Edition Friday, February 8, 2019 | International Bali Post

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Friday, February 8, 2019

Singer Pink honored with Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Friday, February 8, 2019

LOS ANGELES - Pop singer Pink was honored on Tuesday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, telling fans gathered for the event that it was “surreal” to receive the award.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for THR/AFP

Beto O’Rourke speaks onstage during Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations at PlayStation Theater on February 05, 2019 in New York City.

Beto O’Rourke, on Oprah’s big stage, mulls White House bid

NEW YORK - Texas Democratic star Beto O’Rourke hinted Tuesday that he will run for president in 2020, telling talk show queen Oprah Winfrey he will announce his decision in the coming weeks.

He acknowledged that he had been considering a run at the White House during a taping for Winfrey’s “SuperSoul Conversations” series set to air next week.

Asked whether he has set a personal decision deadline, the former congressman said: “The serious answer is really soon, before the end of this month.”

O’Rourke has laid low recently, but used Oprah’s massive stage to re-emerge onto the political landscape as he considers a run for president.

“I’m in that process of thinking this through, talking to (his wife) Amy, listening to good friends and then hearing what you all have to say right now,” he added, according to the Texas Tribune.

The 46-year-old would be entering a sprawling Democratic field that is expanding even one year before the first votes in the nominating process are cast.

Multiple senators are already in, including Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker, while other heavy hitters like former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders are mulling runs.

O’Rourke became a political sensation last year when he nearly ousted Texas Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in their fierce Senate battle.

Beto ran an unconventional campaign, espousing progressive positions on immigration and health care, while traveling to every county in ruby red Texas in a bid to heal political divisions.

The campaign was time-consuming, and he signaled he has felt disconnected from family.

“My family hasn’t seen me,” he said. “I haven’t been there for them.”

His disappointment about his narrow defeat has been on display over the past month. He embarked on a low-key road trip and blogged about the experience, writing on January 16 that he has been “in and out of a funk.” (afp)

“I feel like I’m dreaming and if anyone pinches me, I’m gonna punch them in the left eyebrow,” the Grammy-nominated singer said at the ceremony, surrounded by her husband and two children.

“I feel like a lot of people probably only thought I would make it to the walk of shame, but here I am,” the 39-yearold singer-songwriter added.

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, reflected on her beginnings in the music industry, paying tribute to her father who, she said, encour-

aged her to pursue her dreams.

“Today for me is a celebration of something that my dad taught me and that is -- to thine own self be true,” she said.

“There is a power in believing in yourself, there is a power in not giving up on life and not giving up on yourself,” she added.

Pink has received 2 0

Grammy nominations and three wins over her career. On Sunday, she will be vying for another Grammy for best pop vocal album for “Beautiful Trauma.” Since her debut in 2000, she has released seven studio albums and has sold more than 50 million records.

Ellen DeGeneres, who spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony and who uses a Pink song for her daytime talk show, described the singer as “a badass rock star” and a person who has remained true to herself.

“Even though she is a huge international star, she is the most normal grounded person that you will ever meet,” DeGeneres said. Pink got her start in the music business as a member of the girl group Choice and her career took off after that. (afp)

UNGKE PEPOTOH / AFP

This picture taken at Pehe port on Siau island, Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province shows Karangetang volcano spewing smoke on February 7, 2019. Karangetang volcano has been active and forced dozens of people to evacuate on February 4.

Indonesia volcano erupts with huge gas cloud

Thousands of people were forced to flee after the Mount Karangetang volcano, on the Siau Island in the North Sulawesi province, started spitting clouds filled with lava and gas. The eruption was recorded by Yulia Tatipang, head of the Karangetang volcano observation post.

He said there was no reports of injuries or any serious damage.

Holidaymakers may have to pay to visit this popular tropical island The falling ash and sulphur also blanketed many villages surrounding the slopes.

Mr Tatipang warned people to stay at least 3km away from the crater, as the alert level of the volcano is still at the secondhighest level.

Karangetang’s last massive eruption was in 2011, which killed four people.

Is Bali safe?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is still advising people not to travel within four kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali, which

has been erupting continuously since 2017.

The huge volcano blew two years ago, following a huge eruption which sent ash spewing into the sky.

This eruption caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled, leaving more than 120,000 people stranded.

The FCO is also warning tour-

ists and residents to stay at least seven kilometres away from the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra.

This major eruption shot ash and rock more than 5,000m (16,400ft) into the sky in February last year. Why does Indonesia get so many volcano eruptions?

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a horseshoe shaped ring of volcanoes and fault lines.

Some of the world’s most ac-

tive volcanoes lie along the ring, in countries such as Chile and Japan. At least 129 volcanoes are active in Indonesia, including the Karangetang volcano.(ap) 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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Friday, February 8, 2019

Bali News

International

BANGLI - The Balingkang Kintamani Festival held in the outermost courtyard of the Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Kintamani, on Wednesday (Feb. 6) took place vibrantly. The festival featuring a parade and fragmentary show on legendary romance of King Jaya Pangus and a daughter from China, Kang Cing Wie, successfully drew the attention of thousands of Chinese tourists and other foreign tourists visiting Kintamani.

The festival held for approximately two hours involved five hundreds of participants. It was opened

by Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, marked with the lifting of lanterns. Such an event was also attended by Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, representative of the Ministry of Tourism, FKPD Bali, regents and mayor throughout Bali, and officials in the Bangli district government.

Bali Governor, Wayan Koster, said the Balingkang Kintamani Festival is held to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Organization of this cultural festival is based on the idea of the Chinese Consul General in Bali.

He said that so far Bali has very unique customs, traditions and cultures. One of the enriching cultural elements of Bali is the Balinese-Chinese cultural acculturation. This acculturation probably started from the romantic interaction of Jayapangus and Kang Cing Wie. Such Balinese-Chinese acculturation is indicated by the findings of remains in a number of holy places

in Bali, such as in Ulun Danu Batur and Balingkang Temples. “Probably, the very strong culture of trading at Batur comes from China. This is a positive cultural interaction building the economy of Balinese people, especially in Bangli district,” he explained.

In front of Chinese tourists, Koster also introduced the beautiful Bangli’s nature. Bangli has mountain, lake and ancient villages with a unique culture. Similarly, Bangli has a world-renowned UNESCO Batur Geopark. “Therefore, Chinese tourists and its consul often visit Bangli to see the beautiful culture. When traveling to Bali, bring much money so as to be able to shop and help the economy of Balinese people,” said Koster applauded by tourists.

In his speech, Koster also introduced the famous Bangli agricultural products such as tangerine and coffee. Moreover, the name of Kintamani Coffee, said Koster, is already famous in the world. “In Bangli, there are also famous animals. The only one in Bali is the Kintamani dog and can only be found in Kintamani, so we will protect it. The Kintamani dog festival will be held next year to preserve it,” he said.

Koster delivered that Balingkang Kintamani Festival will be organized every year. “This festival is done suddenly. Next year, we will carry out better with the full budget from the Bali provincial government. The Ministry of Tourism must also support it because the potential of Chinese tourists is enormous. Last year, for instance, the tourist visit reached 1.3 million people.

Hopefully, the next visit can reach 2 million this year,” said Koster. (kmb40)

IBP/Dayu Rina

Friday, February 8, 2019

Dine Under The Stars at Manarai Beach House

Involving five hundred participants

Balingkang Kintamani Festival takes place vibrantly

Activities

International

IBP/file

Poverty in Buleleng happens due to accessibility factor

SINGARAJA - Buleleng district with the largest area and population in Bali province is undeniably having poverty problem.

Moreover, the topography of hilly region and bordering with the sea is suspected to be the cause of poverty in North Bali. Besides, the accessibility issues still need to be improved, so that poverty in Buleleng is now number five from the nine districts and municipality in Bali. On the other hand, accurate data regarding the number of poor people still need to be further updated. Discrepancy still happens between the data of Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the data issued by the regional government.

Regent of Buleleng, Putu Agus Suradnyana (PAS), stated although the data still needed updating, but the number of poverty in North Bali is ranked fifth in Bali. The cause of poverty is dominated by accessibility because of the “nyegara gunung” or the topography bordering with sea and mountain. Nevertheless, in the future, his government is optimistic the poverty can be suppressed. It is possible due to the distribution of development between South Bali and North Bali that will be overcome by infrastructure development policies starting from the construction of shortcut and international airport. “The data need to be updated again and our policy is to re-map. As a result, we will have accurate data, so that poverty reduction will be more optimal,” he explained.

According to the regent, all this time the poverty alleviation strategy has been carried out. For example, the Hope Family Program (PKH) is a poverty alleviation program through central govern-

ment policies. In his region, this program has given tangible results.

PKH is meant to alleviate poverty both in urban and rural areas. With PKH funds, the trigger of poverty is overcome by preparing education funds and family living expenses, as well as access to health services.

“By doing so, the nation’s children can get education according to their rights, so that they cut off the trigger of poverty,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Buleleng Social Service, Gede Sandhiyasa, said that according to the Integrated Data Base (BDT) of Buleleng as of December 2018, there were 37,215 Beneficiary Families (KPM). Thousands of those residents spread throughout the entire village of Buleleng. To handle the poor, the government routinely disburses rice assistance (Rastra) where each gets 10 kilograms.

For poverty alleviation through PKH in 2018, Buleleng received additional quota of 10,146. Previously, there were 16,574 recipients of PKH, so as of the end of December 2018 the total PKH in Buleleng increased to 26,720 KPM. Each KPM having the right to get PKH is based on some components, namely pregnant women, having toddlers, school children, severe disabilities and the elderly over 60 years. Each component of this PKM has a different amount, so the PKH funds received are different depending on the components fulfilled.

“PKH and rice assistance are the rolling out poverty alleviation strategies, while the other strategies both funded by the regional budget and the provincial government of Bali are also being carried out intensively,” he said. (kmb38)

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Bangli: Swasrina, Buleleng: Mudiarta, Gianyar: Manik Astajaya, Karangasem: Eka Parananda, Klungkung: Bagiarta. 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

This Valentine, make your way to Manarai Beach House for a spectacular menu of beautifully crafted dishes. Established as the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, Manarai Beach House is ready as ever for you and your special one to celebrate a day full of love.

Dine by our crystal clear infinity pool for an intimate sand-betweentoes experience. Whether sitting outdoors in any of our beautiful cabanas or dining indoors in our cool toned restaurant area, let the breeze from the crashing waves compliment your splendid evening.

As 14 February 2019 falls on a Thursday, Manarai is also holding its regular Tipsy Thursday, where

you can enjoy 2 selected bottles of wine for the price of 1. Adding an extra touch of romance for the evening, a live dj session featuring romantic beats will be there to accompany you and your special someone.

The special Valentine Delight 6-course menu is available all day on February 14th, 2019 at Manarai Beach House at Sofitel Beachfront, ITDC Lot N5, Nusa Dua-Bali for an exclusive offer of IDR 1.000.000 ++/2pax, consisting of: - Amuse Bouche: Jamon wrapped grilled asparagus - Sharing Appetizer: Organic Ubud duck handmade tortellini with cabernet wine butter sauce - Soup: Wild mushroom umami

broth (Poured table side) - Selection of Main Course: Wagyu Sirloin 9+ grade with coriander bearnaise and truffled potato gratin OR Line caught Chilean sea bass, lemon caper herb dressing and sautéed vegetable medley - Digestif: Local coconut sorbet with Malibu syrup - Dessert: Wingko Babat (traditional Indonesian taupe cake) with Nutella Coconut Ganache.

Offering nothing less than a sophisticated ambiance, enjoy your special evening with us at Manarai Beach House. For daybed & cabana reservation contact manarai.rsvp@ismayagroup.com / WA +6285262772727 or call 0361 477277 (limited space available)

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Friday, February 8, 2019

Fashion

International

Why Rihanna’s new fashion line makes her the ultimate influencer

Bali News

International

Chinese New Year

Chinese descendants in Pupuan perform Lion Dance

TABANAN - Celebration of Chinese New Year is synonymous with Lion Dance.

This year’s Lion Dance performance was also held by Chinese people at the village of Pupuan on Tuesday (Feb. 5). After praying, they witnessed the performance of Lion Dance at the T-junction of Pupuan village.

Moreover, the performance of Lion Dance was also attended by the Hindus.

AS well as being a multi-platinum selling singer with 14 number ones, a budding actress and a modern-day style icon – who can forget the Met Gala when she came dressed as the Pope? – Rihanna is a savvy entrepreneur. She’s the creator of the astonishingly successful make-up line, Fenty Beauty, and the lingerie brand, Savage x Fenty. Conclusion: she’s the ultimate multi-hyphenate. Now, she’s adding another career to her already bulging CV, that of creative director of her own fashion brand. According to WWD, Rihanna is in talks with LVMH, the luxury conglomerate which owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy, over a deal reportedly worth $10 million.

The brand — expected to take the name Fenty, which is the Bajan singer’s surname — will be the first the French conglomerate has created since Christian Lacroix in 1987. (Lacroix was later sold, in 2005.) Due to the huge costs involved in setting up a new brand, conglomerates like LVMH instead prefer to buy or invest in smaller fashion houses and rapidly expand them.

So why has it taken a punt on Rihanna – a superstar, albeit one with no formal design training?

Established designer names within the LVMH portfolio have reportedly expressed interests in having their own brand but such wishes have not yet materialised, which only adds to the intrigue. Meanwhile, unemployed designers such as Alber Elbaz and Peter Copping are without a house to helm.

But Rihanna is no risky investment for LVMH. A celebrity in no need of a surname, Rihanna — with over 67 million Instagram followers — is a global household name, more instantly recognisable than any heritage fashion label. That most eightyear-olds will know at least one of her songs is especially relevant — the eight-year-olds of today will become tomorrow’s luxury consumers. Where luxury brands are struggling to find relevance among a younger, less label-loyal audience, Rihanna guarantees it.

LVMH became aware of her unique selling power in 2017 when Fenty Beauty (owned by LVMH’s beauty incubator Kendo) launched. Amongst a circus of media appearances in London and New York to promote the line, Rihanna ensured $72 million of product flew off the shelves with-

in a month of launch. A walking, talking, self-promoting advertising campaign, Rihanna’s fans are 3.7 times more likely to buy her products than those of other celebrities, according to research conducted by marketing consultancy firm NPD in 2016. No doubt LVMH chiefs will be hoping she sprinkles her Midas touch over her fashion label — and group revenues, which totalled €42.6 billion in 2017.

Rihanna’s appeal lies in the fact that it is universal. Her inclusive attitude towards both size and skin tone have won her an army of new female fans: Fenty Beauty launched with over 40 shades of foundation, the most extensive offering ever, prompting widespread discussions about the lack of diversity in the industry. It was a similar story with Savage X Fenty, which was unveiled during New York Fashion Week on a varied cast of real women. Central to the lingerie line is its offering of multiple shades of “nude” — and sizes go up to XXXL. (net)

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Friday, February 8, 2019

First transgender designer shows at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK - Los Angeles designer Pierre Davis made her debut in New York this week, becoming the first openly transgender creator to present a collection at Fashion Week, further shaking up an event that had already featured trans models.

The powerful Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which says it represents more than 500 creators and has made diversity its battle cry, announced last month that Davis’s No Sesso brand would be “making NYFW history” at Monday’s event, which opened with a parade of whimsical garments.

Fashion Week began with a focus on men and will turn to women’s wear on Thursday.

Davis told CFDA that she hopes the brand “will inspire people to be more community-minded and to realize not everything is just about aesthetics or commerce. It’s also about humanity.”

She added it is important “that people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. The playing field isn’t level in the world, and it is even more difficult in fashion.”

While she embraces her identity as a trans woman in the design field, Davis doesn’t want it to be a gimmick, telling AFP it’s important for people to see the creations and for them to be recognized.

“I just want to show the work,” she said of the agender brand No Sesso, which was launched in 2015 and -- according to CFDA -- counts fans including R&B artists Kelela

and Erykah Badu.

“I am just humble and happy that I got to show at Fashion Week,” Davis said.

For her Chapter 2 collection -- she calls them “chapters” rather than seasons -- Davis came up with the idea of a wardrobe that blends the sartorial codes associated with the two sexes.

Plain black vests became skirts, cocktail dresses were transformed, and worn with self-assurance by models whose diversity -- male or female, slender or plus-size -reflected Fashion Week’s growing efforts to look beyond the conventional razor-thin body type.

The wardrobe mixed the formalism of work attire with sportswear, producing a jogging jacket with epaulettes, for example.

Davis emphasizes that the label is “very much an LA brand,” adding: “We’re super-fun and easy to be around.”

“The show is inspired by business wear and evoking the spirit of the Glamazon regardless of gender,” Davis told CFDA. It’s about making things happen even “when there seems to be no way.”

For several years, trans models have regularly appeared at New York Fashion Week, and in September 2017 Calvin Klein featured a 16-year-old trans model.

Last September Marco Marco, another Los Angeles designer, went further with a podium exclusively showing trans models.

Now, with her first New York show, Davis says everybody “can see No Sesso and the world we’re creating.” (afp)

This year’s Lion Dance performance was also held by Chinese people at the village of Pupuan.

IBP/kmb28

Headman of Pupuan, I Gede Suana, when asked for his confirmation stated the performance of Lion Dance (Barongsai) at the T-junction of Pupuan village is a regular activity for every celebration of Chinese New Year. The activity is carried out

by Confucians after carrying out worship at the Dharma Giri Temple at Pupuan village. “There are two Lion Dances entertaining the Chinese New Year’s celebration,” he said.

The Lion Dance performance itself started from 09:00 through 11:00. A number of residents even seemed enthusiastic to witness the performance having full of tolerance values. Other than by Confucians, the Lion Dance performance was also presented by the Hindus. “After dancing at the village’s T-junction, the Lion Dance went around the alley of residents’ houses near the Chinese temple,” he explained.

More interestingly, there is a regular tradition of distributing red envelope by Confucian people to the barongsai dancers. Of course, it really added to the excitement of the audience watching the cultural performance.

Suana added that Confucian people in the Pupuan village area are estimated to approximately amount to 30 families. Every Lunar New Year’s celebration, they also do ngejot or present food gift tradition to the Hindus, Muslims and Christians commonly carried out before the Chinese New Year. “Chinese New Year’s celebration is also the same at Mengesta village, where they usually share food and snacks, just like the Hindus when they celebrate Galungan,” he said. (kmb28)

Ahead of Usaba Dodol, Duda village holds a fire war tradition

AMLAPURA - The fire war or perang siat api was carried out at Duda customary village, Selat, Karangasem, on Monday (Feb. 4).

Implementation of the tradition is a series of Usaba Dodol ceremony which will begin on Thursday (Feb. 7).

Preparations for the fire war begin with a joint prayer at Puseh Temple, Duda customary village.

From Puseh Temple, the fire war participants moves towards the Tukad Sangsang Bridge. The team is divided into two groups, where each wears checkered sarong without clothes. To distinguish one team from another, they put on red headdress while the other puts on white one.

Around 18:00, the procession of

the fire war itself begins. Baleganjur gamelan music accompaniment makes the procession more vibrant.

Sparks burst after being beaten with prakpak made from dried coconut leaves containing fire.

Apparently, there is no pain after getting exposed to embers. They kept shouting and mutually attacking happily. This fire war involved male residents of Duda customary village. And this tradition is carried out in Tukad Sungsang (Sungsang Bridge), the border of East Duda village with Duda village.

Chief of Duda customary village, Jro Komang Sujana, said the fire war held once a year coincides with the petabuhan ritual, namely a ritual to neutralize bhuta kala related in a series with the Aci

Usaba Dodol held at Dalem Temple and the Tawur Gentuh exorcism rite at Puseh Temple, on Thursday (Feb. 7). “The fire war becomes the peak of ritual by burning keplugkeplugan (made of bamboo) carried out in each of the people’s house compound,” he said.

Sujana added the fire war is a hereditary tradition inherited from local ancestors. The tradition had been stopped after Mount Agung erupted in 1965, but since the past three years this noble tradition has been revived because many people are worried if the tradition is never carried out.

“This tradition means to neutralize bhuta kala or evil spirit for the sake of balance of the universe,” added Sujana. (kmb41)

IBP/kmb41

The fire war or perang siat api was carried out at Duda customary village, Selat, Karangasem.

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Bali News

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Ahead of the 2019 election, Ngurah Rai Airport holds security training MANGUPURA — To enhance skills in the face of the Legislative and Presidential Election 2019, personnel of the Ngurah Rai Air Base were given briefing and security training. Located in the Oemar Dhani Multipurpose Room of Ngurah Rai Airport, on Monday (Feb. 4) was held debriefing and training attended by all Ngurah Rai Air Base personnel.

Commander of the Ngurah Rai Air Base, Wibowo Cahyono Soekadi, in his remarks when providing debriefing and electoral security training read by the Operations and Training Section Head, Verdian, confirmed that as professional soldiers, neutrality is a fixed price. In this case, the soldier is expected to

not side with anyone in the legislative and presidential election 2019.

Air Base Commander hoped that all soldiers will be professional and reliable in carrying out the tasks given to help the regional government and the national police in order to contribute to the success of the Legislative and Presidential

Elections 2019. It is said that one of the tasks of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in the military operations other than war (OPSM) is to provide assistance for regional government and national police (on request) in dealing with social unrest occurred.

In addition, it also safeguards the sovereignty of the Unitary State of

the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) from the threat of national disintegration and other threats that can disrupt the stability in regional security, said the Air Base Commander.

“Prioritize safety during the implementation of the exercise and carry out the exercises in accordance with the procedure so that later on the tasks can be carried out properly and safely as the expectations of the leader,” ordered the commander.

In the briefing and training, the personnel of Ngurah Rai Air Base

are provided with guidance and directions as well as procedures when dealing with problems and obstacles while in charge of carrying out the legislative and presidential elections’ security.

In the debriefing and training of the electoral security, the personnel of Ngurah Rai Air Base received the methods including Regional Operations Analysis, Human Rights, assignment of TNI to the National Police and Territorial Monitoring Ability. (kmb23)

Ngurah Rai Airport

Balingkang Kintamani Festival

Traffic diverted, quarry trucks banned from operating

BANGLI — Bangli-Singaraja traffic diverted for several hours on Wednesday (Feb. 6). The diversion is carried out in connection with the implementation of the Kintamani Balingkang Festival in the outermost courtyard of Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Batur customary village, Kintamani. For the smooth running of the festival attended by thousands of Chinese tourists, the quarry trucks are banned from operating from early hours.

Subdivision Head of Public Relations of Bangli Police, Sulhadi, stated on Tuesday (Feb. 5) that in connection with the implementation of the Balingkang Kintamani Festival, Bangli Police had prepared traffic diversion engineering.

As planned, the vehicles coming from Singaraja to Bangli, Gianyar and Denpasar are diverted to Tjunction of Public Health Center 1 Kintamani / Belancan village, turn

right at four-way intersection of Pludu, Bayung Gede village.

Meanwhile, the vehicles coming from Bangli, Gianyar, Klungkung and Karangasen heading for Kintamani or Singaraja, when arriving at three-way intersection of the Maharaja Restaurant are diverted to turn left. From the three-way intersection of Bayung Gede, they are then diverted to get to Pludu four-way intersection and directed to turn right to Gunung Kunyit three-way intersection and then turn left at the intersection of the three-way intersection of KUD or cooperative office. “The traffic diversion is implemented from 08:00 to 14:00,” said Sulhadi.

In addition to the traffic diversion, for the smooth running of the festival, quarry trucks are banned from operating in the Kintamani area. The truck prohibition began on Wednesday morning at 01:00.

During the festival, the Bangli Police appealed to the Batur community not to park along the road in front of the Ulun Danu Batur Temple to the Katung Junction.

“Vehicles of festival participants are directed to park at Tunon Parking Lot, Batur village, Kintamani,” said Sulhadi.

Meanwhile, to finalize the implementation of the Balingkang Kintamani Festival, on Monday (Feb. 4) a coordination meeting was held at the Bangli Tourism and Culture Office. In the meeting, it was revealed that Balingkang Kintamani Festival held for the first time in Bali would be attended by around 150 VIP guests and 1,500 Chinese tourists. Several personnel of Bangli police, the 1626/Bangli Military District Command, Transportation Agency and Municipal Police will be involved to secure the festival. (kmb40)

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Abe strikes dovish tone on Russia at islands rally TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe struck a conciliatory tone with Russia at an annual rally Thursday to demand the return of small northern isles claimed by both nations.

The conservative leader did not explicitly demand sovereignty of the Southern Kuril islands, an emotive issue that has prevented the Asian economic power from signing an official peace treaty with Moscow since World War II. Instead, he vowed to focus on concluding an official peace treaty with Russia, after meeting President Vladimir Putin 25 times, most recently last month.

“It is not easy to resolve an issue that has remained unresolved for 73 years,” Abe told the rally in Tokyo, attended by hundreds of former islanders and their relatives.

“I am determined to take on the work to resolve the territorial issue by taking one step at a time with your earnest desire etched in my heart,” he said.

Abe speaks at the rally every year, but struck a relatively softer tone on Thursday.

Despite the row, Tokyo and Moscow already have vibrant economic relations, with the likes of Toyota and Japanese energy firms heavily invested in Russia, operating major factories and sales networks.

And in recent years, Abe and Putin have discussed joint economic projects on the disputed islands between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The Soviet army seized them in the last days of World War II, and Russia continues to control them.

Tokyo’s traditional refusal to recognise Moscow’s sovereignty there has been a barrier to a formal peace deal.

However, the two sides did sign a 1956 Soviet-Japanese declaration that Japan would receive two of the smaller islands after a peace deal.

Abe said the foreign ministers and special envoys from the two nations will meet this month to discuss a peace treaty, before he plans to meet with Putin again in June on the sidelines of a G20 summit that Japan will host.

The prime minister also said he would work with Moscow to enable former residents to visit their birth or ancestral places.

At the rally, Abe spoke in front of a large banner saying “Return the Four Northern Islands.” But he did not utter the phrase.

His focus on economic ties and delicate language on the sovereignty issue prompted some islanders to urge him to focus more on the subject, while others saw it as a realistic approach.

“We must not give up. We must demand the return of all four islands,” said Kimio Waki, 78, who left his home island of Kunashiri at the age of seven after World War II. “Joint economic projects are in focus. But there is no path forward as far as the return of the islands goes,” he told AFP. “I want to see results,” he said. (afp)

IBP/ant

Bangli-Singaraja traffic diverted for several hours on Wednesday (Feb. 6). The diversion is carried out in connection with the implementation of the Kintamani Balingkang Festival in the outermost courtyard of Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Batur customary village, Kintamani.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP

Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

This picture taken on October 26, 2018 shows tourists posing for photographs at the ancient Hmong heritage palace in Dong Van district, northern Vietnam’s Ha Giang province.

The battle for Hmong heritage in Vietnam

VIETNAM - Vuong Duy Bao surveys his ancestral palace, a vestige of Vietnam’s marginalised Hmong ethnic minority that he says was taken from his family by local officials.

The wooden structure is laden with historic markers: opium flowers carved into pillars in a nod to the region’s once-booming trade, and an iron fence made with metal imported from former colonial ruler France.

Built in 1903 by Bao’s warlord grandfather with his opium fortune, the retired civil servant claims local authorities took possession of the property in the northern Ha Giang province from his family and are now refusing to return it.

“Hmong people all over the world acknowledge this as (our) family home... so we can’t lose it,” he told AFP from the building, which authorities run as a museum.

Both sides agree it is an architectural treasure since the historically nomadic Hmong rarely stayed long enough in one place to build anything lasting. Bao had been living in Hanoi, but on return to the family home, he discovered local authorities had taken ownership of the palace and rejected his claim to it because he could not provide deeds.

He branded the request “absurd” and said official documents did not exist when the property was built but his family’s connection to it was set out in history books about the local area and even in pictures of it displayed in the museum.

Many Hmong fear the govern-

ment is simply commandeering their culture to boost tourism dollars.

For Bao, his battle for repossession goes beyond the personal.

He believes Hmong heritage belongs in the hands of Hmong people, a tightknit minority originally from China who proudly cling to customs wherever they settle, from California to Minnesota, Laos and Thailand.

- ‘Community spirit’ In Vietnam, they have been largely excluded from the economic growth of the past decade, and more than 60 percent of the country’s one million Hmong live below the poverty line.

The ethnic group have long been at odds with the central government -- stemming in part from the CIA recruitment of anti-communist Laotian Hmong during the Vietnam War -- which for decades has imposed a series of resettlement, development and assimilation campaigns that have mostly failed.

“More than any other ethnic minority in Vietnam the Hmong have been marginalised by programs that purport to develop them,” writes anthropologist Ngo Tam in her 2016 book “The New Way: Protestantism and the Hmong in Vietnam.”

Ha Giang authorities are touting tourism as the best way to lift the Hmong out of gruelling poverty, and

the province has said in its master plan it wants the area to be a “key attraction” for visitors by 2030.

Officials have opened a series of ‘traditional cultural villages’ where visitors can peek into old-school wooden houses or take photos of themselves carrying a bamboo basket, a common vessel for Hmong farmers ferrying flowers or grass from the field.

Local Hmong are encouraged to wear traditional hemp clothing and build traditional houses, and have been asked to shorten funeral and wedding ceremonies, days-long, booze-soaked affairs that are among the most sacred of Hmong rituals.

“Sometimes authorities try to impose their ideas on people forcibly, but we resist by refusing to follow,” Vang My Sinh, a Hmong man in Ha Giang, told AFP. “We’ve always had strong community spirit, we build things together and preserve things together.

Nothing can break us,” he said.

That community spirit has proven powerful. Troops were sent to quell a massive Hmong protest in 2011, in which some called for independence.

More recently, Hmong in Vietnam have turned to organised religion and embraced Protestantism, which makes the communist government nervous. (afp)

12

International

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

BUSINESS

Bali News

Friday, February 8, 2019

5

Kori Ubud Art Space

Gateway into the spirit of Bali

Kori is the Balinese word for the split gates found outside many of this beautiful island’s temples. Passing through theses split gates we enter into a world where harmony reigns. Kori Ubud Resort was named for this concept, serving as a gateway into the harmonious world of Ubud where nature, art and culture support each other so graceful. The idea is to set the tone and provide visitors with a first-hand experience of harmony in Bali.

Kori Ubud was originally designed some 20 years ago with the idea of providing a maximum of greenspace to gently nestle the the low-key modern Balinese style architecture so that guests could experience the essence of Ubud’s lush greenery in comfort. Kori Ubud first became known for their fine dining served in their open-air restaurant and for the distinctly Balinese atmosphere of their grounds and are now ready to provide their guests with a firs- hand experience of the some of the staggering amount of artistic talent available on the island.

Art plays a central role in the religious customs of Balinese people all over the island, but it is the village of Ubud that transformed this traditional practice into the expansive artistic output that is now recognized around the world. It is in Ubud that the royal family, foreign and local artists and the tourism industry came together in a harmonious dance that was deeply transformative and tremendously beneficial to many people all over the island and indeed continues to bring peace to countless

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, women work in a lower-level space at The Riveter, a women-focused shared workspace facility in Seattle. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, issues its index of non-manufacturing activity for January.

US service firms grew at slower pace in January

WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies grew in January at the slowest pace in six months, amid concern over the impact of the partial government shutdown on the economy.

The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its service index fell to 56.7 percent last month, down from 58 percent in December. The January reading was the lowest since July 2018.

Any reading above 50 signals growth. So even with the January decline, the index shows that service industries, where most Americans work, has been expanding for 108 consecutive months. The ISM notes that executives of service companies

remain optimistic about overall business conditions.

The fall in the services index was led by a big drop in the component that tracks new orders. While the key business-activity index marked a much smaller decline than the new-orders gauge, the employment and prices indexes actually rose in January. Last Friday’s jobs report from the government showed that the economy added a sizable 304,000 jobs during the month.

The purchasing managers’ survey showed that 11 service industries reported growth in January. Seven

reported declines, led by retail trade, educational services, information, and agriculture and forestry.

Some survey respondents said they were focusing on holding out through the 35-day government shutdown, the longest federal closure in U.S. history, which ended Jan. 25. Others said they were working to address the impact on their business of the Trump administration’s stiff tariffs on Chinese imports.

“It’s a wait-and-see confidence situation,” said Anthony Nieves, the chair of ISM’s non-manufacturing

business survey committee.

At loggerheads with Democratic leaders and under pressure from conservative backers, President Donald Trump refused to sign a government funding bill that did not include money for his long-sought wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

He has insisted on $5.7 billion in funding. As the shutdown dragged on with hundreds of thousands of Americans missing paychecks, Trump ultimately agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow negotiations on border security to continue.

With the new Feb. 15 funding deadline looming, Trump has hinted at the possibility of declaring a

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars, owned by Chinese group Geely, said on Wednesday it was recalling 167,000 cars worldwide because of a problem with the power-operated tailgate.

The announcement came just two weeks after Volvo recalled

219,000 vehicles to fix potential fuel leaks in the engine compartment.

On Wednesday, the company informed XC60 customers who own 2018 and 2019 models that “a faulty component on cars equipped with power tailgate” could poten-

tially cause “personal injury”.

“In cold climate, the tailgate lifting arm may separate, causing noise or loss of function,” it said, stressing that it had not received any reports of “significant injuries”. “This is a preventive action to avoid any future issues,”

Volvo said.

Affected customers are to receive a letter instructing them to contact their dealer for a free repair.

Since Geely acquired the Swedish company from Ford in 2010, Volvo Cars has made a spectacular

national emergency to secure wall funding if Congress doesn’t act.

That has amplified concern over a possible second shutdown.

“If there’s another shutdown, that will definitely affect the psyche” of companies’ purchasing, Nieves said in a telephone interview.

Some economists view the decline in services activity as signaling that the economy will slow this year after a strong performance in 2018.

An ISM report last week showed that U.S. factories grew at a slightly faster pace in January than in December — when manufacturing marked the slowest pace in more than two years amid concern over the impact of Trump’s trade policies.

return to profits. It has now begun to focus on autonomous vehicles and those powered by electric or hybrid motors.

In 2017, when it posted record sales, it announced it would only launch electric or hybrid models as of 2019. (afp)

Volvo recalls 167,000 cars worldwide, second in weeks

people every year.

The bewildering amount of art that is created in Ubud today – both in the context of religious practices and beyond continues to be inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape, deeply symbolic traditional spiritual practices and the rich social interactions that take place in this hub of joy.

Kori Ubud manager Ide Bagus Wiradnyana (or Nyana as he is known), is sincerely dedicated to learning about history, philosophy and the current social changes taking place in Bali and is acutely aware of the important role that art plays in all these spheres. He clearly enjoys providing Kori Ubud guests with an experience of the distinct nature, culture, style and comfort of Ubud. Nyana IB understands that tourism is not simply a leisure activity, but rather a journey that people take to enhance their inner peace and well-being.

His understanding of the hugely impactful role that art has had and continues to have on shaping the visual, cultural and conceptual

landscapes of Ubud, Bali and indeed Indonesia, inspired Nyana to open Kori Ubud Art Space.

“Given the huge role that art plays in creating the soothing atmosphere that Ubud has become known for, I felt it was time for Kori Ubud to provide a space to showcase some of the amazingly talented artists we have here”, said Nyana recently.

“Kori Art Space is a place where the magical power of art to transcend boundaries, touch our hearts and enhance harmony can flourish with the same vibrancy as the surrounding jungle, a place where the spirit of Bali can find expression and be shared through beauty, harmony and togetherness in celebration of the nature-inspired art of this enchanted island”, he replied when asked what his vision for the new gallery space was.

On February 8th, 209 at 7pm Ubud Kori Art Space will officially open with an exhibition entitled ‘Highlights’ featuring paintings and sculptures by seven highly talented artists who each express something of the spirit of Bali in their works.(kmb)

Bedulu Develops Village Hall Tourism

Village Hall of Bedulu, Blahbatuh, Gianyar, usually used as activity center of local villagers is now taken advantage for tourist purposes. Tourists coming to the village hall can see and learn various activities related to Balinese customs.

This tourist attraction is operated in cooperation with one of the travel agencies in Bali to bring in dozens of foreign tourists to the village hall.

This activity is attended by tourists from various countries in Europe and Asia. They see directly people’s activities related to Balinese culture and customs. They are starting from learning to prepare Balinese food (mebat), make offerings (mejejahitan), plait bamboo platform (klakat), and play gamelan music (megambel). In the evening, Balinese arts such as dances are staged while enjoying a prepared dinner (mebat) of local residents as well as tourists.

To introduce the village environment, tourists are also invited to have village tour by visiting people’s homes to see in person the life of rural communities.

Moreover, there are some tourists choosing to stay at people’s homes in order to be able to mingle with local community.

“We have developed the concept of the village hall for community economic empowerment,” explained chief of Tengah customary village, I Ketut John, amid receiving tourists at local village hall on Monday (Oct. 8).

Besides, continued Ketut John, this activity is also to awaken the potential of Bedulu which had long been known as a tourism village. “The activities usually carried out at the village hall by residents will become an extraordinary attraction to tourists,” said Ketut John, who is also a tourism player.

Ketut John is optimistic the concept of village hall tourism will draw the interest of tourists, especially at Bedulu as supported by some other tourist attractions such as the Yeh Pulu, Goa Gajah, Samuan Tiga Temple and other historical and ancient heritages like sarcophagi remaining to be stored in one of the people’s home. Moreover, the pottery handicrafts formerly debuted in Bedulu are now being introduced and raised again. “This should not just be looked at in terms of commercial aspect, but how the tourism of Bedulu village can revive with the concept

of village hall,” added Ketut John.

Jessy, one of the visiting tourists, claimed to be happy to mingle with Bedulu residents while learning to cook Balinese cuisines, playing gamelan and

making offering or canang. “Hospitality of the population makes us happy and all come to see and learn directly about the customs that do not exist in our country.

This is what we want,” she said. (kmb)

6

Friday, February 8, 2019

W

International

RLD

Musician Ahmad Dhani transferred to Surabaya prison for another trial

CARACAS - More than a decade ago, university students in Venezuela burst onto the political scene by rekindling opposition to then leader Hugo Chavez with street protests that led to the socialist firebrand’s only election defeat.

Many of those student leaders joined established political parties and became well-known in the news media, such as former mayor David Smolansky, who is now in exile in Washington, or lawmakers Manuela Bolivar and Juan Andres Mejia.

Guaido also ran for a seat in congress, where in 2010 he became an alternate deputy and in 2015 won a full-fledged seat. But all along he kept a low profile.

“He did not like to draw attention to himself. He did not seek to give speeches or attract the news media,” said Angel Zambrano, a colleague from the days of the student protests. “He was more involved in organizing things, at a technical level,” Zambrano told AFP. Guaido is now front-page news around the world, although prior to becoming speaker of the opposition-controlled national assembly last month only three percent of Venezuelans knew who he was, said Felix Seijas, citing a study by the polling firm Delphos, which he runs.

- Looking for an outsider -

In 2015, the opposition scored a landslide win in legislative elec-

tions, dealing the post-Chavez government its biggest election defeat ever. Chavez died of cancer in 2013.

But after the blocking of a referendum seeking to remove Maduro from power and anti-government street protests in 2017 that left 125 people dead, the opposition grew deeply divided amid disputes among parties and disagreement on what strategy to take against Maduro.

“People lost trust and became tired of traditional politics, and several years ago the idea emerged of trying to find an outsider,” Seijas told.

In rallies held in recent weeks, the opposition has praised him as a pleasant surprise with no ties to mainstream parties.

Maduro has dismissed Guaido as “a kid who is playing politics”.

Still, he has said he is willing to meet with him.

Guaido and his generation are “the grandchildren of the dinosaurs of the fourth republic,” or governments prior to Chavez, said the powerful pro-Chavez politician Diosdado Cabello. He derided Guaido and other young politicians like him as “lackeys of the empire”, referring to the US. (afp)

Federico PARRA / AFP

Venezuela’s opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers of Venezuela (Fedeagro), in Caracas on February 6, 2019.

Friday, February 8, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN

Generation Guaido: a threat to Chavez-style power in Venezuela

Now, one of the more lowprofile leaders of that drive, Juan Guaido, is heading an offensive that is seen as having a decent chance to remove from power Chavez’s handpicked successor, the former bus driver Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido, the 35-year-old speaker of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president on January 23 during an opposition rally in Caracas, surprising many in Venezuela.

Since then Guaido has been recognized as interim president by more than 40 countries, led by the United States, and millions of Venezuelans have found in him hope for a way out of a grinding socio-economic crisis marked by shortages of food, medicine and even such basics as soap and toilet paper.

An industrial engineer by training, Guaido has reinvigorated Venezuela’s fragmented opposition and shaken up the world of politics in the oil rich country.

Back in 2007, Guaido stirred the opposition with other student leaders by leading, successfully, demonstrations against a constitutional reform that would have let Chavez seek re-election indefinitely. His defeat came in a referendum.

International

Johannes EISELE / AFP

This picture taken on February 1, 2019 in New York City shows two workers at The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog looking at a painting of Millie Bush, an English Springer Spaniel and former White House resident.

Dogs have their day at revived NY museum

NEW YORK - Dogs play cameo roles in some of the West’s most iconic paintings, yet man’s best friend has arguably gotten short shrift in the global museum hierarchy.

But a museum addition in Manhattan restores the animals to what canine afficionados will no doubt view as their rightful place at the center of the picture.

The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog, which opens Friday in midtown Manhattan, contains a smorgasbord of works of varying aesthetic ambition, along with interactive displays.

The museum’s opening has been timed to coincide with the start of Westminster Week, an annual mid-winter canine fest that attracts dogs and dog-lovers from around the world and culminates with the Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday night and the selection of “Best in Show” at Madison Square Garden.

The collection comprises more than 2,000 paintings, photos, sculptures and artifacts and includes a healthy supply of works that document what the ancestors of today’s pets looked like in the 19th century and earlier. These include

the skeleton of “Belgrade Joe,” a Fox Terrier that died in 1888 and is seen as a seminal figure in that breed’s evolution.

Some works are photograph-like depictions of breeds that will appeal to dog-showing professionals.

“They look at the painting as they would a show dog and they critique it that way -- by the anatomy, the way it’s built and so forth.

There’s nothing about how it was rendered or anything like that,” said Alan Fausel, the museum’s executive director, who specialized in canine art with private auction houses before being hired to lead the museum in 2018.

“The average person will be interested in things that have some action, some activity, some narrative content,” added Fausel, who wants the museum to satisfy both the show dog industry professional and the everyday visitor.

Paintings of dogs evolved from pre-Victorian depictions that emphasized carnal aggression, to 19th century portraiture to 20th century works that anthropomorphize the creatures once photography largely obviated more naturalistic works, according to Fausel. (afp)

JAKARTA - Indonesia`s prominent musician Ahmad Dhani will be transferred to Surabaya prison for another trial over another defamation charge, Ade Kusmayanto, spokesman of directorate general of correctional service of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, stated.

“That is right. It is planned for this morning,” Kusmayanto noted here, Wednesday.

Dhani was found guilty of tweeting a hate speech on his Twitter account and was awarded a 1.5-year prison term by the South Jakarta Court on Jan 28, this year.

Dhani had appealed to a higher court, but he was immediately imprisoned after the Jakarta Court trial.

On Wednesday, Dhani will be taken to Surabaya at the request of the Surabaya prosecutor`s office that has charged him for defamation against a certain group or mass organization over his statement on social media on August 26, 2018.

The Surabaya Court will hold the first trial against Dhani on Feb-

ruary 7, 2019.

The Surabaya prosecutor`s office charges Dhani for his statement on his Instagram account.

“These who are protesting, the protestors defend the ruler. It`s funny, funny. These, these are the idiots, protesting people who are not in power,” according to the video containing Dhani`s statement.

Dhani is a famous Indonesian rock musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He is the frontman of the Dewa 19 rock band, and also a member of the inter-continental band The Rock.

He has worked as a promoter and songwriter for other artists, including Maia Ahmad, Agnes Monica, Alexa Key, and Mulan Jameela. He has won numerous awards, including the IMA for best musical arrangement.

Currently, Dhani has joined the camp of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, the rival of incumbent Joko Widodo, in the presidential election to be held on April 17, 2019. (ant)

Patrolling intensified to curb terror attacks involving burning of cars

SEMARANG - Police have launched a large-scale patrol over the past few days to crack down on a recent string of terror attacks involving the burning of cars in and around Semarang, capital of Central Java Province.

Chief of the Central Java Provincial Police Inspector General Condro Kirono stated on Wednesday that the provincial police assigned some of its personnel to assist the large-scale patrol.

“Some 450 personnel from the provincial police are assigned to assist the Semarang city police,” he revealed.

Despite large-scale patrolling being launched, the number of personnel is far from sufficient in view of the province`s vast terri-

tory, he noted. “It is unlikely for the police to control every single inch and that the public`s selfsupporting efforts are needed,” he emphasized.

The recent string of terror attacks involving the burning of cars had no impact on the public, he stated.

Instead, the public has become more united to secure the environment, he noted.

The Semarang city police had intensified a raid on motorists, particularly motorcyclists, over the past few days.

Chief of the Semarang City Police Senior Commissioner Abiyoso Seno Aji stated that the raid was conducted to restrict the movement of terrorists. (ant)

11

ELECTION 2019

President Jokowi clarifies statement on Russian propaganda

IBP/ant

Jakarta (ANTARA News)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has clarified his statement on Russian propaganda, saying that he did not refer to Russia as a country.

“Yes, we did not talk about a country, yes,” President Jokowi said here, Tuesday evening.

The terminology of Russian propaganda was mentioned in an article issued by Rand Corporation, a US political consultant institute, in 2016, he said. The Russian propaganda means a technique of firehose of falsehood, according to Rand Corporation.

A firehose of falsehood, lies and hoaxes could affect and create uncertainty, Jokowi said.

The President said the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia are very sound. “I and President Putin have very very good relations,” Jokowi said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta has stressed that

Russia does not intervene in the Indonesian presidential election.

The embassy was responding to a statement by Jokowi in Solo, Central Java, on Sunday that the one using a foreign consultant in politics tended to not think of the impact on the people, one of them being through the theory of Russian propaganda.

On its official twitter account @RusEmbJakarta on Monday, the embassy said the term “Russian propaganda” was engineered in the United States in 2016 within the framework of the presidential election campaign.

According to the Russian government, the term was by no means based on reality.

“We underline that the prin-

cipal position of Russia is to not intervene in the internal affairs and electoral processes of other countries, including Indonesia, which is our close friend and important partner. -- Russian Embassy, IDN (@RusEmbJakarta) February 4, 2019,” the Russian embassy tweeted.

Airlangga Hartarto, chairman of the Golkar Party, later clarified that incumbent presidential candidate Jokowi did not accuse Russia of meddling in the Indonesian presidential election.

“The statement`s context is not inter-countries,” Hartarto stated here, Monday evening (Feb 4).

He added that one country indeed should not meddle in the political process of another nation.(ant)

10

Friday, February 8, 2019

Destination

International

Taman Sari Temple SEMARAPURA - Taman Sari Temple is located in the Banjar Sengguhan at Semarapura City, approximately 500 metre the far east direction of Semarapura could be reached by vehicle because the road has been asphalted. The environment of Taman Sari Temple consist of a couple of temple buildings of nine-story temples and elevenstory based by the giant’s turtle surrounded by the pond, wounded around by the Ananthaboga dragon, it narrated when the gods turned life water (amerta) for the happiness and welfare.

This tranquil ‘Flower Garden Temple’ was built in the 17th century and features a number of scenic ponds and gardens and an eleven-tiered meru tower. The quiet lawns and ponds around this temple, northeast of the Taman Kertha Gosa complex, make it a relaxing

stop and live up to the translation of its name: Flower Garden Temple.

The towering 11-roofed meru indicates that this was a temple built for royalty.

Pura Taman Sari place complex is composed of three temples; Segening Temple, Pura Taman Sari Water Castle and Pura Penataran, lined from North to South. This temple is considered to be very important because it was once used to be a weapons storage site of the inheritance of the Kingdom of Majapahit who belonged to the dynasty of Kepakisan.

The beauty of this temple can be seen from nine-story and elevenstory temple buildings emerging from a pond. From the decoration style of nine story building temple describe that the building is like the Mountain of Maha Meru based by the giant’s turtle wich is sank in the milk ocean. Afterwards the gods and the giant turn around

the Maha Meru Mountain wound around by the Ananthaboga dragon.

By the rotation of this mountain, the milk ocean will produce various product such as Amerta (water of life).

According to the story that contained in Adi Parwa Story, the greatness meaning from Amerta is as the giver as well as welfare and the holiness of the world. The theme of the story really suittable with the function of the life function of the Park Temple environment. The environment of the Park Temple is the place to keep the weapons of Majapahit Kingdom wich are belong to the Kepakisan Dynasti who was assigned by Majapahit King to arrange the peace of Bali island.

(IBP/net)

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Sarajevo hopes to rekindle Olympic flame with Youth Games

SARAJEVO - When Sarajevo welcomed the globe’s top athletes to its mountains for the 1984 Winter Olympics, it was a moment of pride for all of Yugoslavia. Three decades later, the post-war capital of Bosnia hopes to rekindle the flame as it hosts the European Youth Olympics next week.

Tomislav Lopatic, who represented Yugoslavia in the biathlon in 1984 games, remembers those days as the “last moment” of unity and pride in the former communist state, which collapsed through a series of brutal wars only seven years later.

“Everyone still loved the flag, our coat of arms,” recalls the 55year old, who now coaches the national biathlon team in Bosnia, one of several states to emerge from the federation’s bloody break-up.

He was a four-time Yugoslav champion of the sport during his heydey, although he did not take home a medal in the 1984 games.

Bibija Kerla, a Bosnian speed skater for former Yugoslavia, also finished empty-handed.

But the 59-year-old still hums Yugoslavia’s national anthem (“Hej Sloveni!”) and remembers the collective pride she felt when Slovenian Jure Franko became the only one from their country to make the podium when he took a silver for the giant slalom.

Back then, they were all Yugoslavs. But in post-war Bosnia, they are frequently identified by their differences: Tomislav is a Bosnian Serb and Kerla is a Bosnian Muslim, commonly known as a Bosniak.

Bosnia remains carved up along ethnic lines more than two decades after the 1992-95 conflict that left 100,000 dead as Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats clashed.

The same is true for Sarajevo, whose centre is populated mainly

by Muslims while an eastern enclave is dominated by Serbs.

Yet the European Youth Olympics Festival (EYOF), which runs from February 9 to 16, has become a rare opportunity for the city’s two administrations to find common ground.

With the slogan “Two cities, one dream”, the Sarajevo and East Sarajevo mayors, Abdulah Skaka and Nenad Vukovic, have held joint press conferences about their desire to “revive the spirit of the Olympics” with the Youth competition.

The European Youth Olympics will bring more than 1,500 young people from 46 countries to Bosnia to compete in sports ranging from alpine skiing to figure skating and curling.

“We want to create a new memory, and a positive dynamic that will serve as a foundation for better times,” said Abdulah Skaka. (afp)

ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP

A picture taken on January 30, 2019 shows the official mascot of 2019 EYOF (European Youth Olympics Festival) “Groodvy” (Snow ball), is seen in a park in East Sarajevo.

Copyright 2019 NBAE Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

Alfonzo McKinnie #28 of the Golden State Warriors dunks the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on February 6, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California.

Warriors thump Spurs, Harden extends scoring streak

LOS ANGELES - The Golden State Warriors eased to the top of the Western Conference on Wednesday, outclassing an under-strength San Antonio Spurs to score a comprehensive 141-102 win at the Oracle Arena.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich rested star players LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan citing “load management”, and could only watch as the powerful Warriors romped away with an emphatic win.

The reigning NBA champions started with five NBA All-Stars in their line-up -- Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry -- and had opened up a 66-52 lead at half-time.

An explosive third quarter saw the Warriors outscore their opponents by 49-31 to make the fourth quarter a formality.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was satisfied at the ruthless streak shown by his side against their depleted opponents.

“Reality kind of set in in terms of the talent disparity with their guys being out,” Kerr said. “We kind of wore them down. It’s important on a night like tonight, when you know that the other team’s best two players aren’t out there, that you stay focused.

“I was happy that our guys were able to do that.”

Thompson led the scoring with 26 points for the Warriors, with Durant posting 23 points and Curry 19. Cousins also had 15 points while Kevon Looney and Andre Iguodala had 11 off the bench.

The Warriors now lead the West with 38 wins and 15 losses, pulling 1.5 games clear of second-placed Denver, who suffered a 135-130 defeat to Brooklyn.

D’Angelo Russell once again led the scoring for the Nets with 27 points on a night when seven players cracked double digits for Brooklyn.

The defeat left Denver second in the West with a record of 37-17.

- Harden extends hot streak Elsewhere Wednesday, James Harden extended his red-hot scoring streak as the Houston Rockets overwhelmed the Sacramento Kings on the road.

Harden scored 36 points in a 127-101 win for the Rockets, the reigning MVP’s 28th straight game where he has scored 30 points or more.

Gerald Green added 25 from

the bench while starters Eric Gordon (20) and Chris Paul (15) backed Harden with useful contributions.

The win saw Houston improve to 32-22, leaving them in fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo underscored his potential MVP credentials with a scintillating 43-point display as the Milwaukee Bucks bagged their 40th win of the season with a 148-129 rout of the Washington Wizards.

Antetokounmpo led a dominant offensive display by the Bucks, who now own the best record in the NBA and lead the Eastern Conference Standings with 40 wins against 13 defeats.

It was the latest in a series of superb performances this season

by Antetokounmpo, who has thrust himself firmly into the conversation for MVP honours in recent weeks.

“Just tried to be aggressive coming into the game, trying to make plays for my team-mates,” the 24-year-old Greek forward said. (afp)

8

Friday, February 8, 2019

Friday, February 8, 2019

Geoff CADDICK / AFP

Players from both sides and supporters observe a moment of reflection to honour Cardiff’s Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala, whose flight disappeared from radar over the English Channel north of Guernsey, before the English Premier League football match between between Cardiff City and Bournemouth at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales on February 2, 2019.

Body from wreck of Sala plane taken to Britain

Investigators recovered a body from the wreckage of a plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel and transported it to Britain on Thursday for identification.

Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) also said that bad weather meant they were not able to recover the plane and it was therefore closing down the operation.

The light aircraft was carrying the 28-year-old footballer to his new Premier League team Cardiff City when it disappeared near the British island of Guernsey on January 21, along with 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson.

Sala’s disappearance prompted outpourings of grief across the footballing world, including at his former club Nantes in France where the plane was flying from.

After search operations were suspended, a shipwreck hunter hired by Sala’s family with funds donated by football stars such as Lionel Messi found the wreckage on Sunday.

The AAIB, who then took over the operation, revealed on Monday that an unidentified body had been found at the site.

“In challenging conditions, the AAIB and its specialist contractors successfully recovered the body previously seen amidst the wreckage,” the AAIB said Wednesday.

“The operation was carried out in as dignified a way as

possible and the families were kept informed of progress.”

But it added: “The weather forecast is poor for the foreseeable future and so the difficult decision was taken to bring the overall operation to a close”.

It said that extensive video footage captured by a remotely operated vehicle is expected to “provide valuable evidence for our safety investigation,” adding that it intends to publish an interim report on the accident later this month.

The recovered body was taken to the Isle of Portland in southern England on board the Geo Ocean III offshore supply ship and will be now be passed to the coroner in the county of Dorset for identification.

- Private search -

Sala was flying to join up with Cardiff City in what was the most expensive signing in the Welsh club’s history.

Nantes have consulted lawyers to explore legal options to ensure Cardiff pay the transfer fee for Sala, a source close to the French club revealed on Wednesday.

According to the source, the first instalment of the 17-million-euro ($19.3 million) deal for the Argentine striker has yet to be paid, despite the transfer being finalised before the accident. Nantes would also consider taking the case to FIFA, the source added. The club has not yet responded to a request for comment by AFP.

According to BBC Wales, Nantes have given Cardiff a 10-day ultimatum over the first payment of between five and six million euros.

A source at Cardiff told British media that the Welsh club will honour the contract but only once they have clarified “all the facts”. Cardiff are said to be “surprised” with the timing of the demand so soon after the tragedy.

The plane, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, vanished from radar around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Guernsey, with pilot Ibbotson the only other person aboard.

After the official rescue team gave up their search, saying there was little chance of finding anyone alive, Sala’s family raised more than 370,000 euros ($422,000) in an online campaign to pay for a private hunt.

“Had that not happened, I don’t think anybody would have searched for the plane,” shipwreck hunter David Mearns, whose private company found the plane, told AFP. The discovery of two seat cushions on the French coast last week revealed that the plane was broken, Mearns added.

Earlier this week Sala’s father, Horacio Sala, acknowledged that there was no prospect of finding his son alive.

“There’s no longer any hope,” he told Fox Sports. “We hope the two bodies are inside (the plane). It’s over, the only thing I hope now is that they find them.” (afp)

9

Messi unable to inspire Barca winner as Madrid hold on for draw Real Madrid gained a measure of redemption at the Camp Nou by holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday and taking the upper-hand in the semi-final of Copa del Rey. Neither Lionel Messi nor Gareth Bale were named in the starting line-ups for this first leg but their replacements filled the void as Malcom’s curling shot cancelled out an early opener from Lucas Vazquez.

After an impressive opening 20 minutes, Madrid were largely second best in a compelling, if unspectacular, Clasico but the result leaves them well-placed heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 27.

For Santiago Solari’s side, a resilient, gutsy display will also help erase the memory of their humiliation here in October, when they were thrashed 5-1, a result that caused Julen Lopetegui to be sacked the following day.

“Comparisons are unhelpful,” said Solari. “But this result shows how hard the team is working.”

Messi, who had been struggling with a thigh problem, and Bale, who faces a fight for place after recovering from a calf injury, both came on after the hour but neither could inspire a winner.

Instead, it was Vazquez, and two youth-

ful Brazilians that took centre stage.

Vazquez scored but Vinicius Junior, the youngest Real Madrid player to feature in a Clasico this century, was his team’s greatest threat until the 18-year-old departed in the second half.

“I’m not surprised by how he plays because I’ve known him since he arrived,” said Solari. “But an 18-year-old boy playing and developing in this way, that is a surprise.”

Malcom was just as unpredictable and in the end, it was the 21-year-old’s intervention that keeps Barca on level terms.

“The tie is in the balance,” coach Ernesto Valverde said. “A draw is a fair reflection,” said Sergio Busquets.

Barely 10 seconds had passed before Toni Kroos snapped into Ivan Rakitic, setting the tone for what was a dominant opening spell from Madrid.

Vinicius led the way. He was fearless, full of imperfections and erratic decisions but delivering moments of clarity too when Madrid were at their most threatening.

- Benzema sets up Vazquez -

He jinked inside Nelson Semedo and teed up Kroos before producing the cross that created the goal, an arching ball over the head of Jordi Alba, which Karim Benzema

tucked back for Vazquez to poke in.

Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho were both careless in possession but Vinicius lacked precision to capitalise, first scuttling into Benzema and then misreading the Frenchman’s run.

Barca had been just as frantic, with Luis Suarez even tripping over his own feet. But they improved and after half an hour, were in the ascendancy.

Malcom missed a one-on-one and then became their best player for a period, crossing for Rakitic to head against the bar and teeing up Suarez to sting the hands of Keylor Navas.

The home fans called Messi’s name at the start of the second half and when he jogged up the touchline shortly before the hour, they roared as if for a goal.

They did that soon after too, after an equaliser of chaos and quality in equal measure. Navas rushed out to block Alba before Suarez curled a brilliant shot that beat the diving Sergio Ramos but not the post.

It spilled to Malcom and he still had work to do, 20 yards out with white shirts in front. He found a gap.

Messi came on, along with Arturo Vidal, Bale and Casemiro.

Vinicius was among those to make way, his bright start fading with fatigue.

Neither side seemed sure how much to commit for a winner.

Messi twice weaved through but the best chance fell to Bale, who received from Benzema

after Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s skewed clearance. The goal was open but Bale’s touch was heavy and Semedo made a crucial block. (afp)

Josep LAGO / AFP

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi covers his face as he leaves the pitch at the end of the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) semi-final first leg football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on February 6, 2019.

Guardiola vows City have desire to retain title Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s 2-0 victory at Everton proved they are determined to win their title fight with Liverpool as the champions returned to the top of the table on Wednesday.

It was a far from inspired performance from City at Goodison Park, but goals from Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus ensured they knocked Liverpool out of pole position on

goal difference.

Liverpool had occupied first place since December 8, but now the pressure is on Jurgen Klopp’s side just five weeks after they could have moved 10 points clear of City.

With Liverpool showing signs of nerves after two successive draws damaged their bid for a first English title since 1990, City took advantage in a fixture which was brought forward due to their League Cup final date with Chelsea later this month.

It was a crucial victory and City manager Guardiola claimed his players have no intention of letting Liverpool off the hook now. “We come from champions and we are in a situation where we could have given up but it didn’t happen,” Guardiola said.

“We gave an incredible game

against Liverpool. These players have shown incredible desire and performances for the last two years.

How could I question them?

“We have played one more game. but it’s the best we can do.

The reality is one month ago we could have been 10 points behind when we played Liverpool. “A few days ago we could have been seven points behind. Now we are top of the league. That is the best advice, the lesson is – never give up. “That is a lesson for all athletes. Try to win the games, because life can change immediately.”

City struck at the best possible time when Laporte headed them in front in the second minute of first half stoppage-time.

The opening goal came from a free-kick, needlessly conceded by Idrissa Gueye as he slid in late on

Manchester City’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on February 6, 2019.

Fernandinho, and taken by David Silva. The Spanish midfielder curled in a perfect delivery which found Laporte unmarked, and only eight yards from goal, for a solid finish.

It was the 16th consecutive league and cup game in which Guardiola’s side has scored a first half goal, a run dating back to their first league defeat of the season at Chelsea in early December.

And in the context of the title race, it may yet prove to be one of the more important although it took until deep into stoppage-time of the second half for City to claim their second.

- Title intrigue -

Kevin De Bruyne played in Jesus, whose initial run was blocked

by Jordan Pickford, only for the ball to sit up kindly for the Brazilian to head into an open goal.

That was enough to stretch City’s goal advantage to seven over Liverpool and set up an intriguing weekend, when Klopp’s team must face Bournemouth 24 hours before the leaders host Chelsea on Sunday.

“We have started the week well, (beating) Arsenal and here, now comes a big, big test, a big goal,” Guardiola said.

“Chelsea are an exceptional team who have had seven days to prepare. We have to prepare well.

“It really is a final for us this weekend. If we are able to take these points, it is a huge step forward.”

Having survived a test of their nerve at Everton, City have no time to rest on their laurels.

But Guardiola insisted he won’t complain about the hectic schedule. “I used to listen to what older managers – Sir Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez – what they said and complained about the schedules and nothing happened,” he said.

“I arrived here so I understand the situation. If we played just one competition, the schedule would be better but when you have to play four you have to adapt.

“So when the Premier League say we have to play there, we take the bus to play at the right time and, at the right moment, we play the game.” (afp)

8

Friday, February 8, 2019

Friday, February 8, 2019

Geoff CADDICK / AFP

Players from both sides and supporters observe a moment of reflection to honour Cardiff’s Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala, whose flight disappeared from radar over the English Channel north of Guernsey, before the English Premier League football match between between Cardiff City and Bournemouth at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales on February 2, 2019.

Body from wreck of Sala plane taken to Britain

Investigators recovered a body from the wreckage of a plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel and transported it to Britain on Thursday for identification.

Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) also said that bad weather meant they were not able to recover the plane and it was therefore closing down the operation.

The light aircraft was carrying the 28-year-old footballer to his new Premier League team Cardiff City when it disappeared near the British island of Guernsey on January 21, along with 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson.

Sala’s disappearance prompted outpourings of grief across the footballing world, including at his former club Nantes in France where the plane was flying from.

After search operations were suspended, a shipwreck hunter hired by Sala’s family with funds donated by football stars such as Lionel Messi found the wreckage on Sunday.

The AAIB, who then took over the operation, revealed on Monday that an unidentified body had been found at the site.

“In challenging conditions, the AAIB and its specialist contractors successfully recovered the body previously seen amidst the wreckage,” the AAIB said Wednesday.

“The operation was carried out in as dignified a way as

possible and the families were kept informed of progress.”

But it added: “The weather forecast is poor for the foreseeable future and so the difficult decision was taken to bring the overall operation to a close”.

It said that extensive video footage captured by a remotely operated vehicle is expected to “provide valuable evidence for our safety investigation,” adding that it intends to publish an interim report on the accident later this month.

The recovered body was taken to the Isle of Portland in southern England on board the Geo Ocean III offshore supply ship and will be now be passed to the coroner in the county of Dorset for identification.

- Private search -

Sala was flying to join up with Cardiff City in what was the most expensive signing in the Welsh club’s history.

Nantes have consulted lawyers to explore legal options to ensure Cardiff pay the transfer fee for Sala, a source close to the French club revealed on Wednesday.

According to the source, the first instalment of the 17-million-euro ($19.3 million) deal for the Argentine striker has yet to be paid, despite the transfer being finalised before the accident. Nantes would also consider taking the case to FIFA, the source added. The club has not yet responded to a request for comment by AFP.

According to BBC Wales, Nantes have given Cardiff a 10-day ultimatum over the first payment of between five and six million euros.

A source at Cardiff told British media that the Welsh club will honour the contract but only once they have clarified “all the facts”. Cardiff are said to be “surprised” with the timing of the demand so soon after the tragedy.

The plane, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, vanished from radar around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Guernsey, with pilot Ibbotson the only other person aboard.

After the official rescue team gave up their search, saying there was little chance of finding anyone alive, Sala’s family raised more than 370,000 euros ($422,000) in an online campaign to pay for a private hunt.

“Had that not happened, I don’t think anybody would have searched for the plane,” shipwreck hunter David Mearns, whose private company found the plane, told AFP. The discovery of two seat cushions on the French coast last week revealed that the plane was broken, Mearns added.

Earlier this week Sala’s father, Horacio Sala, acknowledged that there was no prospect of finding his son alive.

“There’s no longer any hope,” he told Fox Sports. “We hope the two bodies are inside (the plane). It’s over, the only thing I hope now is that they find them.” (afp)

9

Messi unable to inspire Barca winner as Madrid hold on for draw Real Madrid gained a measure of redemption at the Camp Nou by holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday and taking the upper-hand in the semi-final of Copa del Rey. Neither Lionel Messi nor Gareth Bale were named in the starting line-ups for this first leg but their replacements filled the void as Malcom’s curling shot cancelled out an early opener from Lucas Vazquez.

After an impressive opening 20 minutes, Madrid were largely second best in a compelling, if unspectacular, Clasico but the result leaves them well-placed heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 27.

For Santiago Solari’s side, a resilient, gutsy display will also help erase the memory of their humiliation here in October, when they were thrashed 5-1, a result that caused Julen Lopetegui to be sacked the following day.

“Comparisons are unhelpful,” said Solari. “But this result shows how hard the team is working.”

Messi, who had been struggling with a thigh problem, and Bale, who faces a fight for place after recovering from a calf injury, both came on after the hour but neither could inspire a winner.

Instead, it was Vazquez, and two youth-

ful Brazilians that took centre stage.

Vazquez scored but Vinicius Junior, the youngest Real Madrid player to feature in a Clasico this century, was his team’s greatest threat until the 18-year-old departed in the second half.

“I’m not surprised by how he plays because I’ve known him since he arrived,” said Solari. “But an 18-year-old boy playing and developing in this way, that is a surprise.”

Malcom was just as unpredictable and in the end, it was the 21-year-old’s intervention that keeps Barca on level terms.

“The tie is in the balance,” coach Ernesto Valverde said. “A draw is a fair reflection,” said Sergio Busquets.

Barely 10 seconds had passed before Toni Kroos snapped into Ivan Rakitic, setting the tone for what was a dominant opening spell from Madrid.

Vinicius led the way. He was fearless, full of imperfections and erratic decisions but delivering moments of clarity too when Madrid were at their most threatening.

- Benzema sets up Vazquez -

He jinked inside Nelson Semedo and teed up Kroos before producing the cross that created the goal, an arching ball over the head of Jordi Alba, which Karim Benzema

tucked back for Vazquez to poke in.

Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho were both careless in possession but Vinicius lacked precision to capitalise, first scuttling into Benzema and then misreading the Frenchman’s run.

Barca had been just as frantic, with Luis Suarez even tripping over his own feet. But they improved and after half an hour, were in the ascendancy.

Malcom missed a one-on-one and then became their best player for a period, crossing for Rakitic to head against the bar and teeing up Suarez to sting the hands of Keylor Navas.

The home fans called Messi’s name at the start of the second half and when he jogged up the touchline shortly before the hour, they roared as if for a goal.

They did that soon after too, after an equaliser of chaos and quality in equal measure. Navas rushed out to block Alba before Suarez curled a brilliant shot that beat the diving Sergio Ramos but not the post.

It spilled to Malcom and he still had work to do, 20 yards out with white shirts in front. He found a gap.

Messi came on, along with Arturo Vidal, Bale and Casemiro.

Vinicius was among those to make way, his bright start fading with fatigue.

Neither side seemed sure how much to commit for a winner.

Messi twice weaved through but the best chance fell to Bale, who received from Benzema

after Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s skewed clearance. The goal was open but Bale’s touch was heavy and Semedo made a crucial block. (afp)

Josep LAGO / AFP

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi covers his face as he leaves the pitch at the end of the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) semi-final first leg football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on February 6, 2019.

Guardiola vows City have desire to retain title Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s 2-0 victory at Everton proved they are determined to win their title fight with Liverpool as the champions returned to the top of the table on Wednesday.

It was a far from inspired performance from City at Goodison Park, but goals from Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus ensured they knocked Liverpool out of pole position on

goal difference.

Liverpool had occupied first place since December 8, but now the pressure is on Jurgen Klopp’s side just five weeks after they could have moved 10 points clear of City.

With Liverpool showing signs of nerves after two successive draws damaged their bid for a first English title since 1990, City took advantage in a fixture which was brought forward due to their League Cup final date with Chelsea later this month.

It was a crucial victory and City manager Guardiola claimed his players have no intention of letting Liverpool off the hook now. “We come from champions and we are in a situation where we could have given up but it didn’t happen,” Guardiola said.

“We gave an incredible game

against Liverpool. These players have shown incredible desire and performances for the last two years.

How could I question them?

“We have played one more game. but it’s the best we can do.

The reality is one month ago we could have been 10 points behind when we played Liverpool. “A few days ago we could have been seven points behind. Now we are top of the league. That is the best advice, the lesson is – never give up. “That is a lesson for all athletes. Try to win the games, because life can change immediately.”

City struck at the best possible time when Laporte headed them in front in the second minute of first half stoppage-time.

The opening goal came from a free-kick, needlessly conceded by Idrissa Gueye as he slid in late on

Manchester City’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on February 6, 2019.

Fernandinho, and taken by David Silva. The Spanish midfielder curled in a perfect delivery which found Laporte unmarked, and only eight yards from goal, for a solid finish.

It was the 16th consecutive league and cup game in which Guardiola’s side has scored a first half goal, a run dating back to their first league defeat of the season at Chelsea in early December.

And in the context of the title race, it may yet prove to be one of the more important although it took until deep into stoppage-time of the second half for City to claim their second.

- Title intrigue -

Kevin De Bruyne played in Jesus, whose initial run was blocked

by Jordan Pickford, only for the ball to sit up kindly for the Brazilian to head into an open goal.

That was enough to stretch City’s goal advantage to seven over Liverpool and set up an intriguing weekend, when Klopp’s team must face Bournemouth 24 hours before the leaders host Chelsea on Sunday.

“We have started the week well, (beating) Arsenal and here, now comes a big, big test, a big goal,” Guardiola said.

“Chelsea are an exceptional team who have had seven days to prepare. We have to prepare well.

“It really is a final for us this weekend. If we are able to take these points, it is a huge step forward.”

Having survived a test of their nerve at Everton, City have no time to rest on their laurels.

But Guardiola insisted he won’t complain about the hectic schedule. “I used to listen to what older managers – Sir Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez – what they said and complained about the schedules and nothing happened,” he said.

“I arrived here so I understand the situation. If we played just one competition, the schedule would be better but when you have to play four you have to adapt.

“So when the Premier League say we have to play there, we take the bus to play at the right time and, at the right moment, we play the game.” (afp)

10

Friday, February 8, 2019

Destination

International

Taman Sari Temple SEMARAPURA - Taman Sari Temple is located in the Banjar Sengguhan at Semarapura City, approximately 500 metre the far east direction of Semarapura could be reached by vehicle because the road has been asphalted. The environment of Taman Sari Temple consist of a couple of temple buildings of nine-story temples and elevenstory based by the giant’s turtle surrounded by the pond, wounded around by the Ananthaboga dragon, it narrated when the gods turned life water (amerta) for the happiness and welfare.

This tranquil ‘Flower Garden Temple’ was built in the 17th century and features a number of scenic ponds and gardens and an eleven-tiered meru tower. The quiet lawns and ponds around this temple, northeast of the Taman Kertha Gosa complex, make it a relaxing

stop and live up to the translation of its name: Flower Garden Temple.

The towering 11-roofed meru indicates that this was a temple built for royalty.

Pura Taman Sari place complex is composed of three temples; Segening Temple, Pura Taman Sari Water Castle and Pura Penataran, lined from North to South. This temple is considered to be very important because it was once used to be a weapons storage site of the inheritance of the Kingdom of Majapahit who belonged to the dynasty of Kepakisan.

The beauty of this temple can be seen from nine-story and elevenstory temple buildings emerging from a pond. From the decoration style of nine story building temple describe that the building is like the Mountain of Maha Meru based by the giant’s turtle wich is sank in the milk ocean. Afterwards the gods and the giant turn around

the Maha Meru Mountain wound around by the Ananthaboga dragon.

By the rotation of this mountain, the milk ocean will produce various product such as Amerta (water of life).

According to the story that contained in Adi Parwa Story, the greatness meaning from Amerta is as the giver as well as welfare and the holiness of the world. The theme of the story really suittable with the function of the life function of the Park Temple environment. The environment of the Park Temple is the place to keep the weapons of Majapahit Kingdom wich are belong to the Kepakisan Dynasti who was assigned by Majapahit King to arrange the peace of Bali island.

(IBP/net)

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Sarajevo hopes to rekindle Olympic flame with Youth Games

SARAJEVO - When Sarajevo welcomed the globe’s top athletes to its mountains for the 1984 Winter Olympics, it was a moment of pride for all of Yugoslavia. Three decades later, the post-war capital of Bosnia hopes to rekindle the flame as it hosts the European Youth Olympics next week.

Tomislav Lopatic, who represented Yugoslavia in the biathlon in 1984 games, remembers those days as the “last moment” of unity and pride in the former communist state, which collapsed through a series of brutal wars only seven years later.

“Everyone still loved the flag, our coat of arms,” recalls the 55year old, who now coaches the national biathlon team in Bosnia, one of several states to emerge from the federation’s bloody break-up.

He was a four-time Yugoslav champion of the sport during his heydey, although he did not take home a medal in the 1984 games.

Bibija Kerla, a Bosnian speed skater for former Yugoslavia, also finished empty-handed.

But the 59-year-old still hums Yugoslavia’s national anthem (“Hej Sloveni!”) and remembers the collective pride she felt when Slovenian Jure Franko became the only one from their country to make the podium when he took a silver for the giant slalom.

Back then, they were all Yugoslavs. But in post-war Bosnia, they are frequently identified by their differences: Tomislav is a Bosnian Serb and Kerla is a Bosnian Muslim, commonly known as a Bosniak.

Bosnia remains carved up along ethnic lines more than two decades after the 1992-95 conflict that left 100,000 dead as Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats clashed.

The same is true for Sarajevo, whose centre is populated mainly

by Muslims while an eastern enclave is dominated by Serbs.

Yet the European Youth Olympics Festival (EYOF), which runs from February 9 to 16, has become a rare opportunity for the city’s two administrations to find common ground.

With the slogan “Two cities, one dream”, the Sarajevo and East Sarajevo mayors, Abdulah Skaka and Nenad Vukovic, have held joint press conferences about their desire to “revive the spirit of the Olympics” with the Youth competition.

The European Youth Olympics will bring more than 1,500 young people from 46 countries to Bosnia to compete in sports ranging from alpine skiing to figure skating and curling.

“We want to create a new memory, and a positive dynamic that will serve as a foundation for better times,” said Abdulah Skaka. (afp)

ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP

A picture taken on January 30, 2019 shows the official mascot of 2019 EYOF (European Youth Olympics Festival) “Groodvy” (Snow ball), is seen in a park in East Sarajevo.

Copyright 2019 NBAE Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

Alfonzo McKinnie #28 of the Golden State Warriors dunks the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on February 6, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California.

Warriors thump Spurs, Harden extends scoring streak

LOS ANGELES - The Golden State Warriors eased to the top of the Western Conference on Wednesday, outclassing an under-strength San Antonio Spurs to score a comprehensive 141-102 win at the Oracle Arena.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich rested star players LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan citing “load management”, and could only watch as the powerful Warriors romped away with an emphatic win.

The reigning NBA champions started with five NBA All-Stars in their line-up -- Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry -- and had opened up a 66-52 lead at half-time.

An explosive third quarter saw the Warriors outscore their opponents by 49-31 to make the fourth quarter a formality.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was satisfied at the ruthless streak shown by his side against their depleted opponents.

“Reality kind of set in in terms of the talent disparity with their guys being out,” Kerr said. “We kind of wore them down. It’s important on a night like tonight, when you know that the other team’s best two players aren’t out there, that you stay focused.

“I was happy that our guys were able to do that.”

Thompson led the scoring with 26 points for the Warriors, with Durant posting 23 points and Curry 19. Cousins also had 15 points while Kevon Looney and Andre Iguodala had 11 off the bench.

The Warriors now lead the West with 38 wins and 15 losses, pulling 1.5 games clear of second-placed Denver, who suffered a 135-130 defeat to Brooklyn.

D’Angelo Russell once again led the scoring for the Nets with 27 points on a night when seven players cracked double digits for Brooklyn.

The defeat left Denver second in the West with a record of 37-17.

- Harden extends hot streak Elsewhere Wednesday, James Harden extended his red-hot scoring streak as the Houston Rockets overwhelmed the Sacramento Kings on the road.

Harden scored 36 points in a 127-101 win for the Rockets, the reigning MVP’s 28th straight game where he has scored 30 points or more.

Gerald Green added 25 from

the bench while starters Eric Gordon (20) and Chris Paul (15) backed Harden with useful contributions.

The win saw Houston improve to 32-22, leaving them in fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo underscored his potential MVP credentials with a scintillating 43-point display as the Milwaukee Bucks bagged their 40th win of the season with a 148-129 rout of the Washington Wizards.

Antetokounmpo led a dominant offensive display by the Bucks, who now own the best record in the NBA and lead the Eastern Conference Standings with 40 wins against 13 defeats.

It was the latest in a series of superb performances this season

by Antetokounmpo, who has thrust himself firmly into the conversation for MVP honours in recent weeks.

“Just tried to be aggressive coming into the game, trying to make plays for my team-mates,” the 24-year-old Greek forward said. (afp)

6

Friday, February 8, 2019

W

International

RLD

Musician Ahmad Dhani transferred to Surabaya prison for another trial

CARACAS - More than a decade ago, university students in Venezuela burst onto the political scene by rekindling opposition to then leader Hugo Chavez with street protests that led to the socialist firebrand’s only election defeat.

Many of those student leaders joined established political parties and became well-known in the news media, such as former mayor David Smolansky, who is now in exile in Washington, or lawmakers Manuela Bolivar and Juan Andres Mejia.

Guaido also ran for a seat in congress, where in 2010 he became an alternate deputy and in 2015 won a full-fledged seat. But all along he kept a low profile.

“He did not like to draw attention to himself. He did not seek to give speeches or attract the news media,” said Angel Zambrano, a colleague from the days of the student protests. “He was more involved in organizing things, at a technical level,” Zambrano told AFP. Guaido is now front-page news around the world, although prior to becoming speaker of the opposition-controlled national assembly last month only three percent of Venezuelans knew who he was, said Felix Seijas, citing a study by the polling firm Delphos, which he runs.

- Looking for an outsider -

In 2015, the opposition scored a landslide win in legislative elec-

tions, dealing the post-Chavez government its biggest election defeat ever. Chavez died of cancer in 2013.

But after the blocking of a referendum seeking to remove Maduro from power and anti-government street protests in 2017 that left 125 people dead, the opposition grew deeply divided amid disputes among parties and disagreement on what strategy to take against Maduro.

“People lost trust and became tired of traditional politics, and several years ago the idea emerged of trying to find an outsider,” Seijas told.

In rallies held in recent weeks, the opposition has praised him as a pleasant surprise with no ties to mainstream parties.

Maduro has dismissed Guaido as “a kid who is playing politics”.

Still, he has said he is willing to meet with him.

Guaido and his generation are “the grandchildren of the dinosaurs of the fourth republic,” or governments prior to Chavez, said the powerful pro-Chavez politician Diosdado Cabello. He derided Guaido and other young politicians like him as “lackeys of the empire”, referring to the US. (afp)

Federico PARRA / AFP

Venezuela’s opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers of Venezuela (Fedeagro), in Caracas on February 6, 2019.

Friday, February 8, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN

Generation Guaido: a threat to Chavez-style power in Venezuela

Now, one of the more lowprofile leaders of that drive, Juan Guaido, is heading an offensive that is seen as having a decent chance to remove from power Chavez’s handpicked successor, the former bus driver Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido, the 35-year-old speaker of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president on January 23 during an opposition rally in Caracas, surprising many in Venezuela.

Since then Guaido has been recognized as interim president by more than 40 countries, led by the United States, and millions of Venezuelans have found in him hope for a way out of a grinding socio-economic crisis marked by shortages of food, medicine and even such basics as soap and toilet paper.

An industrial engineer by training, Guaido has reinvigorated Venezuela’s fragmented opposition and shaken up the world of politics in the oil rich country.

Back in 2007, Guaido stirred the opposition with other student leaders by leading, successfully, demonstrations against a constitutional reform that would have let Chavez seek re-election indefinitely. His defeat came in a referendum.

International

Johannes EISELE / AFP

This picture taken on February 1, 2019 in New York City shows two workers at The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog looking at a painting of Millie Bush, an English Springer Spaniel and former White House resident.

Dogs have their day at revived NY museum

NEW YORK - Dogs play cameo roles in some of the West’s most iconic paintings, yet man’s best friend has arguably gotten short shrift in the global museum hierarchy.

But a museum addition in Manhattan restores the animals to what canine afficionados will no doubt view as their rightful place at the center of the picture.

The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog, which opens Friday in midtown Manhattan, contains a smorgasbord of works of varying aesthetic ambition, along with interactive displays.

The museum’s opening has been timed to coincide with the start of Westminster Week, an annual mid-winter canine fest that attracts dogs and dog-lovers from around the world and culminates with the Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday night and the selection of “Best in Show” at Madison Square Garden.

The collection comprises more than 2,000 paintings, photos, sculptures and artifacts and includes a healthy supply of works that document what the ancestors of today’s pets looked like in the 19th century and earlier. These include

the skeleton of “Belgrade Joe,” a Fox Terrier that died in 1888 and is seen as a seminal figure in that breed’s evolution.

Some works are photograph-like depictions of breeds that will appeal to dog-showing professionals.

“They look at the painting as they would a show dog and they critique it that way -- by the anatomy, the way it’s built and so forth.

There’s nothing about how it was rendered or anything like that,” said Alan Fausel, the museum’s executive director, who specialized in canine art with private auction houses before being hired to lead the museum in 2018.

“The average person will be interested in things that have some action, some activity, some narrative content,” added Fausel, who wants the museum to satisfy both the show dog industry professional and the everyday visitor.

Paintings of dogs evolved from pre-Victorian depictions that emphasized carnal aggression, to 19th century portraiture to 20th century works that anthropomorphize the creatures once photography largely obviated more naturalistic works, according to Fausel. (afp)

JAKARTA - Indonesia`s prominent musician Ahmad Dhani will be transferred to Surabaya prison for another trial over another defamation charge, Ade Kusmayanto, spokesman of directorate general of correctional service of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, stated.

“That is right. It is planned for this morning,” Kusmayanto noted here, Wednesday.

Dhani was found guilty of tweeting a hate speech on his Twitter account and was awarded a 1.5-year prison term by the South Jakarta Court on Jan 28, this year.

Dhani had appealed to a higher court, but he was immediately imprisoned after the Jakarta Court trial.

On Wednesday, Dhani will be taken to Surabaya at the request of the Surabaya prosecutor`s office that has charged him for defamation against a certain group or mass organization over his statement on social media on August 26, 2018.

The Surabaya Court will hold the first trial against Dhani on Feb-

ruary 7, 2019.

The Surabaya prosecutor`s office charges Dhani for his statement on his Instagram account.

“These who are protesting, the protestors defend the ruler. It`s funny, funny. These, these are the idiots, protesting people who are not in power,” according to the video containing Dhani`s statement.

Dhani is a famous Indonesian rock musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He is the frontman of the Dewa 19 rock band, and also a member of the inter-continental band The Rock.

He has worked as a promoter and songwriter for other artists, including Maia Ahmad, Agnes Monica, Alexa Key, and Mulan Jameela. He has won numerous awards, including the IMA for best musical arrangement.

Currently, Dhani has joined the camp of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, the rival of incumbent Joko Widodo, in the presidential election to be held on April 17, 2019. (ant)

Patrolling intensified to curb terror attacks involving burning of cars

SEMARANG - Police have launched a large-scale patrol over the past few days to crack down on a recent string of terror attacks involving the burning of cars in and around Semarang, capital of Central Java Province.

Chief of the Central Java Provincial Police Inspector General Condro Kirono stated on Wednesday that the provincial police assigned some of its personnel to assist the large-scale patrol.

“Some 450 personnel from the provincial police are assigned to assist the Semarang city police,” he revealed.

Despite large-scale patrolling being launched, the number of personnel is far from sufficient in view of the province`s vast terri-

tory, he noted. “It is unlikely for the police to control every single inch and that the public`s selfsupporting efforts are needed,” he emphasized.

The recent string of terror attacks involving the burning of cars had no impact on the public, he stated.

Instead, the public has become more united to secure the environment, he noted.

The Semarang city police had intensified a raid on motorists, particularly motorcyclists, over the past few days.

Chief of the Semarang City Police Senior Commissioner Abiyoso Seno Aji stated that the raid was conducted to restrict the movement of terrorists. (ant)

11

ELECTION 2019

President Jokowi clarifies statement on Russian propaganda

IBP/ant

Jakarta (ANTARA News)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has clarified his statement on Russian propaganda, saying that he did not refer to Russia as a country.

“Yes, we did not talk about a country, yes,” President Jokowi said here, Tuesday evening.

The terminology of Russian propaganda was mentioned in an article issued by Rand Corporation, a US political consultant institute, in 2016, he said. The Russian propaganda means a technique of firehose of falsehood, according to Rand Corporation.

A firehose of falsehood, lies and hoaxes could affect and create uncertainty, Jokowi said.

The President said the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia are very sound. “I and President Putin have very very good relations,” Jokowi said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta has stressed that

Russia does not intervene in the Indonesian presidential election.

The embassy was responding to a statement by Jokowi in Solo, Central Java, on Sunday that the one using a foreign consultant in politics tended to not think of the impact on the people, one of them being through the theory of Russian propaganda.

On its official twitter account @RusEmbJakarta on Monday, the embassy said the term “Russian propaganda” was engineered in the United States in 2016 within the framework of the presidential election campaign.

According to the Russian government, the term was by no means based on reality.

“We underline that the prin-

cipal position of Russia is to not intervene in the internal affairs and electoral processes of other countries, including Indonesia, which is our close friend and important partner. -- Russian Embassy, IDN (@RusEmbJakarta) February 4, 2019,” the Russian embassy tweeted.

Airlangga Hartarto, chairman of the Golkar Party, later clarified that incumbent presidential candidate Jokowi did not accuse Russia of meddling in the Indonesian presidential election.

“The statement`s context is not inter-countries,” Hartarto stated here, Monday evening (Feb 4).

He added that one country indeed should not meddle in the political process of another nation.(ant)

12

International

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

BUSINESS

Bali News

Friday, February 8, 2019

5

Kori Ubud Art Space

Gateway into the spirit of Bali

Kori is the Balinese word for the split gates found outside many of this beautiful island’s temples. Passing through theses split gates we enter into a world where harmony reigns. Kori Ubud Resort was named for this concept, serving as a gateway into the harmonious world of Ubud where nature, art and culture support each other so graceful. The idea is to set the tone and provide visitors with a first-hand experience of harmony in Bali.

Kori Ubud was originally designed some 20 years ago with the idea of providing a maximum of greenspace to gently nestle the the low-key modern Balinese style architecture so that guests could experience the essence of Ubud’s lush greenery in comfort. Kori Ubud first became known for their fine dining served in their open-air restaurant and for the distinctly Balinese atmosphere of their grounds and are now ready to provide their guests with a firs- hand experience of the some of the staggering amount of artistic talent available on the island.

Art plays a central role in the religious customs of Balinese people all over the island, but it is the village of Ubud that transformed this traditional practice into the expansive artistic output that is now recognized around the world. It is in Ubud that the royal family, foreign and local artists and the tourism industry came together in a harmonious dance that was deeply transformative and tremendously beneficial to many people all over the island and indeed continues to bring peace to countless

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, women work in a lower-level space at The Riveter, a women-focused shared workspace facility in Seattle. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, issues its index of non-manufacturing activity for January.

US service firms grew at slower pace in January

WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies grew in January at the slowest pace in six months, amid concern over the impact of the partial government shutdown on the economy.

The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its service index fell to 56.7 percent last month, down from 58 percent in December. The January reading was the lowest since July 2018.

Any reading above 50 signals growth. So even with the January decline, the index shows that service industries, where most Americans work, has been expanding for 108 consecutive months. The ISM notes that executives of service companies

remain optimistic about overall business conditions.

The fall in the services index was led by a big drop in the component that tracks new orders. While the key business-activity index marked a much smaller decline than the new-orders gauge, the employment and prices indexes actually rose in January. Last Friday’s jobs report from the government showed that the economy added a sizable 304,000 jobs during the month.

The purchasing managers’ survey showed that 11 service industries reported growth in January. Seven

reported declines, led by retail trade, educational services, information, and agriculture and forestry.

Some survey respondents said they were focusing on holding out through the 35-day government shutdown, the longest federal closure in U.S. history, which ended Jan. 25. Others said they were working to address the impact on their business of the Trump administration’s stiff tariffs on Chinese imports.

“It’s a wait-and-see confidence situation,” said Anthony Nieves, the chair of ISM’s non-manufacturing

business survey committee.

At loggerheads with Democratic leaders and under pressure from conservative backers, President Donald Trump refused to sign a government funding bill that did not include money for his long-sought wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

He has insisted on $5.7 billion in funding. As the shutdown dragged on with hundreds of thousands of Americans missing paychecks, Trump ultimately agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow negotiations on border security to continue.

With the new Feb. 15 funding deadline looming, Trump has hinted at the possibility of declaring a

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars, owned by Chinese group Geely, said on Wednesday it was recalling 167,000 cars worldwide because of a problem with the power-operated tailgate.

The announcement came just two weeks after Volvo recalled

219,000 vehicles to fix potential fuel leaks in the engine compartment.

On Wednesday, the company informed XC60 customers who own 2018 and 2019 models that “a faulty component on cars equipped with power tailgate” could poten-

tially cause “personal injury”.

“In cold climate, the tailgate lifting arm may separate, causing noise or loss of function,” it said, stressing that it had not received any reports of “significant injuries”. “This is a preventive action to avoid any future issues,”

Volvo said.

Affected customers are to receive a letter instructing them to contact their dealer for a free repair.

Since Geely acquired the Swedish company from Ford in 2010, Volvo Cars has made a spectacular

national emergency to secure wall funding if Congress doesn’t act.

That has amplified concern over a possible second shutdown.

“If there’s another shutdown, that will definitely affect the psyche” of companies’ purchasing, Nieves said in a telephone interview.

Some economists view the decline in services activity as signaling that the economy will slow this year after a strong performance in 2018.

An ISM report last week showed that U.S. factories grew at a slightly faster pace in January than in December — when manufacturing marked the slowest pace in more than two years amid concern over the impact of Trump’s trade policies.

return to profits. It has now begun to focus on autonomous vehicles and those powered by electric or hybrid motors.

In 2017, when it posted record sales, it announced it would only launch electric or hybrid models as of 2019. (afp)

Volvo recalls 167,000 cars worldwide, second in weeks

people every year.

The bewildering amount of art that is created in Ubud today – both in the context of religious practices and beyond continues to be inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape, deeply symbolic traditional spiritual practices and the rich social interactions that take place in this hub of joy.

Kori Ubud manager Ide Bagus Wiradnyana (or Nyana as he is known), is sincerely dedicated to learning about history, philosophy and the current social changes taking place in Bali and is acutely aware of the important role that art plays in all these spheres. He clearly enjoys providing Kori Ubud guests with an experience of the distinct nature, culture, style and comfort of Ubud. Nyana IB understands that tourism is not simply a leisure activity, but rather a journey that people take to enhance their inner peace and well-being.

His understanding of the hugely impactful role that art has had and continues to have on shaping the visual, cultural and conceptual

landscapes of Ubud, Bali and indeed Indonesia, inspired Nyana to open Kori Ubud Art Space.

“Given the huge role that art plays in creating the soothing atmosphere that Ubud has become known for, I felt it was time for Kori Ubud to provide a space to showcase some of the amazingly talented artists we have here”, said Nyana recently.

“Kori Art Space is a place where the magical power of art to transcend boundaries, touch our hearts and enhance harmony can flourish with the same vibrancy as the surrounding jungle, a place where the spirit of Bali can find expression and be shared through beauty, harmony and togetherness in celebration of the nature-inspired art of this enchanted island”, he replied when asked what his vision for the new gallery space was.

On February 8th, 209 at 7pm Ubud Kori Art Space will officially open with an exhibition entitled ‘Highlights’ featuring paintings and sculptures by seven highly talented artists who each express something of the spirit of Bali in their works.(kmb)

Bedulu Develops Village Hall Tourism

Village Hall of Bedulu, Blahbatuh, Gianyar, usually used as activity center of local villagers is now taken advantage for tourist purposes. Tourists coming to the village hall can see and learn various activities related to Balinese customs.

This tourist attraction is operated in cooperation with one of the travel agencies in Bali to bring in dozens of foreign tourists to the village hall.

This activity is attended by tourists from various countries in Europe and Asia. They see directly people’s activities related to Balinese culture and customs. They are starting from learning to prepare Balinese food (mebat), make offerings (mejejahitan), plait bamboo platform (klakat), and play gamelan music (megambel). In the evening, Balinese arts such as dances are staged while enjoying a prepared dinner (mebat) of local residents as well as tourists.

To introduce the village environment, tourists are also invited to have village tour by visiting people’s homes to see in person the life of rural communities.

Moreover, there are some tourists choosing to stay at people’s homes in order to be able to mingle with local community.

“We have developed the concept of the village hall for community economic empowerment,” explained chief of Tengah customary village, I Ketut John, amid receiving tourists at local village hall on Monday (Oct. 8).

Besides, continued Ketut John, this activity is also to awaken the potential of Bedulu which had long been known as a tourism village. “The activities usually carried out at the village hall by residents will become an extraordinary attraction to tourists,” said Ketut John, who is also a tourism player.

Ketut John is optimistic the concept of village hall tourism will draw the interest of tourists, especially at Bedulu as supported by some other tourist attractions such as the Yeh Pulu, Goa Gajah, Samuan Tiga Temple and other historical and ancient heritages like sarcophagi remaining to be stored in one of the people’s home. Moreover, the pottery handicrafts formerly debuted in Bedulu are now being introduced and raised again. “This should not just be looked at in terms of commercial aspect, but how the tourism of Bedulu village can revive with the concept

of village hall,” added Ketut John.

Jessy, one of the visiting tourists, claimed to be happy to mingle with Bedulu residents while learning to cook Balinese cuisines, playing gamelan and

making offering or canang. “Hospitality of the population makes us happy and all come to see and learn directly about the customs that do not exist in our country.

This is what we want,” she said. (kmb)

4

Bali News

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Ahead of the 2019 election, Ngurah Rai Airport holds security training MANGUPURA — To enhance skills in the face of the Legislative and Presidential Election 2019, personnel of the Ngurah Rai Air Base were given briefing and security training. Located in the Oemar Dhani Multipurpose Room of Ngurah Rai Airport, on Monday (Feb. 4) was held debriefing and training attended by all Ngurah Rai Air Base personnel.

Commander of the Ngurah Rai Air Base, Wibowo Cahyono Soekadi, in his remarks when providing debriefing and electoral security training read by the Operations and Training Section Head, Verdian, confirmed that as professional soldiers, neutrality is a fixed price. In this case, the soldier is expected to

not side with anyone in the legislative and presidential election 2019.

Air Base Commander hoped that all soldiers will be professional and reliable in carrying out the tasks given to help the regional government and the national police in order to contribute to the success of the Legislative and Presidential

Elections 2019. It is said that one of the tasks of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in the military operations other than war (OPSM) is to provide assistance for regional government and national police (on request) in dealing with social unrest occurred.

In addition, it also safeguards the sovereignty of the Unitary State of

the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) from the threat of national disintegration and other threats that can disrupt the stability in regional security, said the Air Base Commander.

“Prioritize safety during the implementation of the exercise and carry out the exercises in accordance with the procedure so that later on the tasks can be carried out properly and safely as the expectations of the leader,” ordered the commander.

In the briefing and training, the personnel of Ngurah Rai Air Base

are provided with guidance and directions as well as procedures when dealing with problems and obstacles while in charge of carrying out the legislative and presidential elections’ security.

In the debriefing and training of the electoral security, the personnel of Ngurah Rai Air Base received the methods including Regional Operations Analysis, Human Rights, assignment of TNI to the National Police and Territorial Monitoring Ability. (kmb23)

Ngurah Rai Airport

Balingkang Kintamani Festival

Traffic diverted, quarry trucks banned from operating

BANGLI — Bangli-Singaraja traffic diverted for several hours on Wednesday (Feb. 6). The diversion is carried out in connection with the implementation of the Kintamani Balingkang Festival in the outermost courtyard of Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Batur customary village, Kintamani. For the smooth running of the festival attended by thousands of Chinese tourists, the quarry trucks are banned from operating from early hours.

Subdivision Head of Public Relations of Bangli Police, Sulhadi, stated on Tuesday (Feb. 5) that in connection with the implementation of the Balingkang Kintamani Festival, Bangli Police had prepared traffic diversion engineering.

As planned, the vehicles coming from Singaraja to Bangli, Gianyar and Denpasar are diverted to Tjunction of Public Health Center 1 Kintamani / Belancan village, turn

right at four-way intersection of Pludu, Bayung Gede village.

Meanwhile, the vehicles coming from Bangli, Gianyar, Klungkung and Karangasen heading for Kintamani or Singaraja, when arriving at three-way intersection of the Maharaja Restaurant are diverted to turn left. From the three-way intersection of Bayung Gede, they are then diverted to get to Pludu four-way intersection and directed to turn right to Gunung Kunyit three-way intersection and then turn left at the intersection of the three-way intersection of KUD or cooperative office. “The traffic diversion is implemented from 08:00 to 14:00,” said Sulhadi.

In addition to the traffic diversion, for the smooth running of the festival, quarry trucks are banned from operating in the Kintamani area. The truck prohibition began on Wednesday morning at 01:00.

During the festival, the Bangli Police appealed to the Batur community not to park along the road in front of the Ulun Danu Batur Temple to the Katung Junction.

“Vehicles of festival participants are directed to park at Tunon Parking Lot, Batur village, Kintamani,” said Sulhadi.

Meanwhile, to finalize the implementation of the Balingkang Kintamani Festival, on Monday (Feb. 4) a coordination meeting was held at the Bangli Tourism and Culture Office. In the meeting, it was revealed that Balingkang Kintamani Festival held for the first time in Bali would be attended by around 150 VIP guests and 1,500 Chinese tourists. Several personnel of Bangli police, the 1626/Bangli Military District Command, Transportation Agency and Municipal Police will be involved to secure the festival. (kmb40)

Friday, February 8, 2019

International

Abe strikes dovish tone on Russia at islands rally TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe struck a conciliatory tone with Russia at an annual rally Thursday to demand the return of small northern isles claimed by both nations.

The conservative leader did not explicitly demand sovereignty of the Southern Kuril islands, an emotive issue that has prevented the Asian economic power from signing an official peace treaty with Moscow since World War II. Instead, he vowed to focus on concluding an official peace treaty with Russia, after meeting President Vladimir Putin 25 times, most recently last month.

“It is not easy to resolve an issue that has remained unresolved for 73 years,” Abe told the rally in Tokyo, attended by hundreds of former islanders and their relatives.

“I am determined to take on the work to resolve the territorial issue by taking one step at a time with your earnest desire etched in my heart,” he said.

Abe speaks at the rally every year, but struck a relatively softer tone on Thursday.

Despite the row, Tokyo and Moscow already have vibrant economic relations, with the likes of Toyota and Japanese energy firms heavily invested in Russia, operating major factories and sales networks.

And in recent years, Abe and Putin have discussed joint economic projects on the disputed islands between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The Soviet army seized them in the last days of World War II, and Russia continues to control them.

Tokyo’s traditional refusal to recognise Moscow’s sovereignty there has been a barrier to a formal peace deal.

However, the two sides did sign a 1956 Soviet-Japanese declaration that Japan would receive two of the smaller islands after a peace deal.

Abe said the foreign ministers and special envoys from the two nations will meet this month to discuss a peace treaty, before he plans to meet with Putin again in June on the sidelines of a G20 summit that Japan will host.

The prime minister also said he would work with Moscow to enable former residents to visit their birth or ancestral places.

At the rally, Abe spoke in front of a large banner saying “Return the Four Northern Islands.” But he did not utter the phrase.

His focus on economic ties and delicate language on the sovereignty issue prompted some islanders to urge him to focus more on the subject, while others saw it as a realistic approach.

“We must not give up. We must demand the return of all four islands,” said Kimio Waki, 78, who left his home island of Kunashiri at the age of seven after World War II. “Joint economic projects are in focus. But there is no path forward as far as the return of the islands goes,” he told AFP. “I want to see results,” he said. (afp)

IBP/ant

Bangli-Singaraja traffic diverted for several hours on Wednesday (Feb. 6). The diversion is carried out in connection with the implementation of the Kintamani Balingkang Festival in the outermost courtyard of Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Batur customary village, Kintamani.

13

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP

Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

This picture taken on October 26, 2018 shows tourists posing for photographs at the ancient Hmong heritage palace in Dong Van district, northern Vietnam’s Ha Giang province.

The battle for Hmong heritage in Vietnam

VIETNAM - Vuong Duy Bao surveys his ancestral palace, a vestige of Vietnam’s marginalised Hmong ethnic minority that he says was taken from his family by local officials.

The wooden structure is laden with historic markers: opium flowers carved into pillars in a nod to the region’s once-booming trade, and an iron fence made with metal imported from former colonial ruler France.

Built in 1903 by Bao’s warlord grandfather with his opium fortune, the retired civil servant claims local authorities took possession of the property in the northern Ha Giang province from his family and are now refusing to return it.

“Hmong people all over the world acknowledge this as (our) family home... so we can’t lose it,” he told AFP from the building, which authorities run as a museum.

Both sides agree it is an architectural treasure since the historically nomadic Hmong rarely stayed long enough in one place to build anything lasting. Bao had been living in Hanoi, but on return to the family home, he discovered local authorities had taken ownership of the palace and rejected his claim to it because he could not provide deeds.

He branded the request “absurd” and said official documents did not exist when the property was built but his family’s connection to it was set out in history books about the local area and even in pictures of it displayed in the museum.

Many Hmong fear the govern-

ment is simply commandeering their culture to boost tourism dollars.

For Bao, his battle for repossession goes beyond the personal.

He believes Hmong heritage belongs in the hands of Hmong people, a tightknit minority originally from China who proudly cling to customs wherever they settle, from California to Minnesota, Laos and Thailand.

- ‘Community spirit’ In Vietnam, they have been largely excluded from the economic growth of the past decade, and more than 60 percent of the country’s one million Hmong live below the poverty line.

The ethnic group have long been at odds with the central government -- stemming in part from the CIA recruitment of anti-communist Laotian Hmong during the Vietnam War -- which for decades has imposed a series of resettlement, development and assimilation campaigns that have mostly failed.

“More than any other ethnic minority in Vietnam the Hmong have been marginalised by programs that purport to develop them,” writes anthropologist Ngo Tam in her 2016 book “The New Way: Protestantism and the Hmong in Vietnam.”

Ha Giang authorities are touting tourism as the best way to lift the Hmong out of gruelling poverty, and

the province has said in its master plan it wants the area to be a “key attraction” for visitors by 2030.

Officials have opened a series of ‘traditional cultural villages’ where visitors can peek into old-school wooden houses or take photos of themselves carrying a bamboo basket, a common vessel for Hmong farmers ferrying flowers or grass from the field.

Local Hmong are encouraged to wear traditional hemp clothing and build traditional houses, and have been asked to shorten funeral and wedding ceremonies, days-long, booze-soaked affairs that are among the most sacred of Hmong rituals.

“Sometimes authorities try to impose their ideas on people forcibly, but we resist by refusing to follow,” Vang My Sinh, a Hmong man in Ha Giang, told AFP. “We’ve always had strong community spirit, we build things together and preserve things together.

Nothing can break us,” he said.

That community spirit has proven powerful. Troops were sent to quell a massive Hmong protest in 2011, in which some called for independence.

More recently, Hmong in Vietnam have turned to organised religion and embraced Protestantism, which makes the communist government nervous. (afp)

14

Friday, February 8, 2019

Fashion

International

Why Rihanna’s new fashion line makes her the ultimate influencer

Bali News

International

Chinese New Year

Chinese descendants in Pupuan perform Lion Dance

TABANAN - Celebration of Chinese New Year is synonymous with Lion Dance.

This year’s Lion Dance performance was also held by Chinese people at the village of Pupuan on Tuesday (Feb. 5). After praying, they witnessed the performance of Lion Dance at the T-junction of Pupuan village.

Moreover, the performance of Lion Dance was also attended by the Hindus.

AS well as being a multi-platinum selling singer with 14 number ones, a budding actress and a modern-day style icon – who can forget the Met Gala when she came dressed as the Pope? – Rihanna is a savvy entrepreneur. She’s the creator of the astonishingly successful make-up line, Fenty Beauty, and the lingerie brand, Savage x Fenty. Conclusion: she’s the ultimate multi-hyphenate. Now, she’s adding another career to her already bulging CV, that of creative director of her own fashion brand. According to WWD, Rihanna is in talks with LVMH, the luxury conglomerate which owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy, over a deal reportedly worth $10 million.

The brand — expected to take the name Fenty, which is the Bajan singer’s surname — will be the first the French conglomerate has created since Christian Lacroix in 1987. (Lacroix was later sold, in 2005.) Due to the huge costs involved in setting up a new brand, conglomerates like LVMH instead prefer to buy or invest in smaller fashion houses and rapidly expand them.

So why has it taken a punt on Rihanna – a superstar, albeit one with no formal design training?

Established designer names within the LVMH portfolio have reportedly expressed interests in having their own brand but such wishes have not yet materialised, which only adds to the intrigue. Meanwhile, unemployed designers such as Alber Elbaz and Peter Copping are without a house to helm.

But Rihanna is no risky investment for LVMH. A celebrity in no need of a surname, Rihanna — with over 67 million Instagram followers — is a global household name, more instantly recognisable than any heritage fashion label. That most eightyear-olds will know at least one of her songs is especially relevant — the eight-year-olds of today will become tomorrow’s luxury consumers. Where luxury brands are struggling to find relevance among a younger, less label-loyal audience, Rihanna guarantees it.

LVMH became aware of her unique selling power in 2017 when Fenty Beauty (owned by LVMH’s beauty incubator Kendo) launched. Amongst a circus of media appearances in London and New York to promote the line, Rihanna ensured $72 million of product flew off the shelves with-

in a month of launch. A walking, talking, self-promoting advertising campaign, Rihanna’s fans are 3.7 times more likely to buy her products than those of other celebrities, according to research conducted by marketing consultancy firm NPD in 2016. No doubt LVMH chiefs will be hoping she sprinkles her Midas touch over her fashion label — and group revenues, which totalled €42.6 billion in 2017.

Rihanna’s appeal lies in the fact that it is universal. Her inclusive attitude towards both size and skin tone have won her an army of new female fans: Fenty Beauty launched with over 40 shades of foundation, the most extensive offering ever, prompting widespread discussions about the lack of diversity in the industry. It was a similar story with Savage X Fenty, which was unveiled during New York Fashion Week on a varied cast of real women. Central to the lingerie line is its offering of multiple shades of “nude” — and sizes go up to XXXL. (net)

3

Friday, February 8, 2019

First transgender designer shows at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK - Los Angeles designer Pierre Davis made her debut in New York this week, becoming the first openly transgender creator to present a collection at Fashion Week, further shaking up an event that had already featured trans models.

The powerful Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which says it represents more than 500 creators and has made diversity its battle cry, announced last month that Davis’s No Sesso brand would be “making NYFW history” at Monday’s event, which opened with a parade of whimsical garments.

Fashion Week began with a focus on men and will turn to women’s wear on Thursday.

Davis told CFDA that she hopes the brand “will inspire people to be more community-minded and to realize not everything is just about aesthetics or commerce. It’s also about humanity.”

She added it is important “that people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. The playing field isn’t level in the world, and it is even more difficult in fashion.”

While she embraces her identity as a trans woman in the design field, Davis doesn’t want it to be a gimmick, telling AFP it’s important for people to see the creations and for them to be recognized.

“I just want to show the work,” she said of the agender brand No Sesso, which was launched in 2015 and -- according to CFDA -- counts fans including R&B artists Kelela

and Erykah Badu.

“I am just humble and happy that I got to show at Fashion Week,” Davis said.

For her Chapter 2 collection -- she calls them “chapters” rather than seasons -- Davis came up with the idea of a wardrobe that blends the sartorial codes associated with the two sexes.

Plain black vests became skirts, cocktail dresses were transformed, and worn with self-assurance by models whose diversity -- male or female, slender or plus-size -reflected Fashion Week’s growing efforts to look beyond the conventional razor-thin body type.

The wardrobe mixed the formalism of work attire with sportswear, producing a jogging jacket with epaulettes, for example.

Davis emphasizes that the label is “very much an LA brand,” adding: “We’re super-fun and easy to be around.”

“The show is inspired by business wear and evoking the spirit of the Glamazon regardless of gender,” Davis told CFDA. It’s about making things happen even “when there seems to be no way.”

For several years, trans models have regularly appeared at New York Fashion Week, and in September 2017 Calvin Klein featured a 16-year-old trans model.

Last September Marco Marco, another Los Angeles designer, went further with a podium exclusively showing trans models.

Now, with her first New York show, Davis says everybody “can see No Sesso and the world we’re creating.” (afp)

This year’s Lion Dance performance was also held by Chinese people at the village of Pupuan.

IBP/kmb28

Headman of Pupuan, I Gede Suana, when asked for his confirmation stated the performance of Lion Dance (Barongsai) at the T-junction of Pupuan village is a regular activity for every celebration of Chinese New Year. The activity is carried out

by Confucians after carrying out worship at the Dharma Giri Temple at Pupuan village. “There are two Lion Dances entertaining the Chinese New Year’s celebration,” he said.

The Lion Dance performance itself started from 09:00 through 11:00. A number of residents even seemed enthusiastic to witness the performance having full of tolerance values. Other than by Confucians, the Lion Dance performance was also presented by the Hindus. “After dancing at the village’s T-junction, the Lion Dance went around the alley of residents’ houses near the Chinese temple,” he explained.

More interestingly, there is a regular tradition of distributing red envelope by Confucian people to the barongsai dancers. Of course, it really added to the excitement of the audience watching the cultural performance.

Suana added that Confucian people in the Pupuan village area are estimated to approximately amount to 30 families. Every Lunar New Year’s celebration, they also do ngejot or present food gift tradition to the Hindus, Muslims and Christians commonly carried out before the Chinese New Year. “Chinese New Year’s celebration is also the same at Mengesta village, where they usually share food and snacks, just like the Hindus when they celebrate Galungan,” he said. (kmb28)

Ahead of Usaba Dodol, Duda village holds a fire war tradition

AMLAPURA - The fire war or perang siat api was carried out at Duda customary village, Selat, Karangasem, on Monday (Feb. 4).

Implementation of the tradition is a series of Usaba Dodol ceremony which will begin on Thursday (Feb. 7).

Preparations for the fire war begin with a joint prayer at Puseh Temple, Duda customary village.

From Puseh Temple, the fire war participants moves towards the Tukad Sangsang Bridge. The team is divided into two groups, where each wears checkered sarong without clothes. To distinguish one team from another, they put on red headdress while the other puts on white one.

Around 18:00, the procession of

the fire war itself begins. Baleganjur gamelan music accompaniment makes the procession more vibrant.

Sparks burst after being beaten with prakpak made from dried coconut leaves containing fire.

Apparently, there is no pain after getting exposed to embers. They kept shouting and mutually attacking happily. This fire war involved male residents of Duda customary village. And this tradition is carried out in Tukad Sungsang (Sungsang Bridge), the border of East Duda village with Duda village.

Chief of Duda customary village, Jro Komang Sujana, said the fire war held once a year coincides with the petabuhan ritual, namely a ritual to neutralize bhuta kala related in a series with the Aci

Usaba Dodol held at Dalem Temple and the Tawur Gentuh exorcism rite at Puseh Temple, on Thursday (Feb. 7). “The fire war becomes the peak of ritual by burning keplugkeplugan (made of bamboo) carried out in each of the people’s house compound,” he said.

Sujana added the fire war is a hereditary tradition inherited from local ancestors. The tradition had been stopped after Mount Agung erupted in 1965, but since the past three years this noble tradition has been revived because many people are worried if the tradition is never carried out.

“This tradition means to neutralize bhuta kala or evil spirit for the sake of balance of the universe,” added Sujana. (kmb41)

IBP/kmb41

The fire war or perang siat api was carried out at Duda customary village, Selat, Karangasem.

2

Friday, February 8, 2019

Bali News

International

BANGLI - The Balingkang Kintamani Festival held in the outermost courtyard of the Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Kintamani, on Wednesday (Feb. 6) took place vibrantly. The festival featuring a parade and fragmentary show on legendary romance of King Jaya Pangus and a daughter from China, Kang Cing Wie, successfully drew the attention of thousands of Chinese tourists and other foreign tourists visiting Kintamani.

The festival held for approximately two hours involved five hundreds of participants. It was opened

by Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, marked with the lifting of lanterns. Such an event was also attended by Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, representative of the Ministry of Tourism, FKPD Bali, regents and mayor throughout Bali, and officials in the Bangli district government.

Bali Governor, Wayan Koster, said the Balingkang Kintamani Festival is held to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Organization of this cultural festival is based on the idea of the Chinese Consul General in Bali.

He said that so far Bali has very unique customs, traditions and cultures. One of the enriching cultural elements of Bali is the Balinese-Chinese cultural acculturation. This acculturation probably started from the romantic interaction of Jayapangus and Kang Cing Wie. Such Balinese-Chinese acculturation is indicated by the findings of remains in a number of holy places

in Bali, such as in Ulun Danu Batur and Balingkang Temples. “Probably, the very strong culture of trading at Batur comes from China. This is a positive cultural interaction building the economy of Balinese people, especially in Bangli district,” he explained.

In front of Chinese tourists, Koster also introduced the beautiful Bangli’s nature. Bangli has mountain, lake and ancient villages with a unique culture. Similarly, Bangli has a world-renowned UNESCO Batur Geopark. “Therefore, Chinese tourists and its consul often visit Bangli to see the beautiful culture. When traveling to Bali, bring much money so as to be able to shop and help the economy of Balinese people,” said Koster applauded by tourists.

In his speech, Koster also introduced the famous Bangli agricultural products such as tangerine and coffee. Moreover, the name of Kintamani Coffee, said Koster, is already famous in the world. “In Bangli, there are also famous animals. The only one in Bali is the Kintamani dog and can only be found in Kintamani, so we will protect it. The Kintamani dog festival will be held next year to preserve it,” he said.

Koster delivered that Balingkang Kintamani Festival will be organized every year. “This festival is done suddenly. Next year, we will carry out better with the full budget from the Bali provincial government. The Ministry of Tourism must also support it because the potential of Chinese tourists is enormous. Last year, for instance, the tourist visit reached 1.3 million people.

Hopefully, the next visit can reach 2 million this year,” said Koster. (kmb40)

IBP/Dayu Rina

Friday, February 8, 2019

Dine Under The Stars at Manarai Beach House

Involving five hundred participants

Balingkang Kintamani Festival takes place vibrantly

Activities

International

IBP/file

Poverty in Buleleng happens due to accessibility factor

SINGARAJA - Buleleng district with the largest area and population in Bali province is undeniably having poverty problem.

Moreover, the topography of hilly region and bordering with the sea is suspected to be the cause of poverty in North Bali. Besides, the accessibility issues still need to be improved, so that poverty in Buleleng is now number five from the nine districts and municipality in Bali. On the other hand, accurate data regarding the number of poor people still need to be further updated. Discrepancy still happens between the data of Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the data issued by the regional government.

Regent of Buleleng, Putu Agus Suradnyana (PAS), stated although the data still needed updating, but the number of poverty in North Bali is ranked fifth in Bali. The cause of poverty is dominated by accessibility because of the “nyegara gunung” or the topography bordering with sea and mountain. Nevertheless, in the future, his government is optimistic the poverty can be suppressed. It is possible due to the distribution of development between South Bali and North Bali that will be overcome by infrastructure development policies starting from the construction of shortcut and international airport. “The data need to be updated again and our policy is to re-map. As a result, we will have accurate data, so that poverty reduction will be more optimal,” he explained.

According to the regent, all this time the poverty alleviation strategy has been carried out. For example, the Hope Family Program (PKH) is a poverty alleviation program through central govern-

ment policies. In his region, this program has given tangible results.

PKH is meant to alleviate poverty both in urban and rural areas. With PKH funds, the trigger of poverty is overcome by preparing education funds and family living expenses, as well as access to health services.

“By doing so, the nation’s children can get education according to their rights, so that they cut off the trigger of poverty,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Buleleng Social Service, Gede Sandhiyasa, said that according to the Integrated Data Base (BDT) of Buleleng as of December 2018, there were 37,215 Beneficiary Families (KPM). Thousands of those residents spread throughout the entire village of Buleleng. To handle the poor, the government routinely disburses rice assistance (Rastra) where each gets 10 kilograms.

For poverty alleviation through PKH in 2018, Buleleng received additional quota of 10,146. Previously, there were 16,574 recipients of PKH, so as of the end of December 2018 the total PKH in Buleleng increased to 26,720 KPM. Each KPM having the right to get PKH is based on some components, namely pregnant women, having toddlers, school children, severe disabilities and the elderly over 60 years. Each component of this PKM has a different amount, so the PKH funds received are different depending on the components fulfilled.

“PKH and rice assistance are the rolling out poverty alleviation strategies, while the other strategies both funded by the regional budget and the provincial government of Bali are also being carried out intensively,” he said. (kmb38)

 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Gugiek Savindra  Editors:Agus Toni, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Sueca, Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra.

Bangli: Swasrina, Buleleng: Mudiarta, Gianyar: Manik Astajaya, Karangasem: Eka Parananda, Klungkung: Bagiarta. 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

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Friday, February 8, 2019

Singer Pink honored with Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Friday, February 8, 2019

LOS ANGELES - Pop singer Pink was honored on Tuesday with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, telling fans gathered for the event that it was “surreal” to receive the award.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for THR/AFP

Beto O’Rourke speaks onstage during Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations at PlayStation Theater on February 05, 2019 in New York City.

Beto O’Rourke, on Oprah’s big stage, mulls White House bid

NEW YORK - Texas Democratic star Beto O’Rourke hinted Tuesday that he will run for president in 2020, telling talk show queen Oprah Winfrey he will announce his decision in the coming weeks.

He acknowledged that he had been considering a run at the White House during a taping for Winfrey’s “SuperSoul Conversations” series set to air next week.

Asked whether he has set a personal decision deadline, the former congressman said: “The serious answer is really soon, before the end of this month.”

O’Rourke has laid low recently, but used Oprah’s massive stage to re-emerge onto the political landscape as he considers a run for president.

“I’m in that process of thinking this through, talking to (his wife) Amy, listening to good friends and then hearing what you all have to say right now,” he added, according to the Texas Tribune.

The 46-year-old would be entering a sprawling Democratic field that is expanding even one year before the first votes in the nominating process are cast.

Multiple senators are already in, including Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker, while other heavy hitters like former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders are mulling runs.

O’Rourke became a political sensation last year when he nearly ousted Texas Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in their fierce Senate battle.

Beto ran an unconventional campaign, espousing progressive positions on immigration and health care, while traveling to every county in ruby red Texas in a bid to heal political divisions.

The campaign was time-consuming, and he signaled he has felt disconnected from family.

“My family hasn’t seen me,” he said. “I haven’t been there for them.”

His disappointment about his narrow defeat has been on display over the past month. He embarked on a low-key road trip and blogged about the experience, writing on January 16 that he has been “in and out of a funk.” (afp)

“I feel like I’m dreaming and if anyone pinches me, I’m gonna punch them in the left eyebrow,” the Grammy-nominated singer said at the ceremony, surrounded by her husband and two children.

“I feel like a lot of people probably only thought I would make it to the walk of shame, but here I am,” the 39-yearold singer-songwriter added.

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, reflected on her beginnings in the music industry, paying tribute to her father who, she said, encour-

aged her to pursue her dreams.

“Today for me is a celebration of something that my dad taught me and that is -- to thine own self be true,” she said.

“There is a power in believing in yourself, there is a power in not giving up on life and not giving up on yourself,” she added.

Pink has received 2 0

Grammy nominations and three wins over her career. On Sunday, she will be vying for another Grammy for best pop vocal album for “Beautiful Trauma.” Since her debut in 2000, she has released seven studio albums and has sold more than 50 million records.

Ellen DeGeneres, who spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony and who uses a Pink song for her daytime talk show, described the singer as “a badass rock star” and a person who has remained true to herself.

“Even though she is a huge international star, she is the most normal grounded person that you will ever meet,” DeGeneres said. Pink got her start in the music business as a member of the girl group Choice and her career took off after that. (afp)

UNGKE PEPOTOH / AFP

This picture taken at Pehe port on Siau island, Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province shows Karangetang volcano spewing smoke on February 7, 2019. Karangetang volcano has been active and forced dozens of people to evacuate on February 4.

Indonesia volcano erupts with huge gas cloud

Thousands of people were forced to flee after the Mount Karangetang volcano, on the Siau Island in the North Sulawesi province, started spitting clouds filled with lava and gas. The eruption was recorded by Yulia Tatipang, head of the Karangetang volcano observation post.

He said there was no reports of injuries or any serious damage.

Holidaymakers may have to pay to visit this popular tropical island The falling ash and sulphur also blanketed many villages surrounding the slopes.

Mr Tatipang warned people to stay at least 3km away from the crater, as the alert level of the volcano is still at the secondhighest level.

Karangetang’s last massive eruption was in 2011, which killed four people.

Is Bali safe?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is still advising people not to travel within four kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali, which

has been erupting continuously since 2017.

The huge volcano blew two years ago, following a huge eruption which sent ash spewing into the sky.

This eruption caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled, leaving more than 120,000 people stranded.

The FCO is also warning tour-

ists and residents to stay at least seven kilometres away from the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra.

This major eruption shot ash and rock more than 5,000m (16,400ft) into the sky in February last year. Why does Indonesia get so many volcano eruptions?

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a horseshoe shaped ring of volcanoes and fault lines.

Some of the world’s most ac-

tive volcanoes lie along the ring, in countries such as Chile and Japan. At least 129 volcanoes are active in Indonesia, including the Karangetang volcano.(ap) 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.