hollywood trade publications that he tried to touch a woman inappropriately a decade ago on a movie set were untrue, Variety reported.

A representative for Bailey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently confirm any of the allegations. Bailey, a cinematographer whose credits range from “Groundhog Day” to “How to Be a Latin Lover,” said in the memo that media reports describing complaints to the academy were false and served only to tarnish his 50-year career, Variety reported. (rtr)

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Uber sells Southeast Asia business to Grab after costly battle

SINGAPORE/SAN FRANCISCO - Ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc has agreed to sell its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab, the firms said on Monday, marking the U.S. company’s second retreat from an Asian market. The industry’s first big consolidation in Southeast Asia, home to about 640 million people, puts pressure on Indonesia’s Go-Jek, which is backed by Alphabet Inc’s Google and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. A shake-up in Asia’s fiercely competitive ride-hailing industry became likely earlier this year when Japan-based SoftBank Group Corp’s Vision Fund made a multibillion dollar investment in Uber. “It was really a very independent decision by both companies,” Grab President Ming Maa told Reuters, adding that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son was “highly supportive”. Uber will take a 27.5 percent stake in Singapore-based Grab and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board. Grab was last valued at an estimated $6 billion. “It will help us double down on

our plans for growth as we invest heavily in our products and technology,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) said it has the mandate to review whether any mergers will result in a “substantial lessening of competition” and to take action, but it has yet to receive a notification from the companies. “For example, CCS can require the merger to be unwound or modified to prevent the substantial lessening of competition,” the agency said in a statement. For Grab, the deal will help its meal-delivery service, which will

now merge with Uber Eats, compete with Go-Jek, according to a person close to Grab. Go-Jek is a dominant player in Indonesia, the region’s biggest economy, and has rapidly expanded beyond ride hailing to digital payments, food delivery, ondemand cleaning and massage. “Go-Jek is such a different app, with different behaviours, it is something I can’t see Grab competing with well in Indonesia for a long time, like at least a year,” said Vinnie Lauria, partner at Southeast Asia’s Golden Gate Ventures. Ridehailing companies throughout Asia have relied heavily on discounts and promotions, driving down

profit margins and increasing pressure for consolidation. Uber, which is preparing for a potential initial public offering in 2019, lost $4.5 billion last year and is facing fierce competition as well as a regulatory crackdown in Europe. Uber invested $700 million in its Southeast Asia business, less than the $2 billion it burned through in China before ceding its operations there to Didi. MORE CONSOLIDATION Uber anticipated making more deals with rivals, but said it had no plans to do another sale in which it consolidates its operations in exchange for a minority stake in a rival. “It is fair to ask whether consolidation is now the strategy of the day, given this is the third deal of its kind ... The answer is no,” Khosrowshahi said in a note to employees

that was shared with Reuters. “One of the potential dangers of our global strategy is that we take on too many battles across too many fronts and with too many competitors.” A source familiar with Uber’s strategy said the company was going to step up its battle with Ola in India, another competitive and costly market where rivals have heavily subsidised rides in an effort to gain market share. Uber has close to 60 percent of the market there, by some estimates. Continued to page 6 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.