Edition Wednesday, February 6, 2019 | International Bali Post

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Jerry Seinfeld sued over sale of ‘fake’ $1.5m Porsche LOS ANGELES - Jerry Seinfeld is being sued by a company that claims it bought the comedian’s 1958 Porsche for $1.5m (£1.1m), only to find it was fake.

A lawsuit has been filed by Fica Frio Ltd in Manhattan federal court against the star, who is a classic car enthusiast and hosts the Netflix series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.

The court documents said Fica Frio’s representatives paid $1.54m at an March 2016 auction in Amelia Island, Florida. The price included the 10% auction commission.

The firm, based in the Channel Islands, is seeking unspecified damages including the costs of the purchase, alleging that the car is not authentic.

An auction summary of the Porsche said that it was “FROM

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE JERRY SEINFELD COLLECTION” and said it was a “stunning example of a rare thoroughbred Porsche”.

According to the lawsuit, Seinfeld left a voicemail last June apologising and promising a full refund. But it said the refund never came.

Seinfeld’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said the comedian acted in good faith.

“He has asked Fica Frio for evidence to substantiate the allegations. Fica Frio ignored Jerry and instead filed this frivolous lawsuit,” Mr Snyder said in a statement.

However, he added his client “is willing to do what’s right and fair, and we are confident the court will support the need for an outside evaluator to examine the provenance of the car”. (net)

Greg Baker / AFP

This photo taken on January 21, 2019 shows women walking past a poster for the Peppa Pig movie at a theatre in Beijing.

‘Gangster’ Peppa back in China’s good graces in Year of the Pig

BEIJING - Roasted as a subversive symbol and chopped from a video streaming website in China, it seemed Peppa Pig, the loveable but imperious British cartoon character, faced a bleak future in the Communist-led country.

IBP/net

Jerry Seinfeld’s lawyer says the comedian acted in good faith and is willing to do ‘what’s right and fair’.

But her popularity has risen unabated, and now just months after state media slammed her as an emblem of the counterculture, she is playing a starring role as the country ushers in the Year of the Pig on Tuesday.

A new film titled “Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year” is being released on the first day of the holiday.

The movie shows Peppa celebrating Lunar New Year with two new friends -- “Jiaozi” (dumpling) and “Tang yuan” (glutinous rice ball) -- named after popular local

delicacies.

The animation, which follows the daily adventures of a bright pink piglet, her brother George and her parents, is hugely popular with Chinese children.

Last year, five-year-old twins Mi Ai and Mi Ni made a video asking to meet Queen Elizabeth II after seeing their porcine heroine visit the monarch in an episode.

The clip garnered more than nine million views and made such an impact that the pair were invited for tea by the British ambassador to Beijing and promised a tour of

Buckingham Palace.

“It is really fun and the language is easy to understand”, their mother, Bella Zhang, said of the girls’ obsession with the show.

She added that the series was popular with Chinese parents because it teaches “the importance of love and cooperation”.

The cartoon’s focus on family values has resonated with Chinese parents who strictly monitor their children’s TV time, agreed Li Xin as she bought a Peppa toy for her four-year-old at a Beijing store. (afp)

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Pope Francis (L) and Egypt’s Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb exchange documents after signing them during the Human Fraternity Meeting at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019. Pope Francis rejected “hatred and violence” in the name of God, on the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the Muslim-majority Arabian Peninsula.

Pope and top Muslim cleric in joint call for freedom of belief

Pope Francis and a top Muslim cleric Monday issued a joint call for freedom of belief during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam -- the Arabian Peninsula.

Francis, who has made outreach to Muslim communities a cornerstone of his papacy, is on an historic three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.

He is due to hold an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country’s million Catholic residents, set to be the largest ever public gathering in the Gulf state.

On Monday, the pope held talks in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Ahmed

al-Tayeb -- imam of Cairo’s AlAzhar, Sunni Islam’s prestigious seat of learning.

The two religious leaders signed a document on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”, described by the Vatican as an “important step forward in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims”.

They called for “freedom of belief”, the “promotion of a culture

of tolerance”, the “protection of places of worship” and “full citizenship” rights for minorities.

“It is... crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities which engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority,” read the document.

It said “freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action” and that “pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God”.

“The fact that people are forced

to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept,” it said.

Francis also delivered an address at an interfaith meeting attended by Sheikh Ahmed and UAE leaders, and pushed for an end to all wars in the Middle East, including in Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates and neighbouring Saudi Arabia are key allies of the Yemeni government, which is locked in a war against Iran-linked rebels that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

- ‘Reject war’ The pope said all religious leaders had a “duty to reject every nuance of approval from the word war”.”I am thinking in particular of Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya,” he said.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Bali News

International

International

PHRI asks PDAM to prepare drinking water to meet tourism needs

MANGUPURA - In 2019, the Indonesian government is targeting 20 million foreign tourists. Bali gets the target of 40 percent of that number, namely 8 million foreign tourists.

Bali provincial government itself targets 8 million foreign tourists to visit and Badung district in particular as much as 6.8 million visits. With such target of the visit, it should be adjusted to supporting facilities, especially natural resources.

The availability of natural resources such as clean water is important in the development of tourism industry. As is known, currently the supply of clean water becoming the necessity of the community in the household and tourism industry has begun to be limited. This problem certainly becomes one of the concerns of the Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) of Badung Chapter and is also discussed in its chapter work meeting.

According to Chairperson of the PHRI Badung, IGN Rai Suryawijaya, in order to get clean water to accommodate the needs of tourism industry, he is currently

making coordination at the district and municipality level in Bali considering that foreign and domestic tourist visit to Bali continues to increase every year.

With the increasing number of tourist visit to Bali, definitely the water supply is also increasing. The availability of clean water is an urgent need, while the supply is running low.

For this reason, he hoped the Municipal Waterworks (PDAM) will be able to provide clean water. Moreover, if possible it should be able to provide water that can be drunk directly as in a number of developed countries.

“This clean water is being carried out in other regencies. Like overseas, if necessary, the tap water can be drunk directly. That’s what we want. So, we invite the PDAM to provide information for the industry and the industry must support this,” he said recently.

He added that tourism industry players hope the clean water is safe to drink without having to be cooked and can be sold at the affordable price.

“Most importantly, the water is clean, having good quality and the price is not too expensive,” he hoped. (kmb23)

IBP/wawan

Activities

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

15

A ROMANTIC VALENTINE DINNER AT HOTEL NIKKO BALI BENOA BEACH

IBP/Bagiarta

Clean water difficulties

Tenganan village assisted with three artesian wells

AMLAPURA - Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources provided artesian well assistance for residents at Tenganan village, Manggis, Karangasem. This artesian well assistance is an effort to alleviate residents’ miseries due to clean water shortages in the area. The assistance was carried out on Saturday (Feb. 2).

Subdivision Head of Groundwater Utilization, Center for Groundwater and Environmental Geology of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Budi Joko Purnomo, said the three units of artesian well were built in 2018.

The making of such artesian wells is expected to able to fulfill community’s clean water needs.

Purnomo added the artesian wells built have a technical specification of 126 meters depth with an average discharge of 2 liters per second and construction of a 6-inch diameter galvanized iron pipe. Electricity supply is obtained from a generator with a capacity of 125 kVA combined with the use of a 3-PK submersible pump equipped with a generator house, a pump house, and a water reservoir with a capacity of 5,000 liters. Then, service capacity of this pump is up to 2,800 people.

“This program is for the welfare of the community in alleviat-

ing the regions having difficulty to get clean water through drilling deep ground water because a number of regions in Bali experience problems in providing clean water. So, we hope with this artesian well residents at Tenganan village will no longer have trouble with clean water,” he said.

Inspector III of the Inspectorate General of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Luh Putu Puspadewi, added the artesian well assistance from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources prioritize locations or villages indeed facing difficult to have clean water. “Such assistance is budgeted every year. The regent can coordinate and inventory villages in need of water. So, they can be helped later,” she said.

Regional Secretary of Karangasem government, I Gede Adnya Mulyadi, said clean water artesian well can later be managed by local community by forming a management organization such as BUMDes. Thus, the management can be sustainable and increase community economic activity.

“Maintenance and development is very important, so that this assistance can be utilized as well as possible and not wasteful,” he said. (kmb41)

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Entering the month of love in February, Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach has prepared a romantic Valentine experience with 4-course set menu special for the 14th ofFebruary 2019.

The native Executive Chef, I Gede Dewa Eka Putra, has personally curated special set menu just forthe day. Enjoy his creations of International cuisine with the Romantic Set Menu, featuring tantalizingcreations such as cured salmon, smoked salad, herbed beef loin, and tuna with scallop. Choose tohave your dinner served by the pristine Benoa Beach or under the romantic lights of our GardenGazebo. If you are craving for something Italian instead, Giorgio Italian Ristorante has you covered just as well. On the night, you may enjoy the Intimate Set Menu with choices of authentic Italian delicacieslike salmon crudo, lobster ravioli, wrapped veal loin, and grilled lamb loin.

Each set menu comes with two glasses of house wine and homemade chocolate praline, perfect to conclude the fine evening with a sweet note.

Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach is committed to creating memorable experiences for each and every one of their guests through attentive service and warm Balinese hospitality. If you are planning to make the evening extra special for your loved one, simply contact the team to arrange any special requests.

Romantic Valentine Dinner at Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach: Romantic Set Menu - IDR 1,200,000 nett/couple Intimate Set Menu - IDR 1,400,000 nett/couple Reservation is now open and can be booked directly to the hotel via email at info@hotelnikkobali-benoabeach.com or call to 62 361 773 577.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Health

International

UK study shows e-cigs help smokers quit

LONDON - A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes, with e-cigarettes proving nearly twice as effective as nicotine gums and patches.

The British research, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, could influence what doctors tell their patients and shape the debate in the U.S., where the Food and Drug Administration has come under pressure to more tightly regulate the burgeoning industry amid a surge in teenage vaping.

“We know that patients are asking about e-cigarettes and many doctors haven’t been sure what to say,” said Dr. Nancy Rigotti, a tobacco treatment specialist at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study. “I think they now have more evidence to endorse e-cigarettes.”

At the same time, Rigotti and other experts cautioned that no vaping products have been approved in the U.S. to help smokers quit.

Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death worldwide, blamed for nearly 6 million deaths a year.

Quitting is notoriously difficult, even with decades-old nicotine aids and newer prescription drugs. More than 55 percent of U.S. smokers try to quit each year, and only about 7 percent succeed, according to government figures.

Electronic cigarettes, which have been available in the U.S. since about 2007 and have grown into a $6.6 billion-a-year industry, are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor.

Most experts agree the vapor is less harmful than cigarette smoke since it doesn’t contain most of the cancer-causing byproducts of burning tobacco. But there is virtually no research on the long-term effects of the chemicals in the vapor, some of which are toxic.

At the same time, there have been conflicting studies on whether e-cigarettes actually help smokers kick the habit. Last year, an influential panel of U.S. experts concluded there was only “limited evidence” of their effectiveness.

In the new study, researchers tracked nearly 900 middle-age smokers who were randomly assigned to receive either e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement products, including patches, gums and lozenges.

After one year, 18 percent of e-cigarette users were smoke-free, versus 9.9 percent of those using the other products.

“Anything which helps smokers to avoid heart disease and cancer and lung disease is a good thing, and e-cigarettes can do that,” said Peter Hajek, study co-author and an addiction specialist at Queen Mary University of London.

The study was more rigorous than previous ones, which largely surveyed smokers about e-cigarette use.

Participants in this experiment underwent chemical breath testing.

Smokers in the e-cigarette group received a $26 starter kit, while those in the nicotine-replacement group received a three-month supply of the product of their choice, costing about $159. Participants were responsible for buying follow-up supplies.

“If you have a method of helping people with smoking cessation that is both more effective and less costly, that should be of great interest to anyone providing health services,” said Kenneth Warner, a retired University of Michigan public health professor who was not involved in the study.

Several factors may have boosted the results: All the participants were recruited from a government

smoking-cessation program and were presumably motivated to quit. They also received four weeks of anti-smoking counseling.

The researchers didn’t test e-cigarettes against new drugs such as Pfizer’s Chantix, which has shown higher rates of success than older nicotine-based treatments.

Funding for the study came from the British government, which has embraced e-cigarettes as a potential tool to combat smoking through state-run health services. Some of the authors have been paid consultants to makers of anti-smoking products.

U.S. health authorities have been more reluctant about backing the products, in part because of the long-term effects are unknown.

“We need more studies about their safety profile, and I don’t think anyone should be changing practice based on one study,” said Belinda Borrelli, a psychologist specializing in smoking cessation at Boston University.

The American Heart Association backed e-cigarettes in 2014 as a last resort to help smokers quit after trying counseling and approved products. The American Cancer Society took a similar position last year.

An editorial accompanying the study and co-written

by Borrelli recommended e-cigarettes only after smokers have tried and failed to quit with FDA-approved products. Also, doctors should have a clear timeline for stopping e-cigarette use.

Borrelli noted that after one year, 80 percent of the e-cigarette users in the study were still using the devices. Nine percent of the participants in the other group were still using gums and other nicotinereplacement products.

No vaping company has announced plans to seek FDA approval of their products as a quit-smoking aid.

Winning such an endorsement would require large studies that can take years and cost millions of dollars.

The FDA has largely taken a hands-off approach toward vaping. It has not scientifically reviewed any of the e-cigarettes on the market and has put off some key regulations until 2022. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said he doesn’t want to over-regulate an emerging industry that could provide a safer option for adult smokers.

The delay has come under intense criticism amid an explosion in teenage vaping, driven chiefly by devices like Juul, which resembles a flash drive. Federal law prohibits sales to those under 18, but 1 in 5 high school students reported vaping last year, according to a government survey. It showed teenage use surged 78 percent between 2017 and 2018. (net)

IBP/net

A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes.

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

3

Seven strategies to make quality Badung tourism

MANGUPURA — The more famous, the more tourists will make a visit. It is the current condition of Bali tourism. On that account, the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Badung Chapter sparked seven mainstay strategies to realize quality tourism.

IBP/net

Immune cells in the gut may determine whether our metabolisms run hot or cold, a new study suggests.

Gut immune cells may explain why some people can’t lose weight

MASSACHUSETTS - Immune cells in the gut may determine whether our metabolisms run hot or cold, a new study suggests.

Experiments done in specially engineered mice found that certain immune cells in the small intestine tended to slow down metabolism and send ingested food to be stored as fat rather than converting it to energy, according to the study published Wednesday in Nature. Mice engineered to lack these immune cells could consume diets high in fat, sugar and salt without developing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, researchers reported.

The hope, experts say, is that these findings will suggest ways to tweak something in the guts of people genetically programmed to have “thrifty” or slow metabolisms.

Perhaps by bumping up levels of certain substances in the gut, metabolisms can be revved up to run hotter, thus allowing people to eat a little more without gaining weight.

“When you eat a meal, your body needs to decide what to do with the energy in the meal,” said study coauthor Filip Swirski, an associate professor at the Harvard Medical School and a principle investigator at the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. “The immune cells calibrate that decision and essentially they put the brakes on a high metabolism.”

Swirski and his colleagues started out by focusing on a protein, called integrin beta7, that directs immune cells to the gut. Mice without the gene for the protein ate a lot more than those with it, but didn’t gain weight, despite being no more active than the normal mice.

“They just run hot,” Swirski said. “They have a higher basal temperature.”

The researchers next tried feeding both groups of mice food that was high in fat, sugar and sodium, the kind of diet known to induce metabolic syndrome — a constellation of symptoms, including high blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol, associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

The mice without beta7 stayed trim and did not develop glucose intolerance, which leads to higher than normal levels of blood sugar and high blood pressure.

In contrast, the normal mice became obese and developed high blood pressure and reduced glucose tolerance.

The researchers next looked at the impact of this protein on mice that were vulnerable to developing high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries. Once again, mice that were missing the beta7 protein were healthier, maintaining normal fat levels, despite being fed a diet high in cholesterol.

Why some don’t gain weight

Calling the new research “provocative,” Dr. Toren Finkel said it might help scientists find new ways to help people battling weight gain.

There have long been hints of a connection between the immune system and obesity, said Finkel, director of the Aging Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“The inflammatory response to obesity drives a lot of the problems associated with it.”

Intriguingly, there are already diabetes drugs out there that mimic GLP-1, Finkel noted.

This new insight into the biology of immune cells and metabolism “is extremely important,” said Dr. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

It suggests an explanation for why some people tend to be overweight and some are resistant to becoming overweight. “And it’s telling us that the story is way more complicated than a simple calculation of ‘calories in and calories out,’” he said.

“For a long time we’ve treated the consequences of obesity — such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol — because we have not had ways to attack the causes of obesity,” said Blaha. “It would be much better if we were able to treat the reasons for a disordered metabolism rather than its consequences.” (net)

IBP/kmb

The more famous, the more tourists will make a visit. It is the current condition of Bali tourism.

Chairperson of the PHRI Badung, I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya, explained the seven main strategies of Badung district include quality tourism, Badung connectivity, act global think global, integrated system, community-based tourism, sustainable tourism, and single destination, single management. The seven mainstay strategies will bring Badung to a quality and sustainable destination. Agung Rai Suryawijaya stressed that Badung tourism supports Bali tourism as a single destination and should have implemented single management in order to carry out planning, governance, and promotion simultaneously and in an integrated manner. Hence, the results and benefits obtained will be more maximal.

Meanwhile, Regent of Badung, I Nyoman Giri Prasta, explained that tourism development is one of the leading programs of the Badung district government as well as being the biggest contributor to the regionally generated revenue (PAD). He reminded tourism stakeholders to pay attention to the long-standing trends of guests in Bali estimated to continuously decline.

“Do not let Bali be used as a transit point,” he said. Therefore, the quality of tourism villages as a home base of attraction must be better organized.

Executive Director of the PHRI Badung, Jro Mangku Sulasa, said that one of the challenges ahead that must be turned into an opportunity is the commencement of Chinese market demand for the list of companies considered feasible to work with, including the implementation of online single submission (OSS) licensing that require all companies to be audited as commercial or operational licensing requirements.

Secretary of the PHRI Badung, I Gede Sukarta, invited all parties to start a quality development of small things that should be able to be carried out without the need for large costs.

For example, it can be implemented by obeying the rules of association, self-introspection in interacting with others to maintain good networking because the development is longterm and sustainable.

Representative of the PHRI Badung, IGAN Darma Suyasa, conveyed the challenges experienced by the PHRI Badung all this time. He hoped the PHRI Badung can turn this challenge into an opportunity so that the existence of the organization is more beneficial for more quality tourism development. (kmb42)

To realize plastic waste-free Bali

Koster invites all parties to apply Governor Regulation No. 97/2018

ABUNDANT plastic waste in Bali has received special attention from the Bali government under the leadership of Bali Governor Wayan Koster and Deputy Bali Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace). This is evidenced by the issuance of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste.

To make it happen, the Bali Governor invited all levels of society, business people, government agencies and all parties to participate in implementing the regulation so that Bali’s nature and its contents remain cool, beautiful and harmonious. This was conveyed by Governor Koster in his remarks at the Declaration on Bali Clean of Plastic Waste continued with the Plastic Waste Cleanup Movement taking place at several points of the Besakih Temple, Karangasem, on Saturday morning (Feb. 2).

“This activity is very good in accordance with the vision of Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, namely safeguarding the sanctity of Bali’s nature along with its contents to create a prosperous and happy life for Balinese people physically (sekala) and psychically (niskala),” said Koster.

Koster, who is also the Chairperson of the PDI-P Bali, added that to protect Bali’s nature, he has issued Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste. He explained the Governor Regulation also aims to maintain the sanctity, harmony and balance of the environment as well as build community participation in environmental protection.

“Thank you for this plastic waste cleanup movement. This activity is part of the way to make the success of the governor regulation aiming to make Bali free from disposable plastic waste. I also express my gratitude for the positive response of

the Balinese community regarding this regulation,” he said.

Koster accompanied by Mrs. Putri Suastini Koster, Deputy Governor of Bali Cok Ace and Mrs. Putri Haryani Sukawati, hoped the governor regulation will get support from all parties so that the implementation will continue.

“I hope this kind of activity will be followed by all Balinese people, not only in Besakih but also throughout Bali. To that end, I invite the entire Balinese community to actively participate in implementing the Governor Regulation No. 97 by cleaning up the environment from plastic waste. Districts and municipal government must make similar rules. At the village level, I hope there will be a kind of perarem or appendix to customary village bylaw, so that this movement can be sustainable and carried out as well as possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Committee, I Ketut Bagus Arjana Wiraputra, said the plastic waste cleanup movement is an implementation of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste.

Additionally, this movement is a manifestation of love for nature. “This movement is in line with the vision of the Bali provincial government, Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, especially for Wana Kertih that we are doing today,” he said.

He added the plastic waste cleanup activity is spearheaded by the Indonesian Hindu Youth Association (Peradah) Bali, the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Student Association (KMHDI) of Bali, in collaboration with the Bali provincial government, Bali Police, the IX/Udayana Military Regional Command, universities across Bali, district and municipal government across Bali, junior and senior high school students and the community.

According to Bagus Arjana Wiraputra, the activities at

Besakih Temple targeted 21 points. The location was obtained after doing a mapping. Besides, he added that plastic waste was also found in the river along Goa Raja.

“This activity was attended by 10,000 participants. Aside from being a concrete manifestation of the implementation of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018, it is also to welcome the Panca Wali Krama grandiose ceremony. Hopefully, during the ceremony and afterwards the Besakih Temple can be cleaned up from plastic waste. We all agree that all pilgrims coming and worship to Besakih Temple not to carry and use plastic,” he affirmed. (kmb)

Bali Governor Wayan Koster

IBP/kmb

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

13

Chinese communities around world welcome Year of the Pig HONG KONG - Chinese communities around the world welcomed the Year of the Pig on Tuesday, ushering in the Lunar New Year with prayers, family feasts and shopping sprees.

Abstract photography

Communicating through shapes, colors, and lines

THERE are no standard rules when talking about abstract photography. In essence, it is how a photographer is able to explore its creativity to involve and arouse emotions of the connoisseurs of the photos it creates. Similarly, this type of photography does not require various equipments.

Anything on this earth can be used as the object of the abstract photography. What is really needed is just a camera plus a lens and the imagination.

The main feature of abstract photography is that the things used as the objects of shooting are not displayed literally so as to provide the widest possible space for photo lovers to imagine and interpret the objects in the photo. In other words, abstract photography tends to communicate through shapes, colors and lines rather than highlighting detailed images.

Even though there are no standard rules to make abstract photography, you still have to understand and master conventional photography techniques and principles about shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus and lighting effects. For shooting certain objects, sometimes we need a camera with special speed.

Similarly, telephoto lenses, macro lenses, flash and other supporting equipment are also very helpful to realize the abstract photography concept that we want. However, the existence of such equipment is not absolute because you can still make creativity in accordance with the equipment owned.

Three fundamental things Normally, abstract photography has three basic things namely, shape, color and line. On hat account, it is very important for a photographer to think of these three

fundamental things.

The shape means the field of an object in a photo. It acts as a medium where abstract photos are made. Basically, the shape creates the center of a photo while the color and line are the supporting elements. Therefore, it is important for an abstract photo to begin with a good shape.

This can be carried out by selecting objects that have interesting, beautiful or dynamic shapes.

The presence of colors in the photo field will attract the attention of people that see and stimulate their perception system. Color is not only attractive, but can also lock the attention. If one’s eyes move around the frame, the color will draw them to the center. Another use of color is to produce a photo in truly contrasting colors.

Meanwhile, the presence of lines can add to the beauty of an abstract photo. The lines will control the

movement of one’s eyes that see.

Lines can add interest by helping direct attention to the center of an interesting image. As a result, it produces a stronger center of attention and better images.

In addition to these three fundamental things, composition is also one of the supporting elements for creating attractive abstract photography. In simple terms, composition can be interpreted as how the objects in a photo are arranged to reinforce each other. There are two compositions frequently used in abstract photography. Firstly, it’s the rule of third namely by placing a point of interest in one third of the frame.

Secondly is without rule. This is one of the uniqueness in abstract photography. We don’t need to follow the existing rules. Anything can be taken advantage in an abstract photo.

However, such disorder should still create something beautiful and attractive. Ultimately, congratulations on making creativity with abstract photography! (ian)

In mainland China over the past week, hundreds of millions of people have crammed into trains, buses, cars and planes to reach family and friends in the world’s largest annual migration, emptying the country’s megacities of much of the migrant workforce.

Celebrations will take place across the globe, from Southeast Asia’s centuries-old Chinese communities to the more recently established Chinatowns of Sydney, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles and beyond.

The most important holiday of the Chinese calendar marks the New Year with a fortnight of festivities as reunited families wrap dumplings together and exchange gifts and red envelopes stuffed with money. Pigs symbolise good fortune and wealth in Chinese culture and this year’s holiday brings a proliferation of porcine merchandise, greetings and decorations.

During the Spring Festival season -- a 40-day period known as “Chunyun” -- China’s masses will be on the move, chalking up some three billion journeys, Chinese state media reported.

Streets and busy thoroughfares were uncharacteristically empty in Beijing on Monday, with many shops and restaurants closed until next week.

A growing number of Chinese are also choosing to travel abroad, booking family trips to Thailand, Japan, and other top destinations.

An estimated seven million Chinese tourists will head overseas over the Spring Festival this year, according to the official news agen-

cy Xinhua, citing numbers from Chinese travel agency Ctrip.

Researchers have also traced the origins of the zodiac animal.

Chinese archeologists found that China was one of the earliest places in the world to domesticate pigs about 9,000 years ago -- around the time when ancient Turkey began similar domestication practices -- based on research on pig bones excavated at Jiahu in Henan province, Xinhua reported.

- Prayers and greetings In Hong Kong, flower markets were filled with residents picking out orchids, mandarins and peach blossoms to decorate their homes -- with stalls also boasting a dizzying array of pig-themed pillows, tote bags and stuffed toys.

Thousands of incense-carrying petitioners, some dressed in pig costumes, crammed into the city’s famous Wong Tai Sin temple overnight, a popular location to mark the first prayers of the New Year.

In Shanghai on the mainland crowds packed into the Longhua temple to pray for good fortune.

In Malaysia -– where 60 percent of the population is Muslim, and a quarter ethnic Chinese -– some shopping centres chose not to display pig decorations, while some shops kept them inside.

But shoppers and traders said that was usual in a country where the Muslim majority are sensitive about an animal considered unclean in Islam, and overall there had been little controversy this year.

Next door in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority

TED ALJIBE / AFP

A fire breather performs during celebrations for the Lunar New Year of the Pig in Manila’s Chinatown district on February 5, 2019. country which also has a sizeable ethnic Chinese population, the Lunar New Year is a public holiday.

Events such as traditional lion dances are held in decorated public spaces while supermarkets stock up on mooncakes and tangerines.

In Japan, the capital’s famous Tokyo Tower was due to turn red in celebration of the New Year -- a first for the city.

It is also the most important holiday in Vietnam, where it is celebrated as Tet. Parades and lion dances in Western cities such as New York and London were expected to draw

large crowds. Beijing-friendly figures such as Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen extended new year greetings to China.

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen used her social media accounts to deliver a political sideswipe at Beijing with a message highlighting the island’s democratic credentials and linguistic pluralism.

“In Taiwan we are able to maintain our cultural traditions,” she said in a video in which she delivered the traditional new year greeting in five Chinese languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, Teochew and

Cantonese.

Mainland authorities have long been accused by critics and minorities of pushing Mandarin at the expense of other languages.

China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Relations between Taipei and Beijing have had a rocky start to 2019 after Xi Jinping delivered a bellicose speech last month describing the island’s unification with the mainland as “inevitable”. (afp)

‘Lord’ Modi just like the British, India’s Gandhi says NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lording it over India just like the British, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said in a blistering pre-election broadside published Tuesday.

Gandhi, great-grandson of India’s first prime minister after independence from Britain in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, hopes to unseat Modi in the vote due by May. “Every institution in India is facing Mr Modi’s autocratic backlash,” Gandhi, head of the Congress party that has dominated Indian politics for decades, said in a newspaper interview.

“Mr Modi believes that he is the Lord of

India, just like the British believed,” the 48year-old told the Hindustan Times daily.

Modi, 68, swept to power in a landslide in 2014 but with voters unhappy about unemployment and the dire state of Indian agriculture, winning again may not be so easy. Congress have been emboldened by state election victories in late 2018.

Gandhi said in the interview that this was “just the tip of the backlash” against Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“What Mr Modi doesn’t accept is that India today is in a crisis. India has a massive job crisis, a humongous agriculture crisis,

and Indian youngsters are deeply distressed about their future,” he said.

“This is generating a huge amount of anger.”

Gandhi’s comments about Modi’s “autocratic backlash” referred to a massive row raging since Sunday between the central government and the premier of the eastern state of West Bengal, which has made waves nationally. On Sunday, West Bengal police prevented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s FBI, from questioning Kolkata’s chief of police in connection with a multi-million dollar ponzi scheme scandal. In dramatic scenes

played out across national TV channels, the CBI officials were pushed into police vans, detained briefly, then released.

West Bengal’s firebrand state premier Mamata Banerjee has alleged the CBI was acting on the orders of Modi’s government.

A public protest she is holding entered its third day on Tuesday. Banerjee told thousands of supporters that officers of the CBI are being used for political ends.

India’s top court moved to defuse the standoff Tuesday, ordering the Kolkata police chief, Rajeev Kumar, to make himself available for questioning and cooperate with the investigation agency. (afp)

12

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

BUSINESS Google parent beats Q4 estimates, stock still drops SAN FRANCISCO - Google parent company Alphabet beat Wall Street expectations for its fourth quarter earnings Monday, although its stock slid in after-hours trading over investor concerns about increased spending.

Alphabet swung to a profit of $8.9 billion, up from a $3 billion loss in the same period a year ago due to the effects of a new federal tax law. Its revenue grew this quarter to $39.3 billion, up more than 21 percent from $32.3 billion last year.

Alphabet’s earnings per share of $12.77 beat Wall Street expectations of $10.86 per share, according to analysts polled by FactSet. But Alphabet also spent more on research and development and other expenses during the quarter, as it works to expand its cloud computing business and its long-term bets such as self-driving cars.

Alphabet’s stock price dropped roughly 3 percent despite the beat in after-market trading Monday. Analysts attributed the decline to Alphabet’s increased investment in its cloud business, YouTube and other areas it hopes to grow.

Executives noted the company’s focus on expanding the cloud business during a call with analysts Monday, as it races to compete against rivals Amazon and Microsoft in the growing industry. Amazon currently leads in that market, followed by Microsoft and Google in a somewhat more distant third place.

Late last year, Google brought in former Oracle Corp. executive Thomas Kurian to lead its cloud business into what it hopes to be a rapid growth stage. Cloud bets are likely to start paying off in the coming years, said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives. And it would be short-sighted to count Google out, though Amazon and Microsoft’s businesses are larger.

“I think Microsoft and Amazon need to keep one eye open with Google,” he said.

Google revenues from its “other” category, which includes what it pulls in from cloud services and hardware, climbed more than 30 percent to $6.5 billion in the fourth quarter.

Alphabet’s Other Bets business, which includes its self-driving car company Waymo and health-tech venture Verily, saw revenue rise to $154 million, up from $131 million in the year-ago period. But operating losses also ballooned to $1.3 billion, a 78 percent increase since the year-earlier quarter.

Alphabet shares have climbed 9 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen roughly 9 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $1,141.42, a rise of 2 percent in the last 12 months. (ap)

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

5

Ancestral traditions of Batuan, Tex-Mex and contemporary art

Having been born and raised in the village of Batuan where fine arts and performing arts have been continuously honed over centuries, Wayan Gustyva was steeped in the fine craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail for which this village is known.

Wayan however, found his own artistic expression in the culinary arts and followed his dream to Denpasar where he studied to become a chef and then to Austin, Texas where he did an internship. There he was inadvertently introduced to a style of cuisine known as Tex-Mex which -much in the same way that different influences have affected the arts in Bali, is basically Mexican food but adjusted to the palette of people north of the border.

Wayan came to love Tex-Mex food and wanted to bring this style cooking back to Bali for his friends and neighbours to enjoy. Driven by his passion for food, he opened a cute little restaurant by the side of the road in Nyuh Kuning that is decorated in a kind of minimalist Mexican style, complete with hammocks where customers can relax as they gaze out onto the rice fields and mountain in the distance. Cilantro -named for the herb that spices nearly all of their dishes, serves a complete Tex-Mex array of dishes, nearly all prepared with local ingredients.

Wyan Gustyva gives the same attention to the preparation of food at Cilantro that the artists of Batuan

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Alba, a white German Shepherd dog, wearing a European flag stands with supporters of Britain remaining in the European Union as they protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019.

British economy ‘stalling’ amid intensified Brexit worries

LONDON - With Brexit less than eight weeks away, it’s becoming clear with the bloc was overwhelmingly defeated that the British economy is stalling as firms struggle with the uncertainty by lawmakers last month.

A scramble to come up with an alternative over what will happen.

Hot on the heels of the news that carmaker Nissan is scrapping plans to build a new SUV in its plant in northeast England, a survey on Tuesday showed that the British economy as a whole is almost flat lining.

Financial information firm IHS Markit said Tuesday its “all-sector” purchasing managers’ index, which incorporates gauges of manufacturing, construction and services activity, dipped to 50.3 points in January from 51.5 the previous month. Were it to fall below 50, it would be indicating a fall in output.

“The survey results indicate that companies have become increasingly risk averse and eager to reduce overheads in the face of weakened customer demand and rising political uncertainty,” said Chris Williamson,

chief business economist at IHS Markit.

Though the survey takes a snapshot of only one month, it provides a steer as to the economy’s momentum. The Bank of England, for example, watches the survey as it assesses it monetary policies. The Bank of England is due to keep its main interest rate on hold at 0.75 percent on Thursday. There will be particular interest in its updated economic forecasts in light of the Brexit impasse.

Surveys from the likes of IHS Markit, but also from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, are all pointing in the same downward direction amid the Brexit impasse.

Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29 but it’s still completely unclear how it will do so after Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal

plan has yet to yield any results and there are mounting fears that Britain could end up crashing out of the bloc with no deal on future relations. That would likely mean new tariffs on British exports and serious disruption to trade between the two sides.

Given that backdrop, firms don’t know how to plan, whether to invest in new plants and machinery or not, or whether to recruit staff. According to the survey, firms in the services sector, the bedrock of the British economy, are particularly uneasy. New orders are at their lowest level since July 2016, the month after Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum.

“With no deal in sight, business and consumer caution will only intensify, risking a first quarter contraction,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING. (ap)

give to their art works. Not only does he prepare all of their sauces from scratch himself using (whenever possible), organic produce that he hand selects from Baturiti, but he even makes his own masa (corn flour paste) for all their tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Sometimes he will even make tamales using banana leaf instead of the traditional corn husk for a distinctive Balinese tamale flavor.

Now that Cilantro has been successfully running for just over a year, Wayan has turned his attention to the other part of his dream: opening a gallery space to showcase the vast number of talented artists in and around Ubud.

On February 5th, 2019 at 7PM, Cilantro Art Space will officially open with an exhibition entitled Diorama featuring works by 6 different artists who have been inspired by the culture of Bali in one way or another whether it be in style, technique, approach or concept. Like the Tex-mex food that is quickly making Cilantro a favorite amongst foodies, this exhibition combines the best of different sources to create something delicious. Diorama will be on display at Cilantro until March 5th, 2019. (kmb)

Pengosekan artist Ngurah Eko posing at CIlantro Art Space in preparation for upcoming exhibition.

Philosophical Messages in Kertha Gosa Paintings

Kertha Gosa in Klungkung has been known as a heritage of the royal period. Until now it remains well maintained. The building features a classic atmosphere. There are a number of stories contained in the paintings mounted on the ceiling. What are they? The name of Kertha Gosa has been very famous not only in Balinese society, but also overseas. The historical heritage located in the south of Puputan Klungkung Monument becomes one of the tourist destinations in Klungkung.

When coming in, the classic atmosphere can be felt intensely.

The Kertha Gosa building in the northeast corner still shows its taksu or divine vibration. Its foundation is made from hard sand stone. The poles of the building with a palm fiber roof covered with carvings give the impression of the past time. Gold leaf color of some

painting has looked to fade but still looks beautiful. They are no less beautiful when compared to the carvings of today.

In the center of the building, there are carved table and chairs.

According to the story, during the kingdom era it is believed to be the venue for discussion on everything related to security situation, prosperity and justice of kingdom region in Bali. Besides, this pavilion served as a venue of meeting for the subordinate kings throughout Bali held every full moon of the fourth month in Balinese calendar (October). Here the royal officials provided direction and decisions based on considerations of the circumstances and needs.

When observed further, the ceiling of this building is filled with paintings. They have very distinctive colors. Additionally, they look natural with a touch of color of the

rocks. Aside from offering very classic nuance, it contains meaningful philosophy. All of them are displayed in plots. Its beauty and uniqueness can draw the attention of many visiting tourists. They are quite curious about the meaning contained therein.

A tour guide, I Putu Gede Alex Sanjaya Putra, said the paintings have existed since the beginning of the building. One by one is explained based on the existing references. At the bottom plot, the story tells about Tantri Kandaka, the 1001-night stories whose essence is about all the deceit in society. The second and third plots carry about the Atma Presangsa, depicting the suffering of the souls in Hell found

by Bima Sena (second son of the Pandavas) on his way to find out the souls of his father and mother.

The fourth plot is about the eagle seeking amrita (holy water

of life), taken from Adi Parwa, a story that illustrates how difficult it is to earn a living in the world. Meanwhile, the fifth plot tells about palelindon (forecast and meaning of earthquakes). The sixth and seventh plots tell about Bima Sena when meeting with divine and celestial deities and fighting to save the souls of his father and mother.

Meanwhile, the eighth plot tells about the heaven of the souls and the ninth plot about the god who serves as the keeper of the balance of the four points of the compass of the world. “This painting becomes one of the tourist attractions,” explained Sanjaya Putra, not long ago.

Right in the middle of this building area is the Taman Gili. Local community is more familiar with the name of Balai Kambang (literally means ‘the floating pavilion’)

surrounded by a fish pond with water lilies. To get there, visitors should explore some steps that also show the old impression.

This building has many poles. The carving is similar to the ones in the Kertha Gosa. This also draws the attention of visitors as intrigued by the story of the paintings on the ceiling.

Near the brick-using foundation building, there is a small note explaining the meaning of the paintings. The first plot from below tells the story about the destiny of a person predetermined by the day of birth. The second plot depicts the story of Pan Berayut, a fairy tale about the couple having 18 children. As for the third to sixth plot tell about the story of Sutasoma, the work of renowned poet, Mpu Tantular during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk in Majapahit in 1365. (kmb)

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

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International

International

RLD

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Papuans get independence petition to UN despite obstacles

IBP/net

Would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii might have to wait a very long time for their first legal drag, after a lawmaker introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100.

Hawaii considers raising legal smoking age -- to 100

LOS ANGELES - Would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii might have to wait a very long time for their first legal drag, after a lawmaker introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100.

The proposed law, introduced by local Democratic representative Richard Creagan, would effectively amount to a cigarette ban by 2024.

Hawaii already has some of the toughest laws on cigarette sales but Creagan -- an emergency room doctor -- believes more needs to be done to ban “the deadliest artifact in human

Pope...

From page 1

Yemen is the scene of what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by the intervention of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies in a war between the government and Huthi rebels. More than 10 million Yemenis now risk imminent starvation.

The UAE, which prides itself on its religious diversity in the Gulf, is also a member of the US-

history,” according to his proposed bill.

“Basically, we essentially have a group who are heavily addicted -- in my view, enslaved by a ridiculously bad industry -- which has enslaved them by designing a cigarette that is highly addictive, knowing that it highly lethal. And, it is,” he told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

Under current law, you must be 21-years-old to purchase cigarettes in Hawaii. Nationwide, the minimum age is 18 or 19.

Creagan’s proposal calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year, 40 in 2021, 50 in 2022 and 60 in 2023.

By 2024, the minimum age would be 100.

He said the bill is structured to withstand any legal chal-

led coalition battling the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, one of the most powerful rulers in the seven emirates, on Monday gifted the pope a deed for the plot of land on which the first church in the UAE was built.

Pope Francis in turn gave him a framed medallion of the meeting between St. Francis Assisi -- the pope’s namesake -- and the Sultan of Egypt Malek al-Kamel, in 1219.

While the pope did not openly discuss politics, he called for “the full recognition” of rights for people across the Middle East, a potential reference to communities including Shiites in Saudi Arabia, refugees and migrants, stateless peoples and other minorities.

“I look forward to societies where people of different beliefs have the same right of citizenship and where only in the case of violence in any of its forms is that right removed,” he said.

lenge.

“The state is obliged to protect the public’s health,” Creagan, who acknowledges smoking cigarettes during his medical studies, told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

“We don’t allow people free access to opioids, for instance, or any prescription drugs,” he added.

“This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for nearly half a million deaths every year. (afp)

- ‘Year of tolerance’ -

The Emirates has dubbed 2019 its “year of tolerance” but rights groups have criticised it for its role in Yemen, where an estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance the government’s fight against the Huthis in 2015.

Muslims make up nearly four fifths of the UAE’s population, but the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of

Southern Arabia. Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 percent of the population.

The UAE has pushed itself as an open society in a conservative region. The country is home to eight Catholic churches, Hindu temples and a place of prayer that serves as a synagogue.

Bahrain and Qatar are home to one Catholic church each while Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four while Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all nonMuslim places of worship. (afp)

JAKARTA — Activists in Indonesia’s mountainous jungle-clad Papua region risked imprisonment to collect 1.8 million signatures for a petition calling for self-determination but had a final dilemma: They were blocked from presenting it to the intended recipient, the United Nations.

An attempt to present the petition in 2017 to the U.N. committee responsible for monitoring the progress of colonized territories toward independence was rebuffed. The chairman of the committee said it couldn’t be accepted because Papua was not part of its mandate.

Highlighting the risks of the endeavor, an activist promoting the petition was arrested by Indonesian authorities in 2017 and sentenced the following year to 10 months in prison. He was arrested again this month along with several others who face treason charges.

Last week they succeeded, aided by the diplomatic equivalent of a wink and a nod from the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, which has been championing the Papuan cause.

Vanuatu officials had a scheduled meeting last Friday in Geneva with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

Among them was an exiled Papuan leader, Benny Wenda, who presented the voluminous petition to Bachelet.

“During this meeting, one member of the Vanuatu delegation, Mr. Benny Wenda, presented the high commissioner with a petition. This was not actually a meeting arranged with Mr. Wenda for that purpose,” said Ravina Shamdasani, deputy spokeswoman at the U.N. Human Rights Office. Bachelet “was not aware” in advance, she said.

“Indonesia’s fake referendum included less than 0.2 percent of the population in 1969. The West Papuan People’s Petition of 2017 has 70 percent of the population,” Wenda, who is head of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, said in a statement.

“Indonesia’s entire claim to West Papua rests on what happened in 1969. That claim is destroyed now,” he said.

He said he and others are “working day and night” to bring the petition to the U.N. General Assembly.

Indonesia’s mission to the U.N. said Vanuatu had “deliberately deceived” Bachelet. It said Indonesia “would never retreat to defend and protect” its territorial sovereignty.

The U.N. reiterated previous statements it has made about Papua.

Indonesia in February last year agreed that a U.N. rights delegation could visit Papua, to which Jakarta tightly controls access, but no visit has taken place.

Shamdasani said Bachelet informed the Vanuatu delegation that the U.N. Human Rights Office “has been engaging with the Indonesian authorities on the issue of Papua, including the prevailing human rights situation, and has requested access to Papua.” (ap)

11

ELECTION 2019

AP Photo/Slamet Riyadi

In this Tuesday, Jan, 29, 2019, photo. Mount Merapi spews volcanic material as it erupts as seen from Cangkringan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia’s most volatile volcano has unleashed a 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) dark red volcanic material 1,400 meters (1,500 yards) down the slopes.

Lava, gas flowing out Indonesia volcano sends people fleeing

JAKARTA — An eruption of one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes sent lava and searing gas clouds out the crater and made villagers leave the slopes, a volcanology official said Tuesday.

Authorities were still trying to evacuate nearly 600 residents living along the slopes of Mount Karangetang, said Yudia Tatipang, head of the Karangetang volcano observation post. There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.

He said the 1,784-meter (5,853-foot) volcano located on Siau island of North Sulawesi province started spitting clouds of gas and lava on Sunday.

Late on Monday, hot ash tumbled down its slopes up to 300 meters (980 feet), triggering panic among villagers as falling ash and sulfur blanketed several villages around its slopes.

Tatipang said that scientists kept the alert level of the volcano at the second-highest level but people should stay out of a 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) danger zone around the crater.

The Karangetang mountain is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its last big eruption was in 2011, killing four people.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin, and is prone to volcanic and seismic activity. (ap)

Jakarta Governor Baswedan visits Dharma Bhakti temple

JAKARTA - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan visited the Dharma Bhakti temple (vihara) located in the Taman Sari area, West Jakarta, on Tuesday, to congratulate Chinese Indonesians celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year.

“Today, I once again visit Dharma Bhakti Vihara, which is the oldest vihara in Indonesia. It was established in the 1650s. This is one of the centers of celebration for the Lunar New Year,” the

governor stated.

Baswedan, who was accompanied by his two sons -- Mikhail and Ismail -- congratulated those celebrating Lunar New Year.

“Gong Xi Fa Cai, wishing that this Lunar New Year brings blessing and success to all,” he noted.

Baswedan and his son joined in the release of sparrows to symbolize freedom from problems and a journey to success. Meanwhile,

the Indonesian Confucianism Council (Matakin) has called for modesty in celebrating the 2019 Lunar New Year.

“Celebrate modestly because the meaning of Lunar New Year is not a party but is a momentum for self-reflection, more prayers, care for fellow human beings, and strengthen friendship with fellow citizens,” Matakin Chairman Budi Santoso Tanuwibowo stated here, Tuesday.

This year`s Lunar New Year is themed “Wealth Hoarding Will Cause Disunity among the People, The Spread of Wealth will Unite the People.” He appealed to followers of Confucianism to help the poor.

Believers must help people in need, he added.

“The gap between the rich and poor is still wide. There are many people, who still live below the poverty line. Certainly, we must

not close our eyes, and we must do our share to help uplift those living below the poverty line,” he remarked.

Tanuwibowo wished for Indonesia to achieve more progress. The economic growth of Indonesia must be able to bring equitable prosperity. “Our hope is that Indonesia functions in accordance with the Preamble of the UUD 1945 Constitution,” he added. (ant)

10

Destination

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

Joerg, Loginov win world snowboard parallel GS crowns

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP

Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons dunks next to Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on February 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces Cultural Landscape Heritage Site in Tabanan

TABANAN - Jatiluwih rice terraces pretty much cover the region of the namesake upland village in West Bali, most famous for its landscapes that are both dramatic and truly exotic. The

site is one of the island’s must-see natural panoramas on par with Mount Batur and the caldera of Kintamani. The cool highlands and the breathtaking scenery of this village at the foot of Mount

Batukaru makes for wonderful photo opportunities, and serves as a soothing retreat away from the island’s crowded south. Once a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site candidate, Jatiluwih rice terraces comprises over 600Ha of rice fields that follow the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. These are wellmaintained by a traditional water management cooperative known as ‘subak’, which dates back to the 9th century. The cooperative itself eventually won recognition as a dominant factor in Bali’s ‘cultural landscape’ entry on the heritage list.

Located at about 700m above sea level in the Penebel district of the Tabanan regency, the journey up to these highlands from the main southern areas such as Kuta

and Denpasar takes an approximate two-hour drive. Full-day tour itineraries usually include Jatiluwih as a main attraction alongside other prominent highlights within the region, such as Batukaru Temple and the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest nearby, together with the picturesque Tanah Lot sea temple at the end of the day, just in time for the striking sunset backdrops and dinner shows. You will find the largest and most picturesque expanse of paddies in Bali and perhaps the whole of Indonesia here.

Another sister area with similar views is the village of Pupuan, also in Tabanan. Lush green views will already come into view upon approaching the region, while the main vantage point lies further up in the village. Entrance to the main area requires a fee that goes to the

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local village cooperative fund, and which is usually covered by tour operators. Halfway up, the view is truly impressive, with 180 degrees of gently sloping terraces as far as the eye can see.

Several restaurants serving international and local cuisine line the small road overlooking the Jatiluwih rice terraces; most tour itineraries stop here for lunch. One of the restaurants offering the best vantage point is Billy’s Terrace Café, which serves local selections and buffets, and Warung Jatiluwih 259 further down the slope. While most travellers on tailored tours normally enjoy the scenery by day, the rice fields are equally impressive at sundown, complete with fireflies and the sound of nature that emerge and become more apparent into the evening. (IBP/net)

Pistons bounce back, Harden fuels Rockets win

PARK CITY - Russian teen Dmitry Loginov and Germany’s Selina Joerg won the men’s and women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom titles Monday at the World Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Championships.

Loginov captured the crown when Slovenia’s Tim Mastnak fell in the championship race while Jeorg claimed her trophy after Russia’s Natalia Soboleva was disqualified in the final.

It was a shock win by Loginov just two days after his 19th birthday. His only World Cup win came in January 2018 at Bad Gastein just a month after his only other podium finish, a third at Cortina d’Ampezzo.

However, Loginov served notice he would be a threat from his opening race, dethroning reigning world champion Andreas Prommegger of Austria by 1.14 seconds. He advanced from the quarter-finals

when Edwin Coratti did not finish and downed compatriot Vic Wild by 3.21 seconds to reach the final.

Germany’s Stefan Baumeister beat Wild by 3.55 seconds to capture third.

Joerg, 31, was runner-up at last year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She made it back-to-back titles after a victory in Rogla, Slovenia, in the last event before the worlds.

Joerg won by 0.38 of a second over South Korea’s Jeong Hae-rim in her opening race, then downed German compatriot Carolin Langenhorst by 0.69 of a second in the quarter-finals and downed Swiss Ladina Jenny by 2.79 seconds in the semi-final to book her place in the championship race.

Jenny defeated Russia’s Milena Bykova by 0.37 of a second to claim third place. (afp)

LOS ANGELES - Andre Drummond scored a season-high 27 points as the Detroit Pistons rebounded from a crushing defeat with a 129-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons were coming off a devastating loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday in which Detroit surrendered a 23-point thirdquarter lead.

There was no sign of a late-game let-down on Monday as the Pistons turned a 14-point lead going into the fourth quarter into a 26--point win. They never trailed in the second half, leading by as many as 29 points.

Drummond’s sparkling effort included 12 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.

Stanley Johnson scored 21 points and Blake Griffin added 17.

The Pistons reserves, out-scored 80-17 in the loss to the Clippers, came through with 60 points against the Nuggets, Detroit’s bench players expanding the lead to start both the second and fourth quarters.

They helped make the difference on a night when all five Denver starters scored in double figures, led by Monte Morris’s 18 points.

Nevertheless, Denver saw their six-game win streak snapped and dropped out of a tie with the Golden State Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.

“I like the way our guys responded,” Pistons coach Dwane

Casey said. “Enthusiasm and togetherness.”

- Harden streaks on NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden scored 14 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter -- notching his 20th 40-point game of the season in the Houston Rockets’ 118-110 victory over the lowly Phoenix Suns.

Harden, who pulled down eight rebounds and handed out six assists, extended his streak of games with 30 or more points to 27.

The Suns, who dropped their 11th straight, trailed by as many as 20 in the third quarter but cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth.

Harden produced 11 points in a four-minute span -- including a 31-foot three-pointer that pushed the Rockets lead to 15 points with 3:06 remaining -- as Houston sealed the win.

The Milwaukee Bucks pushed their league-leading record to 39-13 with a 113-94 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and handed out nine assists for Milwaukee, who won their fourth straight.

The crowd at the Barclays Center included former US President Bill Clinton and three-time major golf champion Brooks Koepka.

Clinton and his wife, Hillary, have a home in suburban New York and he said he tries to take on a couple of games in Brooklyn each season. But he was invited to the game by Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and enjoyed the chance to watch Antetokounmpo.

“He’s unbelievable,” Clinton said of Milwaukee’s Most Valuable Player candidate. “He’s really come into his own this year.”

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and Eric Bledsoe scored 15 for the Bucks, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.

The injury-depleted Nets offered little resistance, connecting on just 32.4 percent of their shots from the field -- including making just five of 37 attempted three-pointers.

Indiana guard Darren Collison starred in the Pacers’ 109-107 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans. Collison scored 11 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, draining a three-pointer, a jump shot and a free throw in the last two minutes as the Pacers held on for the win. (afp)

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP

Dmitry Loginov celebrates on the podium after finishing first place during the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Final at the FIS Snowboard World Championships on February 04, 2019 at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah.

8

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Klopp points to injuries as lacklustre Liverpool slip-up again Jurgen Klopp pinpointed a mounting injury list as the explanation for Liverpool’s subpar performance in a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Monday that leaves the league leaders just three points clear of Manchester City.

Less than a week after missing the opportunity to go seven points clear of City with a 1-1 draw against Leicester, Liverpool again let a lead slip as Michail Antonio quickly cancelled out Sadio Mane’s 22nd minute opener.

Victory over Everton on Wednesday will now take City to the top of the table, while Tottenham are just five points

off the top in third.

It could have been even worse for Liverpool had Declan Rice and Mark Noble not failed to hit the target with huge chances to claim all three points for West Ham. Klopp was without the injured Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold meaning James Milner started in an unfamiliar role at right-back, while the German was forced to name an experimental midfield three of Fabinho, Naby Keita and Adam Lallana.

“Last night we trained and after we had to change three positions,” said Klopp. “It’s just a fact, it’s not an excuse.

The preparation for the game was far from being perfect and we still got a point.”

After posting a perfect record against opposition outside the top six in their first 23 league games, Liverpool have now slipped up twice in as many matches to mount the tension in their chase for a first title in 29 years.

However, Klopp played down suggestions it is the pressure and the weight of history that has dragged his players down over the past week.

“It’s not about pressure, it’s about enjoying the situation you are in,” added Klopp. “We have 62 points, have lost one game in the whole season so far which is very positive.

“I think from your faces already you (the media) feel sorry for us. We are fine. Tonight was just a tough game.”

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini claimed it was “impossible to play worse” after his side’s 3-0 capitulation to Wolves last week that followed a deeply disappointing FA Cup exit to League One AFC Wimbledon.

- lax set-piece defending -

Even without the injured Marko Arnautovic, Pellegrini got the response he wanted in West Ham’s performance if not their end product and the Chilean was angered that Liverpool’s opener was allowed to stand despite Milner clearly being offside when he crossed for Mane to score his 12th goal of the season.

“They have two clear chances, one that is one-and-a-half metres offside where they score a goal, and one in the last minute with (Divock) Origi in front of the linesman again one metre offside.

“Of course, you must be disappointed,” said Pellegrini, who recalled a series of controversial calls that went in favour of Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund when they beat Pellegrini’s Malaga in the 2012/13 Champions League quarter-finals.

“Klopp is used to win with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with Borussia Dortmund with a goal seven metres offside, so he can’t complain about nothing.”

Liverpool’s lead lasted just six minutes as the visitors switched off from a well-worked free-kick and Antonio drilled Felipe Anderson’s pass in off the far post.

More lax set-piece defending should have cost Liverpool again three minutes before the break when Rice headed wide another wicked Anderson free-kick delivery wide when completely unmarked 10 yards out.

Anderson continued to create problems in the second period and another positive break from the Brazilian should have created the winner when Noble fired over.

Origi replaced the ineffective Roberto Firmino 15 minutes from time and the Belgian had a huge chance to make Glyn KIRK / AFP himself a hero as he did with a last gasp Merseyside derby Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) speaks to West Ham United’s Chilean manager Manuel winner against Everton in December.

This time, though, Origi shot meekly into Lukasz FabianPellegrini after the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between West Ham United ski’s grateful arms with the final action of the match. (afp) and Liverpool at The London Stadium, in east London on February 4, 2019.

9

Mourinho humiliated by fall at Russian hockey league face-off

Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

A file picture taken on June 15, 2018 shows a general view of the Fisht Stadium taken ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Portugal and Spain in Sochi.

After World Cup, Russians flock to matches Many thought the football craze in Russia would not last and the shiny new stadiums built for the World Cup would rapidly become “white elephants” the country could not afford.

But in the six months since the hosting of the month-long football extravaganza some of the stadiums have attracted big crowds and attendance rates have gone through the roof.

Russia spent over $10 billion on stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup. Each of the 11 host cities either got a brand new arena or had an existing one refurbished.

Of the seven brand new stadiums built for the tournament, three are located in Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Saransk.

The three second-division clubs in these cities had record attendances in the 2018-2019 season.

Volgograd averaged more than 22,000 spectators per home game since the beginning of the season, according to statistics. Nizhny Novgorod averaged just under 20,000 spectators, while nearly 15,000 watched games in Saransk in central Russia.

Russian Premier League crowds have also been boosted. By the start of a winter break in December, average attendance in the top flight has grown by roughly 30 percent to 17,000 spectators per match compared to previous years.

Russian media have taken great delight in writing about the country’s packed modern arenas, a far cry from windswept antiquated Soviet-era stadiums.

In late August, a whopping 31,000 people gathered at Nizhny Novgorod’s 45,000-seat stadium located at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers to watch FC Avangard Kursk beat

the city’s local team 1-0.

“Thank God football on the whole and players in particular have become very popular in Nizhny,” said Alexei Rokotov, a sports journalist in the city of 1.2 million people.

He said residents -- and not just fans of the local team -- liked to spend their time at the stadium, comparing such outings to a visit to the movies.

“People just come to watch football, to look at the stadium, it’s not far from the centre,” he said.

At between 200 and 400 rubles (2.6 to 5 euros), ticket prices in the city are attractive too.

Russia even moved Saint Petersburg-based Dynamo -- which had long languished in the shadow of Zenit Saint Petersburg -- to the Black Sea resort of Sochi to occupy the Fisht Olympic Stadium there. It will play in the Russian second tier under a new name -- FC Sochi.

But filling Sochi’s 47,000-seat stadium -- which was built to host the 2014 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and hosted World Cup games including Russia’s quarter-final exit on penalties to Croatia -- has not been easy. Crowds rarely exceed a few thousand spectators.

- ‘Politicised football’ -

- Costly upkeep -

Many had criticised the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games for their exorbitant costs, and one of the government’s top concerns was to avoid the World Cup stadiums going to waste after the showpiece was over.

President Vladimir Putin has demanded officials draft a World Cup “legacy” programme to raise attendances and boost youth player development.

The sports-mad Russian leader banned local authorities from allowing the stadiums to be turned into outdoor markets like in the 1990s.

The authorities are pulling out all the stops to support football clubs in the cities where the new stadiums were built. “In Russia, football is very politicised,” said Kirill Kulakov, chief of the Moscow-based RMA Business School and head of its department of sport management.

In Nizhny Novgorod, authorities saved a local club from bankruptcy in the hope it would eventually join the top flight. The region promised tax cuts to companies supporting the club.

With Russia’s economy hampered by relatively low oil prices and Western sanctions, maintenance of the new arenas is expected to be problematic.

Kulakov said: “The stadiums are supposed to be handed to local authorities and then privatised if there’s a request for it from local clubs.”

Depending on the venue, the upkeep costs 200 million rubles ($3 million) to 330 million rubles ($5 million) a year and will likely be more costly in the future.

Currently the property of the federal government, the arenas are expected to become responsibility of regional authorities from June, 2019.

Some regions -- like the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad whose venue is rarely filled -- are expected to struggle.

“Some of the stadiums were built where there are no representatives of the Premier League and I know that additional work is ongoing because they were built in a rush,” Kulakov said. “People did not think what would happen after the World Cup.” (afp)

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho embarrassingly slipped after presenting a symbolic face-off to a match in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on Monday.

Videos of the 56-year-old boss falling on a red carpet on the ice rink in Balashikha appeared on social media after the accident.

Mourinho was invited by KHL side Avangard Omsk in Siberia to take part in promotional work for the club and signed photographs ahead of the match with SKA Saint Petersburg.

The two-time Champions League winner was helped back

to his feet by Avangard’s former Detroit Red Wings centreman Pavel Datsyuk after the puck drop.

Avangard play their home games in the city just outside Moscow after their usual arena was found to be unsafe for hosting games.

Mourinho has been out of work since he was sacked by United in December after two-and-a-half years at the helm.

Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lifted the Old Trafford side to fifth place in the Premier League table and is yet to lose as Red Devils boss since taking over from ‘The Special One’. (afp)

STRINGER / AFP

Former Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (C) falls as he drops the puck to start a Continental hockey league match between Avangard Omsk and SKA Saint Petersburg in Balashikha outside Moscow on February 4, 2019.

8

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Klopp points to injuries as lacklustre Liverpool slip-up again Jurgen Klopp pinpointed a mounting injury list as the explanation for Liverpool’s subpar performance in a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Monday that leaves the league leaders just three points clear of Manchester City.

Less than a week after missing the opportunity to go seven points clear of City with a 1-1 draw against Leicester, Liverpool again let a lead slip as Michail Antonio quickly cancelled out Sadio Mane’s 22nd minute opener.

Victory over Everton on Wednesday will now take City to the top of the table, while Tottenham are just five points

off the top in third.

It could have been even worse for Liverpool had Declan Rice and Mark Noble not failed to hit the target with huge chances to claim all three points for West Ham. Klopp was without the injured Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold meaning James Milner started in an unfamiliar role at right-back, while the German was forced to name an experimental midfield three of Fabinho, Naby Keita and Adam Lallana.

“Last night we trained and after we had to change three positions,” said Klopp. “It’s just a fact, it’s not an excuse.

The preparation for the game was far from being perfect and we still got a point.”

After posting a perfect record against opposition outside the top six in their first 23 league games, Liverpool have now slipped up twice in as many matches to mount the tension in their chase for a first title in 29 years.

However, Klopp played down suggestions it is the pressure and the weight of history that has dragged his players down over the past week.

“It’s not about pressure, it’s about enjoying the situation you are in,” added Klopp. “We have 62 points, have lost one game in the whole season so far which is very positive.

“I think from your faces already you (the media) feel sorry for us. We are fine. Tonight was just a tough game.”

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini claimed it was “impossible to play worse” after his side’s 3-0 capitulation to Wolves last week that followed a deeply disappointing FA Cup exit to League One AFC Wimbledon.

- lax set-piece defending -

Even without the injured Marko Arnautovic, Pellegrini got the response he wanted in West Ham’s performance if not their end product and the Chilean was angered that Liverpool’s opener was allowed to stand despite Milner clearly being offside when he crossed for Mane to score his 12th goal of the season.

“They have two clear chances, one that is one-and-a-half metres offside where they score a goal, and one in the last minute with (Divock) Origi in front of the linesman again one metre offside.

“Of course, you must be disappointed,” said Pellegrini, who recalled a series of controversial calls that went in favour of Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund when they beat Pellegrini’s Malaga in the 2012/13 Champions League quarter-finals.

“Klopp is used to win with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with Borussia Dortmund with a goal seven metres offside, so he can’t complain about nothing.”

Liverpool’s lead lasted just six minutes as the visitors switched off from a well-worked free-kick and Antonio drilled Felipe Anderson’s pass in off the far post.

More lax set-piece defending should have cost Liverpool again three minutes before the break when Rice headed wide another wicked Anderson free-kick delivery wide when completely unmarked 10 yards out.

Anderson continued to create problems in the second period and another positive break from the Brazilian should have created the winner when Noble fired over.

Origi replaced the ineffective Roberto Firmino 15 minutes from time and the Belgian had a huge chance to make Glyn KIRK / AFP himself a hero as he did with a last gasp Merseyside derby Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) speaks to West Ham United’s Chilean manager Manuel winner against Everton in December.

This time, though, Origi shot meekly into Lukasz FabianPellegrini after the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between West Ham United ski’s grateful arms with the final action of the match. (afp) and Liverpool at The London Stadium, in east London on February 4, 2019.

9

Mourinho humiliated by fall at Russian hockey league face-off

Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

A file picture taken on June 15, 2018 shows a general view of the Fisht Stadium taken ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Portugal and Spain in Sochi.

After World Cup, Russians flock to matches Many thought the football craze in Russia would not last and the shiny new stadiums built for the World Cup would rapidly become “white elephants” the country could not afford.

But in the six months since the hosting of the month-long football extravaganza some of the stadiums have attracted big crowds and attendance rates have gone through the roof.

Russia spent over $10 billion on stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup. Each of the 11 host cities either got a brand new arena or had an existing one refurbished.

Of the seven brand new stadiums built for the tournament, three are located in Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Saransk.

The three second-division clubs in these cities had record attendances in the 2018-2019 season.

Volgograd averaged more than 22,000 spectators per home game since the beginning of the season, according to statistics. Nizhny Novgorod averaged just under 20,000 spectators, while nearly 15,000 watched games in Saransk in central Russia.

Russian Premier League crowds have also been boosted. By the start of a winter break in December, average attendance in the top flight has grown by roughly 30 percent to 17,000 spectators per match compared to previous years.

Russian media have taken great delight in writing about the country’s packed modern arenas, a far cry from windswept antiquated Soviet-era stadiums.

In late August, a whopping 31,000 people gathered at Nizhny Novgorod’s 45,000-seat stadium located at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers to watch FC Avangard Kursk beat

the city’s local team 1-0.

“Thank God football on the whole and players in particular have become very popular in Nizhny,” said Alexei Rokotov, a sports journalist in the city of 1.2 million people.

He said residents -- and not just fans of the local team -- liked to spend their time at the stadium, comparing such outings to a visit to the movies.

“People just come to watch football, to look at the stadium, it’s not far from the centre,” he said.

At between 200 and 400 rubles (2.6 to 5 euros), ticket prices in the city are attractive too.

Russia even moved Saint Petersburg-based Dynamo -- which had long languished in the shadow of Zenit Saint Petersburg -- to the Black Sea resort of Sochi to occupy the Fisht Olympic Stadium there. It will play in the Russian second tier under a new name -- FC Sochi.

But filling Sochi’s 47,000-seat stadium -- which was built to host the 2014 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and hosted World Cup games including Russia’s quarter-final exit on penalties to Croatia -- has not been easy. Crowds rarely exceed a few thousand spectators.

- ‘Politicised football’ -

- Costly upkeep -

Many had criticised the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games for their exorbitant costs, and one of the government’s top concerns was to avoid the World Cup stadiums going to waste after the showpiece was over.

President Vladimir Putin has demanded officials draft a World Cup “legacy” programme to raise attendances and boost youth player development.

The sports-mad Russian leader banned local authorities from allowing the stadiums to be turned into outdoor markets like in the 1990s.

The authorities are pulling out all the stops to support football clubs in the cities where the new stadiums were built. “In Russia, football is very politicised,” said Kirill Kulakov, chief of the Moscow-based RMA Business School and head of its department of sport management.

In Nizhny Novgorod, authorities saved a local club from bankruptcy in the hope it would eventually join the top flight. The region promised tax cuts to companies supporting the club.

With Russia’s economy hampered by relatively low oil prices and Western sanctions, maintenance of the new arenas is expected to be problematic.

Kulakov said: “The stadiums are supposed to be handed to local authorities and then privatised if there’s a request for it from local clubs.”

Depending on the venue, the upkeep costs 200 million rubles ($3 million) to 330 million rubles ($5 million) a year and will likely be more costly in the future.

Currently the property of the federal government, the arenas are expected to become responsibility of regional authorities from June, 2019.

Some regions -- like the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad whose venue is rarely filled -- are expected to struggle.

“Some of the stadiums were built where there are no representatives of the Premier League and I know that additional work is ongoing because they were built in a rush,” Kulakov said. “People did not think what would happen after the World Cup.” (afp)

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho embarrassingly slipped after presenting a symbolic face-off to a match in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on Monday.

Videos of the 56-year-old boss falling on a red carpet on the ice rink in Balashikha appeared on social media after the accident.

Mourinho was invited by KHL side Avangard Omsk in Siberia to take part in promotional work for the club and signed photographs ahead of the match with SKA Saint Petersburg.

The two-time Champions League winner was helped back

to his feet by Avangard’s former Detroit Red Wings centreman Pavel Datsyuk after the puck drop.

Avangard play their home games in the city just outside Moscow after their usual arena was found to be unsafe for hosting games.

Mourinho has been out of work since he was sacked by United in December after two-and-a-half years at the helm.

Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lifted the Old Trafford side to fifth place in the Premier League table and is yet to lose as Red Devils boss since taking over from ‘The Special One’. (afp)

STRINGER / AFP

Former Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (C) falls as he drops the puck to start a Continental hockey league match between Avangard Omsk and SKA Saint Petersburg in Balashikha outside Moscow on February 4, 2019.

10

Destination

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

Joerg, Loginov win world snowboard parallel GS crowns

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP

Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons dunks next to Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on February 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces Cultural Landscape Heritage Site in Tabanan

TABANAN - Jatiluwih rice terraces pretty much cover the region of the namesake upland village in West Bali, most famous for its landscapes that are both dramatic and truly exotic. The

site is one of the island’s must-see natural panoramas on par with Mount Batur and the caldera of Kintamani. The cool highlands and the breathtaking scenery of this village at the foot of Mount

Batukaru makes for wonderful photo opportunities, and serves as a soothing retreat away from the island’s crowded south. Once a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site candidate, Jatiluwih rice terraces comprises over 600Ha of rice fields that follow the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. These are wellmaintained by a traditional water management cooperative known as ‘subak’, which dates back to the 9th century. The cooperative itself eventually won recognition as a dominant factor in Bali’s ‘cultural landscape’ entry on the heritage list.

Located at about 700m above sea level in the Penebel district of the Tabanan regency, the journey up to these highlands from the main southern areas such as Kuta

and Denpasar takes an approximate two-hour drive. Full-day tour itineraries usually include Jatiluwih as a main attraction alongside other prominent highlights within the region, such as Batukaru Temple and the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest nearby, together with the picturesque Tanah Lot sea temple at the end of the day, just in time for the striking sunset backdrops and dinner shows. You will find the largest and most picturesque expanse of paddies in Bali and perhaps the whole of Indonesia here.

Another sister area with similar views is the village of Pupuan, also in Tabanan. Lush green views will already come into view upon approaching the region, while the main vantage point lies further up in the village. Entrance to the main area requires a fee that goes to the

Place Your Add Here

It is for Job Vacancy, Property, Selling or Buying Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

local village cooperative fund, and which is usually covered by tour operators. Halfway up, the view is truly impressive, with 180 degrees of gently sloping terraces as far as the eye can see.

Several restaurants serving international and local cuisine line the small road overlooking the Jatiluwih rice terraces; most tour itineraries stop here for lunch. One of the restaurants offering the best vantage point is Billy’s Terrace Café, which serves local selections and buffets, and Warung Jatiluwih 259 further down the slope. While most travellers on tailored tours normally enjoy the scenery by day, the rice fields are equally impressive at sundown, complete with fireflies and the sound of nature that emerge and become more apparent into the evening. (IBP/net)

Pistons bounce back, Harden fuels Rockets win

PARK CITY - Russian teen Dmitry Loginov and Germany’s Selina Joerg won the men’s and women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom titles Monday at the World Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Championships.

Loginov captured the crown when Slovenia’s Tim Mastnak fell in the championship race while Jeorg claimed her trophy after Russia’s Natalia Soboleva was disqualified in the final.

It was a shock win by Loginov just two days after his 19th birthday. His only World Cup win came in January 2018 at Bad Gastein just a month after his only other podium finish, a third at Cortina d’Ampezzo.

However, Loginov served notice he would be a threat from his opening race, dethroning reigning world champion Andreas Prommegger of Austria by 1.14 seconds. He advanced from the quarter-finals

when Edwin Coratti did not finish and downed compatriot Vic Wild by 3.21 seconds to reach the final.

Germany’s Stefan Baumeister beat Wild by 3.55 seconds to capture third.

Joerg, 31, was runner-up at last year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She made it back-to-back titles after a victory in Rogla, Slovenia, in the last event before the worlds.

Joerg won by 0.38 of a second over South Korea’s Jeong Hae-rim in her opening race, then downed German compatriot Carolin Langenhorst by 0.69 of a second in the quarter-finals and downed Swiss Ladina Jenny by 2.79 seconds in the semi-final to book her place in the championship race.

Jenny defeated Russia’s Milena Bykova by 0.37 of a second to claim third place. (afp)

LOS ANGELES - Andre Drummond scored a season-high 27 points as the Detroit Pistons rebounded from a crushing defeat with a 129-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons were coming off a devastating loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday in which Detroit surrendered a 23-point thirdquarter lead.

There was no sign of a late-game let-down on Monday as the Pistons turned a 14-point lead going into the fourth quarter into a 26--point win. They never trailed in the second half, leading by as many as 29 points.

Drummond’s sparkling effort included 12 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.

Stanley Johnson scored 21 points and Blake Griffin added 17.

The Pistons reserves, out-scored 80-17 in the loss to the Clippers, came through with 60 points against the Nuggets, Detroit’s bench players expanding the lead to start both the second and fourth quarters.

They helped make the difference on a night when all five Denver starters scored in double figures, led by Monte Morris’s 18 points.

Nevertheless, Denver saw their six-game win streak snapped and dropped out of a tie with the Golden State Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.

“I like the way our guys responded,” Pistons coach Dwane

Casey said. “Enthusiasm and togetherness.”

- Harden streaks on NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden scored 14 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter -- notching his 20th 40-point game of the season in the Houston Rockets’ 118-110 victory over the lowly Phoenix Suns.

Harden, who pulled down eight rebounds and handed out six assists, extended his streak of games with 30 or more points to 27.

The Suns, who dropped their 11th straight, trailed by as many as 20 in the third quarter but cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth.

Harden produced 11 points in a four-minute span -- including a 31-foot three-pointer that pushed the Rockets lead to 15 points with 3:06 remaining -- as Houston sealed the win.

The Milwaukee Bucks pushed their league-leading record to 39-13 with a 113-94 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and handed out nine assists for Milwaukee, who won their fourth straight.

The crowd at the Barclays Center included former US President Bill Clinton and three-time major golf champion Brooks Koepka.

Clinton and his wife, Hillary, have a home in suburban New York and he said he tries to take on a couple of games in Brooklyn each season. But he was invited to the game by Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and enjoyed the chance to watch Antetokounmpo.

“He’s unbelievable,” Clinton said of Milwaukee’s Most Valuable Player candidate. “He’s really come into his own this year.”

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and Eric Bledsoe scored 15 for the Bucks, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.

The injury-depleted Nets offered little resistance, connecting on just 32.4 percent of their shots from the field -- including making just five of 37 attempted three-pointers.

Indiana guard Darren Collison starred in the Pacers’ 109-107 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans. Collison scored 11 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, draining a three-pointer, a jump shot and a free throw in the last two minutes as the Pacers held on for the win. (afp)

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP

Dmitry Loginov celebrates on the podium after finishing first place during the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Final at the FIS Snowboard World Championships on February 04, 2019 at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

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International

International

RLD

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Papuans get independence petition to UN despite obstacles

IBP/net

Would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii might have to wait a very long time for their first legal drag, after a lawmaker introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100.

Hawaii considers raising legal smoking age -- to 100

LOS ANGELES - Would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii might have to wait a very long time for their first legal drag, after a lawmaker introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100.

The proposed law, introduced by local Democratic representative Richard Creagan, would effectively amount to a cigarette ban by 2024.

Hawaii already has some of the toughest laws on cigarette sales but Creagan -- an emergency room doctor -- believes more needs to be done to ban “the deadliest artifact in human

Pope...

From page 1

Yemen is the scene of what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by the intervention of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies in a war between the government and Huthi rebels. More than 10 million Yemenis now risk imminent starvation.

The UAE, which prides itself on its religious diversity in the Gulf, is also a member of the US-

history,” according to his proposed bill.

“Basically, we essentially have a group who are heavily addicted -- in my view, enslaved by a ridiculously bad industry -- which has enslaved them by designing a cigarette that is highly addictive, knowing that it highly lethal. And, it is,” he told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

Under current law, you must be 21-years-old to purchase cigarettes in Hawaii. Nationwide, the minimum age is 18 or 19.

Creagan’s proposal calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year, 40 in 2021, 50 in 2022 and 60 in 2023.

By 2024, the minimum age would be 100.

He said the bill is structured to withstand any legal chal-

led coalition battling the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, one of the most powerful rulers in the seven emirates, on Monday gifted the pope a deed for the plot of land on which the first church in the UAE was built.

Pope Francis in turn gave him a framed medallion of the meeting between St. Francis Assisi -- the pope’s namesake -- and the Sultan of Egypt Malek al-Kamel, in 1219.

While the pope did not openly discuss politics, he called for “the full recognition” of rights for people across the Middle East, a potential reference to communities including Shiites in Saudi Arabia, refugees and migrants, stateless peoples and other minorities.

“I look forward to societies where people of different beliefs have the same right of citizenship and where only in the case of violence in any of its forms is that right removed,” he said.

lenge.

“The state is obliged to protect the public’s health,” Creagan, who acknowledges smoking cigarettes during his medical studies, told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

“We don’t allow people free access to opioids, for instance, or any prescription drugs,” he added.

“This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for nearly half a million deaths every year. (afp)

- ‘Year of tolerance’ -

The Emirates has dubbed 2019 its “year of tolerance” but rights groups have criticised it for its role in Yemen, where an estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance the government’s fight against the Huthis in 2015.

Muslims make up nearly four fifths of the UAE’s population, but the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of

Southern Arabia. Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 percent of the population.

The UAE has pushed itself as an open society in a conservative region. The country is home to eight Catholic churches, Hindu temples and a place of prayer that serves as a synagogue.

Bahrain and Qatar are home to one Catholic church each while Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four while Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all nonMuslim places of worship. (afp)

JAKARTA — Activists in Indonesia’s mountainous jungle-clad Papua region risked imprisonment to collect 1.8 million signatures for a petition calling for self-determination but had a final dilemma: They were blocked from presenting it to the intended recipient, the United Nations.

An attempt to present the petition in 2017 to the U.N. committee responsible for monitoring the progress of colonized territories toward independence was rebuffed. The chairman of the committee said it couldn’t be accepted because Papua was not part of its mandate.

Highlighting the risks of the endeavor, an activist promoting the petition was arrested by Indonesian authorities in 2017 and sentenced the following year to 10 months in prison. He was arrested again this month along with several others who face treason charges.

Last week they succeeded, aided by the diplomatic equivalent of a wink and a nod from the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, which has been championing the Papuan cause.

Vanuatu officials had a scheduled meeting last Friday in Geneva with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

Among them was an exiled Papuan leader, Benny Wenda, who presented the voluminous petition to Bachelet.

“During this meeting, one member of the Vanuatu delegation, Mr. Benny Wenda, presented the high commissioner with a petition. This was not actually a meeting arranged with Mr. Wenda for that purpose,” said Ravina Shamdasani, deputy spokeswoman at the U.N. Human Rights Office. Bachelet “was not aware” in advance, she said.

“Indonesia’s fake referendum included less than 0.2 percent of the population in 1969. The West Papuan People’s Petition of 2017 has 70 percent of the population,” Wenda, who is head of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, said in a statement.

“Indonesia’s entire claim to West Papua rests on what happened in 1969. That claim is destroyed now,” he said.

He said he and others are “working day and night” to bring the petition to the U.N. General Assembly.

Indonesia’s mission to the U.N. said Vanuatu had “deliberately deceived” Bachelet. It said Indonesia “would never retreat to defend and protect” its territorial sovereignty.

The U.N. reiterated previous statements it has made about Papua.

Indonesia in February last year agreed that a U.N. rights delegation could visit Papua, to which Jakarta tightly controls access, but no visit has taken place.

Shamdasani said Bachelet informed the Vanuatu delegation that the U.N. Human Rights Office “has been engaging with the Indonesian authorities on the issue of Papua, including the prevailing human rights situation, and has requested access to Papua.” (ap)

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ELECTION 2019

AP Photo/Slamet Riyadi

In this Tuesday, Jan, 29, 2019, photo. Mount Merapi spews volcanic material as it erupts as seen from Cangkringan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia’s most volatile volcano has unleashed a 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) dark red volcanic material 1,400 meters (1,500 yards) down the slopes.

Lava, gas flowing out Indonesia volcano sends people fleeing

JAKARTA — An eruption of one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes sent lava and searing gas clouds out the crater and made villagers leave the slopes, a volcanology official said Tuesday.

Authorities were still trying to evacuate nearly 600 residents living along the slopes of Mount Karangetang, said Yudia Tatipang, head of the Karangetang volcano observation post. There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.

He said the 1,784-meter (5,853-foot) volcano located on Siau island of North Sulawesi province started spitting clouds of gas and lava on Sunday.

Late on Monday, hot ash tumbled down its slopes up to 300 meters (980 feet), triggering panic among villagers as falling ash and sulfur blanketed several villages around its slopes.

Tatipang said that scientists kept the alert level of the volcano at the second-highest level but people should stay out of a 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) danger zone around the crater.

The Karangetang mountain is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its last big eruption was in 2011, killing four people.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin, and is prone to volcanic and seismic activity. (ap)

Jakarta Governor Baswedan visits Dharma Bhakti temple

JAKARTA - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan visited the Dharma Bhakti temple (vihara) located in the Taman Sari area, West Jakarta, on Tuesday, to congratulate Chinese Indonesians celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year.

“Today, I once again visit Dharma Bhakti Vihara, which is the oldest vihara in Indonesia. It was established in the 1650s. This is one of the centers of celebration for the Lunar New Year,” the

governor stated.

Baswedan, who was accompanied by his two sons -- Mikhail and Ismail -- congratulated those celebrating Lunar New Year.

“Gong Xi Fa Cai, wishing that this Lunar New Year brings blessing and success to all,” he noted.

Baswedan and his son joined in the release of sparrows to symbolize freedom from problems and a journey to success. Meanwhile,

the Indonesian Confucianism Council (Matakin) has called for modesty in celebrating the 2019 Lunar New Year.

“Celebrate modestly because the meaning of Lunar New Year is not a party but is a momentum for self-reflection, more prayers, care for fellow human beings, and strengthen friendship with fellow citizens,” Matakin Chairman Budi Santoso Tanuwibowo stated here, Tuesday.

This year`s Lunar New Year is themed “Wealth Hoarding Will Cause Disunity among the People, The Spread of Wealth will Unite the People.” He appealed to followers of Confucianism to help the poor.

Believers must help people in need, he added.

“The gap between the rich and poor is still wide. There are many people, who still live below the poverty line. Certainly, we must

not close our eyes, and we must do our share to help uplift those living below the poverty line,” he remarked.

Tanuwibowo wished for Indonesia to achieve more progress. The economic growth of Indonesia must be able to bring equitable prosperity. “Our hope is that Indonesia functions in accordance with the Preamble of the UUD 1945 Constitution,” he added. (ant)

12

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

BUSINESS Google parent beats Q4 estimates, stock still drops SAN FRANCISCO - Google parent company Alphabet beat Wall Street expectations for its fourth quarter earnings Monday, although its stock slid in after-hours trading over investor concerns about increased spending.

Alphabet swung to a profit of $8.9 billion, up from a $3 billion loss in the same period a year ago due to the effects of a new federal tax law. Its revenue grew this quarter to $39.3 billion, up more than 21 percent from $32.3 billion last year.

Alphabet’s earnings per share of $12.77 beat Wall Street expectations of $10.86 per share, according to analysts polled by FactSet. But Alphabet also spent more on research and development and other expenses during the quarter, as it works to expand its cloud computing business and its long-term bets such as self-driving cars.

Alphabet’s stock price dropped roughly 3 percent despite the beat in after-market trading Monday. Analysts attributed the decline to Alphabet’s increased investment in its cloud business, YouTube and other areas it hopes to grow.

Executives noted the company’s focus on expanding the cloud business during a call with analysts Monday, as it races to compete against rivals Amazon and Microsoft in the growing industry. Amazon currently leads in that market, followed by Microsoft and Google in a somewhat more distant third place.

Late last year, Google brought in former Oracle Corp. executive Thomas Kurian to lead its cloud business into what it hopes to be a rapid growth stage. Cloud bets are likely to start paying off in the coming years, said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives. And it would be short-sighted to count Google out, though Amazon and Microsoft’s businesses are larger.

“I think Microsoft and Amazon need to keep one eye open with Google,” he said.

Google revenues from its “other” category, which includes what it pulls in from cloud services and hardware, climbed more than 30 percent to $6.5 billion in the fourth quarter.

Alphabet’s Other Bets business, which includes its self-driving car company Waymo and health-tech venture Verily, saw revenue rise to $154 million, up from $131 million in the year-ago period. But operating losses also ballooned to $1.3 billion, a 78 percent increase since the year-earlier quarter.

Alphabet shares have climbed 9 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen roughly 9 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $1,141.42, a rise of 2 percent in the last 12 months. (ap)

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

5

Ancestral traditions of Batuan, Tex-Mex and contemporary art

Having been born and raised in the village of Batuan where fine arts and performing arts have been continuously honed over centuries, Wayan Gustyva was steeped in the fine craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail for which this village is known.

Wayan however, found his own artistic expression in the culinary arts and followed his dream to Denpasar where he studied to become a chef and then to Austin, Texas where he did an internship. There he was inadvertently introduced to a style of cuisine known as Tex-Mex which -much in the same way that different influences have affected the arts in Bali, is basically Mexican food but adjusted to the palette of people north of the border.

Wayan came to love Tex-Mex food and wanted to bring this style cooking back to Bali for his friends and neighbours to enjoy. Driven by his passion for food, he opened a cute little restaurant by the side of the road in Nyuh Kuning that is decorated in a kind of minimalist Mexican style, complete with hammocks where customers can relax as they gaze out onto the rice fields and mountain in the distance. Cilantro -named for the herb that spices nearly all of their dishes, serves a complete Tex-Mex array of dishes, nearly all prepared with local ingredients.

Wyan Gustyva gives the same attention to the preparation of food at Cilantro that the artists of Batuan

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Alba, a white German Shepherd dog, wearing a European flag stands with supporters of Britain remaining in the European Union as they protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019.

British economy ‘stalling’ amid intensified Brexit worries

LONDON - With Brexit less than eight weeks away, it’s becoming clear with the bloc was overwhelmingly defeated that the British economy is stalling as firms struggle with the uncertainty by lawmakers last month.

A scramble to come up with an alternative over what will happen.

Hot on the heels of the news that carmaker Nissan is scrapping plans to build a new SUV in its plant in northeast England, a survey on Tuesday showed that the British economy as a whole is almost flat lining.

Financial information firm IHS Markit said Tuesday its “all-sector” purchasing managers’ index, which incorporates gauges of manufacturing, construction and services activity, dipped to 50.3 points in January from 51.5 the previous month. Were it to fall below 50, it would be indicating a fall in output.

“The survey results indicate that companies have become increasingly risk averse and eager to reduce overheads in the face of weakened customer demand and rising political uncertainty,” said Chris Williamson,

chief business economist at IHS Markit.

Though the survey takes a snapshot of only one month, it provides a steer as to the economy’s momentum. The Bank of England, for example, watches the survey as it assesses it monetary policies. The Bank of England is due to keep its main interest rate on hold at 0.75 percent on Thursday. There will be particular interest in its updated economic forecasts in light of the Brexit impasse.

Surveys from the likes of IHS Markit, but also from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, are all pointing in the same downward direction amid the Brexit impasse.

Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29 but it’s still completely unclear how it will do so after Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal

plan has yet to yield any results and there are mounting fears that Britain could end up crashing out of the bloc with no deal on future relations. That would likely mean new tariffs on British exports and serious disruption to trade between the two sides.

Given that backdrop, firms don’t know how to plan, whether to invest in new plants and machinery or not, or whether to recruit staff. According to the survey, firms in the services sector, the bedrock of the British economy, are particularly uneasy. New orders are at their lowest level since July 2016, the month after Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum.

“With no deal in sight, business and consumer caution will only intensify, risking a first quarter contraction,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING. (ap)

give to their art works. Not only does he prepare all of their sauces from scratch himself using (whenever possible), organic produce that he hand selects from Baturiti, but he even makes his own masa (corn flour paste) for all their tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Sometimes he will even make tamales using banana leaf instead of the traditional corn husk for a distinctive Balinese tamale flavor.

Now that Cilantro has been successfully running for just over a year, Wayan has turned his attention to the other part of his dream: opening a gallery space to showcase the vast number of talented artists in and around Ubud.

On February 5th, 2019 at 7PM, Cilantro Art Space will officially open with an exhibition entitled Diorama featuring works by 6 different artists who have been inspired by the culture of Bali in one way or another whether it be in style, technique, approach or concept. Like the Tex-mex food that is quickly making Cilantro a favorite amongst foodies, this exhibition combines the best of different sources to create something delicious. Diorama will be on display at Cilantro until March 5th, 2019. (kmb)

Pengosekan artist Ngurah Eko posing at CIlantro Art Space in preparation for upcoming exhibition.

Philosophical Messages in Kertha Gosa Paintings

Kertha Gosa in Klungkung has been known as a heritage of the royal period. Until now it remains well maintained. The building features a classic atmosphere. There are a number of stories contained in the paintings mounted on the ceiling. What are they? The name of Kertha Gosa has been very famous not only in Balinese society, but also overseas. The historical heritage located in the south of Puputan Klungkung Monument becomes one of the tourist destinations in Klungkung.

When coming in, the classic atmosphere can be felt intensely.

The Kertha Gosa building in the northeast corner still shows its taksu or divine vibration. Its foundation is made from hard sand stone. The poles of the building with a palm fiber roof covered with carvings give the impression of the past time. Gold leaf color of some

painting has looked to fade but still looks beautiful. They are no less beautiful when compared to the carvings of today.

In the center of the building, there are carved table and chairs.

According to the story, during the kingdom era it is believed to be the venue for discussion on everything related to security situation, prosperity and justice of kingdom region in Bali. Besides, this pavilion served as a venue of meeting for the subordinate kings throughout Bali held every full moon of the fourth month in Balinese calendar (October). Here the royal officials provided direction and decisions based on considerations of the circumstances and needs.

When observed further, the ceiling of this building is filled with paintings. They have very distinctive colors. Additionally, they look natural with a touch of color of the

rocks. Aside from offering very classic nuance, it contains meaningful philosophy. All of them are displayed in plots. Its beauty and uniqueness can draw the attention of many visiting tourists. They are quite curious about the meaning contained therein.

A tour guide, I Putu Gede Alex Sanjaya Putra, said the paintings have existed since the beginning of the building. One by one is explained based on the existing references. At the bottom plot, the story tells about Tantri Kandaka, the 1001-night stories whose essence is about all the deceit in society. The second and third plots carry about the Atma Presangsa, depicting the suffering of the souls in Hell found

by Bima Sena (second son of the Pandavas) on his way to find out the souls of his father and mother.

The fourth plot is about the eagle seeking amrita (holy water

of life), taken from Adi Parwa, a story that illustrates how difficult it is to earn a living in the world. Meanwhile, the fifth plot tells about palelindon (forecast and meaning of earthquakes). The sixth and seventh plots tell about Bima Sena when meeting with divine and celestial deities and fighting to save the souls of his father and mother.

Meanwhile, the eighth plot tells about the heaven of the souls and the ninth plot about the god who serves as the keeper of the balance of the four points of the compass of the world. “This painting becomes one of the tourist attractions,” explained Sanjaya Putra, not long ago.

Right in the middle of this building area is the Taman Gili. Local community is more familiar with the name of Balai Kambang (literally means ‘the floating pavilion’)

surrounded by a fish pond with water lilies. To get there, visitors should explore some steps that also show the old impression.

This building has many poles. The carving is similar to the ones in the Kertha Gosa. This also draws the attention of visitors as intrigued by the story of the paintings on the ceiling.

Near the brick-using foundation building, there is a small note explaining the meaning of the paintings. The first plot from below tells the story about the destiny of a person predetermined by the day of birth. The second plot depicts the story of Pan Berayut, a fairy tale about the couple having 18 children. As for the third to sixth plot tell about the story of Sutasoma, the work of renowned poet, Mpu Tantular during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk in Majapahit in 1365. (kmb)

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

International

13

Chinese communities around world welcome Year of the Pig HONG KONG - Chinese communities around the world welcomed the Year of the Pig on Tuesday, ushering in the Lunar New Year with prayers, family feasts and shopping sprees.

Abstract photography

Communicating through shapes, colors, and lines

THERE are no standard rules when talking about abstract photography. In essence, it is how a photographer is able to explore its creativity to involve and arouse emotions of the connoisseurs of the photos it creates. Similarly, this type of photography does not require various equipments.

Anything on this earth can be used as the object of the abstract photography. What is really needed is just a camera plus a lens and the imagination.

The main feature of abstract photography is that the things used as the objects of shooting are not displayed literally so as to provide the widest possible space for photo lovers to imagine and interpret the objects in the photo. In other words, abstract photography tends to communicate through shapes, colors and lines rather than highlighting detailed images.

Even though there are no standard rules to make abstract photography, you still have to understand and master conventional photography techniques and principles about shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus and lighting effects. For shooting certain objects, sometimes we need a camera with special speed.

Similarly, telephoto lenses, macro lenses, flash and other supporting equipment are also very helpful to realize the abstract photography concept that we want. However, the existence of such equipment is not absolute because you can still make creativity in accordance with the equipment owned.

Three fundamental things Normally, abstract photography has three basic things namely, shape, color and line. On hat account, it is very important for a photographer to think of these three

fundamental things.

The shape means the field of an object in a photo. It acts as a medium where abstract photos are made. Basically, the shape creates the center of a photo while the color and line are the supporting elements. Therefore, it is important for an abstract photo to begin with a good shape.

This can be carried out by selecting objects that have interesting, beautiful or dynamic shapes.

The presence of colors in the photo field will attract the attention of people that see and stimulate their perception system. Color is not only attractive, but can also lock the attention. If one’s eyes move around the frame, the color will draw them to the center. Another use of color is to produce a photo in truly contrasting colors.

Meanwhile, the presence of lines can add to the beauty of an abstract photo. The lines will control the

movement of one’s eyes that see.

Lines can add interest by helping direct attention to the center of an interesting image. As a result, it produces a stronger center of attention and better images.

In addition to these three fundamental things, composition is also one of the supporting elements for creating attractive abstract photography. In simple terms, composition can be interpreted as how the objects in a photo are arranged to reinforce each other. There are two compositions frequently used in abstract photography. Firstly, it’s the rule of third namely by placing a point of interest in one third of the frame.

Secondly is without rule. This is one of the uniqueness in abstract photography. We don’t need to follow the existing rules. Anything can be taken advantage in an abstract photo.

However, such disorder should still create something beautiful and attractive. Ultimately, congratulations on making creativity with abstract photography! (ian)

In mainland China over the past week, hundreds of millions of people have crammed into trains, buses, cars and planes to reach family and friends in the world’s largest annual migration, emptying the country’s megacities of much of the migrant workforce.

Celebrations will take place across the globe, from Southeast Asia’s centuries-old Chinese communities to the more recently established Chinatowns of Sydney, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles and beyond.

The most important holiday of the Chinese calendar marks the New Year with a fortnight of festivities as reunited families wrap dumplings together and exchange gifts and red envelopes stuffed with money. Pigs symbolise good fortune and wealth in Chinese culture and this year’s holiday brings a proliferation of porcine merchandise, greetings and decorations.

During the Spring Festival season -- a 40-day period known as “Chunyun” -- China’s masses will be on the move, chalking up some three billion journeys, Chinese state media reported.

Streets and busy thoroughfares were uncharacteristically empty in Beijing on Monday, with many shops and restaurants closed until next week.

A growing number of Chinese are also choosing to travel abroad, booking family trips to Thailand, Japan, and other top destinations.

An estimated seven million Chinese tourists will head overseas over the Spring Festival this year, according to the official news agen-

cy Xinhua, citing numbers from Chinese travel agency Ctrip.

Researchers have also traced the origins of the zodiac animal.

Chinese archeologists found that China was one of the earliest places in the world to domesticate pigs about 9,000 years ago -- around the time when ancient Turkey began similar domestication practices -- based on research on pig bones excavated at Jiahu in Henan province, Xinhua reported.

- Prayers and greetings In Hong Kong, flower markets were filled with residents picking out orchids, mandarins and peach blossoms to decorate their homes -- with stalls also boasting a dizzying array of pig-themed pillows, tote bags and stuffed toys.

Thousands of incense-carrying petitioners, some dressed in pig costumes, crammed into the city’s famous Wong Tai Sin temple overnight, a popular location to mark the first prayers of the New Year.

In Shanghai on the mainland crowds packed into the Longhua temple to pray for good fortune.

In Malaysia -– where 60 percent of the population is Muslim, and a quarter ethnic Chinese -– some shopping centres chose not to display pig decorations, while some shops kept them inside.

But shoppers and traders said that was usual in a country where the Muslim majority are sensitive about an animal considered unclean in Islam, and overall there had been little controversy this year.

Next door in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority

TED ALJIBE / AFP

A fire breather performs during celebrations for the Lunar New Year of the Pig in Manila’s Chinatown district on February 5, 2019. country which also has a sizeable ethnic Chinese population, the Lunar New Year is a public holiday.

Events such as traditional lion dances are held in decorated public spaces while supermarkets stock up on mooncakes and tangerines.

In Japan, the capital’s famous Tokyo Tower was due to turn red in celebration of the New Year -- a first for the city.

It is also the most important holiday in Vietnam, where it is celebrated as Tet. Parades and lion dances in Western cities such as New York and London were expected to draw

large crowds. Beijing-friendly figures such as Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen extended new year greetings to China.

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen used her social media accounts to deliver a political sideswipe at Beijing with a message highlighting the island’s democratic credentials and linguistic pluralism.

“In Taiwan we are able to maintain our cultural traditions,” she said in a video in which she delivered the traditional new year greeting in five Chinese languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, Teochew and

Cantonese.

Mainland authorities have long been accused by critics and minorities of pushing Mandarin at the expense of other languages.

China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Relations between Taipei and Beijing have had a rocky start to 2019 after Xi Jinping delivered a bellicose speech last month describing the island’s unification with the mainland as “inevitable”. (afp)

‘Lord’ Modi just like the British, India’s Gandhi says NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lording it over India just like the British, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said in a blistering pre-election broadside published Tuesday.

Gandhi, great-grandson of India’s first prime minister after independence from Britain in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, hopes to unseat Modi in the vote due by May. “Every institution in India is facing Mr Modi’s autocratic backlash,” Gandhi, head of the Congress party that has dominated Indian politics for decades, said in a newspaper interview.

“Mr Modi believes that he is the Lord of

India, just like the British believed,” the 48year-old told the Hindustan Times daily.

Modi, 68, swept to power in a landslide in 2014 but with voters unhappy about unemployment and the dire state of Indian agriculture, winning again may not be so easy. Congress have been emboldened by state election victories in late 2018.

Gandhi said in the interview that this was “just the tip of the backlash” against Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“What Mr Modi doesn’t accept is that India today is in a crisis. India has a massive job crisis, a humongous agriculture crisis,

and Indian youngsters are deeply distressed about their future,” he said.

“This is generating a huge amount of anger.”

Gandhi’s comments about Modi’s “autocratic backlash” referred to a massive row raging since Sunday between the central government and the premier of the eastern state of West Bengal, which has made waves nationally. On Sunday, West Bengal police prevented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s FBI, from questioning Kolkata’s chief of police in connection with a multi-million dollar ponzi scheme scandal. In dramatic scenes

played out across national TV channels, the CBI officials were pushed into police vans, detained briefly, then released.

West Bengal’s firebrand state premier Mamata Banerjee has alleged the CBI was acting on the orders of Modi’s government.

A public protest she is holding entered its third day on Tuesday. Banerjee told thousands of supporters that officers of the CBI are being used for political ends.

India’s top court moved to defuse the standoff Tuesday, ordering the Kolkata police chief, Rajeev Kumar, to make himself available for questioning and cooperate with the investigation agency. (afp)

14

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Health

International

UK study shows e-cigs help smokers quit

LONDON - A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes, with e-cigarettes proving nearly twice as effective as nicotine gums and patches.

The British research, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, could influence what doctors tell their patients and shape the debate in the U.S., where the Food and Drug Administration has come under pressure to more tightly regulate the burgeoning industry amid a surge in teenage vaping.

“We know that patients are asking about e-cigarettes and many doctors haven’t been sure what to say,” said Dr. Nancy Rigotti, a tobacco treatment specialist at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study. “I think they now have more evidence to endorse e-cigarettes.”

At the same time, Rigotti and other experts cautioned that no vaping products have been approved in the U.S. to help smokers quit.

Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death worldwide, blamed for nearly 6 million deaths a year.

Quitting is notoriously difficult, even with decades-old nicotine aids and newer prescription drugs. More than 55 percent of U.S. smokers try to quit each year, and only about 7 percent succeed, according to government figures.

Electronic cigarettes, which have been available in the U.S. since about 2007 and have grown into a $6.6 billion-a-year industry, are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor.

Most experts agree the vapor is less harmful than cigarette smoke since it doesn’t contain most of the cancer-causing byproducts of burning tobacco. But there is virtually no research on the long-term effects of the chemicals in the vapor, some of which are toxic.

At the same time, there have been conflicting studies on whether e-cigarettes actually help smokers kick the habit. Last year, an influential panel of U.S. experts concluded there was only “limited evidence” of their effectiveness.

In the new study, researchers tracked nearly 900 middle-age smokers who were randomly assigned to receive either e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement products, including patches, gums and lozenges.

After one year, 18 percent of e-cigarette users were smoke-free, versus 9.9 percent of those using the other products.

“Anything which helps smokers to avoid heart disease and cancer and lung disease is a good thing, and e-cigarettes can do that,” said Peter Hajek, study co-author and an addiction specialist at Queen Mary University of London.

The study was more rigorous than previous ones, which largely surveyed smokers about e-cigarette use.

Participants in this experiment underwent chemical breath testing.

Smokers in the e-cigarette group received a $26 starter kit, while those in the nicotine-replacement group received a three-month supply of the product of their choice, costing about $159. Participants were responsible for buying follow-up supplies.

“If you have a method of helping people with smoking cessation that is both more effective and less costly, that should be of great interest to anyone providing health services,” said Kenneth Warner, a retired University of Michigan public health professor who was not involved in the study.

Several factors may have boosted the results: All the participants were recruited from a government

smoking-cessation program and were presumably motivated to quit. They also received four weeks of anti-smoking counseling.

The researchers didn’t test e-cigarettes against new drugs such as Pfizer’s Chantix, which has shown higher rates of success than older nicotine-based treatments.

Funding for the study came from the British government, which has embraced e-cigarettes as a potential tool to combat smoking through state-run health services. Some of the authors have been paid consultants to makers of anti-smoking products.

U.S. health authorities have been more reluctant about backing the products, in part because of the long-term effects are unknown.

“We need more studies about their safety profile, and I don’t think anyone should be changing practice based on one study,” said Belinda Borrelli, a psychologist specializing in smoking cessation at Boston University.

The American Heart Association backed e-cigarettes in 2014 as a last resort to help smokers quit after trying counseling and approved products. The American Cancer Society took a similar position last year.

An editorial accompanying the study and co-written

by Borrelli recommended e-cigarettes only after smokers have tried and failed to quit with FDA-approved products. Also, doctors should have a clear timeline for stopping e-cigarette use.

Borrelli noted that after one year, 80 percent of the e-cigarette users in the study were still using the devices. Nine percent of the participants in the other group were still using gums and other nicotinereplacement products.

No vaping company has announced plans to seek FDA approval of their products as a quit-smoking aid.

Winning such an endorsement would require large studies that can take years and cost millions of dollars.

The FDA has largely taken a hands-off approach toward vaping. It has not scientifically reviewed any of the e-cigarettes on the market and has put off some key regulations until 2022. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said he doesn’t want to over-regulate an emerging industry that could provide a safer option for adult smokers.

The delay has come under intense criticism amid an explosion in teenage vaping, driven chiefly by devices like Juul, which resembles a flash drive. Federal law prohibits sales to those under 18, but 1 in 5 high school students reported vaping last year, according to a government survey. It showed teenage use surged 78 percent between 2017 and 2018. (net)

IBP/net

A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes.

Bali News

International

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

3

Seven strategies to make quality Badung tourism

MANGUPURA — The more famous, the more tourists will make a visit. It is the current condition of Bali tourism. On that account, the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Badung Chapter sparked seven mainstay strategies to realize quality tourism.

IBP/net

Immune cells in the gut may determine whether our metabolisms run hot or cold, a new study suggests.

Gut immune cells may explain why some people can’t lose weight

MASSACHUSETTS - Immune cells in the gut may determine whether our metabolisms run hot or cold, a new study suggests.

Experiments done in specially engineered mice found that certain immune cells in the small intestine tended to slow down metabolism and send ingested food to be stored as fat rather than converting it to energy, according to the study published Wednesday in Nature. Mice engineered to lack these immune cells could consume diets high in fat, sugar and salt without developing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, researchers reported.

The hope, experts say, is that these findings will suggest ways to tweak something in the guts of people genetically programmed to have “thrifty” or slow metabolisms.

Perhaps by bumping up levels of certain substances in the gut, metabolisms can be revved up to run hotter, thus allowing people to eat a little more without gaining weight.

“When you eat a meal, your body needs to decide what to do with the energy in the meal,” said study coauthor Filip Swirski, an associate professor at the Harvard Medical School and a principle investigator at the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. “The immune cells calibrate that decision and essentially they put the brakes on a high metabolism.”

Swirski and his colleagues started out by focusing on a protein, called integrin beta7, that directs immune cells to the gut. Mice without the gene for the protein ate a lot more than those with it, but didn’t gain weight, despite being no more active than the normal mice.

“They just run hot,” Swirski said. “They have a higher basal temperature.”

The researchers next tried feeding both groups of mice food that was high in fat, sugar and sodium, the kind of diet known to induce metabolic syndrome — a constellation of symptoms, including high blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol, associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

The mice without beta7 stayed trim and did not develop glucose intolerance, which leads to higher than normal levels of blood sugar and high blood pressure.

In contrast, the normal mice became obese and developed high blood pressure and reduced glucose tolerance.

The researchers next looked at the impact of this protein on mice that were vulnerable to developing high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries. Once again, mice that were missing the beta7 protein were healthier, maintaining normal fat levels, despite being fed a diet high in cholesterol.

Why some don’t gain weight

Calling the new research “provocative,” Dr. Toren Finkel said it might help scientists find new ways to help people battling weight gain.

There have long been hints of a connection between the immune system and obesity, said Finkel, director of the Aging Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“The inflammatory response to obesity drives a lot of the problems associated with it.”

Intriguingly, there are already diabetes drugs out there that mimic GLP-1, Finkel noted.

This new insight into the biology of immune cells and metabolism “is extremely important,” said Dr. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

It suggests an explanation for why some people tend to be overweight and some are resistant to becoming overweight. “And it’s telling us that the story is way more complicated than a simple calculation of ‘calories in and calories out,’” he said.

“For a long time we’ve treated the consequences of obesity — such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol — because we have not had ways to attack the causes of obesity,” said Blaha. “It would be much better if we were able to treat the reasons for a disordered metabolism rather than its consequences.” (net)

IBP/kmb

The more famous, the more tourists will make a visit. It is the current condition of Bali tourism.

Chairperson of the PHRI Badung, I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya, explained the seven main strategies of Badung district include quality tourism, Badung connectivity, act global think global, integrated system, community-based tourism, sustainable tourism, and single destination, single management. The seven mainstay strategies will bring Badung to a quality and sustainable destination. Agung Rai Suryawijaya stressed that Badung tourism supports Bali tourism as a single destination and should have implemented single management in order to carry out planning, governance, and promotion simultaneously and in an integrated manner. Hence, the results and benefits obtained will be more maximal.

Meanwhile, Regent of Badung, I Nyoman Giri Prasta, explained that tourism development is one of the leading programs of the Badung district government as well as being the biggest contributor to the regionally generated revenue (PAD). He reminded tourism stakeholders to pay attention to the long-standing trends of guests in Bali estimated to continuously decline.

“Do not let Bali be used as a transit point,” he said. Therefore, the quality of tourism villages as a home base of attraction must be better organized.

Executive Director of the PHRI Badung, Jro Mangku Sulasa, said that one of the challenges ahead that must be turned into an opportunity is the commencement of Chinese market demand for the list of companies considered feasible to work with, including the implementation of online single submission (OSS) licensing that require all companies to be audited as commercial or operational licensing requirements.

Secretary of the PHRI Badung, I Gede Sukarta, invited all parties to start a quality development of small things that should be able to be carried out without the need for large costs.

For example, it can be implemented by obeying the rules of association, self-introspection in interacting with others to maintain good networking because the development is longterm and sustainable.

Representative of the PHRI Badung, IGAN Darma Suyasa, conveyed the challenges experienced by the PHRI Badung all this time. He hoped the PHRI Badung can turn this challenge into an opportunity so that the existence of the organization is more beneficial for more quality tourism development. (kmb42)

To realize plastic waste-free Bali

Koster invites all parties to apply Governor Regulation No. 97/2018

ABUNDANT plastic waste in Bali has received special attention from the Bali government under the leadership of Bali Governor Wayan Koster and Deputy Bali Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace). This is evidenced by the issuance of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste.

To make it happen, the Bali Governor invited all levels of society, business people, government agencies and all parties to participate in implementing the regulation so that Bali’s nature and its contents remain cool, beautiful and harmonious. This was conveyed by Governor Koster in his remarks at the Declaration on Bali Clean of Plastic Waste continued with the Plastic Waste Cleanup Movement taking place at several points of the Besakih Temple, Karangasem, on Saturday morning (Feb. 2).

“This activity is very good in accordance with the vision of Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, namely safeguarding the sanctity of Bali’s nature along with its contents to create a prosperous and happy life for Balinese people physically (sekala) and psychically (niskala),” said Koster.

Koster, who is also the Chairperson of the PDI-P Bali, added that to protect Bali’s nature, he has issued Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste. He explained the Governor Regulation also aims to maintain the sanctity, harmony and balance of the environment as well as build community participation in environmental protection.

“Thank you for this plastic waste cleanup movement. This activity is part of the way to make the success of the governor regulation aiming to make Bali free from disposable plastic waste. I also express my gratitude for the positive response of

the Balinese community regarding this regulation,” he said.

Koster accompanied by Mrs. Putri Suastini Koster, Deputy Governor of Bali Cok Ace and Mrs. Putri Haryani Sukawati, hoped the governor regulation will get support from all parties so that the implementation will continue.

“I hope this kind of activity will be followed by all Balinese people, not only in Besakih but also throughout Bali. To that end, I invite the entire Balinese community to actively participate in implementing the Governor Regulation No. 97 by cleaning up the environment from plastic waste. Districts and municipal government must make similar rules. At the village level, I hope there will be a kind of perarem or appendix to customary village bylaw, so that this movement can be sustainable and carried out as well as possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Committee, I Ketut Bagus Arjana Wiraputra, said the plastic waste cleanup movement is an implementation of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018 concerning the Limitation of Disposable Plastic Waste.

Additionally, this movement is a manifestation of love for nature. “This movement is in line with the vision of the Bali provincial government, Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, especially for Wana Kertih that we are doing today,” he said.

He added the plastic waste cleanup activity is spearheaded by the Indonesian Hindu Youth Association (Peradah) Bali, the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Student Association (KMHDI) of Bali, in collaboration with the Bali provincial government, Bali Police, the IX/Udayana Military Regional Command, universities across Bali, district and municipal government across Bali, junior and senior high school students and the community.

According to Bagus Arjana Wiraputra, the activities at

Besakih Temple targeted 21 points. The location was obtained after doing a mapping. Besides, he added that plastic waste was also found in the river along Goa Raja.

“This activity was attended by 10,000 participants. Aside from being a concrete manifestation of the implementation of Governor Regulation No. 97/2018, it is also to welcome the Panca Wali Krama grandiose ceremony. Hopefully, during the ceremony and afterwards the Besakih Temple can be cleaned up from plastic waste. We all agree that all pilgrims coming and worship to Besakih Temple not to carry and use plastic,” he affirmed. (kmb)

Bali Governor Wayan Koster

IBP/kmb

2

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Bali News

International

International

PHRI asks PDAM to prepare drinking water to meet tourism needs

MANGUPURA - In 2019, the Indonesian government is targeting 20 million foreign tourists. Bali gets the target of 40 percent of that number, namely 8 million foreign tourists.

Bali provincial government itself targets 8 million foreign tourists to visit and Badung district in particular as much as 6.8 million visits. With such target of the visit, it should be adjusted to supporting facilities, especially natural resources.

The availability of natural resources such as clean water is important in the development of tourism industry. As is known, currently the supply of clean water becoming the necessity of the community in the household and tourism industry has begun to be limited. This problem certainly becomes one of the concerns of the Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) of Badung Chapter and is also discussed in its chapter work meeting.

According to Chairperson of the PHRI Badung, IGN Rai Suryawijaya, in order to get clean water to accommodate the needs of tourism industry, he is currently

making coordination at the district and municipality level in Bali considering that foreign and domestic tourist visit to Bali continues to increase every year.

With the increasing number of tourist visit to Bali, definitely the water supply is also increasing. The availability of clean water is an urgent need, while the supply is running low.

For this reason, he hoped the Municipal Waterworks (PDAM) will be able to provide clean water. Moreover, if possible it should be able to provide water that can be drunk directly as in a number of developed countries.

“This clean water is being carried out in other regencies. Like overseas, if necessary, the tap water can be drunk directly. That’s what we want. So, we invite the PDAM to provide information for the industry and the industry must support this,” he said recently.

He added that tourism industry players hope the clean water is safe to drink without having to be cooked and can be sold at the affordable price.

“Most importantly, the water is clean, having good quality and the price is not too expensive,” he hoped. (kmb23)

IBP/wawan

Activities

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

15

A ROMANTIC VALENTINE DINNER AT HOTEL NIKKO BALI BENOA BEACH

IBP/Bagiarta

Clean water difficulties

Tenganan village assisted with three artesian wells

AMLAPURA - Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources provided artesian well assistance for residents at Tenganan village, Manggis, Karangasem. This artesian well assistance is an effort to alleviate residents’ miseries due to clean water shortages in the area. The assistance was carried out on Saturday (Feb. 2).

Subdivision Head of Groundwater Utilization, Center for Groundwater and Environmental Geology of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Budi Joko Purnomo, said the three units of artesian well were built in 2018.

The making of such artesian wells is expected to able to fulfill community’s clean water needs.

Purnomo added the artesian wells built have a technical specification of 126 meters depth with an average discharge of 2 liters per second and construction of a 6-inch diameter galvanized iron pipe. Electricity supply is obtained from a generator with a capacity of 125 kVA combined with the use of a 3-PK submersible pump equipped with a generator house, a pump house, and a water reservoir with a capacity of 5,000 liters. Then, service capacity of this pump is up to 2,800 people.

“This program is for the welfare of the community in alleviat-

ing the regions having difficulty to get clean water through drilling deep ground water because a number of regions in Bali experience problems in providing clean water. So, we hope with this artesian well residents at Tenganan village will no longer have trouble with clean water,” he said.

Inspector III of the Inspectorate General of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Luh Putu Puspadewi, added the artesian well assistance from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources prioritize locations or villages indeed facing difficult to have clean water. “Such assistance is budgeted every year. The regent can coordinate and inventory villages in need of water. So, they can be helped later,” she said.

Regional Secretary of Karangasem government, I Gede Adnya Mulyadi, said clean water artesian well can later be managed by local community by forming a management organization such as BUMDes. Thus, the management can be sustainable and increase community economic activity.

“Maintenance and development is very important, so that this assistance can be utilized as well as possible and not wasteful,” he said. (kmb41)

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Entering the month of love in February, Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach has prepared a romantic Valentine experience with 4-course set menu special for the 14th ofFebruary 2019.

The native Executive Chef, I Gede Dewa Eka Putra, has personally curated special set menu just forthe day. Enjoy his creations of International cuisine with the Romantic Set Menu, featuring tantalizingcreations such as cured salmon, smoked salad, herbed beef loin, and tuna with scallop. Choose tohave your dinner served by the pristine Benoa Beach or under the romantic lights of our GardenGazebo. If you are craving for something Italian instead, Giorgio Italian Ristorante has you covered just as well. On the night, you may enjoy the Intimate Set Menu with choices of authentic Italian delicacieslike salmon crudo, lobster ravioli, wrapped veal loin, and grilled lamb loin.

Each set menu comes with two glasses of house wine and homemade chocolate praline, perfect to conclude the fine evening with a sweet note.

Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach is committed to creating memorable experiences for each and every one of their guests through attentive service and warm Balinese hospitality. If you are planning to make the evening extra special for your loved one, simply contact the team to arrange any special requests.

Romantic Valentine Dinner at Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach: Romantic Set Menu - IDR 1,200,000 nett/couple Intimate Set Menu - IDR 1,400,000 nett/couple Reservation is now open and can be booked directly to the hotel via email at info@hotelnikkobali-benoabeach.com or call to 62 361 773 577.

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

16 Pages Number 32 11th year

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

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Jerry Seinfeld sued over sale of ‘fake’ $1.5m Porsche LOS ANGELES - Jerry Seinfeld is being sued by a company that claims it bought the comedian’s 1958 Porsche for $1.5m (£1.1m), only to find it was fake.

A lawsuit has been filed by Fica Frio Ltd in Manhattan federal court against the star, who is a classic car enthusiast and hosts the Netflix series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.

The court documents said Fica Frio’s representatives paid $1.54m at an March 2016 auction in Amelia Island, Florida. The price included the 10% auction commission.

The firm, based in the Channel Islands, is seeking unspecified damages including the costs of the purchase, alleging that the car is not authentic.

An auction summary of the Porsche said that it was “FROM

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

THE JERRY SEINFELD COLLECTION” and said it was a “stunning example of a rare thoroughbred Porsche”.

According to the lawsuit, Seinfeld left a voicemail last June apologising and promising a full refund. But it said the refund never came.

Seinfeld’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said the comedian acted in good faith.

“He has asked Fica Frio for evidence to substantiate the allegations. Fica Frio ignored Jerry and instead filed this frivolous lawsuit,” Mr Snyder said in a statement.

However, he added his client “is willing to do what’s right and fair, and we are confident the court will support the need for an outside evaluator to examine the provenance of the car”. (net)

Greg Baker / AFP

This photo taken on January 21, 2019 shows women walking past a poster for the Peppa Pig movie at a theatre in Beijing.

‘Gangster’ Peppa back in China’s good graces in Year of the Pig

BEIJING - Roasted as a subversive symbol and chopped from a video streaming website in China, it seemed Peppa Pig, the loveable but imperious British cartoon character, faced a bleak future in the Communist-led country.

IBP/net

Jerry Seinfeld’s lawyer says the comedian acted in good faith and is willing to do ‘what’s right and fair’.

But her popularity has risen unabated, and now just months after state media slammed her as an emblem of the counterculture, she is playing a starring role as the country ushers in the Year of the Pig on Tuesday.

A new film titled “Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year” is being released on the first day of the holiday.

The movie shows Peppa celebrating Lunar New Year with two new friends -- “Jiaozi” (dumpling) and “Tang yuan” (glutinous rice ball) -- named after popular local

delicacies.

The animation, which follows the daily adventures of a bright pink piglet, her brother George and her parents, is hugely popular with Chinese children.

Last year, five-year-old twins Mi Ai and Mi Ni made a video asking to meet Queen Elizabeth II after seeing their porcine heroine visit the monarch in an episode.

The clip garnered more than nine million views and made such an impact that the pair were invited for tea by the British ambassador to Beijing and promised a tour of

Buckingham Palace.

“It is really fun and the language is easy to understand”, their mother, Bella Zhang, said of the girls’ obsession with the show.

She added that the series was popular with Chinese parents because it teaches “the importance of love and cooperation”.

The cartoon’s focus on family values has resonated with Chinese parents who strictly monitor their children’s TV time, agreed Li Xin as she bought a Peppa toy for her four-year-old at a Beijing store. (afp)

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Pope Francis (L) and Egypt’s Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb exchange documents after signing them during the Human Fraternity Meeting at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019. Pope Francis rejected “hatred and violence” in the name of God, on the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the Muslim-majority Arabian Peninsula.

Pope and top Muslim cleric in joint call for freedom of belief

Pope Francis and a top Muslim cleric Monday issued a joint call for freedom of belief during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam -- the Arabian Peninsula.

Francis, who has made outreach to Muslim communities a cornerstone of his papacy, is on an historic three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.

He is due to hold an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country’s million Catholic residents, set to be the largest ever public gathering in the Gulf state.

On Monday, the pope held talks in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Ahmed

al-Tayeb -- imam of Cairo’s AlAzhar, Sunni Islam’s prestigious seat of learning.

The two religious leaders signed a document on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”, described by the Vatican as an “important step forward in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims”.

They called for “freedom of belief”, the “promotion of a culture

of tolerance”, the “protection of places of worship” and “full citizenship” rights for minorities.

“It is... crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities which engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority,” read the document.

It said “freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action” and that “pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God”.

“The fact that people are forced

to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept,” it said.

Francis also delivered an address at an interfaith meeting attended by Sheikh Ahmed and UAE leaders, and pushed for an end to all wars in the Middle East, including in Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates and neighbouring Saudi Arabia are key allies of the Yemeni government, which is locked in a war against Iran-linked rebels that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

- ‘Reject war’ The pope said all religious leaders had a “duty to reject every nuance of approval from the word war”.”I am thinking in particular of Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya,” he said.

Continued to page 6

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