Edition Monday, Januari 8, 2018 | Internasional Bali Post

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

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

16 Pages Number 24 10th year

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Monday, January 8, 2018

Director Paul Haggis denies sexual misconduct accusations

LOS ANGELES - Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis on Friday denied accusations of sexual misconduct made by four women, including two who accused him of rape. On Friday, the Associated Press reported accusations by three women who worked in the entertainment industry including that Haggis had forcibly kissed them, or forced them to perform oral sex, in encounters between 1996 and 2015. One of the three women also accused Haggis of raping her. The women were not identified in the report.

“Mr. Haggis denies these anonymous claims in whole,” his attorney Christine Lepera said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

A fourth woman named in the report, Haleigh Breest, who accused Haggis of raping her in 2013, was sued by Haggis last month in New York state court in Manhattan. In the lawsuit, Haggis denied the allegation and accused Breest of extortion and of demanding $9 million in order to avoid her claims becoming public.

Breest and the other three accusers could not be reached for comment on Friday. Reuters has not independently verified the allegations.

Haggis, 64, won screenplay and best picture Oscars in 2006 for “Crash.” The Canadian writer and director’s other work includes the movies “Million Dollar Baby” and “Quantum of Solace.” (rtr)

REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Diane Kruger discusses her challenging ‘In The Fade’ role Actor Diane Kruger

LOS ANGELES - German-born actress Diane Kruger’s latest role as a woman whose husband and son are killed in an attack in the German movie “In the Fade” left her “physically exhausted” and taking a step back from acting.

REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo

Director Paul Haggis

“I didn’t take a movie for a long time. I just felt like I couldn’t. I was feeling I was drowning,” Kruger told Reuters.

“I just needed time for myself to get my life back in order,” she added. Kruger, known for films such as “Inglourious Basterds” and “Troy,” plays Katja in director Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade,” about a woman who marries her husband while he is in prison.

Years later, a devastating tragedy leaves her husband dead and

Katja on a mission for justice, suspicious that Neo-Nazis might be behind her loss.

German director Akin, who is of Turkish descent, said he wanted to explore racism and specifically NeoNazis in Germany within the film.

“There are people in this country, which I consider is my country, who want to kill me just because I look like how I look like with black hair and brown eyes. They want to kill me for it, for nothing. This bothers me,” Akin said.

“I don’t like that, so I have a feeling that I need to express my anger so the film gave me the opportunity to express it on paper and later on film,” he added.

The film has garnered both Akin and Kruger strong praise from critics, and Kruger was named best actress at France’s Cannes Film Festival last year.

“In the Fade” is Germany’s entry to the Oscars, one of nine films short-listed in the foreign language film category. (rtr)

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10 Malaika Scret 11 Snack Shack 12 Warung Lokal 13 Cokro Cafee 14 T.J.Bar 15 J & N Kebab 16 Goanna Bar 17 Batu Jimbar 18 Ramayana Cafee

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

Monday, January 8, 2018

Jl. D.Poso No 68 Jl. D.Poso No. 50D Jl. D.Poso No. 39 Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur Jl. D.Tamblingan

19 Smirnof Cafee Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur 20 Legwa Hotel Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur 21 Nu Laser Cafee Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur 22 Ganesa Book Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur 23 All For Daiving Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur 24 Barocca Jl.Petitenget 17 DKerobokan 25 Lantern Jl.Petitenget 17E Kerobokan 26 Shearlock Jl.Petitenget 17C Kerobokan Klod 27 Cafe Degan Jl.Petitenget 9 Kerobokan Klod

28 Kopi Made Jl. Raya Puputan No. 106 Dps 29 Dimsum Manan Jl. Raya Niti Mandala Renon No 148 30 Furama Jl. Raya Niti Mandala No. 148 Renon 31 Warung Subah Renon Jl. Mohamad Yamin No.18 32 Ayam Betutu khas Gilimanuk Jl. Merdeka No.88 Renon 33 Bali Bakery Jl. Hayam Wuruk 184 Denpasar

Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring their first goal

Barcelona agree to sign Coutinho from Liverpool

BARCELONA - Barcelona will sign Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool on a five-and-a-half year contract, the two clubs said on Saturday. British media reported that the Spanish club will pay about 142 million pounds ($193 million) for Coutinho, making it the third most expensive transfer in soccer history.

“Barcelona and Liverpool have reached an agreement for the transfer of Philippe Coutinho,” the La Liga leaders said in a statement.

“The player will sign a contract for the rest of the season and five more and will have a release clause of 400 million euros. Liverpool confirmed the deal.

“Liverpool FC can confirm Philippe Coutinho will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona, subject to medical and agreement of personal terms,” the Premier League club said. “The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities to conclude the transfer immediately.”

Paris St Germain paid Barcelona 222 million euros for Brazilian forward Neymar in August and the French club will pay Monaco 180 million euros to sign Kylian

Mbappe when he completes a loan spell this season.

Coutinho’s fee will eclipse both the 105 million euros Barca paid Borussia Dortmund for France forward Ousmane Dembele in August and the 75 million pounds ($102) Liverpool received from Barcelona for Luis Suarez in 2014.

Coutinho will be unable to play for Barca in the Champions League this season after taking part in the competition for Liverpool but he will boost their bid for a 25th La Liga title.

box. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said the club had tried everything to keep Coutinho at Anfield but the player had remained determined to join Barca since they had bids for him rejected in August.

“It is with great reluctance that we – as a team and club – prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Philippe Coutinho,” Klopp said in a statement on Liverpool’s website.

GAME IN HAND Ernesto Valverde’s side have a six-point lead at the top of the standings with a game in hand against Levante on Sunday.

Newspaper AS said Coutinho is expected to attend the match at the Nou Camp in the presidential

News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http:// globalfmbali.listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http:// radioglobalfmbali.com and http:// ustream.tv/channel/global-fm-bali.

Continued to page 6

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Bali News

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

International

Activities

Monday, January 8, 2018

15

Rise in the number of Chinese tourists

Consulate General of China issues tourist guide book DENPASAR - Every year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Bali increases. In 2014, there were only 400,00 Chinese visitors to Bali and in 2015 this number rose to 600,000. IN 2016 the number of Chinese tourists rose again to 980,000 and in 2017 there were 1.3 million tourists from China who visited Bali. Bali receives the largest number of tourists from China followed by Australia with 1 million visitors to Bali per year.

Vice Consulate General of China, Chen Wei, said that because of the increasing number of Chinese visitors to Bali

a tourist guide book has become necessary. In a meeting between the Chinese Consul General , travel agencies and tourism stakeholders on Friday (Jan. 5), The Consul General launched a Bali tourist guide book.

The first run printed 30,000 copies of the tourism guide book that will be distributed to travel agencies, hotels, airports, et cetera. Previously, the same book had been published in a shorter edition. “In response to the emergence of different problems, the contents of the guide book were increased with more complete information. This is an improved version”, said Wei. The guide book provides information about Bali in general for things like currency and exchange rates, transportation,

IBP/file

A chinese tourist is taking picture in Tanjung Benoa, Bali

drinking water hygiene, working hours for, shops and restaurants, tax / tips, religion and customs, natural disasters, accident prevention tips, travel insurance, immigration provisions, provisions on how to obtain protection services from consulates, tourism developments, contact persons, et cetera.

With the issuance of this guide book, Wei said that he hopes that the issuance of this guide book will help improve cooperation with local governments and relations between the two countries. “We hope this will strengthen the relationship between our two countries”, he said.

Although there have been efforts made to mitigate losses and inconveniences caused by the eruptions of Mount Agung, Chinese citizens are primary concerned about financial losses. “If there is another eruption and the airpot closes then visitors will have to spend more money. Insurance does not cover all these expenses. We have heard the good news that the government is prepared to provide assistance if Mount Aung erupts again. Hopefully this will be realised if need be”, said Wei. Wei also said that he hopes that more Chinese tourists will visit Bali in 2018 and that there is expected to be an increase in visitors over the Lunar New Year. He also stressed that the Chinese government has never forbidden its citizens form visiting Bali and that the cancelled flights from China to Bali were based on the policies of individual airlines.

Section Head of Immigration Office Communication of Ngurah Rai Airport, Misnal Arianto, said that since the free-vias policy was enacted for 169 countries – including China, there has indeed been an increase in the number of tourists from China. Of the 1.3 million Chinese tourist who visited last year, there were only 40 cases of violations of immigration laws, including expired residence permits and abuse of tourist stay permits by people who worked here.

Tourism Subdivision Head of Vital Object Security Directorate at Bali Police, Indrayati, said that in terms of crime, Bali is safe. Pickpocketing, robbery and other forms of theft are less frequent in Bali than in other regions, so Chinese citizens should not be worried about visiting Bali. (kmb42)

Immigration Office provides sympathetic service improves online presence

MANGUPURA - In an effort to reduce the number of immigration brokers, passport applications can now be registered online making it easier than waiting in line on site.

Section Head of Licensing at Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Ruly Sandy Kusuma, said on Saturday (Jan. 6) that following the introduction of online passport registration on December 29th, 2017, there will eventually no longer be any walk-in registration. Having a passport made is eaiser than ever, he added.. “Hopefully, in 2018 people will become more aware of

immigration matters and will not be so easily fooled by syndicates, brokers, et cetera. We have managed to narrow the opportunity for passport brokers to operate”, he said.

Apart from reducing the number of brokers who operate, for the last three years the issue of nonprocedural Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) has also been addressed as immigration authorities now have a legal means for dealing with TKI. Immigration officers are now authorised to request additional information such as names of parents, profession and so forth.

“If the applicants do not have a job, their request to go abroad may be suspect”, explained Kusuma.

Also as a form of community service, immigration authorities now provide sympathetic passport services during holidays and on Saturdays. This service is part of the immigration offices anniversary celebrations. “This service is provided every Saturday between 10:00 and 14:00. The quota per day is 50 applications; 25 new applications, 20 passport replacement or renewal, 5 for the elderly and 5 for children”, he explained.

Kusuma added that this service started being offered on December 16th, 2017 and will continue to be offered until January 20th, 2018.

The requirements for applications for new passports are: an identity card preferably an e-ID card, family documents, birth certificate / marriage book / baptism certificate.

Applicants who are going overseas for work must attach a letter of recommendation from the labor agency. For those travelling to perform Umrah, a letter of recommendation from a recognised travel

agency or from the Ministry of Religious Affairs must be attached.

To replace a lost or stolen passport, applicants must attach a letter from police authorities to their application. “For regular passport renewals, applicants only need to attach their e-ID card and their expired passport. The fee for a 48 page passport is IDR 355,000”, he said.

Throughout 2017 there was an increase in the number of passport applications with a total of 14,000 compared to 2016 when there were just 13,000 passport applications. (kmb23)

 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Gugiek Savindra  Editors:Agus Toni, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sueca, Sugiartha, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Suasrina, Buleleng: Dewa kusuma, Gianyar: Manik Astajaya, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Dewa Farendra. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

THE LUXURIOUS BEACH RESORT IN SOUTHERN ASIA

InterContinental Bali Resort is proud to be announced as the winner of the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Awards 2017. The resort has been voted as the “Luxury Beach Resort” Regional Winner: Southern Asia.

The World Luxury Awards was established in 2006 as a recognized global organisation providing luxury hotels with recognition for their world class facilities and for the service excellence provided to their guests. The aim of the awards is to encourage

and raise service standards within the luxury hotel industry. Voting is based on facilities and service excellence, with the votes cast by hotel guests.

InterContinental Bali Resort is blessed with tropical landscape framed by a white

sand beach that simply lends itself to be an ideal destination and affairs of the heart. Bali is renowned for its legendary sunsets, and in the late afternoons a daily ritual takes place as hundreds of residents and visitors make their way to the beaches on the west coast to farewell the sun as it sets behind the horizon.

One of the finest places to catch the sunset is Sunset Beach Bar & Grill at InterContinental Bali Resort. This casual, alfresco beachfront bar offers a refreshingly unpretentious, ‘toesin-sand’ informality, fanned by ocean breezes and with the best front-row seats to unparalleled 180-degree sunset views across Jimbaran Bay. With its top-notch service, Sunset Beach Bar & Grill provides a variety of open-air seating arrangements: sit-up bar stools at the thatched-roof central bar and serving station, or scattered across the sand bank, a series of beach-facing tables and chairs, bean bags and private cabanas – all shaded by mature trees.

Mr. Michael Koth, General Manager of InterContinental Resort Bali, said, “I am delighted that our Resort has received yet another prestigious award, honouring the hard work, commitment and success of our team, and serving as a reminder that InterContinental Bali Resort is Bali’s ultimate luxury beach resort.” This is the one of the several accolade bestowed upon the resort recently.

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Monday, January 8, 2018

Traveling

International

Bali News

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

3

Once served in State Palace

Kintamani coffee believed to be more famous

BANGLI — Kintamani coffee is one of the most popular types of coffees amongst coffee lovers in the archipelago. This distinct coffee produced by farmers in the highland of Kintamani was selected as the coffee to serve guests at the State Palace during the celebration of Indonesia’s Independence last August 17th. This has made the district of Bangli and the coffee farmers there is particular proud of their achievement.

Epiphany celebrations around the world FOR Christians around the world, the official end to the Christmas holiday occurs on Jan. 6. Known as Epiphany, or the 12th Day of Christmas, it commemorates how a star led the Magi, or the three kings or wise men, to the baby Jesus.

Countries celebrate on the evening before and on the actual day with parades of decorative floats and people in costume as the kings bearing gifts. The festivities often feature light and music shows, and clowns and jugglers who throw candy to the crowds.

In Spain, parents and their children packed city sidewalks on Saturday to watch colorful parades. The celebrations commemorate the journey that three wise men are said to have taken to present the baby Jesus with gifts.

In recent years, security has been tightened in Madrid and Barcelona amid fears of potential terrorist attacks, and large vehicles have been banned from streets near the parade routes.

Christmas gifts are traditionally given on Epiphany in Spain and in many Latin American countries.

Children write letters to the Magi on the feast’s eve, requesting presents. Children often leave their shoes out overnight to find presents in the morning.

An Epiphany parade also took place in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. But Czechs also take an icy swim in the Vltava River alongside the medieval Charles Bridge.

People also strip to swim en masse in Bulgaria,

Greece and Russia.

The Greek Orthodox Australians celebrated the Holy Epiphany this weekend, and more than 3,000 people are expected to visit Frankston Waterfront, near Melbourne, on Saturday for the annual Blessing of the Waters. The ceremony of Theofania, following Epiphany Day, will end with the Blessing of the Waters at Princes Pier in Port Melbourne.

In Mexico, the holiday gets a sweet ending with Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread baked in a ring to resemble a crown, with a baby figurine hidden inside to represent the holy family’s need to hide from King Herod.

The tradition is also alive and well in Southern California, where whoever finds the baby figurine is responsible for a feast for Candlemas, on Feb. 2. (That usually means providing tamales, which take a lot of work to prepare.)

On the eve of Epiphany, when most Italian children wake up to find gifts and candy, Pope Francis visited a pediatric hospital outside Rome, the Palidoro Bambino Gesu Hospital.

The Vatican media office said in a statement that Francis had “exchanged some words of comfort with the parents who are caring for their children in their tiring and painful trials.”

He was “continuing the experience of the Mercy Fridays,” visits to hospitals, orphanages and other care facilities during the 2015-16 Year of Mercy. (net)

IBP/kmb

Dr. I Gusti Lanang Sidiartha

Transmission of Diphtheria

Ketut Jati is one of the coffee farmers who was proud that Kintamani coffee was served at the State Palace. According to Jati it is thanks to Kintamani coffee’s distinct slightly sour taste that it has become so popular.

Although the serving of Kintamani coffee at the State Palace has not yet had a significant impact on coffee sales, Jati says that he is confident that this

event will help Kintamani coffee become known to a wider coffee drinking public. It was a kind of free promotional event for coffee farmers like Jati.

“It’s a process that takes time -not like eating chili when you taste the spiceyness as soon as you eat it”, he explained when met at his residence at Catur village, Kintamani recently.

This man who is also Chief of the Kintamani Arabica Coffee Farmers Association added that he hopes that the introduction of Kintamani coffee at the State Palace can serve as motivation for coffee farmers to continuously develop proper cultivation techniques.

Jati has been diligent in approaching ‘non-irrigated farming organisation’ (subak abian) to motivate them in to grow quality coffee beans. He also shows coffee farmers in the area how to process coffee beans into to ready-for-sale coffee.

“Hopefully, coffee farmers here will not just cultivate the beans but also process the beans into products that will increase their income”, said Jati. (kmb40)

Influenced by nutrition and sanitary conditions DENPASAR — The spread of diphtheria in Jakarta, West Java, East Java and 25 other provinces has terrified parents that their children will contract this disease.

Diptheria is not just infectious however as this bacteria needs of means of transmission and certain conditions to infect the human body. It is therefor very important to maintain a sanitary environment and for children to be immunised against this bacteria.

Chairman of the Indonesia Association of Pediatricians (IDAI) of Bali Branch, Dr. I Gusti Lanang Sidiartha, explained that hygiene is indeed a important factor in transmission. Since diphtheria is an infectious disease, it requires an agent in order to be transmitted.

The human body as a host he said is very resilient. “If the immune system is good, then the agent of transmission cannot infiltrate the body”, he said.

The immune system he added is aided by immunisation and nutrition. Good nutrition makes the body more resilient making it much harder for germs to attack.

Immunisation he said is another good preventative measure but must be complete.

For example, infants must get three basic immunisations at the

age of 0 month, 1 month and 6 months. After that, at the age of 1.5 years they get a booster and again at 5 or 6 years old. IN adolescence and early adulthood another booster shot is recommended.

At public health centers, diphtheria vaccines are given to infants up to 1.5 years old. For children 5 years and older vaccines are obtained at school (in first grade and again in sixth grade). “In the past, in the sixth graders were given TT, but today they are given Td. For infants under 1.5 years old, DPT is given. 5-6 years olds are given DT and children over 7 years old are given Td shots”, explained this paediatrician from Sanglah Hospital. Such compete immunisation can protect children from getting diphtheria.

Nutrition is another contributing factor and is Bali this does not tend to be a problem. Lack of nutrition is indicated by stunted growth and the percentage of stunted growth in Bali is under 10 percent of the population. The national average is somewhere around 37 percent.

Based on basic health research in 2013 the tallest children were found in Bali and the shortest in Papua.

“Many other regions still have less than optima nutrition”, he added. (kmb42)

IBP/kmb

Kintamani coffee is one of the most popular types of coffees amongst coffee lovers in the archipelago.

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Bali News

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Watersport attractions of Tanjung Benoa start to be crowded

Rohingya insurgents say they have no option but to fight Myanmar

MANGUPURA — Even though the numbers are not back up to normal, the number of visitors to Tanjung Benoa has started to increase as seen on Friday (Jan. 5) when a number of tourists enjoying the water-sports in the bay. This is in stark contrast to when the area was completed devoid of tourists following the eruption of Mount Agung.

Chairman of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association (Gahawisri) of Badung, Nyoman Wana Putra, confirmed that after the airport shut down for two days in late November 2017, there was a sharp drop in the number of visitors to Tanjung Benoa. “ After the airport was closed for two days, there was a 90 percent drop in the number of visitors coming to do watersports”, he said.

However since late December, there have been more and more visitors to Tanjung Benoa.

There has only been a 30 percent increase however. Currently most visitors are from other parts of Indonesia but some visitors form Australia

and India have also started coming to enjoy water-sports here. “Previously, most of our visitors were from. We cannot predict when conditions will really recover”, he added.

Currently, said Wana Putra, entrepreneurs here used to see about 50 visitors a day while previously there were an average of 150 per day. “As entrepreneurs we would like to see the continued promotion of Bali as a safe place to visit”, he said with hope. (kmb23)

Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attends the Annual Horse Race ceremony, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 30, 2017.

Since late December, there have been more and more visitors to Tanjung Benoa.

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Residents of villages outside of the disaster-prone area are allowed to remain in evacuation

AMLAPURA - The reduction of the radius of the disaster-prone area from 8-10 km to 6 km has been received as a beautiful new year’s gift by the people of Karangasem –particularly those who have been living in evacuation posts for the last 4 months. Many people have returned to their homes while others have chosen to remain in the evacuation posts for a variety of reasons.

Ni Wayan Sri Artini, 25, is one evacuees who says she s not ready to return home. This resident from Cemara Tebel, Buanagiri village, Bebandem, is reluctant to go home as she is concerned about the health of her baby. “After the first eruption, my village was exposed to volcanic ash and my baby suffered form an upper respiratory tract infection. Actually I would

IBP/kmb

Many people have returned to their homes while others have chosen to remain in the evacuation posts for a variety of reasons.

very much like to go home”, she explained on Friday (Jan. 5).

This contracted employee of the Secretariat of the Karangasem House of Representatives said her village is within an 8 km radius of Mt Agung. According to the recent recommendations from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG),her village is within a safe radius from the mountain and many of her neighbours have returned home.

However because Mt Agung is still showing signs of volcanic activity, Artini has decided to remain at her biological parent’s house in Tiyingtali hamlet, Abang.

Her and others like her’s dilemma was responded to by Head of the Karangasem Social Service, Ni Ketut Puspa Kumari who announced that residents of villages outside of the 6 kilometer radius disaster-prone area are allowed to remain in evacuation and will continue to receive support from the government. “The radius of the dangerous area has indeed been narrowed. However it is natural that some people from just outside this area would remain reluctant to return home”, said Kumari on Friday (Jan.5 ).

The Karangasem Social Services, she added currently has IDR 2. 7 billion in funds for the procurement of necessaries for the evacuees. The funds assigned in the main budget for 2018 however cannot be disbursed yet as the administrative process is still underway. Assistance for evacuees is being provided through funds managed by the Mount Agung Eruption Taskforce. “I believe that some 100 tons of government rice reserves have been distributed”, siad Kumari.

Secretary of the Jagabaya Brotherhood (Pasebaya) of Mount Agung, I Wayan Suara Arsana, expressed his appreciation for the government policy to continue supporting the evacuees as there are still many people who are choosing to stay in the evacuation posts. Those who are reluctant to go home for whatever reason should be made to feel secure”, he added.

Arsanam who is also headman of Amerta Bhuana, Selat, gave his own community as an example. Of the 3, 641 residents of Amerta Buana who had been evacuated, there are still 600 people who remain evacuated. He added that as a headman he does not have the guarantee

of a letter form the government to assure the safety of his community.

“If indeed there is such a guarantee, we from the Pasebaya hope that it can be made known. This is important because currently many residents of my village are facing administrative constraints. For some people , their identity card was issued from the village that is outside of the disaster-prone area whereas their home in fact located just 4 kilometers from the crater of the volcano”, he explained.

Arsana said he felt the need to speak out as he considers the government response has been slow.

Since the PVMBG issued their recommendation, the government has yet to provide any guidance so people have simply acted on the PVMBG recommendation “Some people have returned home independently, while others have chosen to stay in the evacuation posts as there is still a doubt in their minds. There are also people who have not returned home because even though according to their identity card they are from an area outside of the danger zone, their actual house may be well within the danger zone”, he concluded. (kmb)

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Eleven Saudi princes detained following protest over utility bills

YANGON - Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Sunday they have no option but to fight what they called Myanmar statesponsored terrorism to defend the Rohingya community, and they demanded that the Rohingya be consulted on all decisions affecting their future.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) launched raids on the Myanmar security forces on Aug. 25, which sparked sweeping counter-insurgency operations in the Muslim-majority north of Rakhine State that led to widespread violence and arson and an exodus of some 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

The United Nations condemned the Myanmar military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejected that.

But since the August raids, the small insurgent group has launched few if any attacks until Friday, when its fighters ambushed a Myanmar military truck, wounding several members of the security forces.

“ARSA has ... no other option but to combat ‘Burmese statesponsored terrorism’ against the Rohingya population for the purpose of defending, salvaging and protecting the Rohingya community,” the group said in a statement signed by leader Ata Ullah and posted on Twitter.

“Rohingya people must be consulted in all decision-making that affects their humanitarian needs and political future.”

The ARSA claimed responsibility for the Friday ambush but gave no details of the clash.

A Myanmar government spokesman said the insurgents were trying to delay the repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh under a plan the two governments have been working on.

“ARSA aims to frighten those who are considering returning, to show the region doesn’t have peace,” Zaw Htay said.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have been discussing a plan to repatriate the refugees but more insecurity in Myanmar is likely to raise even more doubts about how quickly that might happen.

The refugees complain that they have not been consulted on the plan. (rtr)

RIYADH - Saudi Arabian authorities have detained 11 princes after they gathered at a royal palace in Riyadh in a rare protest against the government suspending payment of their utility bills, the public prosecutor said on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has introduced reforms that include reducing energy subsidies, introducing value-added tax and cutting some perks to royal family members to try to cope with a drop in crude prices that has caused a budget deficit estimated at 195 billion riyals ($52 billion) in 2018.

The princes had gathered on Thursday at Qasr al-Hokm palace demanding the cancellation of a recent decree that halted state payment of water and electricity bills for royal family members and seeking compensation for a death sentence implemented in 2016 against one of their cousins, Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer.

“Despite being informed that their demands are not lawful, the 11 princes refused to leave the area,

disrupting public peace and order.

Members of a security services stepped in to restore order and the princes were arrested,” the public prosecutor’s statement said, without identifying the princes.

“Following their arrest, they have been charged on a number of counts in relation to these offences.

They are detained at Al-Hayer prison south of the capital pending their trial.”

News website Sabq earlier identified the leader of the group of princes by the initials S.A.S. The Saud al-Kabeer branch of the House of Saud descend from a cousin of late King Abdulaziz, who founded the modern kingdom.

The meteoric rise of 32-yearold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s favoured son,

and his ambitious, sometimes aggressive, policies have caused rare tensions within the royal family, which for decades favoured rule by consensus.

Dozens of prices, high officials and senior businessmen were rounded up in November in a crackdown on graft that has boosted Prince Mohammed’s power.

They have been held at the fivestar Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh while government officials negotiate financial settlements, asking them to hand over assets and cash in return for their freedom.

The round-up followed a meticulously planned palace coup in June through which Prince Mohammed ousted his elder cousin Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as heir to the throne. (rtr)

REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Rohingya refugees carry bamboos to build their shelters at Kutupalong refugee camp, near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh January 3, 2018.

12

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Dalem Tamblingan Traditional Village

Japanese companies begin to buckle as Abe pressures them to raise wages

TOKYO - Japan Inc is running out of excuses in the face of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s calls for wage rises of 3 percent or more. The nation is having its best run of economic growth in a decade, stocks prices are the highest in 26 years, and corporate profits are near an all-time high. At the same time, the labour market, which is already the tightest among major economies, is only set to get tighter as the nation’s population both shrivels and ages rapidly.

And as annual negotiations with labour unions start to ramp up, there are signs that some big companies may be bending as Abe pushes for increases of 3 percent or more, though others are still expected to drag their feet.

Last year, the average increase among 312 major companies was 2.11 percent before bonuses, according to labour ministry figures.

Successive years of tiny, or even zero, wage increases may be coming to an end at some companies at least – which in turn could provide consumer spending and inflation with a welcome boost this year.

For example, Asahi Group Holdings plans to raise wages by 3 percent at its beer-making operation and by 3.4 percent at its unit that produces soft drinks. Last year Asahi raised wages at its beer-making unit by 2.9 percent. Data on wage gains at its soft drink unit was not immediately available.

“This is a result of management’s thoughts about how we should treat our employees,” President Akiyoshi Koji told reporters at a reception for corporate executives to mark the start of the new year. He denied that the move was influenced by the government’s request to raise wages, saying: “An increase in disposable income helps improve the economy.”

Some other companies are dis-

cussing whether to abide by Abe’s call. “I want to debate this and do as much as possible to make sure disposable incomes rise,” Hitachi Ltd Chief Executive Toshiaki Higashihara told reporters at a new year’s reception on Friday. “I approve of raising disposable incomes, because in the end this will improve the economy by raising consumption.”

TAX INCENTIVES Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday he is confident that the conditions are ripe for increases. “Our policies have created the environment necessary for companies to use their record-high corporate earnings to raise wages and increase investment,” he told reporters on Friday after a cabinet meeting. “I strongly believe our changes to the tax code will encourage companies to take bold steps to raise wages and capital expenditure.”

Abe’s government plans to introduce legislation to the regular session of parliament later this month that will lower the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from around 30 percent for companies that raise wages by 3 percent or more. The incentive will appeal to some large companies, but it is unlikely to work with some others who already pay an effective rate below 25 percent. There are

REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao/File Photo

A man walks past Hitachi’s booth at CEATEC JAPAN 2012 electronics show in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan October 2, 2012. also many small companies that have effective tax rates well below 25 percent.

The legislation, which is almost certain to pass into law, will also cut taxes for companies that invest in cutting-edge technology. The tax breaks are the latest carrot Abe’s government has dangled in front of Japanese companies to convince them to help with his agenda aimed at reflating the economy.

Since taking office in late 2012, Abe has appealed directly to the largest business lobbies to raise wages at annual negotiations with unions that take place in the spring.

Abe’s overriding goal is to make sure consumers have enough money in their pockets to keep spending vanquishing the threat of deflation

and making it easier to meet the Bank of Japan’s 2 percent inflation target. In November, the core consumer price index, which includes oil products but excludes fresh food, rose only 0.9 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Economists say there are many reasons why companies like Hitachi can afford to raise wages. As well as strong corporate profits, cash and reserves held by Japanese companies stood at an eye-popping record of 1,207 trillion yen ($10.7 trillion) in the third quarter, according to central bank data. Meanwhile, Japan’s jobless rate is 2.7 percent, the lowest since November 1993 and by far the lowest among Group of Seven countries. The shrinking of the workingage population will eventually force

companies to raise wages to compete for workers, economists say.

But not all companies share the optimism about wages and many firms will come in below the 3 percent increase the government is looking for, economists say.

This should still be enough to keep consumer spending on track to rise this year, which will make it easier to achieve faster inflation.

“Abe is taking these steps because so far wages have lagged the improvement in the real economy,” said Kentaro Arita, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute.

“The elements needed to raise wages are falling into place, but one thing that is lacking for some companies is confidence about the future.

Wage gains will be gradual.” (rtr)

Wall St higher as investors shrug off weak December jobs data

Wall Street’s major indexes rose to record highs on Friday after weaker-than-expected U.S. job additions in December lifted hopes that the Federal Reserve would stick to its policy of gradual interest rate hikes in 2018. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 148,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said, much lower than economists’ expectation of 190,000.

However, the data pointed to a pick-up in monthly wage gains. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent in December after gaining 0.1 percent in

the prior month. That lifted the annual increase in wages to 2.5 percent from 2.4 percent in November.

“The market is shrugging it off because it’s not weak enough to detract the Fed from raising rates further. The modest rise in average hourly wage number should give the Fed some breathing room,” said Bryce Doty, senior portfolio manager, SIT Fixed Income Advisors LLC, Minneapolis. The odds of a March rate hike stood at 67.5 percent, according to CME Group’s Fedwatch tool, nearly unchanged from before

Monday, January 8, 2018

the release of the jobs report.

Wall Street has started 2018 on a strong note, continuing the momentum from 2017. The S&P and the Nasdaq were on track to post their biggest weekly gains since Dec. 2016, and the Dow was set for its best weekly performance in a month.

“It’s going to take more than employment number that is to the weaker side (to bring the market lower),” said Mark Heppenstall, chief investment officer at Penn Mutual Asset Management in Horsham, Pennsylvania. At 10:46 a.m. ET

(1546 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 46.83 points, or 0.19 percent, at 25,121.96.

The S&P 500 was up 6.26 points, or 0.23 percent, at 2,730.25 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 34.07 points, or 0.48 percent, at 7,111.99. Among the 11 major S&P sectors, energy was the biggest decliner, down 0.81 percent as oil prices pulled away from their 2015 highs on soaring U.S. production.

Exxon fell 1.3 percent and Chevron 0.8 percent and were the biggest drags in the sector.

The technology index’s 0.77 percent gain led the advancers, on track to post its best weekly gains since Dec. 2016 A more than 1 percent rise in Microsoft, Apple and Google-parent Alphabet boosted the sector. Francesca’s Holdings tanked 20 percent after the women’s apparel and accessories maker said it expected up to 17 percent decline in current-quarter same-store sales.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 1,472 to 1,231. On the Nasdaq, 1,672 issues rose and 1,082 fell. (rtr)

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan

Devotees Appeal for Salvation and Welfare

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan or commonly known as Buda Kliwon Pahang falling on Wednesday (May 10) is the end of the series of Galungan feast day. It is marked by withdrawing the penjor and burning it. Likewise, all the attributes of the penjor such as bakang, lamak, sampian and so on are burned. The ashes are put into a young ivory coconut and then buried in the house yard.

Ashes of the penjor symbolize prosperity, so that on that day the Hindus plead to God to be blessed with fertility. However, before withdrawing the penjor, people must first put offerings or canang on the bamboo platform shrine that the series of Galungan feast day has already completed. It is resumed with masegeh procession, including at the location of penjor.

Chairman of Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI) Bali, Prof. Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said that the series of Galungan feast day ends on Buda Kliwon Pahang. Thus, the preaching of dharma has lasted for 42 days.

During the series of Galungan is also known as the Uncal Balung.

During that time, people generally abstain from organizing Panca Yadnya (five sacrifices) ritual activities,

including wedding, except for pujawali or festival at temple or family or clan temple happening to fall during this period. After Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan, people usually go back to choosing auspicious days to perform Panca Yadnya ceremony, including wedding.

Prof. Sudiana said that after the end of the Galungan series, people are reminded to always be able to apply the values ??of dharma (truth) and maintain victory against adharma. Human must be able to really win and take advantage of the graces bestowed on Galungan.

“On Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan, we ask salvation, prosperity and protection from hazardous things to Motherland,” he said.

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan also poses an expression of gratitude to deities because we have been able to carry out the teachings during

the Galungan feast day well. “Since then, human beings have been mature to bring themselves, not tied to adharma. They are considered to have possessed good thoughts, words and deeds so that they are ready to live their life well according to the teachings of dharma,” he asserted.

After that, explained Prof. Sudiana, people just need to implement the values ??of dharma in everyday life to gain peace and tranquility. During the series of Galungan festivities lasting for one month and seven days, people are encouraged to control themselves in order to live together and can perform services, dedication and quality improvement of human resources. Besides, they must do coexistence, mutual help and mutual respect according to religious teachings. (kmb)

North Bali is truly wealthy when it comes to traditional cultural practices that have been passed down uninterrupted for countless generations. One example is the tradition known as ‘nyakan diwang’ that the people of Catur Desa Adat Dalem Tamblingan, Umajero Village, Gobleg, Munduk, Gesing continue to practice. Nyakan Diwang essentially means ‘cooking by the side of the road’ and this tradition manages to strengthen the peace and harmony amongst the people who practice it. The process begins anywhere between midnight and dawn.

Head of the Traditional Village of Munduk, Jro Putu Ardana, explained on Thursday (Mar 3) that the nyakan diwang tradition is part of the ‘Ngembak Geni’ celebrations that take place the day after the Holy Day of Nyepi (day of Silence). The people of Catur Desa Adat Dalem Tamblingan, and surrounding area feel their relations and communications thus become more intense and believe strongly in the power of nyakan diwang to give rise to a strong sense of community. “This tradition is related to Nyepi and so local residents will cook their food outside their house before bringing it inside. While they are cooking, their communication with their neighbors is woven into harmony as they exchange recipes. The value of togetherness is thus passed down from generation to generation with a feeling of peace and harmony.

During this activity there is no separation among people and great joy is taken in tasting each others food” said Ardana.

Umajero Busungbiu Village public figure, I Nyoman Arya, added that the nyakan diwang tradition has been well guarded by the people of this village since long ago. “The people of Gobleg, Umajero, Munduk, Gesing and other villages in the area have passed down this tradition from generation

5

to generation. Starting at midnight people are already getting ready to start cooking’’ he said.

READ Galungan Day: Defeat Kalatiga, Strengthen Awareness The tradition of nyakan diwang’s meaning is philosophically related to a manifestation of the sense of gratitude towards Creator for having provided blessings, abundance, safety and peace. “We do this to show our gratitude and every year we have been blessed with ease in conducting this activity”, added Arya.

Durign Nyepi, just like other Balinese, people here honor the four abstinences; amatigeni (no lighting of fire or lamps), amati lelanguan (no sensory pleasure), amatilelungan (no traveling/walking around), dan amatikarya (no work). Through the nyakan diwang tradition as people gather outside their homes, they enjoy a friendly atmosphere and it is no surprise that they exchange friendly greetings.

This type of activity truly strengthens the peace and harmony of the community. “By cooking together on the street, a feeling of togetherness arises and people naturally greet each other. This activity -that takes place right after Nyepi, helps to safeguard togetherness” emphasised Arya.

Cooking implements such as makeshift hearths made of stone or brick are made ready for the dry wood that will be used as fuel for the fire. Mornings in the mountain are cold so the first thing that people prepare is hot water for coffee or tea. Then they start cooking rice and other dishes. “While enjoying the atmosphere of the early morning, local residents prepare their meals over the course of an hour or two.

Once everything is cooked, the food is brought inside to be enjoyed by the family. Another aspect of this unique tradition is the exchanging of recipes with neighbours” he said. (kmb)

6

Monday, January 8, 2018

W

International

RLD

Caracas shops mobbed as Venezuela’s Maduro forces price cuts

CARACAS - Mobs gathered outside some Caracas supermarkets on Saturday after the government ordered shops to slash prices, creating chaos as desperate Venezuelans leapt at the chance to buy cheaper food as the country’s worsening economy causes severe shortages.

The leftist administration of President Nicolas Maduro ordered more than 200 supermarkets to cut prices back to last month’s levels - a tall order in a country where many prices change daily due to the world’s fastest inflation rate.

News of the discounts spread like wildfire, leading hundreds to mass in front of stores before daybreak.

When one major supermarket in wealthier eastern Caracas did not open for hours, people began pounding on the storefront.

“We’re hungry! We want food!” screamed the crowd, which included babies, pensioners and children with disabilities.

“This scares me, but what can I do?” said Francisco Guaita, a carpenter hoping to find food for his three

children, over the shouts and pushes. “This is the worst government. We want Maduro out.”

Critics say Maduro is playing with fire in the oil-rich nation, where millions are unable to eat three square meals a day and malnutrition is on the rise, saying his policy will dissuade supermarkets from stocking their shelves and could trigger looting.

The socialist, who was narrowly elected to replace the late Hugo Chavez in 2013, counters that he is a victim of a U.S.-led “economic war” in which businesses hoard food and stoke prices to destabilize his government.

The state agency in charge of ensuring “fair prices” ordered some 214 supermarkets owned by 26 chains to drop their prices, pro-government newspaper Ultimas Noticias reported on Saturday.

“This Tuesday we received an accusation and we deployed immediately. We confirmed that the big chains were increasing prices without any justification, because they were doing it for products that were in stock, not new ones,” William Contreras, the head of the agency known as Sundde, told the paper. (rtr)

REUTERS/Marco Bello

A woman breastfeeds a child as she waits in a queue to buy food, on a sidewalk outside a supermarket in Caracas, Venezuela January 6, 2018.

Barcelona...

From page 1

“I can tell the Liverpool supporters that we, as a club, have done everything within our means to convince Philippe that remaining part of LFC was as attractive as moving to Spain, but he is 100

percent certain his future – and that of his family – belongs at Barcelona. “It is his dream and I am now convinced there is nothing left at our disposal to change his mind.”

Klopp also hinted that Liverpool, who recently signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for 75 million pounds, a world record for a defender, would spend the money

for Coutinho on new players in the January transfer window.

“I have so much belief in the talent we have here already and even more faith, together with our owners, that we will make continued investment into the playing squad, which will allow more growth and more improvement,” Klopp added. (rtr)

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

11

PDI Struggle condemns black political campaign

Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images/AFP

Children sled in the snow in Central Park during freezing temperatures on January 06, 2018 in New York City. The extreme conditions suffered across the United States are a result of the “bomb cyclone” brought along by Storm Grayson.

Brutal cold snap stuns U.S. East Coast after blizzard

BOSTON - A shroud of bonechilling arctic air covered the U.S. East Coast and Midwest on Saturday, creating dangerous conditions as tens of millions of people struggled to clean up from a blizzard that dumped deep, drifting snow in many areas earlier this week.

Wind chill and freeze warnings stretched from New England to Ohio and Pennsylvania, while the National Weather Service warned of freezing rain in Missouri and areas to the northeast.

In some of those places, exposed skin could freeze within 30 minutes, said meteorologist Dan Petersen of the National Weather Service’s Maryland-based Weather Prediction Center.

At the Whoopie Pie Cafe in Bangor, Maine, business was slow because of the cold, cashier and waiter Liz Gallagher, 58, said by phone. “Nobody goes out when it’s really cold, at least I wouldn’t,” said the life-long Bangor resident.

The cold snap complicated efforts by crews to clear snow and ice from roadways after the blizzard, which clobbered the Northeast after sprinkling snow in areas as far south as Savannah, Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida.

In New England and the Middle Atlantic states, the storm forced hundreds of schools to close and commuter rail services to suspend or reduce service.

Cold and snowy weather was blamed for at least 18 deaths in the past few days, including four

in North Carolina traffic accidents and three in Texas.

“The magnitude of the cold and the area of coverage of the cold is really what’s impressive to me,” said meteorologist Ed Vallee, owner of Vallee Weather Consulting.

Killington, the famous Vermont ski resort, closed on Saturday even though snow conditions were excellent, saying wind chill on the slopes was at least minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius).

“It’s just too cold to put folks out there,” the resort said on its website.

In neighboring New Hampshire, the ambient air temperature on Mount Washington plunged to -36 F (minus 38C), two degrees short of a record low for Jan. 6. But sustained winds of 99 miles per hour (159 km/h) and gusts of up to 112 mph (180 km/h) atop the 6,200-foot (1,990-metre) peak made it feel more like minus 92 F (minus 69 Celsius), the NWS said.

The brutal cold in parts of the East Coast and Midwest shows no sign of abating this weekend, but a thaw should begin on Monday, said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the Weather Prediction Center.

Before then, conditions will probably worsen.

Overnight, more than 30 cities from New England to the midAtlantic states could experience record cold, Petersen said. New York and Boston are among the big cities where records could fall. (rtr)

JAKARTA - Ruling Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDI P) has condemned a black political practice that has been carried out by certain parties for achieving their political goal. “We condemn such an act,” the political party’s secretary general, Hasto Kristiysnti, stated at the house of the party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri here on Saturday, in response to the decision of Abdullah Azwar Anas as the party’s candidate for deputy governor of East Java.

Anas is the regent of Banyuwangi Regency in East Java Province.

He noted that Soekarnoputri and the party elites were all upset over Anas’ decision to return the mandate as candidate for the provincial election to the party.

Therefore, in connection with it, the party elites gathered at the house of the party’s chief in the evening to discuss the problem. “Anas is a good person. He has done a lot for the people of Banyuwangi and has struggled to reach the position of a candidate for East Java deputy governor,” he remarked, adding that PDIP would support Anas morally to uphold the truth.

Two unethical pictures of a man looking like Anas had been spread earlier, causing Anas, who is currently the district head of Banyuwangi, to withdraw his candidacy.

A total of 171 regions, including 17 provinces, in Indonesia will hold local elections simultaneously in June to elect district heads, city mayors, and provincial governors. (ant)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, along with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, will soon launch the new bird species namely the Myzomela Irianae, which took the name of First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo.

According to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, in a written statement received here on Saturday, the launch of the new bird species from Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara is scheduled to be held by member of the Presidential Advisory Council Jan Darmadi, simultaneously with the naming of an Anoa that was born a few months ago in Manado, North Sulawesi.

“Mister Jan Darmadi had paid attention to Indonesia`s biodiversity, flora and fauna. He had requested information and reports about Orangutans, Anoa and other animals from the Ministry`s records for several times now, as he also kept a close eye on the Ministry`s policies related to the forestry industry and critical land, “said Minister Nurbaya.

The plans for the launch of the new bird species from the Meliphagida family, that is based on Government Regulation No. 7/1999 and Law No. 5/1990 on the Conservation of Biological Resources and Ecosystems is included in the list of protected species, were discussed in a meeting with the along with the Institute`s team and was led by the Deputy for Biodiversity Sciences Enny Sudarmonowati

in Manggala Wanabakti building.

The bird is known to weigh about 32.23 grams with the body length, from beak to tail tip, reaching 17.2 centimeters. The bird commonly flies and dwells on the forest habitat, bushes, gardens and flowering trees. They can also be found consuming nectar on the flowers of teak trees around villages.

The meeting also discussed various important issues related to the findings of new species of fauna and flora of Indonesia. Minister of Environment and Forestry, along with the team from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences discussed, in more detail, the natural enrichment agenda in each National Park area, as well as the development of exclusive scientific tourism industry specimen and other displays.

The Minister said that there will be cooperation and ease provided for the Institution for research, as well as support that will be given in the effort to add value to Indonesia`s natural wealth.

“Scientific exploration of our natural wealth should be labeled by researchers and displayed with the creativity of our nation`s young generation, she said, which is in line with the message of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in December last year, adding that all is done in the effort to turn the country`s natural wealth into tourism objects and substances that are of high value. (ant)

Ministry, institution launch new bird species

REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

The new chief of Indonesia’s National Cyber and Encryption Agency Djoko Setiadi listens to a journalist’s question during a briefing with members of the media in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 5, 2018.

Indonesia’s new cyber agency looks to recruit staff of hundreds

JAKARTA - Indonesia’s recently established cyber security agency will recruit hundreds of personnel in the coming months, its chief said on Friday. The agency has been set up amid rising concern over online misinformation and hoaxes ahead of simultaneous local elections set to take place across the country later this year.

The head of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency, Djoko Setiadi, who was sworn in this week, will report directly to President Joko Widodo. “We need a lot of human resources so we plan to recruit hundreds of people soon, including graduates of our technological institutes and anyone who has the cyber

skills and integrity we are looking for,” Setiadi told reporters.

“Our responsibility is to provide protection in the cyber world to government institutions, even private companies, but most importantly to the public,” he said at a news briefing in south Jakarta.

The agency will track cyber crimes and identify perpetrators, but it remains unclear whether it will have the authority to prosecute crimes. “We will be coordinating with the police, military, and other institutions with cyber capabilities on the information we check,” Setiadi added. The agency’s budget is to be announced this month, following discussions with parliament. (rtr)

10

Destination

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar (R) and co-driver Matthieu Baumel of France wave on the podium during the departure ceremony in Lima, Peru.

Candikusuma Beach

NEGARA - Bali is famous for its many beautiful beaches. Many of the tourists who visited Bali addictive because watching the sunset or sunrise on the beach are hard to forget.

Candikusuma beach is one of the many beaches that draw the attention of foreign and domestic tourists who want to truly enjoy the natural beauty of the exotic. In Candikusuma Beach there are two temples dedicated to the legendary figure of Dang Hyang Nirartha Indra Kusuma temple and taman Sumur Bulus. Locals tell how in 1897 two Dutch officers were attracted to the place when they saw a light coming from the earth. It turned out to be a kris (a supernatural dagger).

Candikusuma beach is known for its beautiful black sand and the gentle hills permeating the beach.

Recognized by many visitors that the beach Candikusuma good enough for swimming or bathing because its waters are clean and intact. Candikusuma very suitable when approached by young couples who are making love or honeymoon because it presents a variety of charm and stunning natural beauty that is difficult to translate verbally. Candikusuma worthy of being a priority for anyone who wants a quiet atmosphere and beautiful beaches to unwind from the momentarily encountered problems in your life.

Around Candikusuma Beach was not only present the exoticism

of the waves or wind parted the foliage melambainya beaches, but also available historical relics in the form of a triangular-shaped monument that supposedly according to the saga of people around the monument that was once out of the keris is capable of emitting light.

So, feel complete Candikusuma Coast travel because not only physical satisfaction obtained, but also the inner satisfaction with the tour history at the obelisk-shaped triangle.

Fishing Spot Coast Candikusuma also often used as a spot / arena fishing by locals that the beach is a favorite because there is a boat dock owned company bot breeding pearl oysters

are often used as a gathering place of many fish. In addition there is a boat dock bot, also positions Candikusuma beach is flanked by two rivers namely River estuary and Tukadaya Candikusuma make this beach as a habitat for small fish life in the form of hybrid fish that spawn around Candikusuma.

Formerly, many local people who depend of fishing activity.

But along with the presence of pearl mussel breeding cages companies make the majority of them switched professions to become breeders at the company. This is understandable considering income as fishermen less than if they are employees in the captive breeding of pearl oysters.

However, fishing activities that

have become habits of the inhabitants around, and sometimes also the tourists who come, remain to be done. Fishing is usually done in the afternoon when the sun was not too oppressive, even all enjoy the beautiful evening skyline. It sights into many people’s dream.

Path to Candikusuma The beach is located in District Candikusuma Melaya, Jembrana regency. Candikusuma can be reached by two-wheelers and four wheels from the city of the State as far as 12 km. If this is your first visit Candikusuma should use the services of tourist guides who are numerous and scattered all over Bali travel so smoothly and as expected. (net)

Qatar’s al-Attiyah leads Dakar after day one in Peru

China bans speedskater for positive drug test

BEIJING - China has banned speedskater Xiaoxuan Shi from the national team for two years after failing a drug test, removing her from their squad for next month’s 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the China Skating Association said in a statement.

Shi tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol on Dec. 14, the governing body said in a release posted on China’s General Administration of Sports.

Clenbuterol is a performance-enhancing substance sometimes found in weight-loss pills and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list.

The penalty is a “wake-up call” for Chinese athletes preparing for the Winter Olympics, which will take place in South Korea from Feb. 9-25, the Association said.

“There are loopholes in our education campaign against doping.

We will take more measures and responsibility to prevent this from happening again,” the organisation added.

The positive test is a blow for China, which will host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Shi, 21, won a gold medal for the 500-metre sprint at the Junior Speedskating World Cup in 2016. (rtr)

PERU - Qatar’s two-times winner Nasser al-Attiyah took the opening stage of the Dakar Rally in Peru on Saturday while Britain’s defending motorcycle champion Sam Sunderland led the way on two wheels.

Al-Attiyah, driving a Toyota Hilux, ended the day with a 25second lead over Dutch team mate Bernhard ten Brinke after the 35km special stage through the sand dunes around Pisco, down the coast from Lima.

While they enjoyed a troublefree run, nine-times world rally champion Sebastian Loeb had a harder time and was six minutes off the lead after suffering brake issues with his Peugeot.

Loeb said his brakes failed after three kilometres of the stage, with the handbrake also failing.

“We went slowly, doing our best not to get stuck or bogged

down,” said the Frenchman.

“There were dunes with steep descents, so I had to stop accelerating 200 metres before that to avoid any risks.

“It was quite tricky, driving without brakes is exasperating. It was a difficult start,” he told the dakar.com website.

Peugeot’s reigning champion Stephane Peterhansel of France, who is chasing a 14th Dakar win, was in 11th place and two minutes 15 seconds off the pace.

Portuguese soccer manager Andre Villas Boas, entering his first Dakar, was in 46th place and 11 minutes behind al-Attiyah’s time.

In the motorcycles, KTM’s Dubai-based Sunderland ended the stage with a 32-second advantage over Yamaha’s French rider Adrien van Beveren.

The motorcycles will start after the cars in Sunday’s second stage, a 267km loop that starts and ends in Pisco.

“Tomorrow, if we open the road, I know it will be very difficult, but I’m just really happy for today,” said al-Attiyah.

Of the 523 entrants in all categories, 114 were making their debuts in the 40th edition of the race, which ends in Cordoba, Argentina, on Jan. 20. (rtr)

REUTERS/Christian Forcher/File photo

China’s Xiaoxuan Shi skates in the women’s 500m speed skating event at the first winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck January 14, 2012.

Chen cruises to repeat US title

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(L-R) Second place Ross Miner, first place Nathan Chen, third place Vincent Zhou, and fourth place Adam Rippon pose for a photo after the men’s free skate program during the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at SAP Center.

CALIFORNIA - A dominant Nathan Chen cruised to a repeat U.S. Figure Skating Championship title in San Jose, California on Saturday.

Chen cemented his status as likely the best chance for American gold at next month’s Winter Olympics with an overall scored of 315.23 for a 40.72-point victory.

The American landed five quadruple jumps to extend his undefeated season and bolster his confidence.

“There’s more to come,” Chen

told NBCSN. “This is exactly what I wanted my entire life. I’m ready for it.”

Ross Miner was a surprise silver medal winner with 274.51 points.

Vincent Zhou grabbed the bronze medal with 273.83 points, while Adam Rippon was fourth with a score of 268.34.

The three-man Olympic team will be named Sunday morning.

Chen missed a week of training due to illness leading up to nationals but is clearly now in full flight.

“I definitely set a big bar for myself last year,” Chen said. “I wouldn’t even say I reached it today. I still have a way to go to beat what I did last year.”

The day began with free skate pairs as Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Christopher Knierim took the competition with a score of 206.60 points.

Ta r a h K a y n e a n d D a n n y O’Shea earned the silver medal with 200.80 points while Deanna Stellato and Nathan Bartolomay grabbed the bronze medal with 197.65 points. (rtr)

8

Monday, January 8, 2018

Monday, January 8, 2018

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9

Stoke City sack Hughes after Cup exit

LONDON - Stoke City have sacked manager Mark Hughes after four and half yearsin charge, the Premier League club said on Saturday. The decision came within hours of a shock 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup third round by Coventry City, three leagues below them.

“We would like to thank Mark for all he has achieved for the Club over the last four and a half years, notably in guiding us to three successive ninth-place finishes in the Premier League, and we wish him

every success for the future,” Stoke said in a statement.

“The Club will look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible and will be making no further comment at this time.” Keeping Stoke in the top half of the table for three successive campaigns was followed by a drop to 13th last season and an unsuccessful transfer window with new signings having made little impression.

This season they have fallen into the Premier League relegation

places and have lost six of their last eight games in all competitions, having won only five league matches out of 22.

Hughes did not help himself by fielding a weakened team in a 5-0 defeat at Chelsea last weekend to save players for what he felt was a more winnable game at home to lowly Newcastle. They lost 1-0, dropping into the bottom three, before the FA Cup humiliation at Coventry in his 200th game at the club.

“We’ve got good owners who

will make the right decisions for the club,” Hughes said before learning that the previously supportive board had decided they needed a change.

Stoke do not play again until travelling to Manchester United on Monday week in the Premier League but they will hope to appoint a successor quickly enough to strengthen the squad before the

transfer window closes at the end of the month.

The 54-year-old Hughes has a wealth of managerial experience at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke as well as five years in charge of Wales - who currently have a vacancy after the departure of Chris Coleman to Sunderland. (rtr)

Mourinho is a “little man”, says Chelsea’s Conte

Immobile hits four in Lazio rout as leading pair win

MILAN - Serie A leading pair Napoli and Juventus both won against stubborn opponents from the lower half of the table on Saturday while faltering AS Roma lost at home to Atalanta and Ciro Immobile scored four goals in Lazio’s 5-2 rout of SPAL. Napoli took over an hour to break through against next-to-bottom Verona before winning 2-0 and Federico Bernardeschi’s second-half goal gave Juve a 1-0 win at Cagliari in a bruising match which saw the Turin side lose Paulo Dybala to injury.

Elsewhere, bottom club Benevento, who failed to win in their first 18 games, made it two in a row by beating Sampdoria 3-2 while Torino’s new coach Walter Mazzarri enjoyed a winning start as they beat Bologna 3-0.

Napoli, aiming to stop Juventus’ run of six successive titles, lead with 51 points from 20 games with Juve one point behind as the league heads into a two-week break.

Inter Milan, winless in their last five league games after Friday’s 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, are third on 42 points while Lazio moved up to fourth (40) ahead of Roma (39). Napoli breached stubborn Verona after 65 minutes when Kalidou

Koulibaly headed in from a corner and Jose Callejon volleyed home Lorenzo Insigne’s cross.

“We created plenty of chances without ever losing our lucidity and we conceded nothing to our opponents,” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. “Our application was excellent and there were plenty of good moves.” Dybala and Bernardeschi both hit the woodwork for Juventus in the first half while Wojciech Szczesny denied Cagliari with two stunning saves.

Dybala limped off with a possible thigh strain in the second half. Eventually, though, Douglas Costa beat two defenders on the right and sent over a low cross which Bernardeschi turned in from close range. Immobile took his tally to 20 in the league with his haul against SPAL, scoring a hat-trick of opportunist goals between the 19th and 41st minutes and adding another five minutes into the second half.

Luis Alberto got Lazio off the mark in the fifth minute, wriggling through the defence to score a brilliant individual goal, before Mirko Antenucci levelled with a penalty three minutes later. Antenucci also scored SPAL’s other goal in the 31st minute.

Roma, who dropped Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan for indiscipline, fell two goals behind against Atalanta after only 20 minutes. Andreas Cornelius and Marten de

IBP/net

Roon stunned the Stadio Olimpico, although De Roon was harshly sent off for a second bookable offence on the stroke of halftime.

Edin Dzeko’s goal in the 56th minute was all Roma could manage in reply. Lorenzo De Silvestri headed Torino in front in the 38th minute, as Mazzarri took his place on the bench 48 hours after replacing the sacked Sinisa Mihajlovic, before a controversial start to the second half.

Bologna’s Simone Verdi went down in the area and was booked for diving but the referee changed his mind and awarded a penalty after consulting with the video assistant referee (VAR).

However, Erick Pulgar’s spot kick was saved by Salvatore Sirigu and Torino went on to score further goals through M’Baye Niang and Iago Falque. The VAR was also used at AC Milan who had a goal chalked off for a foul by Franck Kessie.

However, they were already in front by then after Crotone goalkeeper Alex Cordaz punched an attempted clearance straight at Leonardo Bonucci and the ball rebounded in. Massimo Coda hit the woodwork twice before scoring a brace for Benevento as they came from behind to beat Sampdoria. (rtr)

Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

LONDON - Chelsea manager Antonio Conte continued his ongoing feud with Jose Mourinho on Saturday by calling the Manchester United manager “a little man”. Mourinho made a pointed comment about match-fixing during the week, a reference to the four-month suspension Conte was handed in the 2012-13 season for failing to report match-fixing at his previous club Siena. He was later cleared by an Italian court of any wrongdoing.

“I think when you try to hurt a person, especially if you know very well the truth of what happens, the court proved my innocence, when you do this it means you are a little man,” Conte said after Chelsea’s 0-0 FA Cup third-round draw at Championship side Norwich City. “But this is the not the first time.

He does this in the past and he continues to do this in the present.”

Mourinho and Conte have never been friends but their relationship deteriorated this week after Mourinho spoke about some managers behaving “like a clown” on the touchline, which was taken as a reference to Conte and Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp.

In response on Friday, the Chelsea manager accused the Portuguese of “senile dementia”, which led to Mourinho saying he had not mentioned any names.

“This is his way, it is no surprise. We all know him,” Conte said. “Life will go on, I’m not worried about him.” Conte refused to criticise his players after making nine changes for the match against Norwich.

“It’s a bit frustrating. We knew the difficulty of the game. When you play away in this competition it’s not easy,” he said.

“In the first half we had difficulty to attack but in the second half we created chances to score. “Norwich deserve to have another game. For us it’s not simple to add another game in the schedule. These are the rules though.” (rtr)

Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes reacts

8

Monday, January 8, 2018

Monday, January 8, 2018

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9

Stoke City sack Hughes after Cup exit

LONDON - Stoke City have sacked manager Mark Hughes after four and half yearsin charge, the Premier League club said on Saturday. The decision came within hours of a shock 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup third round by Coventry City, three leagues below them.

“We would like to thank Mark for all he has achieved for the Club over the last four and a half years, notably in guiding us to three successive ninth-place finishes in the Premier League, and we wish him

every success for the future,” Stoke said in a statement.

“The Club will look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible and will be making no further comment at this time.” Keeping Stoke in the top half of the table for three successive campaigns was followed by a drop to 13th last season and an unsuccessful transfer window with new signings having made little impression.

This season they have fallen into the Premier League relegation

places and have lost six of their last eight games in all competitions, having won only five league matches out of 22.

Hughes did not help himself by fielding a weakened team in a 5-0 defeat at Chelsea last weekend to save players for what he felt was a more winnable game at home to lowly Newcastle. They lost 1-0, dropping into the bottom three, before the FA Cup humiliation at Coventry in his 200th game at the club.

“We’ve got good owners who

will make the right decisions for the club,” Hughes said before learning that the previously supportive board had decided they needed a change.

Stoke do not play again until travelling to Manchester United on Monday week in the Premier League but they will hope to appoint a successor quickly enough to strengthen the squad before the

transfer window closes at the end of the month.

The 54-year-old Hughes has a wealth of managerial experience at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke as well as five years in charge of Wales - who currently have a vacancy after the departure of Chris Coleman to Sunderland. (rtr)

Mourinho is a “little man”, says Chelsea’s Conte

Immobile hits four in Lazio rout as leading pair win

MILAN - Serie A leading pair Napoli and Juventus both won against stubborn opponents from the lower half of the table on Saturday while faltering AS Roma lost at home to Atalanta and Ciro Immobile scored four goals in Lazio’s 5-2 rout of SPAL. Napoli took over an hour to break through against next-to-bottom Verona before winning 2-0 and Federico Bernardeschi’s second-half goal gave Juve a 1-0 win at Cagliari in a bruising match which saw the Turin side lose Paulo Dybala to injury.

Elsewhere, bottom club Benevento, who failed to win in their first 18 games, made it two in a row by beating Sampdoria 3-2 while Torino’s new coach Walter Mazzarri enjoyed a winning start as they beat Bologna 3-0.

Napoli, aiming to stop Juventus’ run of six successive titles, lead with 51 points from 20 games with Juve one point behind as the league heads into a two-week break.

Inter Milan, winless in their last five league games after Friday’s 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, are third on 42 points while Lazio moved up to fourth (40) ahead of Roma (39). Napoli breached stubborn Verona after 65 minutes when Kalidou

Koulibaly headed in from a corner and Jose Callejon volleyed home Lorenzo Insigne’s cross.

“We created plenty of chances without ever losing our lucidity and we conceded nothing to our opponents,” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. “Our application was excellent and there were plenty of good moves.” Dybala and Bernardeschi both hit the woodwork for Juventus in the first half while Wojciech Szczesny denied Cagliari with two stunning saves.

Dybala limped off with a possible thigh strain in the second half. Eventually, though, Douglas Costa beat two defenders on the right and sent over a low cross which Bernardeschi turned in from close range. Immobile took his tally to 20 in the league with his haul against SPAL, scoring a hat-trick of opportunist goals between the 19th and 41st minutes and adding another five minutes into the second half.

Luis Alberto got Lazio off the mark in the fifth minute, wriggling through the defence to score a brilliant individual goal, before Mirko Antenucci levelled with a penalty three minutes later. Antenucci also scored SPAL’s other goal in the 31st minute.

Roma, who dropped Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan for indiscipline, fell two goals behind against Atalanta after only 20 minutes. Andreas Cornelius and Marten de

IBP/net

Roon stunned the Stadio Olimpico, although De Roon was harshly sent off for a second bookable offence on the stroke of halftime.

Edin Dzeko’s goal in the 56th minute was all Roma could manage in reply. Lorenzo De Silvestri headed Torino in front in the 38th minute, as Mazzarri took his place on the bench 48 hours after replacing the sacked Sinisa Mihajlovic, before a controversial start to the second half.

Bologna’s Simone Verdi went down in the area and was booked for diving but the referee changed his mind and awarded a penalty after consulting with the video assistant referee (VAR).

However, Erick Pulgar’s spot kick was saved by Salvatore Sirigu and Torino went on to score further goals through M’Baye Niang and Iago Falque. The VAR was also used at AC Milan who had a goal chalked off for a foul by Franck Kessie.

However, they were already in front by then after Crotone goalkeeper Alex Cordaz punched an attempted clearance straight at Leonardo Bonucci and the ball rebounded in. Massimo Coda hit the woodwork twice before scoring a brace for Benevento as they came from behind to beat Sampdoria. (rtr)

Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

LONDON - Chelsea manager Antonio Conte continued his ongoing feud with Jose Mourinho on Saturday by calling the Manchester United manager “a little man”. Mourinho made a pointed comment about match-fixing during the week, a reference to the four-month suspension Conte was handed in the 2012-13 season for failing to report match-fixing at his previous club Siena. He was later cleared by an Italian court of any wrongdoing.

“I think when you try to hurt a person, especially if you know very well the truth of what happens, the court proved my innocence, when you do this it means you are a little man,” Conte said after Chelsea’s 0-0 FA Cup third-round draw at Championship side Norwich City. “But this is the not the first time.

He does this in the past and he continues to do this in the present.”

Mourinho and Conte have never been friends but their relationship deteriorated this week after Mourinho spoke about some managers behaving “like a clown” on the touchline, which was taken as a reference to Conte and Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp.

In response on Friday, the Chelsea manager accused the Portuguese of “senile dementia”, which led to Mourinho saying he had not mentioned any names.

“This is his way, it is no surprise. We all know him,” Conte said. “Life will go on, I’m not worried about him.” Conte refused to criticise his players after making nine changes for the match against Norwich.

“It’s a bit frustrating. We knew the difficulty of the game. When you play away in this competition it’s not easy,” he said.

“In the first half we had difficulty to attack but in the second half we created chances to score. “Norwich deserve to have another game. For us it’s not simple to add another game in the schedule. These are the rules though.” (rtr)

Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes reacts

10

Destination

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar (R) and co-driver Matthieu Baumel of France wave on the podium during the departure ceremony in Lima, Peru.

Candikusuma Beach

NEGARA - Bali is famous for its many beautiful beaches. Many of the tourists who visited Bali addictive because watching the sunset or sunrise on the beach are hard to forget.

Candikusuma beach is one of the many beaches that draw the attention of foreign and domestic tourists who want to truly enjoy the natural beauty of the exotic. In Candikusuma Beach there are two temples dedicated to the legendary figure of Dang Hyang Nirartha Indra Kusuma temple and taman Sumur Bulus. Locals tell how in 1897 two Dutch officers were attracted to the place when they saw a light coming from the earth. It turned out to be a kris (a supernatural dagger).

Candikusuma beach is known for its beautiful black sand and the gentle hills permeating the beach.

Recognized by many visitors that the beach Candikusuma good enough for swimming or bathing because its waters are clean and intact. Candikusuma very suitable when approached by young couples who are making love or honeymoon because it presents a variety of charm and stunning natural beauty that is difficult to translate verbally. Candikusuma worthy of being a priority for anyone who wants a quiet atmosphere and beautiful beaches to unwind from the momentarily encountered problems in your life.

Around Candikusuma Beach was not only present the exoticism

of the waves or wind parted the foliage melambainya beaches, but also available historical relics in the form of a triangular-shaped monument that supposedly according to the saga of people around the monument that was once out of the keris is capable of emitting light.

So, feel complete Candikusuma Coast travel because not only physical satisfaction obtained, but also the inner satisfaction with the tour history at the obelisk-shaped triangle.

Fishing Spot Coast Candikusuma also often used as a spot / arena fishing by locals that the beach is a favorite because there is a boat dock owned company bot breeding pearl oysters

are often used as a gathering place of many fish. In addition there is a boat dock bot, also positions Candikusuma beach is flanked by two rivers namely River estuary and Tukadaya Candikusuma make this beach as a habitat for small fish life in the form of hybrid fish that spawn around Candikusuma.

Formerly, many local people who depend of fishing activity.

But along with the presence of pearl mussel breeding cages companies make the majority of them switched professions to become breeders at the company. This is understandable considering income as fishermen less than if they are employees in the captive breeding of pearl oysters.

However, fishing activities that

have become habits of the inhabitants around, and sometimes also the tourists who come, remain to be done. Fishing is usually done in the afternoon when the sun was not too oppressive, even all enjoy the beautiful evening skyline. It sights into many people’s dream.

Path to Candikusuma The beach is located in District Candikusuma Melaya, Jembrana regency. Candikusuma can be reached by two-wheelers and four wheels from the city of the State as far as 12 km. If this is your first visit Candikusuma should use the services of tourist guides who are numerous and scattered all over Bali travel so smoothly and as expected. (net)

Qatar’s al-Attiyah leads Dakar after day one in Peru

China bans speedskater for positive drug test

BEIJING - China has banned speedskater Xiaoxuan Shi from the national team for two years after failing a drug test, removing her from their squad for next month’s 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the China Skating Association said in a statement.

Shi tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol on Dec. 14, the governing body said in a release posted on China’s General Administration of Sports.

Clenbuterol is a performance-enhancing substance sometimes found in weight-loss pills and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list.

The penalty is a “wake-up call” for Chinese athletes preparing for the Winter Olympics, which will take place in South Korea from Feb. 9-25, the Association said.

“There are loopholes in our education campaign against doping.

We will take more measures and responsibility to prevent this from happening again,” the organisation added.

The positive test is a blow for China, which will host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Shi, 21, won a gold medal for the 500-metre sprint at the Junior Speedskating World Cup in 2016. (rtr)

PERU - Qatar’s two-times winner Nasser al-Attiyah took the opening stage of the Dakar Rally in Peru on Saturday while Britain’s defending motorcycle champion Sam Sunderland led the way on two wheels.

Al-Attiyah, driving a Toyota Hilux, ended the day with a 25second lead over Dutch team mate Bernhard ten Brinke after the 35km special stage through the sand dunes around Pisco, down the coast from Lima.

While they enjoyed a troublefree run, nine-times world rally champion Sebastian Loeb had a harder time and was six minutes off the lead after suffering brake issues with his Peugeot.

Loeb said his brakes failed after three kilometres of the stage, with the handbrake also failing.

“We went slowly, doing our best not to get stuck or bogged

down,” said the Frenchman.

“There were dunes with steep descents, so I had to stop accelerating 200 metres before that to avoid any risks.

“It was quite tricky, driving without brakes is exasperating. It was a difficult start,” he told the dakar.com website.

Peugeot’s reigning champion Stephane Peterhansel of France, who is chasing a 14th Dakar win, was in 11th place and two minutes 15 seconds off the pace.

Portuguese soccer manager Andre Villas Boas, entering his first Dakar, was in 46th place and 11 minutes behind al-Attiyah’s time.

In the motorcycles, KTM’s Dubai-based Sunderland ended the stage with a 32-second advantage over Yamaha’s French rider Adrien van Beveren.

The motorcycles will start after the cars in Sunday’s second stage, a 267km loop that starts and ends in Pisco.

“Tomorrow, if we open the road, I know it will be very difficult, but I’m just really happy for today,” said al-Attiyah.

Of the 523 entrants in all categories, 114 were making their debuts in the 40th edition of the race, which ends in Cordoba, Argentina, on Jan. 20. (rtr)

REUTERS/Christian Forcher/File photo

China’s Xiaoxuan Shi skates in the women’s 500m speed skating event at the first winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck January 14, 2012.

Chen cruises to repeat US title

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(L-R) Second place Ross Miner, first place Nathan Chen, third place Vincent Zhou, and fourth place Adam Rippon pose for a photo after the men’s free skate program during the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at SAP Center.

CALIFORNIA - A dominant Nathan Chen cruised to a repeat U.S. Figure Skating Championship title in San Jose, California on Saturday.

Chen cemented his status as likely the best chance for American gold at next month’s Winter Olympics with an overall scored of 315.23 for a 40.72-point victory.

The American landed five quadruple jumps to extend his undefeated season and bolster his confidence.

“There’s more to come,” Chen

told NBCSN. “This is exactly what I wanted my entire life. I’m ready for it.”

Ross Miner was a surprise silver medal winner with 274.51 points.

Vincent Zhou grabbed the bronze medal with 273.83 points, while Adam Rippon was fourth with a score of 268.34.

The three-man Olympic team will be named Sunday morning.

Chen missed a week of training due to illness leading up to nationals but is clearly now in full flight.

“I definitely set a big bar for myself last year,” Chen said. “I wouldn’t even say I reached it today. I still have a way to go to beat what I did last year.”

The day began with free skate pairs as Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Christopher Knierim took the competition with a score of 206.60 points.

Ta r a h K a y n e a n d D a n n y O’Shea earned the silver medal with 200.80 points while Deanna Stellato and Nathan Bartolomay grabbed the bronze medal with 197.65 points. (rtr)

6

Monday, January 8, 2018

W

International

RLD

Caracas shops mobbed as Venezuela’s Maduro forces price cuts

CARACAS - Mobs gathered outside some Caracas supermarkets on Saturday after the government ordered shops to slash prices, creating chaos as desperate Venezuelans leapt at the chance to buy cheaper food as the country’s worsening economy causes severe shortages.

The leftist administration of President Nicolas Maduro ordered more than 200 supermarkets to cut prices back to last month’s levels - a tall order in a country where many prices change daily due to the world’s fastest inflation rate.

News of the discounts spread like wildfire, leading hundreds to mass in front of stores before daybreak.

When one major supermarket in wealthier eastern Caracas did not open for hours, people began pounding on the storefront.

“We’re hungry! We want food!” screamed the crowd, which included babies, pensioners and children with disabilities.

“This scares me, but what can I do?” said Francisco Guaita, a carpenter hoping to find food for his three

children, over the shouts and pushes. “This is the worst government. We want Maduro out.”

Critics say Maduro is playing with fire in the oil-rich nation, where millions are unable to eat three square meals a day and malnutrition is on the rise, saying his policy will dissuade supermarkets from stocking their shelves and could trigger looting.

The socialist, who was narrowly elected to replace the late Hugo Chavez in 2013, counters that he is a victim of a U.S.-led “economic war” in which businesses hoard food and stoke prices to destabilize his government.

The state agency in charge of ensuring “fair prices” ordered some 214 supermarkets owned by 26 chains to drop their prices, pro-government newspaper Ultimas Noticias reported on Saturday.

“This Tuesday we received an accusation and we deployed immediately. We confirmed that the big chains were increasing prices without any justification, because they were doing it for products that were in stock, not new ones,” William Contreras, the head of the agency known as Sundde, told the paper. (rtr)

REUTERS/Marco Bello

A woman breastfeeds a child as she waits in a queue to buy food, on a sidewalk outside a supermarket in Caracas, Venezuela January 6, 2018.

Barcelona...

From page 1

“I can tell the Liverpool supporters that we, as a club, have done everything within our means to convince Philippe that remaining part of LFC was as attractive as moving to Spain, but he is 100

percent certain his future – and that of his family – belongs at Barcelona. “It is his dream and I am now convinced there is nothing left at our disposal to change his mind.”

Klopp also hinted that Liverpool, who recently signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for 75 million pounds, a world record for a defender, would spend the money

for Coutinho on new players in the January transfer window.

“I have so much belief in the talent we have here already and even more faith, together with our owners, that we will make continued investment into the playing squad, which will allow more growth and more improvement,” Klopp added. (rtr)

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

11

PDI Struggle condemns black political campaign

Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images/AFP

Children sled in the snow in Central Park during freezing temperatures on January 06, 2018 in New York City. The extreme conditions suffered across the United States are a result of the “bomb cyclone” brought along by Storm Grayson.

Brutal cold snap stuns U.S. East Coast after blizzard

BOSTON - A shroud of bonechilling arctic air covered the U.S. East Coast and Midwest on Saturday, creating dangerous conditions as tens of millions of people struggled to clean up from a blizzard that dumped deep, drifting snow in many areas earlier this week.

Wind chill and freeze warnings stretched from New England to Ohio and Pennsylvania, while the National Weather Service warned of freezing rain in Missouri and areas to the northeast.

In some of those places, exposed skin could freeze within 30 minutes, said meteorologist Dan Petersen of the National Weather Service’s Maryland-based Weather Prediction Center.

At the Whoopie Pie Cafe in Bangor, Maine, business was slow because of the cold, cashier and waiter Liz Gallagher, 58, said by phone. “Nobody goes out when it’s really cold, at least I wouldn’t,” said the life-long Bangor resident.

The cold snap complicated efforts by crews to clear snow and ice from roadways after the blizzard, which clobbered the Northeast after sprinkling snow in areas as far south as Savannah, Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida.

In New England and the Middle Atlantic states, the storm forced hundreds of schools to close and commuter rail services to suspend or reduce service.

Cold and snowy weather was blamed for at least 18 deaths in the past few days, including four

in North Carolina traffic accidents and three in Texas.

“The magnitude of the cold and the area of coverage of the cold is really what’s impressive to me,” said meteorologist Ed Vallee, owner of Vallee Weather Consulting.

Killington, the famous Vermont ski resort, closed on Saturday even though snow conditions were excellent, saying wind chill on the slopes was at least minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius).

“It’s just too cold to put folks out there,” the resort said on its website.

In neighboring New Hampshire, the ambient air temperature on Mount Washington plunged to -36 F (minus 38C), two degrees short of a record low for Jan. 6. But sustained winds of 99 miles per hour (159 km/h) and gusts of up to 112 mph (180 km/h) atop the 6,200-foot (1,990-metre) peak made it feel more like minus 92 F (minus 69 Celsius), the NWS said.

The brutal cold in parts of the East Coast and Midwest shows no sign of abating this weekend, but a thaw should begin on Monday, said meteorologist Bob Oravec of the Weather Prediction Center.

Before then, conditions will probably worsen.

Overnight, more than 30 cities from New England to the midAtlantic states could experience record cold, Petersen said. New York and Boston are among the big cities where records could fall. (rtr)

JAKARTA - Ruling Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDI P) has condemned a black political practice that has been carried out by certain parties for achieving their political goal. “We condemn such an act,” the political party’s secretary general, Hasto Kristiysnti, stated at the house of the party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri here on Saturday, in response to the decision of Abdullah Azwar Anas as the party’s candidate for deputy governor of East Java.

Anas is the regent of Banyuwangi Regency in East Java Province.

He noted that Soekarnoputri and the party elites were all upset over Anas’ decision to return the mandate as candidate for the provincial election to the party.

Therefore, in connection with it, the party elites gathered at the house of the party’s chief in the evening to discuss the problem. “Anas is a good person. He has done a lot for the people of Banyuwangi and has struggled to reach the position of a candidate for East Java deputy governor,” he remarked, adding that PDIP would support Anas morally to uphold the truth.

Two unethical pictures of a man looking like Anas had been spread earlier, causing Anas, who is currently the district head of Banyuwangi, to withdraw his candidacy.

A total of 171 regions, including 17 provinces, in Indonesia will hold local elections simultaneously in June to elect district heads, city mayors, and provincial governors. (ant)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, along with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, will soon launch the new bird species namely the Myzomela Irianae, which took the name of First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo.

According to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, in a written statement received here on Saturday, the launch of the new bird species from Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara is scheduled to be held by member of the Presidential Advisory Council Jan Darmadi, simultaneously with the naming of an Anoa that was born a few months ago in Manado, North Sulawesi.

“Mister Jan Darmadi had paid attention to Indonesia`s biodiversity, flora and fauna. He had requested information and reports about Orangutans, Anoa and other animals from the Ministry`s records for several times now, as he also kept a close eye on the Ministry`s policies related to the forestry industry and critical land, “said Minister Nurbaya.

The plans for the launch of the new bird species from the Meliphagida family, that is based on Government Regulation No. 7/1999 and Law No. 5/1990 on the Conservation of Biological Resources and Ecosystems is included in the list of protected species, were discussed in a meeting with the along with the Institute`s team and was led by the Deputy for Biodiversity Sciences Enny Sudarmonowati

in Manggala Wanabakti building.

The bird is known to weigh about 32.23 grams with the body length, from beak to tail tip, reaching 17.2 centimeters. The bird commonly flies and dwells on the forest habitat, bushes, gardens and flowering trees. They can also be found consuming nectar on the flowers of teak trees around villages.

The meeting also discussed various important issues related to the findings of new species of fauna and flora of Indonesia. Minister of Environment and Forestry, along with the team from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences discussed, in more detail, the natural enrichment agenda in each National Park area, as well as the development of exclusive scientific tourism industry specimen and other displays.

The Minister said that there will be cooperation and ease provided for the Institution for research, as well as support that will be given in the effort to add value to Indonesia`s natural wealth.

“Scientific exploration of our natural wealth should be labeled by researchers and displayed with the creativity of our nation`s young generation, she said, which is in line with the message of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in December last year, adding that all is done in the effort to turn the country`s natural wealth into tourism objects and substances that are of high value. (ant)

Ministry, institution launch new bird species

REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

The new chief of Indonesia’s National Cyber and Encryption Agency Djoko Setiadi listens to a journalist’s question during a briefing with members of the media in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 5, 2018.

Indonesia’s new cyber agency looks to recruit staff of hundreds

JAKARTA - Indonesia’s recently established cyber security agency will recruit hundreds of personnel in the coming months, its chief said on Friday. The agency has been set up amid rising concern over online misinformation and hoaxes ahead of simultaneous local elections set to take place across the country later this year.

The head of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency, Djoko Setiadi, who was sworn in this week, will report directly to President Joko Widodo. “We need a lot of human resources so we plan to recruit hundreds of people soon, including graduates of our technological institutes and anyone who has the cyber

skills and integrity we are looking for,” Setiadi told reporters.

“Our responsibility is to provide protection in the cyber world to government institutions, even private companies, but most importantly to the public,” he said at a news briefing in south Jakarta.

The agency will track cyber crimes and identify perpetrators, but it remains unclear whether it will have the authority to prosecute crimes. “We will be coordinating with the police, military, and other institutions with cyber capabilities on the information we check,” Setiadi added. The agency’s budget is to be announced this month, following discussions with parliament. (rtr)

12

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Dalem Tamblingan Traditional Village

Japanese companies begin to buckle as Abe pressures them to raise wages

TOKYO - Japan Inc is running out of excuses in the face of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s calls for wage rises of 3 percent or more. The nation is having its best run of economic growth in a decade, stocks prices are the highest in 26 years, and corporate profits are near an all-time high. At the same time, the labour market, which is already the tightest among major economies, is only set to get tighter as the nation’s population both shrivels and ages rapidly.

And as annual negotiations with labour unions start to ramp up, there are signs that some big companies may be bending as Abe pushes for increases of 3 percent or more, though others are still expected to drag their feet.

Last year, the average increase among 312 major companies was 2.11 percent before bonuses, according to labour ministry figures.

Successive years of tiny, or even zero, wage increases may be coming to an end at some companies at least – which in turn could provide consumer spending and inflation with a welcome boost this year.

For example, Asahi Group Holdings plans to raise wages by 3 percent at its beer-making operation and by 3.4 percent at its unit that produces soft drinks. Last year Asahi raised wages at its beer-making unit by 2.9 percent. Data on wage gains at its soft drink unit was not immediately available.

“This is a result of management’s thoughts about how we should treat our employees,” President Akiyoshi Koji told reporters at a reception for corporate executives to mark the start of the new year. He denied that the move was influenced by the government’s request to raise wages, saying: “An increase in disposable income helps improve the economy.”

Some other companies are dis-

cussing whether to abide by Abe’s call. “I want to debate this and do as much as possible to make sure disposable incomes rise,” Hitachi Ltd Chief Executive Toshiaki Higashihara told reporters at a new year’s reception on Friday. “I approve of raising disposable incomes, because in the end this will improve the economy by raising consumption.”

TAX INCENTIVES Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday he is confident that the conditions are ripe for increases. “Our policies have created the environment necessary for companies to use their record-high corporate earnings to raise wages and increase investment,” he told reporters on Friday after a cabinet meeting. “I strongly believe our changes to the tax code will encourage companies to take bold steps to raise wages and capital expenditure.”

Abe’s government plans to introduce legislation to the regular session of parliament later this month that will lower the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from around 30 percent for companies that raise wages by 3 percent or more. The incentive will appeal to some large companies, but it is unlikely to work with some others who already pay an effective rate below 25 percent. There are

REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao/File Photo

A man walks past Hitachi’s booth at CEATEC JAPAN 2012 electronics show in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan October 2, 2012. also many small companies that have effective tax rates well below 25 percent.

The legislation, which is almost certain to pass into law, will also cut taxes for companies that invest in cutting-edge technology. The tax breaks are the latest carrot Abe’s government has dangled in front of Japanese companies to convince them to help with his agenda aimed at reflating the economy.

Since taking office in late 2012, Abe has appealed directly to the largest business lobbies to raise wages at annual negotiations with unions that take place in the spring.

Abe’s overriding goal is to make sure consumers have enough money in their pockets to keep spending vanquishing the threat of deflation

and making it easier to meet the Bank of Japan’s 2 percent inflation target. In November, the core consumer price index, which includes oil products but excludes fresh food, rose only 0.9 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Economists say there are many reasons why companies like Hitachi can afford to raise wages. As well as strong corporate profits, cash and reserves held by Japanese companies stood at an eye-popping record of 1,207 trillion yen ($10.7 trillion) in the third quarter, according to central bank data. Meanwhile, Japan’s jobless rate is 2.7 percent, the lowest since November 1993 and by far the lowest among Group of Seven countries. The shrinking of the workingage population will eventually force

companies to raise wages to compete for workers, economists say.

But not all companies share the optimism about wages and many firms will come in below the 3 percent increase the government is looking for, economists say.

This should still be enough to keep consumer spending on track to rise this year, which will make it easier to achieve faster inflation.

“Abe is taking these steps because so far wages have lagged the improvement in the real economy,” said Kentaro Arita, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute.

“The elements needed to raise wages are falling into place, but one thing that is lacking for some companies is confidence about the future.

Wage gains will be gradual.” (rtr)

Wall St higher as investors shrug off weak December jobs data

Wall Street’s major indexes rose to record highs on Friday after weaker-than-expected U.S. job additions in December lifted hopes that the Federal Reserve would stick to its policy of gradual interest rate hikes in 2018. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 148,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said, much lower than economists’ expectation of 190,000.

However, the data pointed to a pick-up in monthly wage gains. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent in December after gaining 0.1 percent in

the prior month. That lifted the annual increase in wages to 2.5 percent from 2.4 percent in November.

“The market is shrugging it off because it’s not weak enough to detract the Fed from raising rates further. The modest rise in average hourly wage number should give the Fed some breathing room,” said Bryce Doty, senior portfolio manager, SIT Fixed Income Advisors LLC, Minneapolis. The odds of a March rate hike stood at 67.5 percent, according to CME Group’s Fedwatch tool, nearly unchanged from before

Monday, January 8, 2018

the release of the jobs report.

Wall Street has started 2018 on a strong note, continuing the momentum from 2017. The S&P and the Nasdaq were on track to post their biggest weekly gains since Dec. 2016, and the Dow was set for its best weekly performance in a month.

“It’s going to take more than employment number that is to the weaker side (to bring the market lower),” said Mark Heppenstall, chief investment officer at Penn Mutual Asset Management in Horsham, Pennsylvania. At 10:46 a.m. ET

(1546 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 46.83 points, or 0.19 percent, at 25,121.96.

The S&P 500 was up 6.26 points, or 0.23 percent, at 2,730.25 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 34.07 points, or 0.48 percent, at 7,111.99. Among the 11 major S&P sectors, energy was the biggest decliner, down 0.81 percent as oil prices pulled away from their 2015 highs on soaring U.S. production.

Exxon fell 1.3 percent and Chevron 0.8 percent and were the biggest drags in the sector.

The technology index’s 0.77 percent gain led the advancers, on track to post its best weekly gains since Dec. 2016 A more than 1 percent rise in Microsoft, Apple and Google-parent Alphabet boosted the sector. Francesca’s Holdings tanked 20 percent after the women’s apparel and accessories maker said it expected up to 17 percent decline in current-quarter same-store sales.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 1,472 to 1,231. On the Nasdaq, 1,672 issues rose and 1,082 fell. (rtr)

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan

Devotees Appeal for Salvation and Welfare

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan or commonly known as Buda Kliwon Pahang falling on Wednesday (May 10) is the end of the series of Galungan feast day. It is marked by withdrawing the penjor and burning it. Likewise, all the attributes of the penjor such as bakang, lamak, sampian and so on are burned. The ashes are put into a young ivory coconut and then buried in the house yard.

Ashes of the penjor symbolize prosperity, so that on that day the Hindus plead to God to be blessed with fertility. However, before withdrawing the penjor, people must first put offerings or canang on the bamboo platform shrine that the series of Galungan feast day has already completed. It is resumed with masegeh procession, including at the location of penjor.

Chairman of Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI) Bali, Prof. Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said that the series of Galungan feast day ends on Buda Kliwon Pahang. Thus, the preaching of dharma has lasted for 42 days.

During the series of Galungan is also known as the Uncal Balung.

During that time, people generally abstain from organizing Panca Yadnya (five sacrifices) ritual activities,

including wedding, except for pujawali or festival at temple or family or clan temple happening to fall during this period. After Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan, people usually go back to choosing auspicious days to perform Panca Yadnya ceremony, including wedding.

Prof. Sudiana said that after the end of the Galungan series, people are reminded to always be able to apply the values ??of dharma (truth) and maintain victory against adharma. Human must be able to really win and take advantage of the graces bestowed on Galungan.

“On Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan, we ask salvation, prosperity and protection from hazardous things to Motherland,” he said.

Buda Kliwon Pegatuwakan also poses an expression of gratitude to deities because we have been able to carry out the teachings during

the Galungan feast day well. “Since then, human beings have been mature to bring themselves, not tied to adharma. They are considered to have possessed good thoughts, words and deeds so that they are ready to live their life well according to the teachings of dharma,” he asserted.

After that, explained Prof. Sudiana, people just need to implement the values ??of dharma in everyday life to gain peace and tranquility. During the series of Galungan festivities lasting for one month and seven days, people are encouraged to control themselves in order to live together and can perform services, dedication and quality improvement of human resources. Besides, they must do coexistence, mutual help and mutual respect according to religious teachings. (kmb)

North Bali is truly wealthy when it comes to traditional cultural practices that have been passed down uninterrupted for countless generations. One example is the tradition known as ‘nyakan diwang’ that the people of Catur Desa Adat Dalem Tamblingan, Umajero Village, Gobleg, Munduk, Gesing continue to practice. Nyakan Diwang essentially means ‘cooking by the side of the road’ and this tradition manages to strengthen the peace and harmony amongst the people who practice it. The process begins anywhere between midnight and dawn.

Head of the Traditional Village of Munduk, Jro Putu Ardana, explained on Thursday (Mar 3) that the nyakan diwang tradition is part of the ‘Ngembak Geni’ celebrations that take place the day after the Holy Day of Nyepi (day of Silence). The people of Catur Desa Adat Dalem Tamblingan, and surrounding area feel their relations and communications thus become more intense and believe strongly in the power of nyakan diwang to give rise to a strong sense of community. “This tradition is related to Nyepi and so local residents will cook their food outside their house before bringing it inside. While they are cooking, their communication with their neighbors is woven into harmony as they exchange recipes. The value of togetherness is thus passed down from generation to generation with a feeling of peace and harmony.

During this activity there is no separation among people and great joy is taken in tasting each others food” said Ardana.

Umajero Busungbiu Village public figure, I Nyoman Arya, added that the nyakan diwang tradition has been well guarded by the people of this village since long ago. “The people of Gobleg, Umajero, Munduk, Gesing and other villages in the area have passed down this tradition from generation

5

to generation. Starting at midnight people are already getting ready to start cooking’’ he said.

READ Galungan Day: Defeat Kalatiga, Strengthen Awareness The tradition of nyakan diwang’s meaning is philosophically related to a manifestation of the sense of gratitude towards Creator for having provided blessings, abundance, safety and peace. “We do this to show our gratitude and every year we have been blessed with ease in conducting this activity”, added Arya.

Durign Nyepi, just like other Balinese, people here honor the four abstinences; amatigeni (no lighting of fire or lamps), amati lelanguan (no sensory pleasure), amatilelungan (no traveling/walking around), dan amatikarya (no work). Through the nyakan diwang tradition as people gather outside their homes, they enjoy a friendly atmosphere and it is no surprise that they exchange friendly greetings.

This type of activity truly strengthens the peace and harmony of the community. “By cooking together on the street, a feeling of togetherness arises and people naturally greet each other. This activity -that takes place right after Nyepi, helps to safeguard togetherness” emphasised Arya.

Cooking implements such as makeshift hearths made of stone or brick are made ready for the dry wood that will be used as fuel for the fire. Mornings in the mountain are cold so the first thing that people prepare is hot water for coffee or tea. Then they start cooking rice and other dishes. “While enjoying the atmosphere of the early morning, local residents prepare their meals over the course of an hour or two.

Once everything is cooked, the food is brought inside to be enjoyed by the family. Another aspect of this unique tradition is the exchanging of recipes with neighbours” he said. (kmb)

4

Bali News

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

Watersport attractions of Tanjung Benoa start to be crowded

Rohingya insurgents say they have no option but to fight Myanmar

MANGUPURA — Even though the numbers are not back up to normal, the number of visitors to Tanjung Benoa has started to increase as seen on Friday (Jan. 5) when a number of tourists enjoying the water-sports in the bay. This is in stark contrast to when the area was completed devoid of tourists following the eruption of Mount Agung.

Chairman of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association (Gahawisri) of Badung, Nyoman Wana Putra, confirmed that after the airport shut down for two days in late November 2017, there was a sharp drop in the number of visitors to Tanjung Benoa. “ After the airport was closed for two days, there was a 90 percent drop in the number of visitors coming to do watersports”, he said.

However since late December, there have been more and more visitors to Tanjung Benoa.

There has only been a 30 percent increase however. Currently most visitors are from other parts of Indonesia but some visitors form Australia

and India have also started coming to enjoy water-sports here. “Previously, most of our visitors were from. We cannot predict when conditions will really recover”, he added.

Currently, said Wana Putra, entrepreneurs here used to see about 50 visitors a day while previously there were an average of 150 per day. “As entrepreneurs we would like to see the continued promotion of Bali as a safe place to visit”, he said with hope. (kmb23)

Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attends the Annual Horse Race ceremony, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 30, 2017.

Since late December, there have been more and more visitors to Tanjung Benoa.

IBP/kmb

Residents of villages outside of the disaster-prone area are allowed to remain in evacuation

AMLAPURA - The reduction of the radius of the disaster-prone area from 8-10 km to 6 km has been received as a beautiful new year’s gift by the people of Karangasem –particularly those who have been living in evacuation posts for the last 4 months. Many people have returned to their homes while others have chosen to remain in the evacuation posts for a variety of reasons.

Ni Wayan Sri Artini, 25, is one evacuees who says she s not ready to return home. This resident from Cemara Tebel, Buanagiri village, Bebandem, is reluctant to go home as she is concerned about the health of her baby. “After the first eruption, my village was exposed to volcanic ash and my baby suffered form an upper respiratory tract infection. Actually I would

IBP/kmb

Many people have returned to their homes while others have chosen to remain in the evacuation posts for a variety of reasons.

very much like to go home”, she explained on Friday (Jan. 5).

This contracted employee of the Secretariat of the Karangasem House of Representatives said her village is within an 8 km radius of Mt Agung. According to the recent recommendations from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG),her village is within a safe radius from the mountain and many of her neighbours have returned home.

However because Mt Agung is still showing signs of volcanic activity, Artini has decided to remain at her biological parent’s house in Tiyingtali hamlet, Abang.

Her and others like her’s dilemma was responded to by Head of the Karangasem Social Service, Ni Ketut Puspa Kumari who announced that residents of villages outside of the 6 kilometer radius disaster-prone area are allowed to remain in evacuation and will continue to receive support from the government. “The radius of the dangerous area has indeed been narrowed. However it is natural that some people from just outside this area would remain reluctant to return home”, said Kumari on Friday (Jan.5 ).

The Karangasem Social Services, she added currently has IDR 2. 7 billion in funds for the procurement of necessaries for the evacuees. The funds assigned in the main budget for 2018 however cannot be disbursed yet as the administrative process is still underway. Assistance for evacuees is being provided through funds managed by the Mount Agung Eruption Taskforce. “I believe that some 100 tons of government rice reserves have been distributed”, siad Kumari.

Secretary of the Jagabaya Brotherhood (Pasebaya) of Mount Agung, I Wayan Suara Arsana, expressed his appreciation for the government policy to continue supporting the evacuees as there are still many people who are choosing to stay in the evacuation posts. Those who are reluctant to go home for whatever reason should be made to feel secure”, he added.

Arsanam who is also headman of Amerta Bhuana, Selat, gave his own community as an example. Of the 3, 641 residents of Amerta Buana who had been evacuated, there are still 600 people who remain evacuated. He added that as a headman he does not have the guarantee

of a letter form the government to assure the safety of his community.

“If indeed there is such a guarantee, we from the Pasebaya hope that it can be made known. This is important because currently many residents of my village are facing administrative constraints. For some people , their identity card was issued from the village that is outside of the disaster-prone area whereas their home in fact located just 4 kilometers from the crater of the volcano”, he explained.

Arsana said he felt the need to speak out as he considers the government response has been slow.

Since the PVMBG issued their recommendation, the government has yet to provide any guidance so people have simply acted on the PVMBG recommendation “Some people have returned home independently, while others have chosen to stay in the evacuation posts as there is still a doubt in their minds. There are also people who have not returned home because even though according to their identity card they are from an area outside of the danger zone, their actual house may be well within the danger zone”, he concluded. (kmb)

13

Eleven Saudi princes detained following protest over utility bills

YANGON - Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Sunday they have no option but to fight what they called Myanmar statesponsored terrorism to defend the Rohingya community, and they demanded that the Rohingya be consulted on all decisions affecting their future.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) launched raids on the Myanmar security forces on Aug. 25, which sparked sweeping counter-insurgency operations in the Muslim-majority north of Rakhine State that led to widespread violence and arson and an exodus of some 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

The United Nations condemned the Myanmar military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejected that.

But since the August raids, the small insurgent group has launched few if any attacks until Friday, when its fighters ambushed a Myanmar military truck, wounding several members of the security forces.

“ARSA has ... no other option but to combat ‘Burmese statesponsored terrorism’ against the Rohingya population for the purpose of defending, salvaging and protecting the Rohingya community,” the group said in a statement signed by leader Ata Ullah and posted on Twitter.

“Rohingya people must be consulted in all decision-making that affects their humanitarian needs and political future.”

The ARSA claimed responsibility for the Friday ambush but gave no details of the clash.

A Myanmar government spokesman said the insurgents were trying to delay the repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh under a plan the two governments have been working on.

“ARSA aims to frighten those who are considering returning, to show the region doesn’t have peace,” Zaw Htay said.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have been discussing a plan to repatriate the refugees but more insecurity in Myanmar is likely to raise even more doubts about how quickly that might happen.

The refugees complain that they have not been consulted on the plan. (rtr)

RIYADH - Saudi Arabian authorities have detained 11 princes after they gathered at a royal palace in Riyadh in a rare protest against the government suspending payment of their utility bills, the public prosecutor said on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has introduced reforms that include reducing energy subsidies, introducing value-added tax and cutting some perks to royal family members to try to cope with a drop in crude prices that has caused a budget deficit estimated at 195 billion riyals ($52 billion) in 2018.

The princes had gathered on Thursday at Qasr al-Hokm palace demanding the cancellation of a recent decree that halted state payment of water and electricity bills for royal family members and seeking compensation for a death sentence implemented in 2016 against one of their cousins, Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer.

“Despite being informed that their demands are not lawful, the 11 princes refused to leave the area,

disrupting public peace and order.

Members of a security services stepped in to restore order and the princes were arrested,” the public prosecutor’s statement said, without identifying the princes.

“Following their arrest, they have been charged on a number of counts in relation to these offences.

They are detained at Al-Hayer prison south of the capital pending their trial.”

News website Sabq earlier identified the leader of the group of princes by the initials S.A.S. The Saud al-Kabeer branch of the House of Saud descend from a cousin of late King Abdulaziz, who founded the modern kingdom.

The meteoric rise of 32-yearold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s favoured son,

and his ambitious, sometimes aggressive, policies have caused rare tensions within the royal family, which for decades favoured rule by consensus.

Dozens of prices, high officials and senior businessmen were rounded up in November in a crackdown on graft that has boosted Prince Mohammed’s power.

They have been held at the fivestar Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh while government officials negotiate financial settlements, asking them to hand over assets and cash in return for their freedom.

The round-up followed a meticulously planned palace coup in June through which Prince Mohammed ousted his elder cousin Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as heir to the throne. (rtr)

REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Rohingya refugees carry bamboos to build their shelters at Kutupalong refugee camp, near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh January 3, 2018.

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Monday, January 8, 2018

Traveling

International

Bali News

International

Monday, January 8, 2018

3

Once served in State Palace

Kintamani coffee believed to be more famous

BANGLI — Kintamani coffee is one of the most popular types of coffees amongst coffee lovers in the archipelago. This distinct coffee produced by farmers in the highland of Kintamani was selected as the coffee to serve guests at the State Palace during the celebration of Indonesia’s Independence last August 17th. This has made the district of Bangli and the coffee farmers there is particular proud of their achievement.

Epiphany celebrations around the world FOR Christians around the world, the official end to the Christmas holiday occurs on Jan. 6. Known as Epiphany, or the 12th Day of Christmas, it commemorates how a star led the Magi, or the three kings or wise men, to the baby Jesus.

Countries celebrate on the evening before and on the actual day with parades of decorative floats and people in costume as the kings bearing gifts. The festivities often feature light and music shows, and clowns and jugglers who throw candy to the crowds.

In Spain, parents and their children packed city sidewalks on Saturday to watch colorful parades. The celebrations commemorate the journey that three wise men are said to have taken to present the baby Jesus with gifts.

In recent years, security has been tightened in Madrid and Barcelona amid fears of potential terrorist attacks, and large vehicles have been banned from streets near the parade routes.

Christmas gifts are traditionally given on Epiphany in Spain and in many Latin American countries.

Children write letters to the Magi on the feast’s eve, requesting presents. Children often leave their shoes out overnight to find presents in the morning.

An Epiphany parade also took place in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. But Czechs also take an icy swim in the Vltava River alongside the medieval Charles Bridge.

People also strip to swim en masse in Bulgaria,

Greece and Russia.

The Greek Orthodox Australians celebrated the Holy Epiphany this weekend, and more than 3,000 people are expected to visit Frankston Waterfront, near Melbourne, on Saturday for the annual Blessing of the Waters. The ceremony of Theofania, following Epiphany Day, will end with the Blessing of the Waters at Princes Pier in Port Melbourne.

In Mexico, the holiday gets a sweet ending with Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread baked in a ring to resemble a crown, with a baby figurine hidden inside to represent the holy family’s need to hide from King Herod.

The tradition is also alive and well in Southern California, where whoever finds the baby figurine is responsible for a feast for Candlemas, on Feb. 2. (That usually means providing tamales, which take a lot of work to prepare.)

On the eve of Epiphany, when most Italian children wake up to find gifts and candy, Pope Francis visited a pediatric hospital outside Rome, the Palidoro Bambino Gesu Hospital.

The Vatican media office said in a statement that Francis had “exchanged some words of comfort with the parents who are caring for their children in their tiring and painful trials.”

He was “continuing the experience of the Mercy Fridays,” visits to hospitals, orphanages and other care facilities during the 2015-16 Year of Mercy. (net)

IBP/kmb

Dr. I Gusti Lanang Sidiartha

Transmission of Diphtheria

Ketut Jati is one of the coffee farmers who was proud that Kintamani coffee was served at the State Palace. According to Jati it is thanks to Kintamani coffee’s distinct slightly sour taste that it has become so popular.

Although the serving of Kintamani coffee at the State Palace has not yet had a significant impact on coffee sales, Jati says that he is confident that this

event will help Kintamani coffee become known to a wider coffee drinking public. It was a kind of free promotional event for coffee farmers like Jati.

“It’s a process that takes time -not like eating chili when you taste the spiceyness as soon as you eat it”, he explained when met at his residence at Catur village, Kintamani recently.

This man who is also Chief of the Kintamani Arabica Coffee Farmers Association added that he hopes that the introduction of Kintamani coffee at the State Palace can serve as motivation for coffee farmers to continuously develop proper cultivation techniques.

Jati has been diligent in approaching ‘non-irrigated farming organisation’ (subak abian) to motivate them in to grow quality coffee beans. He also shows coffee farmers in the area how to process coffee beans into to ready-for-sale coffee.

“Hopefully, coffee farmers here will not just cultivate the beans but also process the beans into products that will increase their income”, said Jati. (kmb40)

Influenced by nutrition and sanitary conditions DENPASAR — The spread of diphtheria in Jakarta, West Java, East Java and 25 other provinces has terrified parents that their children will contract this disease.

Diptheria is not just infectious however as this bacteria needs of means of transmission and certain conditions to infect the human body. It is therefor very important to maintain a sanitary environment and for children to be immunised against this bacteria.

Chairman of the Indonesia Association of Pediatricians (IDAI) of Bali Branch, Dr. I Gusti Lanang Sidiartha, explained that hygiene is indeed a important factor in transmission. Since diphtheria is an infectious disease, it requires an agent in order to be transmitted.

The human body as a host he said is very resilient. “If the immune system is good, then the agent of transmission cannot infiltrate the body”, he said.

The immune system he added is aided by immunisation and nutrition. Good nutrition makes the body more resilient making it much harder for germs to attack.

Immunisation he said is another good preventative measure but must be complete.

For example, infants must get three basic immunisations at the

age of 0 month, 1 month and 6 months. After that, at the age of 1.5 years they get a booster and again at 5 or 6 years old. IN adolescence and early adulthood another booster shot is recommended.

At public health centers, diphtheria vaccines are given to infants up to 1.5 years old. For children 5 years and older vaccines are obtained at school (in first grade and again in sixth grade). “In the past, in the sixth graders were given TT, but today they are given Td. For infants under 1.5 years old, DPT is given. 5-6 years olds are given DT and children over 7 years old are given Td shots”, explained this paediatrician from Sanglah Hospital. Such compete immunisation can protect children from getting diphtheria.

Nutrition is another contributing factor and is Bali this does not tend to be a problem. Lack of nutrition is indicated by stunted growth and the percentage of stunted growth in Bali is under 10 percent of the population. The national average is somewhere around 37 percent.

Based on basic health research in 2013 the tallest children were found in Bali and the shortest in Papua.

“Many other regions still have less than optima nutrition”, he added. (kmb42)

IBP/kmb

Kintamani coffee is one of the most popular types of coffees amongst coffee lovers in the archipelago.

2

Bali News

Monday, January 8, 2018

International

International

Activities

Monday, January 8, 2018

15

Rise in the number of Chinese tourists

Consulate General of China issues tourist guide book DENPASAR - Every year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Bali increases. In 2014, there were only 400,00 Chinese visitors to Bali and in 2015 this number rose to 600,000. IN 2016 the number of Chinese tourists rose again to 980,000 and in 2017 there were 1.3 million tourists from China who visited Bali. Bali receives the largest number of tourists from China followed by Australia with 1 million visitors to Bali per year.

Vice Consulate General of China, Chen Wei, said that because of the increasing number of Chinese visitors to Bali

a tourist guide book has become necessary. In a meeting between the Chinese Consul General , travel agencies and tourism stakeholders on Friday (Jan. 5), The Consul General launched a Bali tourist guide book.

The first run printed 30,000 copies of the tourism guide book that will be distributed to travel agencies, hotels, airports, et cetera. Previously, the same book had been published in a shorter edition. “In response to the emergence of different problems, the contents of the guide book were increased with more complete information. This is an improved version”, said Wei. The guide book provides information about Bali in general for things like currency and exchange rates, transportation,

IBP/file

A chinese tourist is taking picture in Tanjung Benoa, Bali

drinking water hygiene, working hours for, shops and restaurants, tax / tips, religion and customs, natural disasters, accident prevention tips, travel insurance, immigration provisions, provisions on how to obtain protection services from consulates, tourism developments, contact persons, et cetera.

With the issuance of this guide book, Wei said that he hopes that the issuance of this guide book will help improve cooperation with local governments and relations between the two countries. “We hope this will strengthen the relationship between our two countries”, he said.

Although there have been efforts made to mitigate losses and inconveniences caused by the eruptions of Mount Agung, Chinese citizens are primary concerned about financial losses. “If there is another eruption and the airpot closes then visitors will have to spend more money. Insurance does not cover all these expenses. We have heard the good news that the government is prepared to provide assistance if Mount Aung erupts again. Hopefully this will be realised if need be”, said Wei. Wei also said that he hopes that more Chinese tourists will visit Bali in 2018 and that there is expected to be an increase in visitors over the Lunar New Year. He also stressed that the Chinese government has never forbidden its citizens form visiting Bali and that the cancelled flights from China to Bali were based on the policies of individual airlines.

Section Head of Immigration Office Communication of Ngurah Rai Airport, Misnal Arianto, said that since the free-vias policy was enacted for 169 countries – including China, there has indeed been an increase in the number of tourists from China. Of the 1.3 million Chinese tourist who visited last year, there were only 40 cases of violations of immigration laws, including expired residence permits and abuse of tourist stay permits by people who worked here.

Tourism Subdivision Head of Vital Object Security Directorate at Bali Police, Indrayati, said that in terms of crime, Bali is safe. Pickpocketing, robbery and other forms of theft are less frequent in Bali than in other regions, so Chinese citizens should not be worried about visiting Bali. (kmb42)

Immigration Office provides sympathetic service improves online presence

MANGUPURA - In an effort to reduce the number of immigration brokers, passport applications can now be registered online making it easier than waiting in line on site.

Section Head of Licensing at Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Ruly Sandy Kusuma, said on Saturday (Jan. 6) that following the introduction of online passport registration on December 29th, 2017, there will eventually no longer be any walk-in registration. Having a passport made is eaiser than ever, he added.. “Hopefully, in 2018 people will become more aware of

immigration matters and will not be so easily fooled by syndicates, brokers, et cetera. We have managed to narrow the opportunity for passport brokers to operate”, he said.

Apart from reducing the number of brokers who operate, for the last three years the issue of nonprocedural Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) has also been addressed as immigration authorities now have a legal means for dealing with TKI. Immigration officers are now authorised to request additional information such as names of parents, profession and so forth.

“If the applicants do not have a job, their request to go abroad may be suspect”, explained Kusuma.

Also as a form of community service, immigration authorities now provide sympathetic passport services during holidays and on Saturdays. This service is part of the immigration offices anniversary celebrations. “This service is provided every Saturday between 10:00 and 14:00. The quota per day is 50 applications; 25 new applications, 20 passport replacement or renewal, 5 for the elderly and 5 for children”, he explained.

Kusuma added that this service started being offered on December 16th, 2017 and will continue to be offered until January 20th, 2018.

The requirements for applications for new passports are: an identity card preferably an e-ID card, family documents, birth certificate / marriage book / baptism certificate.

Applicants who are going overseas for work must attach a letter of recommendation from the labor agency. For those travelling to perform Umrah, a letter of recommendation from a recognised travel

agency or from the Ministry of Religious Affairs must be attached.

To replace a lost or stolen passport, applicants must attach a letter from police authorities to their application. “For regular passport renewals, applicants only need to attach their e-ID card and their expired passport. The fee for a 48 page passport is IDR 355,000”, he said.

Throughout 2017 there was an increase in the number of passport applications with a total of 14,000 compared to 2016 when there were just 13,000 passport applications. (kmb23)

 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Gugiek Savindra  Editors:Agus Toni, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sueca, Sugiartha, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Suasrina, Buleleng: Dewa kusuma, Gianyar: Manik Astajaya, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Dewa Farendra. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

THE LUXURIOUS BEACH RESORT IN SOUTHERN ASIA

InterContinental Bali Resort is proud to be announced as the winner of the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Awards 2017. The resort has been voted as the “Luxury Beach Resort” Regional Winner: Southern Asia.

The World Luxury Awards was established in 2006 as a recognized global organisation providing luxury hotels with recognition for their world class facilities and for the service excellence provided to their guests. The aim of the awards is to encourage

and raise service standards within the luxury hotel industry. Voting is based on facilities and service excellence, with the votes cast by hotel guests.

InterContinental Bali Resort is blessed with tropical landscape framed by a white

sand beach that simply lends itself to be an ideal destination and affairs of the heart. Bali is renowned for its legendary sunsets, and in the late afternoons a daily ritual takes place as hundreds of residents and visitors make their way to the beaches on the west coast to farewell the sun as it sets behind the horizon.

One of the finest places to catch the sunset is Sunset Beach Bar & Grill at InterContinental Bali Resort. This casual, alfresco beachfront bar offers a refreshingly unpretentious, ‘toesin-sand’ informality, fanned by ocean breezes and with the best front-row seats to unparalleled 180-degree sunset views across Jimbaran Bay. With its top-notch service, Sunset Beach Bar & Grill provides a variety of open-air seating arrangements: sit-up bar stools at the thatched-roof central bar and serving station, or scattered across the sand bank, a series of beach-facing tables and chairs, bean bags and private cabanas – all shaded by mature trees.

Mr. Michael Koth, General Manager of InterContinental Resort Bali, said, “I am delighted that our Resort has received yet another prestigious award, honouring the hard work, commitment and success of our team, and serving as a reminder that InterContinental Bali Resort is Bali’s ultimate luxury beach resort.” This is the one of the several accolade bestowed upon the resort recently.

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

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

16 Pages Number 24 10th year

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Monday, January 8, 2018

Director Paul Haggis denies sexual misconduct accusations

LOS ANGELES - Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis on Friday denied accusations of sexual misconduct made by four women, including two who accused him of rape. On Friday, the Associated Press reported accusations by three women who worked in the entertainment industry including that Haggis had forcibly kissed them, or forced them to perform oral sex, in encounters between 1996 and 2015. One of the three women also accused Haggis of raping her. The women were not identified in the report.

“Mr. Haggis denies these anonymous claims in whole,” his attorney Christine Lepera said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

A fourth woman named in the report, Haleigh Breest, who accused Haggis of raping her in 2013, was sued by Haggis last month in New York state court in Manhattan. In the lawsuit, Haggis denied the allegation and accused Breest of extortion and of demanding $9 million in order to avoid her claims becoming public.

Breest and the other three accusers could not be reached for comment on Friday. Reuters has not independently verified the allegations.

Haggis, 64, won screenplay and best picture Oscars in 2006 for “Crash.” The Canadian writer and director’s other work includes the movies “Million Dollar Baby” and “Quantum of Solace.” (rtr)

REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Diane Kruger discusses her challenging ‘In The Fade’ role Actor Diane Kruger

LOS ANGELES - German-born actress Diane Kruger’s latest role as a woman whose husband and son are killed in an attack in the German movie “In the Fade” left her “physically exhausted” and taking a step back from acting.

REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo

Director Paul Haggis

“I didn’t take a movie for a long time. I just felt like I couldn’t. I was feeling I was drowning,” Kruger told Reuters.

“I just needed time for myself to get my life back in order,” she added. Kruger, known for films such as “Inglourious Basterds” and “Troy,” plays Katja in director Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade,” about a woman who marries her husband while he is in prison.

Years later, a devastating tragedy leaves her husband dead and

Katja on a mission for justice, suspicious that Neo-Nazis might be behind her loss.

German director Akin, who is of Turkish descent, said he wanted to explore racism and specifically NeoNazis in Germany within the film.

“There are people in this country, which I consider is my country, who want to kill me just because I look like how I look like with black hair and brown eyes. They want to kill me for it, for nothing. This bothers me,” Akin said.

“I don’t like that, so I have a feeling that I need to express my anger so the film gave me the opportunity to express it on paper and later on film,” he added.

The film has garnered both Akin and Kruger strong praise from critics, and Kruger was named best actress at France’s Cannes Film Festival last year.

“In the Fade” is Germany’s entry to the Oscars, one of nine films short-listed in the foreign language film category. (rtr)

You can find International Bali Post at: 1 Kuta Beach Club Jl. Bakung Sari Kuta 2 Wen Dys Kuta the Coffe Bear Jl. Pantai Kuta 3 Seminyak Paradiso Bali Hotel Jl. Camplung Tanduk 4 Ramayana Resort&Spa Jl. Bakung Sari Kuta 5 The Lokha Legian Resort&Spa Jl. Padma Legian Kuta 6 66 Corner Live Sport Emtertaiment Jl. Doble Six/Werkudara 23 7 Leghawa Grill Jl. D.Tamblingan No. 51 8 Retno Barr dan Restoran Jl. D.Tamblingan No.126 A Sanur 9 Elkomedor Jl. D.Tamblingan 140

10 Malaika Scret 11 Snack Shack 12 Warung Lokal 13 Cokro Cafee 14 T.J.Bar 15 J & N Kebab 16 Goanna Bar 17 Batu Jimbar 18 Ramayana Cafee

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

Monday, January 8, 2018

Jl. D.Poso No 68 Jl. D.Poso No. 50D Jl. D.Poso No. 39 Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Poso Sanur Jl. D.Tamblingan Sanur Jl. D.Tamblingan

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28 Kopi Made Jl. Raya Puputan No. 106 Dps 29 Dimsum Manan Jl. Raya Niti Mandala Renon No 148 30 Furama Jl. Raya Niti Mandala No. 148 Renon 31 Warung Subah Renon Jl. Mohamad Yamin No.18 32 Ayam Betutu khas Gilimanuk Jl. Merdeka No.88 Renon 33 Bali Bakery Jl. Hayam Wuruk 184 Denpasar

Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring their first goal

Barcelona agree to sign Coutinho from Liverpool

BARCELONA - Barcelona will sign Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool on a five-and-a-half year contract, the two clubs said on Saturday. British media reported that the Spanish club will pay about 142 million pounds ($193 million) for Coutinho, making it the third most expensive transfer in soccer history.

“Barcelona and Liverpool have reached an agreement for the transfer of Philippe Coutinho,” the La Liga leaders said in a statement.

“The player will sign a contract for the rest of the season and five more and will have a release clause of 400 million euros. Liverpool confirmed the deal.

“Liverpool FC can confirm Philippe Coutinho will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona, subject to medical and agreement of personal terms,” the Premier League club said. “The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities to conclude the transfer immediately.”

Paris St Germain paid Barcelona 222 million euros for Brazilian forward Neymar in August and the French club will pay Monaco 180 million euros to sign Kylian

Mbappe when he completes a loan spell this season.

Coutinho’s fee will eclipse both the 105 million euros Barca paid Borussia Dortmund for France forward Ousmane Dembele in August and the 75 million pounds ($102) Liverpool received from Barcelona for Luis Suarez in 2014.

Coutinho will be unable to play for Barca in the Champions League this season after taking part in the competition for Liverpool but he will boost their bid for a 25th La Liga title.

box. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said the club had tried everything to keep Coutinho at Anfield but the player had remained determined to join Barca since they had bids for him rejected in August.

“It is with great reluctance that we – as a team and club – prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Philippe Coutinho,” Klopp said in a statement on Liverpool’s website.

GAME IN HAND Ernesto Valverde’s side have a six-point lead at the top of the standings with a game in hand against Levante on Sunday.

Newspaper AS said Coutinho is expected to attend the match at the Nou Camp in the presidential

News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http:// globalfmbali.listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http:// radioglobalfmbali.com and http:// ustream.tv/channel/global-fm-bali.

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