Edisi 09 Februari 2016 | International Bali Post

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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Inarritu wins DGA award for “The Revenant,” stoking its Oscar hopes

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood’s directors named Alejandro Inarritu the best film director of 2015 for “The Revenant” at a gala ceremony on Saturday, helping focus the race for the Oscars.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA), the leading industry group representing film and television directors, also chose Matthew Heineman as the best documentary maker for “Cartel Land.”

Past DGA feature film award winners have often gone on to claim the best director Oscar and see their films win best picture from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It was Inarritu’s second consecutive DGA win after taking home the prize last year for “Birdman,” for which he also won the best director Oscar. That film also took home the best picture Academy Award.

So far this year industry awards from the Screen Actors Guild, the Producers Guild and now the DGA have gone to different films, with ac-

tors choosing “Spotlight” and producers honoring “The Big Short.”

Heading into the DGAs, Oscar watchers had narrowed this year’s race to Inarritu’s dark drama, which stars Oscar favorite Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom McCarthy’s journalism tale “Spotlight” and financial farce “The Big Short.”

The Oscars will be handed out in Hollywood on Feb. 28 in a starstudded television show viewed around the world which is one of the most-watched TV programs in the United States.

But Oscar buzz, which is typically the focus of Hollywood’s awards season, has been overshadowed since January by claims of a lack of racial diversity in Academy Award voting after no actors of color were

nominated in key acting and directing categories for a second straight year.

The controversy led to a revival of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter, as well as calls for an Oscar boycott by the likes of director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith.

Following its January nominations, the Academy unveiled changes to membership rules that are meant to bring greater diversity, but the cloud of racial bias in Hollywood has continued to dominate awards talk.

DGA president Paris Barclay noted the controversy in his opening remarks, saying the DGA had long championed “the important fight for equal opportunity.”

In addition to film directors, the DGA also handed out television honors. Chris Addison won for best TV comedy direction for “Veep,” while David Nutter won the award for TV drama series for “Game of Thrones.” (rtr)

WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 North Korea rocket launch may spur U.S. missile defense buildup in Asia Page 6

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

Barcelona ties all-time club record of 28 games without loss Page 8

Not Published We, The International Bali Post will not be published on Wednesday and Thursday, February 10 and 11 due to Galungan Day.

Reclamation of Benoa Bay

Ignore sustainable tourism

REUTERS/Phil McCarten

Alejandro G. Inarritu (C) accepts the Feature Film award from DGA President Paris Barclay (L) and director Tom Hooper (R) during the 68th annual DGA Awards in Los Angeles February 6, 2016.

Beyonce, Bruno Mars heat up Coldplay’s Super Bowl halftime show SANTA CLARA - Coldplay headlined at Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show, but it was R&B super stars Beyonce and Bruno

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Recording artist Beyonce, Coldplay singer Chris Martin and recording artist Bruno Mars perform during halftime in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium.

Mars who delivered the sizzle with a lively, upbeat production that paid homage to previous halftime performers.

Known mainly for mellow hits, British altrockers Coldplay amped up the energy, staging “Viva La Vida” on a colorfully illuminated floor surrounded by dancing violinists. After Coldplay crowd-pleasers “Paradise” and “Adventure of a Lifetime,” a black-leather-clad Mars, who headlined the halftime show in 2014, bounced through “Uptown Funk!,” with producer Mark Ronson on DJ decks on stage.

But all eyes were on Beyonce, who gyrated her way through her latest single “Formation” - a power anthem to race and feminism that made a surprise debut on Saturday. The music video features powerful images of a flooded New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also depicts graffiti that reads “stop shooting us,” suggestive of the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged in the wake of killings of unarmed black men, several at

Thank You

the hands of police.

Prior to the game, some fans speculated on social media that Beyonce would deliver a politically charged performance.

But, partnered with Mars on the football field, the tone of the performance was lighter than the video. They subtly conveyed the themes of “Formation” with female dancers dressed in black shorts, crop tops and berets, in what was perceived as an homage to the black nationalist Black Panther Party movement of the 1960s and 70s.

Cedric Betts of Millbrae, California, who saw the performance live at the game, said Beyonce’s message was clear. “As black people we have to embrace these moments because it’s not often we get them,” he said.

An ad immediately following the show announced Beyonce’s “Formation” world tour beginning in April, her first major tour in three years.

Before wrapping up one of the signature

moments of America’s biggest sporting event, Beyonce and Mars joined Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for a quick re-visit to “Uptown Funk!,” ending on Coldplay’s uplifting ballad “Fix You.” Images honored past halftime performers including Stevie Wonder, Black Eyed Peas and the late Michael Jackson, whose military-style wardrobe inspired Beyonce’s costume Sunday. Even for music’s biggest stars, the Super Bowl halftime show is the largest stage of their careers, drawing more than 100 million viewers to the live event and lighting up social media.

This year’s halftime show garnered a total of 3.9 million tweets. Beyonce dominated the conversation on social media during the halftime performance, with 1.3 million tweets about the singer according to figures from Twitter. Coldplay followed with 774,000 tweets, while Mars garnered 341,000 tweets.

The most-tweeted song was “Formation.” (rtr)

AP Photo/Trisnadi

Indonesian men of Chinese descent pray at a flooded temple following a heavy rain during the Lunar New Year’s eve in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. The Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 8 this year marks the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese calendar.

Indonesia hopes to attract two million Chinese tourists in 2019

DENPASAR - The tourism ministry hopes to receive two million Chinese tourists in 2019, an official said. “For 2016, we set a target of attracting 1.7 million Chinese tourists, and two million in 2019,” Hari Untoro Dradjat, expert staff of the tourism ministry, said here, Sunday evening.

Some 12 million Chinese travel to Asia and the Pacific region a year, and Indonesia hopes to lure two million of them, he stated when greeting some 400 Chinese visitors during an “Imlek” (Lunar New Year) Festival in Bali.

“They want to celebrate Imlek in a warm region because its now winter in their country.

Bali and Indonesia in general are among their choices,” he added.

The tourism ministrys official presented six thousand special gifts as souvenirs to the Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year in Bali.

This year, more than one thousand Chinese, mostly from Beijing and Heilonggijang Province, celebrate their new year, that falls on February 8, in Bali.

During February alone, Indonesia hopes to receive at least 200 thousand Chinese visitors. A Chinese tourist spends an average of US$1,200 per visit. Thailand manages to attract eight million Chinese tourists a year.

“If they like Thailand, they must like Indonesia, too, particularly Bali. We have to be able to defeat our neighboring country,” he said.

Indonesia hopes to lure 12 million foreign tourists, particularly from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia and Japan, this year.

The number of Chinese tourists who visited Indonesia in 2014 was 959,231. It increased by 18.77 percent to 1,139,281 in 2015.

Bali recorded a total of 4.001 million foreign tourist arrivals during 2015, up 6.24 percent from 3.76 million recorded in the previous year.

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.

Currently tourism around the world is referring to sustainable tourism development.

This means that tourism still preserves cultural tourism and the environment and makes local people the host of their own region. However, in Bali there will the Benoa Bay reclamation project that is clearly contrary to the concept of sustainable tourism.

“Tourism in Bali, especially in Badung, has been oversupply with 94,000 hotel rooms. Regional occupancy only reaches 50 percent, and another half is still empty, while the reclamation plans to construct tourist accommodation reaching 150,000 rooms. In my opinion, it does not make sense,” said Chairman of the Bali Tourism Community Alliance (AMPB), Gusti Kade Sutawa, in the press conference of the Balinese Figures and Society Alliance (AMTB) at Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar, Thursday (Feb. 4).

Sutawa added that tariff war will become increasingly severe, not to mention the promised employment of 200,000 people will have social impacts such as congestion and crimes. Moreover, the reclamation at the bay area does not respect the mandate and bhisama (stipulation) of the ancestors saying that river, bay, sea, mountains and forests belong to sacred area. Investors should understand that they may not build in those places haphazardly.

“Reclamation is not necessary. The leaders of Bali, parliament, sulinggih (high priests) should have the same vision for the continuation of Bali, so that do not only think pragmatically in terms of the current need,” he added.

A tourism figure of Bali, Mangku Wayan Suteja, said that Bali actually has differentiation that is not owned by other regions. On that account, the sustainability of nature, culture, and human character of Bali are very important to be maintained. These elements are even attracting travelers to come, not because of landmarks, such as hotels or villas.

Continues on page 2 Reclamation

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International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

COVER STORY Reclamation ...

From page 1

“I have an idea whether the government can make a company where the investors are the people of Bali. For example, it builds a company and goes public and the shares are then purchased by Balinese people, so that it is then owned by Balinese people. It can be made through the establishment of a large company such as hotels or hospitals, where the Balinese residents serve a shareholder,” he said.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesia Tour and Travel Agency (ASITA) Bali, Ketut Ardana, asserted that Bali is a living museum so that it may no longer be tossed by other things like reclamation. In other words, it is the uniqueness making Bali well known to the entire world.

That is why the Indonesia Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) Bali made a black and white on the rejection against the Benoa Bay reclamation three years ago.

“Tourists come here because of daily activities of Balinese people, how they live the life from getting up in the morning until they go back to sleep are becoming the main attraction,” he said.

A member of the Love Bali Forum, Nyoman Suma Artha, added that Bali has strong branding as a unique island along with its culture that is second to none in the world. The reclamation will even shift the branding of cultural tourism to mass tourism that will not be sustainable culturally, environmentally and in terms of human civilization.

“In any industry, one thing that must be considered is improving the quality of life of local communities, not even shifting the local community with the advent of capitalism that does not have a conscience. This should be considered by policy holders,” he said.

Suma Artha admitted to be concerned because the reclamation will not only change the branding but even eliminate the Bali tourism.

Besides, it can trigger horizontal conflict considering Balinese people have vivacity of doing thing all out. Moreover, so far there have been 18 customary villages having declared their rejection against the reclamation. However, the leaders, people’s representatives as well as investors remained silent and tend to continue the project by backfilling the bay.

“If it is forced, we are scared the

customary communities currently rejecting reach their limit of emotion so that it can result in horizontal

conflict. This will confront the community with the community. One thing needs remembering is that if tourism

of a region has gone bankrupt, it will never get recovered again,” he said. (kmb32)

IBP/File

Water sport in Tanjung Benoa is one of the tourism attarction in the area. If the reclamation plan is done then the water sport will be gone.

Threatening tourist arrivals to Bali

Moreover, a survey emerged previously stating that 60 percent of travelers today tend to get interested in

artificial tourism. In other words, now only remaining 40 percent of travelers choose nature tourism.

IBP/Net

Lake Toba, one of the tourism destination promoted by the government. It is very good to spread the tourists but threatening tourist arrivals to Bali.

“In 2016, central government will build 10 tourism destination facilities beyond Bali and in the next 4-5 years central government will build 10 new Bali-like destinations to meet the target of tourist arrivals to Indonesia. This condition will surely become a tough challenge for Bali in the future,” said a member of the PDI-P Faction, IGA Diah Werdhi Srikandi, when reading the perspective of her faction in the plenary session of the Bali House of Representatives recently.

Diah added the measure of central government is worried by the PDI-P Faction. On the one hand, travelers visiting Indonesia will be increased according to the expectations of the government. Likewise, revenues from tourism sector as part of the cultural industries will also be likely to exceed the oil, gas, mining and coal.

“But travelers visiting Bali will slowly decline, at least their average length of stay in Bali will diminish,” she explained. On the other hand,

continued Diah, Bali administration has been for more than two decades working to make primary sector or agriculture in broad sense contribute more to the economy of Bali.

However, so far the contribution of primary sector does not move from the range of 16 percent. Tertiary sector driven by tourism is always dominantly contributing over 65 percent.

“It is time for the entire people of Bali, in this case the provincial government as well as district government and municipality in Bali, to think together and take important steps forward for the progress of tourism in Bali,” she continued.

Governor of Bali, Made Mangku Pastika, said that when the 10 Bali-like destinations are realized, Bali will be number eleven. According to him, it is not easy to face this challenge unless Bali helps create new tourist destinations. Moreover, 60 percent of travelers are now interested in artificial

tourism. So far, Bali has relied more on natural and cultural tourism. “It (cultural and natural tourism—Ed) even becomes a problem later on because if we look at market trends, we might lose travelers,” he said.

He continued that creation of new destinations in Bali is also meant to avoid the migration of local labor to outside Bali considering that the Balinese are typical of people that are hard to move. “So, do not let me later on be accused of asking Balinese people to move out of Bali and ask other people to come to Bali, I do not mean so. Inevitably, our tourist destinations are those very same things as we find today. They will be unable to accommodate our workforce,” he explained.

In the meantime, the top ten tourist destinations to be developed include the Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, Bromo-TenggerSemeru, Seribu Islands, Wakatobi, Tanjung Lesung, Morotai and Tanjung Kelayang. (kmb32)

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

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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Experience The Chinese New Year at Harris Hotel and Coventions Kelapa Gading

Jakarta – Nothing beats the feeling of gathering with family members from distant places during Chinese New Year and HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading welcomes everyone for the sumptuous Gong Xi Fa Cai Buffet Dinner at HARRIS Cafe.

Featuring a wide variety of buffet stations including some season specialties such as Chinese Crab Corn Soup, Peking Duck, La Mian Noodles, Hoisin Beef Scallion Rolls, Fortune Cookies and many more, Executive Chef Anton

Central govt launches 10 new Bali-like destinations

Denpasar - PDI-P Faction in the Bali House of Representative saw a shift in what the market wants related to destinations and accommodations in Bali. The increase in tourist arrivals is not followed by an increase in hotel occupancy rates in particular region.

Activities

International

Sujarwo and his team are working tirelessly to present only the best for valued customers.

As program highlight, the Lion Dance and also HARRIS Move performance by talented HARRIS Players. HARRIS Move is the signature dance of HARRIS Hotels.

“HARRIS Hotels takes great pleasure being the hub for families to be together especially during the festive Chinese New Year, share stories and laughs over good meal and friendly ambiance,” added Anton Sujarwo, Executive Chef of HARRIS Hotel & Conventions

Kelapa Gading.

In ensuring that guests are able to make positive contribution to the society, HARRIS Hotel & Conven-

tions Kelapa Gading has agreed to donate IDR 5,000 per every purchased buffet to the corporate responsibility program.

Gong Xi Fa Cai Buffet Dinner is available from 6-10PM on 7 February 2016 only for IDR 258,888nett per person.

Balinese Temple Ceremony

Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

IBP/Net

IBP/Net

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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Science

International

North Korea’s new satellite flew over Super Bowl site

TOKYO — Here’s a bit of Super Bowl trivia: North Korea’s newest satellite passed almost right over the stadium just an hour after it ended.

Whatever motives Pyongyang may have about using its rocket launches to develop nuclear-tipped long-range missiles, it now has two satellites circling the Earth, according to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, which monitors all satellites in orbit. Both of the Kwangmyongsong, or “Shining Star,” satellites complete their orbits in about 94 minutes and based on data released by international organizations tracking them, the new one passed almost right over Levi’s Stadium about an hour after the Super Bowl ended. “It passed almost directly overhead Silicon Valley, which is where I am and where the stadium is,” tech watcher Martyn Williams said in an email to The Associated Press.

“The pass happened at 8:26 p.m., after the game. I would put it down to nothing more than a coincidence, but an interesting one.” The game in Santa Clara, California, ended at 7:25 p.m. local time. North Korea claims Sunday’s successful satellite launch was its fourth. The first two have never been confirmed by anyone else, but experts worldwide agree it got one into orbit in 2012 and NORAD, which is hardly a propaganda mouthpiece for Pyongyang, now has

both that and the satellite launched on Sunday on its official satellite list.

Kwangmyongsong 4, the satellite launched Sunday, has the NORAD catalog number 41332 and Kwangmyongsong 3-2, launched in 2012, is 39026. They are described as Earth observation satellites, and weigh about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) apiece.

Their main applications, according to Pyongyang, are monitoring the weather, mapping natural resources and forest distributions and providing data that might help farmers improve their crops. North Korea’s state-run media quoted scientists and researchers at the North’s State Hydro-Meteorological Administration as saying Sunday they are “are delighted at the news” of the launch. Its deputy director, Ryu Pong Chol, reportedly said it will give a big boost to North Korean weather forecasters.

That remains to be seen. No signals from the previous satellite, which North Korea claimed transmitted the “Song of General Kim Il Sung” and “Song of General Kim Jong Il” after achieving orbit, have ever been confirmed by outside observers. That might be because it

was never stable enough to transmit anything back home.

Signals from the new satellite had also yet to be detected. Amateurs and experts alike are doing their best to listen in around the world, but it is unclear exactly what frequency the satellite is supposed to be using, or what it will be transmitting.

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist working at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said four objects from the 2012 launch are still trackable in their orbits — the satellite itself, the final stage of the Unha-3 rocket that lifted it into space and two small pieces of debris.

“It will stay up for a few more years,” McDowell said. “There’s no evidence that the spacecraft ever transmitted any signals. If it did work, I suspect it was for only a few hours, if at all.”

He said the satellite was in an initial orbit of 498x587 kilometers — figures that denote the object’s closest and farthest distance from Earth — similar to the orbit of the satellite launched Sunday. But over 3 years, friction with the Earth’s outer atmosphere has brought the older one’s orbit closer, to 467x529 kilometers. That’s still well above the orbit of the International Space Station. (ap)

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

In this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 photo, South Koreans watch a TV news program about North Korea’s rocket launch at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.

The letters on the screen read: “The U.N. Security Council will hold a meeting on Feb. 7.”

Bali News

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

3

Goa Gajah Temple attraction

Ranked second in terms of tourist visit

GIANYAR-Goa Gajah Temple is one of the attractions visited by hundreds of travelers every day. Based on monthly tourist visits, the attraction with historical and spiritual value located Bedulu village, Blahbatuh, is ranked second after the Tirta Empul tourist attraction.

Edgar Mitchell

AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams, File

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, 6th man on moon, dies in Florida

MIAMI — Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who became the sixth man on the moon when he and Alan Shepard helped NASA recover from Apollo 13’s “successful failure” and later devoted his life to exploring the mind, physics and unexplained phenomena such as psychics and aliens, has died in Florida.

He was 85.

Mitchell died Thursday night at a West Palm Beach hospice after a short illness, his daughter, Kimberly Mitchell, said. Mitchell’s passing coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 14 mission, which ran from Jan. 31-Feb. 9, 1971.

Mitchell, one of only 12 humans to set foot on the moon, was not a typical strait-laced astronaut: In later years, he said aliens visited Earth and faith healers were legit. He attempted to communicate telepathically with friends at home during his Apollo mission. He had an “epiphany” in space that focused him on studying consciousness, physics and other mysteries.

“What I experienced during that three-day trip home was nothing short of an overwhelming sense of universal connectedness,” Mitchell wrote in his 1996 autobiography. “It occurred to me that the molecules of my body and the molecules of the spacecraft itself were manufactured long ago in the furnace of one

of the ancient stars that burned in the heavens about me.” His passion for exploration led him to become an astronaut, and he joined NASA in 1966. He helped design and test the lunar modules that first reached the moon in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Shepard, the first American in space in 1961, picked Mitchell to be on Apollo 13’s three-person crew. But they were bumped to the next mission so Shepard would have more time to train — he had been grounded for years because of an inner ear disorder.

The delay was an unexpected benefit: Apollo 13’s astronauts were nearly killed when an oxygen tank exploded as they neared the moon in 1970. They made it home safely, but never set foot on the moon. A year later, Shepard, Mitchell and Stu Roosa were the first crew to try again amid falling support for the moon missions from President Nixon, Congress and the public.

“Had we blown it, had it failed for whatever reason, that would probably have been the end of the Apollo program right there,” Mitchell said in 1997. But they didn’t let that get to them: “When you’re carrying that personal load, you just don’t have room to carry a national load as well.” Fortunately, their mission, the third lunar landing and Mitchell’s only trip in space, was a success. (ap)

Goa Gajah Temple is located approximately 27 km east of Denpasar. The cave is estimated to have been built around the 11th century during the reign of Sri Astasura Ratna Bumi Banten, formerly used as a place for meditation. This location also has seven sacred pools with seven statues of angels. In addition, there are many historical heritages that can be found at this holy place complex.

This holy place is divided into three parts. Firstly, it is a sacred Hindu building complex established around the tenth century. Secondly, there is a Hindu sacred building in the form of a small temple or shrine.

Finally, there is a Buddhist heritage building founded around the eighth century.

Eastern part of the cave hosts

three lingams standing up in the niche, in the western part stands a statue of Ganesh, in the middle end stand three more lingams of Shiva. Then, in front of the cave lies a statue of Ganesha posing the son of Shiva.

Based on data of the Gianyar Tourism Office, the Goa Gajah tourist attraction is ranked second in terms of tourist arrivals with an average of 19,321 each month.

The first rank is occupied by Tirta Empul with a total of 32,681 tourist visits each month. The third place is Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring (9,381 visitors), Gunung Kawi Sebatu (1,781 visitors) and Yeh Pulu Bedulu (450 visitors).

The Head of the Gianyar Tourism Office, A.A. Bagus Ari Brahmanta, revealed that throughout

2015 there was significant increase in tourist visit in Gianyar. The initial target of tourist arrival was 2.5 million people, but it increased up to 2.8 million tourists per December 31, 2015. “In the previous year, there has been an increase with a total of 2.8 million tourists. The figure has exceeded the target,” he said.

High tourist visit includes in the five tourist destinations managed by the government of Gianyar district and customary village such as the Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring, Yeh Pulu, Gunung Kawi Sebatu and Tirta Empul Tampaksiring. Of the five tourist destinations, Tirta Empul is still admitted to be excellent, contributing more than 25 percent of the total tourist visit.

But interestingly, two other destinations, namely the Goa Gajah and Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring become two destinations experiencing the highest increase in tourist visit this year, compared to three other destinations. (kmb35)

IBP/net

Ahead of Galungan and Kuningan celebration, the volume of fruit sales in North Bali has increased in buyers from all walks of society.

Sales of fruits ahead of Galungan on the rise

SINGARAJA-Ahead of Galungan and Kuningan celebration, the volume of fruit sales in North Bali has increased in buyers from all walks of society. The types of fruit bustlingly sought after are primarily those used to meet the needs for celebration of the holidays.

Merchants at the Anyar market, Singaraja, began peddling various fruit needs like banana, snakefruit and dragon fruit. “Merchants will be crowded when approaching Galungan and Kuningan. We’ve got a stock of fruit not only from Buleleng, but also delivery stock from East Java and beyond,” said Mrs. Kiki, a local merchant, Saturday (Feb. 6).

She sold some kinds of fruit such as milk banana for IDR 60,000 more per bunch, Karangasem snakefruit for IDR 6,000 to IDR 7,000 per kilogram, Pupuan snakefruit for IDR 3,500 per kilogram, Pondoh

snakefruit for IDR 6,000 per kilogram and dragon fruit for IDR 6,500 - IDR 10,000 per kilogram.

“The price is fluctuating. Our fruit can sell out within one to two days.

It depends on the buyers. Well, approaching holidays like today we can sell them out more quickly,” said the merchant from Pakisan village, Kubutambahan.

Then, the price for sweet tangerine from Kintamani is around IDR 6,000 to IDR 14,000 per kilogram.

Currently, the fruit needs in North Bali are considered to have been fulfilled adequately. The sales also depend on supplies at the farm level, and the supply from outside Bali. “Daily sales are reasonable.

I cannot predict the needs of the fruit sold, but the last time I have ordered apple from Malang up to 5 tons and can be easily sold, sir,” she concluded. (kmb34)

DENPASAR-An Australian tourist with the initials EBG, 55, was arrested at Villa Xanadu on Jalan Dewi Saraswati II, Seminyak, Kuta, Monday (Feb. 1). Allegedly EBG got involved in a fraud case in the sale of villa and apartment on October 7, 2013. His victims are I Ketut Semadi and Tommy Comerford from Australia. The suspect has been put in wanted list since last December.

According to Chief of Bali Police-Public Information Center, Sri Harmiti, Friday (Feb. 2), the suspect initially marketed villas and apartments through websites. The suspect claimed to have complete documents and published the images of villas to be built.

In fact, both victims were deluded. They agreed that the price of one unit villa was nearly two billion rupiahs. Moreover, the victims agreed to buy a package of nine villas and apartments costing almost IDR 20 billion. However, the victims have just paid a half. “The payment was

transferred to the account of the suspect,” she said.

After that, both victims would like to meet the suspect to ask for a copy of the document of the villas and apartments. They included the certificate of ownership (SHM) and building permits (IMB). Unfortunately, the suspect said that he could not show the documents requested.

Both victims are getting furious when he saw the construction of the project because it did not correspond to the images. The suspect promised to reimburse the victims but it has not been proven so far.

“After the case was reported to the Directorate of Bali Police General Criminal Investigation, based on the investigation results EBG was named as a suspect. When the case was about to be handed over to the Bali High Court, the suspect fled and directly put into wanted list on December 1, 2014. The suspect was arrested on Monday,” said Sri Harmiti. (kmb36)

An Australian tourist arrested at villa

IBP/net

Goa Gajah based on monthly tourist visits, the attraction with historical and spiritual value located Bedulu village, Blahbatuh, is ranked second after the Tirta Empul tourist attraction.

4

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Bali News

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

International

Highway submerged

In southern Africa, an illusion built on aid heralds hope and hunger

Parliament highlights quality of drainage

DENPASAR-Concerns about poor quality of drainage projects in Denpasar have frequently got highlights. Moreover, the drainage project worked on by central government has reaped criticism of the parliament from the beginning. Currently, the concerns became a reality. When it rained in Denpasar, Wednesday (Feb. 3), the highway of Denpasar was submerged highly deep. Ironically, the drainage of submerged highway has just finished to be worked on.

Against these conditions, a number of legislators of the Denpasar House of Representatives, such as A.A. Ngurah Gede Widiada, Wayan Warka and A.A. Susruta Ngurah Putra, Friday (Feb. 5) assessed that such incident was caused by many factors. One of them is the quality of workmanship considered less maximal. Especially it concerns with the slope as well as the inadequacy of tile outlets of the highway to the drain underneath. As a result, overflow of rainwater is so much and unable to be absorbed into the drain.

“Arrangement of the drain in the city of Denpasar, other than being handled by Denpasar municipality, is also involving the government of Bali Province and central government. To anticipate floods, the government has made maximal efforts. Evidently, in addition to arranging the drain, the Public Works Agency also regularly conducts flushing of the drains. However, due to poor quality of drain, the case of overflowing water is hard to be avoided,” said Widiada.

Another trigger, he said, is people’s behavior that is still lacking of keeping the environmental sanita-

tion and making the gutter as a place to litter. “This needs to be changed, so that our environment becomes beautiful,” he explained.

Both Widiada and Susruta Ngurah Putra agreed if the drainage project quality needs to be improved. For example, the slope of drain must be according to the conditions in the field. If the elevation is not appropriate, it results in puddles even though the drain has applied box culvert. In addition, crossing pipes in the drain can also trigger overflow. “On Jalan A. Yani, for instance, unavoidably it will always be hit by floods because the drain contains many crossing pipes.

This thing must also be coordinated with relevant agencies,” said this Nasdem Party politician.

Susruta added that drainage project in the city of Denpasar needs exposing comprehensively. Definitely it involves central government, Bali Province and municipality.

From the exposure, it can be known what becomes the priority and nonpriority. “Currently, pursuant to the field conditions the drainage has been arranged by using a box culvert, but in fact the water is still overflowing.

This condition also even happens

REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pose for a photo during a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia, February 8, 2016.

IBP/file

Concerns about poor quality of drainage projects in Denpasar have frequently got highlights.

When it rained in Denpasar, the highway of Denpasar was submerged highly deep. in the region where the drain has just been completed. This happens because the arrangement is only made in the upstream, while the downstream is left, so that there is overflow,” said Susruta, while citing the cases occurred on Jalan Sutomo, Denpasar.

Earlier, Chairman of Commis-

sion III of the Denpasar House of Representatives, Eko Supriadi, assessed the quality of the drainage project worked on by the province is less good. Supposedly, with the less maximal rainfall, the box culvert condition remains secure like in the original installation. “Just with the rain intensity, there has

been noticeable shift. This needs for closer scrutiny,” he said.

He cited what happens on Jalan Sutomo, Pemecutan Kaja, exactly in front of Grenceng hamlet hall. ”Having been flushed by rain, it has indicated if the workmanship process is not as expected,” said Eko Supriadi. (kmb12)

Trash of Trunyan at issue in social media

Parliament drives people to do mutual assistance

IBP/net

Trunyan village in Kintamani is lately at issue in social media like Facebook. This happens because a lot of garbage is littered in the area of the tourism village.

BANGLI-Trunyan village in Kintamani is lately at issue in social media like Facebook. This happens because a lot of garbage is littered in the area of the tourism village. Concerned with the matter, the circles of the Bangli House of Representatives led by Ngakan Kutha Parwata came down to location directly to work together with residents to clean up the garbage.

Other than involving two deputies, the cleanup action also involved a number of communities caring for environment in Bangli as well as local residents. When met after the mutual assistance activities last Saturday, Ngakan Kutha Parwata admitted that sanitation at Trunyan village lately got a lot of public highlight, especially the users of social media. That trash that should be managed was just left scattered and neglected.

Kutha Parwata said that many local residents of Trunyan migrating to other regions such as Gianyar cause the environmental sanitation of the village to be finally done by the elders of local village.

According to Kutha Parwata, through mutual assistance his institution wanted to bring around

the local communities on the importance of environmental sanitation. “This is initial breakthrough we could do. Through this mutual assistance we are also thinking of how to organize the Batur caldera region having been included in the world geopark region,” he explained.

Further, Kutha Parwata said that to arrange the Batur caldera region in the future his institution plans to carry out cooperation and coordination with the entire customary villages in the region. Moreover, according to the information he received, the arrangement of Batur caldera region has also got special attention from central government considering that Lake Batur is still entered as one of the 15 lakes in Indonesia getting priority rescue. “For this arrangement, central government will allocate fund around IDR 68 billion,” he explained.

However,his institution was still unable to ensure when the funds will be disbursed by central government. The fund, added Kutha Parwata, will be used to fund infrastructure development around of the lake including the culture of the surrounding villages. (kmb40)

13

Russian firepower helps Syrian forces edge towards Turkey border

BEIRUT - The Syrian army advanced towards the Turkish border on Monday in a major offensive backed by Russia and Iran that rebels say now threatens the future of their nearly five-year-old insurrection against President Bashar al-Assad.

Iranian backed-militias played a key role on the ground as Russian jets intensified what rebels call a scorched earth policy that has allowed the military back into the strategic northern area for the first time in more than two years.

“Our whole existence is now threatened, not just losing more ground,” said Abdul Rahim alNajdawi from Liwa al-Tawheed, an insurgent group.

“They are advancing and we are pulling back because in the face of such heavy aerial bombing we must minimise our losses.”

The Syrian military and its allies were almost five km (3 miles) from the rebel-held town of Tal Rafaat, which has brought them to around 25 km (16 miles) from the Turkish border, the rebels, a residents and a conflict monitor said.

The assault around the city of Aleppo in northern Syria has prompted tens of thousands to flee towards Turkey, which is already sheltering more than 2.5 million Syrians, the world’s largest refugee population.

In the last two days escalating Russian bombardment of towns north west of Aleppo, Anadan and Haritan, brought several thousand more, according to a resident in the town of Azaz.

Rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo are still home to 350,000 people, and aid workers have said they could soon fall to the government.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted at the weekend as saying Turkey was under threat.

Damascus says it wants to take back full control of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the civil war erupted five years ago. It would be a huge strategic prize for Assad’s government in a conflict that has killed at least 250,000 people across the country and driven 11 million from their homes.

After around a week of heavy Russian air strikes, Syrian government troops and their allies broke through rebel defences to reach two Shi’ite towns in northern Aleppo province on Wednesday, choking opposition supply lines from Turkey.

The Syrian army’s success in opening a route to the Shi’ite towns of Nubul and Zahraa enabled it to cut a main highway that linked rebel held areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo with the eastern part of Aleppo held by insurgents since 2012.

The latest gains by the Syrian government brings it to the closest point to the Turkish border area since August 2013, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The capture of the towns of Mayer and then Kafin, just north of Nubul and Zahraa, in the past 24 hrs have opened the road towards Tal Rifaat, the next focus of the army assault. The capture of that would leave only the town of Azaz before the Turkish border itself.

The prospect of the loss of Azaz, just a few miles from the Bab al Salama border crossing, would virtually wipe out the insurgents from their main stronghold in northwest Syria. Russian bombing has for weeks targeted rebel routes to the main border crossing that was once a major gateway from Europe and Turkey to the Gulf and Iraq. Since it fell to insurgents, the crossing has been both a major commercial lifeline and arms supply route for rebel-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces. (rtr)

LILONGWE - As she walks along a dirt road in central Malawi, Louise Abale carries her precious maize wrapped in a brightly coloured cloth and balanced on her head. Because of drought in Malawi and across southern Africa the grain has doubled in price in the space of a year, and now costs around 200 kwacha ($0.28) a kilo.

Like many, Abale is struggling to pay for maize, a staple of the diet, and says her own - stunted - crop will not be ready for harvest for two months. “It’s too expensive, I have almost no money,” she said.

In all 2.8 million people in Malawi, or 17 percent of the population, now face hunger, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Drought and floods have hit the maize crop, exposing the fragility of gains which had seen Malawi’s rates of malnutrition slashed in the past two decades.

That progress was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers. But now the government, starved of donor funds following a graft scandal over two years ago, can ill afford such payments and says it must scale down the programme.

Ironically, policies aimed at ensuring basic food security are partly to blame for a cycle of rural poverty and aid dependency in this landlocked African nation, leaving the population vulnerable to climate shocks, economists say.

“There is no doubt that the fertiliser subsidy was only feasible due to donor support,” said Ed Hobey, an analyst at Africa Risk Consulting. “At best, it was unsustainable without continued donor support, at worst, it was an illusion built on aid.”

Launched in 2005, the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) provides qualifying farmers - those with limited income but a plot of productive land - with two coupons which can be redeemed for two 50-kg bags of fertiliser. The recipients make a modest contribution, with the government footing most of the bill.

Because the government is subsidising the production of maize - the main source of calories for many poor households - it also bans the export of the grain.

The programme is credited by the government and some aid agencies with lifting maize production and cutting hunger. The data appear to back that up.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the percentage of Malawi’s malnourished population fell to 21.8 percent in 2012-14 from 45 percent two decades earlier. But FISP’s role here is difficult to untangle as most of those gains were made before 2005.

Still, there is evidence of benefits, including indirect ones. Stunting among Malawi children - a key nutrition measure - fell to 42.4 percent in 2014 from 49 percent in 2002. (rtr)

REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Subsistence farmer Nelson Sikanawawe walks through his field of maize after late rains near the capital Lilongwe, Malawi February 1, 2016. Floods and an El Nino-triggered drought have hit the staple maize crop, exposing the fragility of Malawi’s progress, which was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers that the government, now starved of donor funds, can ill afford. Picture taken February 1, 2016.

12

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

BUSINESS

Global stocks mostly fall amid economy jitters

TOKYO — Global stock markets mostly fell Monday as investors fretted about a global economic slowdown after data showed U.S. employers added fewer jobs last month.

KEEPING SCORE: France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.4 percent to 4,144.58 and Germany’s DAX fell 1.2 percent to 9,162.65. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 1 percent to 5,792.60. U.S. shares set to fall.

Dow futures retreated 0.5 percent to 16,044. S&P 500 futures lost 0.6 percent to 1,864.90.

US DATA: With much of Asia in holiday mode, attention focused on the discouraging U.S. employment figures for January released on Friday. U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs last month, a sharp deceleration from recent months as companies shed education, transportation and temporary workers. That was below economists’ forecasts of 185,000 new jobs, according to a survey of analysts by financial data provider

FactSet. The employment report lends weight to the case for the Federal Reserve to delay interest rate hikes, which is a positive for stock markets, but also adds to signs of weakness in major economies.

THE QUOTE: “There seems little doubt that we have reached a key juncture for the world’s financial markets and if confusion wasn’t at fever pitch two weeks ago then things are even worse now,” said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia.

“All eyes will be on Janet Yellen’s semi-annual testimony to Congress this week and there will be much focus on her vision around the impact tighter financial conditions have had on economics.”

ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s bench-

mark Nikkei 225 rose 1.1 percent to 17,004.30 while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 4,975.40.

Thailand’s SET added 0.5 percent to 1,312.50. India’s Sensex was down 0.6 percent at 23,459.99. Markets were closed in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines for Lunar New Year holidays.

New Zealand’s stock market was closed for a national holiday.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude inched up 9 cents to $30.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The futures contract fell 83 cents to $30.89 a barrel on Friday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was up 8 cents to $34.12 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 116.92 yen from 116.82 yen on Friday. The euro rose to $1.1179 from $1.1160.(ap)

Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Swiss bank Credit Suisse, speaks during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday Feb. 4, 2016.

Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP

After big loss, Credit Suisse CEO asks board: Cut my bonus GENEVA — The new CEO of Credit Suisse has proposed that its board make a “significant” cut in his bonus after the Swiss bank posted disappointing earnings last week and announced 4,000 job cuts.

The bank on Monday confirmed comments by Tidjane Thiam in an interview published a day earlier in SonntagsZeitung and other Germanlanguage media.

An e-mail from Credit Suisse’s

press office said he proposed the biggest cut among the bank’s management team because “I cannot demand sacrifices from others and not make any myself.”

Spokeswoman Anuschka Ross said the bank is “not giving numbers at the moment” about the size of the cut in the bonus. A dual national of France and Ivory Coast, Thiam took over last summer and has laid out a multi-year reform program to cut costs.(ap)

AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

A man look at an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. Most Asian stocks jumped Thursday as oil prices bounced back and weak U.S. economic data fueled investor hopes that the Fed would slow the pace of rate hikes this year. Japanese shares fell as the yen rose against the dollar.

LinkedIn shares plunge almost 44 percent SAN FRANCISCO — Investors gave LinkedIn a poor job review Friday in the form of a dramatic sell-off that wiped out nearly $11 billion in the professional networking site’s market value. A surprise forecast for slower growth this year sent LinkedIn shares into a stomach-turning plunge of almost 44 percent.

After the market closed Thursday, the online company reported better-than-expected earnings for the last quarter but warned that revenue would fall short of what analysts had projected for 2016.

It also said it was discontinuing a new online advertising system that hadn’t worked out.

Several analysts noted that LinkedIn has a track record of issuing conservative forecasts and later beating them, but this time investors were shaken by the company’s financial guidance. The stock closed Friday at $108.38 after its worst slide since LinkedIn went public in 2011.

LinkedIn said it expects revenue of about $3.6 billion to $3.65 billion for this year, while analysts surveyed by FactSet were projecting sales of $3.9 billion.

The company’s forecast implies the once fast-growing business expects sales to increase in the low 20 percent range this year, falling into the teens in 2017, according to a report by analyst Neil Doshi of Mizuho Securities. The firm

downgraded its investment rating on LinkedIn’s stock to “neutral” from “buy” on Friday.

Mizuho had been expecting LinkedIn to post 30 percent sales growth for 2016 and mid-20 percent growth for 2017. “Clearly, we were wrong,” Doshi said.

LinkedIn blamed economic uncertainty in Europe and Asia, in part, for slowing growth in its core job-recruiting business. Unlike other social networks that rely primarily on advertising sales, LinkedIn gets about 60 percent of its revenue from licensing fees for software that employers and recruiters use to find job candidates. The remaining revenue comes from advertising and subscription fees.

The Mountain View, California-based company said it will continue investing to expand around the world. Analysts say LinkedIn should see increased revenue from online training courses and new software that commercial sales representatives can use to drum up business from their online contacts.

But the company also said it was overhauling its digital ad business and phasing out one ad program launched last year, because it had not performed as expected. That will cause the company to forego some revenue in the coming months, executives warned.(ap)

Bali News

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Monkey zodiac, the economy predicted stable in mid-year

5

BANGLI - In the Chinese calendar, the Lunar New Year 2567 belongs to the year of the monkey. Ahead the turn of this lunar year, various predictions usually arise about what will happen during the coming year of the monkey.

According to the priest of Batur Chinese Temple, Jro Mangku Candra, in the next year of the monkey is predicted that everything either about the economy, security or other sectors will experience some instabilities. As the monkey’s behavior, the economic conditions and other security will be jumping.

He also mentioned that human behavior influenced by monkeys will be a bit inconsistent. “The security condition will be rippling,” he explained.

Nevertheless, by mid-year, all of these conditions will begin to change. He predicted that in the next mid-year of the monkey all the things that are initially unstable will become stable. “Stability will occur from mid-year to the end of the year. At that time, the condition

will be good,” he said.

On that account, in the face of the upcoming year of the monkey, Jero Mangku Candra also urged the public to keep their attitude in order to avoid any quarrels or disputes. People are also expected to continuously make introspection. “Do the regular activity. Just keep introspective,” he said.

Through the moment of this Lunar New Year, he gave a message that the whole community must remain cohesive. In spite of different belief, the community is expected to continuously respect one another.

“We are all brothers. Let’s respect one another. Although we remain different in terms of religions, we are still coming from one source,” he said. (kmb40)

Goddess Danu as Source of Prosperity

Tabanan - Hindu community in Bali believes in the manifestation of God as Sang Hyang Dewi Danu, the goddess of fertility and the source of prosperity. Goddess Danu is usually worshiped at Ulun Danu located in the upstream of a lake. “Ulun’ means upstream (opposite to downstream) and ‘Danu’ means lake. In addition to forests, the surrounding area of Ulun Danu Temple also

grows various flourishing flowers.

In the effort to maintain the balance of nature, especially in maintaining water, Hindu community in Bali does it physically (sekala) and psychically (niskala). Psychically, it is performed through animal sacrificial ceremony known as pakelem. On that account, this kind of ceremony is usually carried out in the water sources including lakes.

Prof. Dr. I Nengah Duija said that pakelem or mapakelem ceremony is one of the ways carried out by the Hindu community in Bali in appreciating to water, including the water of the lake. Manifestation of God revered in the lake is Goddess Danu, the goddess of water posing a culture of water for human life. “In the purana manuscript, Goddess Danu emits water to the entire Bali from nearest to distant

Ulun Danu Temple located in Beratan Lake, Tabanan

IBP/File

regions,” he said.Since people believe to have the god of water, they have special treatment to the goddess. As a matter of fact, there are stages of ritual performed by Hindu community, ranging from the smallest to the largest ones. All the stages should be done because they are integrated. “When paddy fields have vanished, it means there is a missing step,” said Rector of the Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) of Denpasar.

But more importantly, explained Prof. Duija, in keeping the water it must be balanced with the maintenance of forest as the buffer of water. Therefore, no matter how grandiose the ritual performed is, without being balanced with real action in keeping the forest it will be in vain. Philosophically, there is a strength performed in managing water, and at the same time the forests should also be maintained. “If we maintain Goddess Danu, the forests are also maintained,” he added.

The ritual performed by the Hindus in maintaining the forest is wana kertih ceremony, but it is not quite enough with the ceremony only without being equipped with real activities such as by not cutting down forests carelessly and intensifying greening activities. “Treating nature is not simple. We have been endowed with an understanding on logic, therefore, it must be accompanied with supporting components such as forest preservation,” he concluded.

Then, many lakes are now functioned as a tourist attraction, as one of the measures to gain prosperity. However, it is worth noting that people seeking prosperity must contribute to maintain nature. “Other than physical development, the aspect of civilization must also be developed,” he concluded. (IBP)

6

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

W

RLD

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Children dressed in Hanbok, a Korean traditional costume, play in front of a barbed-wire fence as their parents prepare for a memorial service for North Korean family members, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, February 8, 2016, on the occasion of Seolnal, the Korean Lunar New Year’s day. Millions of South Koreans travelled to their hometowns during the three-day holiday. Seolnal is one of the traditional holidays when most Koreans visit their hometowns to be united with their families and hold memorial services for their deceased ancestors.

North Korea rocket launch may spur U.S. missile defense buildup in Asia

WASHINGTON- North Korea’s latest rocket launch might kick off a buildup of U.S. missile defense systems in Asia, U.S. officials and missile defense experts said, something that could further strain U.S.-China ties and also hurt relations between Beijing and Seoul. North Korea says it put a satellite into orbit on Sunday, but the United States and its allies see the launch as cover for Pyongyang’s development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.

Washington sought to reassure its allies South Korea and Japan of its commitment to their defense after the launch, which followed a North Korean nuclear test on Jan. 6.

The United States and South Korea said they would begin formal talks about deploying the sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula “at the earliest possible date.” South Korea had been reluctant to publicly discuss the possibility due to worries about upsetting China, its biggest trading partner. Beijing, at odds with the United States over Washington’s reaction to its building of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, quickly expressed “deep concern” about a system whose radar could penetrate Chinese territory.

China had made its position

clear to Seoul and Washington, the Foreign Ministry said. “When pursuing its own security, one country should not impair others’ security interests,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

TIPPING POINT

But the North Korean rocket launch, on top of last month’s nuclear test, could be a “tipping point” for South Korea and win over parts of Seoul’s political establishment that remain wary of such a move, a U.S. official said.

South Korea and the United States said that if THAAD was deployed to South Korea, it would be focused only on North Korea. An editorial in the Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper,

called that assurance “feeble”. “It is widely believed by military experts that once THAAD is installed, Chinese missiles will be included as its target of surveillance, which will jeopardise Chinese national security,” it said.

Japan, long concerned about North Korea’s ballistic missile program, has previously said it was considering THAAD to beef up its defenses. The North Korean rocket on Sunday flew over Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Monday the Defense Ministry had no concrete plan to introduce THAAD, but added the ministry believed new military assets would strengthen the country’s capabilities.

Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said the launch would give Japan momentum to deploy THAAD. Washington moved one of its five THAAD systems to Guam in 2013 following North Korean threats, and is now studying the possibility of converting a Hawaii test site for a land-based version of the shipboard Aegis missile defense system into a combat-ready facility. (rtr)

International

More rescued two days after Taiwan quake

TAINAN - Rescuers pulled out alive an eight-year-old girl and her aunt from the rubble of a Taiwan apartment block on Monday, more than 60 hours after it was toppled by a quake, as the mayor of the southern city of Tainan warned the death toll could exceed 100. The official death toll from the quake rose to 38, with more than 100 people missing.

The girl, named as Lin SuChin, was conscious and had been taken to hospital, Taiwan television stations said. Her aunt, Chen Mei-jih, was rescued shortly after. The quake struck at about 4 a.m. on Saturday (2000 GMT Friday) at the beginning of the Lunar New Year holiday, with almost all the dead found in Tainan’s toppled Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building.

Rescue efforts are focused on the wreckage of the 17-storey building, where more than 100 people are listed as missing and are suspected to be buried deep under the rubble. Earlier, Wang Ting-yu, a legislator who represents the area, told reporters that a woman, identified as Tsao Wei-ling, was found alive, lying under her dead husband. Their two-year-old son, who was also killed, was found nearby.

A n o t h e r s u r v i v o r, a m a n

named Li Tsung-tian, was pulled out later, with Taiwan television stations showing live images of the rescues. Several hours later, Li’s girlfriend was found dead in the rubble. Tsao and Li were both being treated in hospital. Tainan Mayor William Lai said during a visit to a funeral home that rescue efforts had entered what he called the “third stage”. “There are more fatalities than those pulled out (alive), and the number of fatalities will probably exceed 100,” Lai told reporters. Rescuers continued to scramble over the twisted wreckage of the building as numbed family members stood around, waiting for news of missing relatives. Taiwan’s government said in a statement 36 of the 38 dead were from the Wei-guan building, which was built in 1994. President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who won election last month, said there needed to be a “general sorting out” of old buildings to make sure they were able to cope with disasters like earthquakes. “There needs to be a continued strengthening of their ability to deal with disasters,” she said. Outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou, speaking to reporters at a Tainan hospital, said the government needed to be a better job in ensuring building quality. (rtr)

Indonesia ...

national holidays, including Imlek.

But, this year, it is a bit different, and everything is free of charge,” the airports Senior General Manager, Zulfahmi, noted in a statement.

In Bali, thousands of Chinese tourists have arrived in Bali aboard chartered flights of several airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya remarked that at least 65 chartered flights carrying 23 thousand Chinese from 11 cities in China had landed in Bali.

“It seems that Bali has become the favorite destination for Chinese tourists. More than 114 million Chinese travel abroad every year,” Arief affirmed.

He attributed the success achieved in luring Chinese tourists to Bali to intensive advertising and sales by the tourism ministrys marketing team.

Arief said he had instructed the provision of six thousand souvenirs for the tourists and facilities to entertain the visitors. The minister stated that currently, only 1.14 million Chinese tourists annually visit Indonesia, far lesser than eight million to Thailand. (ant)

From page 1

For 2016, the Bali Tourism Office has set the target for tourist arrivals at the world-renowned tourist island at 4.2 million, at least. The Bali tourism office has also set the target of domestic tourists visiting the resort island for 2016 at 7.8 million.

Vice President

Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, through his Twitter account, conveyed his greetings on Chinese Lunar New Year 2567, wishing for peaceful and prosperous festivities. “Hoping it is always peaceful, prosperous, and merry,” Kalla stated, here, Monday. The Lunar New Year, which is locally known as Imlek, is celebrated across the country.

At the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the Barongsai dragon dance and Wushu martial art performances are held as part of the Imlek celebrations.

“This is a routine activity organized by the Soekarno-Hatta airports management to celebrate

International

No Indonesian among Taiwan earthquake victims so far JAKARTA - A spokesman of the Indonesian foreign ministry said there was not a single Indonesian national among the victims of the 6.4 earthquake that struck Tainan, Taiwan, so far.

A team of the Indonesian Trade and Economic Office (KDEI) had searched three hospitals for any Indonesian who might have become a victim in the disaster, but so far they found none, spokesman of the ministry Arrmanatha Nasir said here, Sunday.

The team had combed Chimei Tainan Hospital, Cheng Kung National University Hospital, and Sinlau Christian Hospital. They continue the search and coordinated with the local authorities, he added.

The KDEI has opened a command post located at Hua Street No 42-2, North District, Tainan City, and its telephone number is: +886973947516. The Indonesian government has extended condolences to families of the earthquake victims.

Some 230 thousand Indonesian nationals are estimated to have lived in Taiwan, including 17 thousand migrant workers and many students.

Xinhua news agency reported that the death toll of the powerful earthquake reached 18 by Sunday morning.

A total of 356 people have been rescued in Tainan. At least 132 people are still waiting for rescue, a local rescue command center said.

The 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit Kaohsiung on Saturday at a depth of 15 kilometers, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

Local monitoring authorities put the scale of the quake at 6.4 magnitude. Previous reports said more than 460 people were injured in the quake, according to Xinhua. (ant)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

11

21 dead after drinking adulterated liquor

SLEMAN - Slemans Police Resort of Yogyakarta, said the number Sunday.

He said that besides the dead dead victims after drinking adulterated hard drinks in Sleman had up victims, there were 25 others who to Saturday reached 21 people.

“The number of dead victims has reached 21, increasing from the previous data which were 15 victims,” Sle-

mans Resort Police Chief for criminal investigation Adjunct Police Commissioner Sepuh Siregar, said here on

were still being treated at a number of hospitals, some of them were in critical conditions, said Sepuh. (ant)

Storm wrecks 62 homes in Batam

BATAM - At least 62 homes in Batu Merah, Batuampar Sub-district, and the Batu Besar coastal area, Nongsa Sub-district, in Batam City, Riau Islands Province, were damaged due to storm caused by extreme weather since Sunday morning.

“Twenty houses were almost destroyed or heavily damaged, and 40 others incurred moderate damage in Batu Merah,” Ardiwinata, a spokesman of the Batam municipality administration, stated here, Monday.

In Batu Besar, the storm wrecked two houses and two restaurants --- Cahaya Laut and Hankang --- that were often frequented by foreign tourists.

The local authorities have set up emergency tents and a public kitchen to help the victims of the natural disaster. (ant)

AP Photo/Trisnadi

A villager walks near her house as Mount Bromo spews volcanic materials from its crater in Ngadisari, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. Bromo is one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

10

Destination

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

Venus Williams advances US team in Fed Cup

HAWAII — Venus Williams clinched victory for the U.S. Fed Cup team against Poland on Sunday in the Group II first round, advancing her team to the World Group Playoff in April.

A win in April would put the U.S. in contention for the Fed Cup title next year. The draw for the playoffs is Tuesday.

Williams needed just one hour to snatch a 6-1, 6-2 win against Poland’s No. 2 player Magda Linette and record the 19th victory of her Fed Cup career.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe teamed up and shot down Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Paula Kania, 6-1, 7-5, to keep the U.S. undefeated in the tie.

After the U.S. went up 4-0, the fourth singles match was not played.

U.S. team captain Mary Joe Fernandez said the weekend’s result was significant.

“The goal was to get a win any which way we could,” she said. “I think it’s great we were able to win all matches. We mentioned this at the beginning of the week: Team competition is different. The pressures are different. The expectations are different.

“It was a big matchup, because now we’re one step closer to getting back into the World Group next year.

This was very important,” Fernandez added. “Now we go on in April to play our next one, try to get three wins again to compete for the Fed Cup title next year.”

Williams said the blustery conditions Sunday tested both players at the start of the match.

“It was just so windy. I just had to be a little more patient, get ready for the ball to do anything. But I was happy to be able to still get through the court and be able to dictate, which is what I like to do,” she said. “I always want to get out there and win fast, but it doesn’t always happen that way. But I guess when I had a short ball, I came in. Just wanted to be able to get in to the net. When I get my racquet on a volley, usually I’m able to do a lot with it.” (AP)

Dolphin sightings at Lovina One of the best place in the world to do dolphin sighting boat trip. You will leave the beach at dawn to seek for the dolphins, though yes it may be quite crowded with other tourists trying to do the same especially during peak season, it is still well worth it when you find a school of dolphins happily jumping by. Lovina itself have a number of other attractions and activities itself, and boasts itself some backpacker scene where you can chill out in cafes and with live musics.

Lovina Beach is located in Kalibukbuk area and covering some countryside like Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Anturan and Kalibukbuk countryside. Kalibukbuk countryside it self is located in Buleleng sub district, meanwhile the Kaliasem and Temukus countryside are located in Banjar sub district where it both of them are belong to Buleleng regency. The eastern countryside is called Pemaron about 5 Km west of Singaraja, and the western countryside is Temukus about 12 Km west of Singaraja.

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AP Photo/Jens Meyer

Belinda Bencic, left, celebrates together with Martina Hingis, right, both of Switzerland, after winning the doubles during their Fed Cup World Group first round tennis match between Germany and Switzerland at the Leipzig Fair in Leipzig, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Hideki Matsuyama plays a shot on the 13th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale.

Hideki Matsuyama edged American Rickie Fowler in a playoff at the Phoenix Open on Sunday to become only the second Japanese player with multiple wins on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama displayed supreme poise in the clutch, overcoming a late two-stroke deficit in regulation as he finished birdiebirdie to catch Fowler at the TPC Scottsdale. He then edged the American at the fourth extra hole to claim his second PGA Tour victory, following his maiden success at the Memorial tournament in 2014.

“It’s been a while since the first one and I’m just really happy today,” Matsuyama told Golf Channel via an interpreter.

“At the start of this week I wasn’t really playing that well. Winning wasn’t one of my thoughts. I’m just glad everything worked out fine.”

Shigeki Maruyama, with three

wins, is the only Japanese player with more victories on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama, 23, who has also won six times on the Japan Tour, is projected to rise to 12th in the world rankings.

A Matsuyama victory seemed most unlikely when Fowler stood over an eight-foot birdie chance at the par-three 16th stadium hole with a chance to go three shots ahead. But Fowler missed the putt, much to the disappointment of the gallery, and then compounded his situation by powering a driver into the water beyond the 17th green en route to a bogey. In a dramatic finish to regulation, Matsuyama rolled in a 15-foot birdie dead centre at the parfour 18th, before Fowler matched him by sneaking a nine-footer in the right-hand door.

They both shot 67 to finish at 14under-par 270, two strokes ahead of

American Harris English.

New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who started the day with a three-shot lead, stumbled early and shot 73 to finish fourth, three shots off the pace.

Matsuyama and Fowler opened the sudden-death playoff by playing the 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred.

The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into the hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par. Matsuyama had the luxury of two-putting from five feet to win, as world number four Fowler squandered a chance for his second victory in three starts, after winning the European tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship two weeks ago. (rtr)

8

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Sp rt Barcelona ties all-time club record of 28 games without loss

MADRID — Barcelona did just enough to defeat last-place Levante 2-0 on Sunday and tie its all-time record of 28 consecutive games without a loss.

Barcelona took the lead with an own goal by Levante defender David Navarro in the 21st minute and sealed the victory with an injury-time score by Luis Suarez to match the unbeaten streak set

by Pep Guardiola’s team in the 2010-11 season.

The result also kept Barcelona atop the Spanish league with 54 points, three more than Atletico Madrid, which defeated Eibar 3-1 on Saturday, and four more than third-place Real Madrid, which

beat Granada 2-1 in the late game with goals by Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. Barcelona has a game in hand.

Benzema scored in the 30th, Youseff El Arabi equalized in the 60th and Modric netted Madrid’s winner with a remarkable longrange shot in the 85th, giving coach Zinedine Zidane his first away win since taking over the squad. Benzema has scored at least a goal in the last six matches.

Also Sunday, Gary Neville’s

Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Betis in a result that extended the team’s winless streak in the league to 12 rounds, nine of those under the former England defender.

It was the 10th win in a row for Barcelona in all competitions. Luis Enrique’s squad hasn’t lost since a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla in the seventh round of the Spanish league in October.

“What matters to me are the team’s objectives,” said Enrique, who coached Barcelona for the 100th time on Sunday. “These are nice numbers, if they help us win titles at the end of the season, fantastic. We are in good position but there is still a lot left.”Guardiola’s

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Levante’s David Navarro in action.

team in 2011 went on to win the league by four points over Real Madrid. It also won the Champions League, beating Manchester United in the final weeks later. That unbeaten streak ended with a 3-1 loss at Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Both unbeaten teams won 23 games and drew five, each scoring more than 85 goals and allowing fewer than 15.

Guardiola’s squad also won 10 in a row at one point.

The Barcelona team coached by Rinus Michels in the 1973-74 season, which had Johan Cruyff on the squad, also hadn’t lost in 27 straight games. Barcelona faced difficulties

REUTERS/Heino Kalis

against Levante on Sunday in the coastal city of Valencia.

Although the Catalan club controlled possession, Levante was able to contain the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez, whose goal came in the final seconds of the game.

“We suffered a lot until the end,” Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto said. “We were able to go ahead in the first half but Levante played well and pressured throughout the game. At the end we got that second goal and we have to be happy for winning the three points.”

The hosts threatened on a few occasions and had some good chances to score, especially on counterattacks. The local fans gave the team a standing ovation at the end of the game despite the loss at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.

“We played a very good match,” said Levante striker Jose Morales, who struck the post with a first-half shot. “We put pressure on them and created good chances but in the end it comes down to the quality of their players, who are extraordinary.”

Barcelona’s first goal came when Jordi Alba’s cross from inside the area struck Navarro’s back and bounced into his own net.

Suarez had few chances until finding the net with an easy goal following a breakaway just before the final whistle. It was Suarez’s 10th goal in his last six matches.

The Uruguay striker is the league’s leading scorer with 20 goals, one more than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema.

Messi had a goal disallowed for an offside call after a great pass by Andres Iniesta less than five minutes into the game though replays were at odds with the decision.

Barcelona was coming off a 7-0 rout of Valencia in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. It has outscored opponents 34-5 in its last 10 games.

Pressure on Neville increased after Valencia lost its second straight game in the league.

“It’s unacceptable that we haven’t won a league game in the six, seven weeks that I’ve been here,” Neville said. “That was a pretty solid away performance today. We had two or three moments that didn’t go our way. I continue to work and I continue to have belief.” Valencia had an 89th-minute goal disallowed for offside. Ruben Castro scored Betis’ winner in the 49th.(ap)

9

Ibrahimovic scores as unbeaten PSG wins 2-1 at Marseille

Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring their second goal

Pressure now on title rivals, says Leicester’s Ranieri

The pressure is now on Leicester City’s title rivals to remove the Foxes from the top of the Premier League table, manager Claudio Ranieri said after Saturday’s thumping 3-1 league victory over Manchester City.

A brace from defender Robert Huth and another strike from winger Riyad Mahrez meant Leicester managed to open up a five-point gap with secondplaced Tottenham Hotspur.

“The pressure was on us at the beginning because our goal was to maintain our Premier League status, but now the pressure is on the other teams who spent a lot of money to win the Premier League and Champions League,” Italian Ranieri told British media. “It is important for us to stay concentrated and keep our feet on the ground.

“That is important because, for the first time in their lives, they are doing something special. It is important not to look behind you.”

Ranieri admitted his team could be affected by the pressure of the title race but urged his players to use their experience of being in the relegation dogfight last campaign to their advantage.

“Pressure, it could be a problem, but it is important we stay calm... What they experienced last season may help because it was a big pressure for them,” said the former Chelsea manager.

Leicester will look to dampen third-placed Arsenal’s title hopes when they travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, knowing a victory would pull them eight points away from Arsene Wenger’s men.(rtr)

REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Players of Brazilian soccer club Santos parade with Grande Rio samba school during the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, February 8, 2016.

PARIS — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the first goal and set up the winner for Angel di Maria as Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 away at bitter rival Marseille on Sunday, extending its record unbeaten l e a g u e run to 34 matches and maintaining its massive 24-point lead.

Ibrahimovic pounced in the second minute with his 21st league goal of the season, and created Di Maria’s goal in the 71st after winger Remy Cabella equalized midway through the first half.

But PSG’s winning goal was largely down to an error from Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

France’s No. 2 ‘keeper hesitated before coming off his line to close down Ibrahimovic on the right touchline. Ibrahimovic moved the ball away from him and, with Mandanda backtracking, picked out Di Maria just inside the area. Di Maria cut inside a defender and placed the ball into the bottom right corner, with Mandanda still out of position.

In a hostile atmosphere inside Stade Velodrome, Di Maria appeared to goad the home fans with a hand gesture after his goal, as did midfielder Blaise Matuidi. PSG coach Laurent Blanc conceded his side was perhaps fortunate to win.

“Marseille caused us a lot of problems,” he said. “They shook us up and we made too many technical mistakes. We’re losing the ball too quickly at the moment and lack patience.”

But PSG can always count on Ibrahimovic and has not lost in the league dating back to March 15.

“No team is unbeatable,” captain Thiago Silva said. “But if we carry on like this, I think we can continue until the end without losing.”

Due to the enmity between the opposing fans, there were no PSG fans present following police orders earlier in the week. As PSG’s team bus approached the stadium, some Marseille fans threw projectiles, and objects were also thrown toward Di Maria as he prepared to take a second-half corner. Marseille made the worst possible start.

Poor defending allowed left

back Maxwell to easily get behind the defense and cross to the back post, where Ibrahimovic tapped in his ninth goal in nine games against Marseille.

Marseille has not won at home in the league since Sept.

13 and sits in 10th spot, and it last beat PSG in 2011. PSG should have made it 2-0 but Di Maria shot wide after being set up by Matuidi.

Cabella equalized in the 25th with a fine run and strike from the edge of the area. PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who has made several high-profile errors this season, got a firm hand to the ball but let it squeeze in.

But any pass behind Marseille’s defense caused panic and Brazilian winger Lucas almost put PSG back in front, while Marseille striker Michy

Batshuayi saw his header cleared off the line by center half Silva in an entertaining half.

Marseille dominated the opening 15 minutes of the second period, but winger Georges-Kevin NKoudou was wasteful when choosing to shoot tamely from the edge of the area, with Batshuayi free to his right.

PSG almost punished that on the hour mark, only for Ibrahimovic to side-foot over from close range from Matuidi’s bouncing cross.

Marseille striker Steven Fletcher came on for the last 10 minutes and was well placed in the 89th, but Nkoudou’s overhit pass flew past him. “We’ve lost again at home and it’s frustrating,” Cabella said. “We didn’t take our chances.” (ap)

AP Photo/Claude Paris

Paris Saint Germain’s Angel Di Maria, top, celebrates with teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic after scoring against Marseille, during the League One soccer match between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Velodrome Stadium, in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

8

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Sp rt Barcelona ties all-time club record of 28 games without loss

MADRID — Barcelona did just enough to defeat last-place Levante 2-0 on Sunday and tie its all-time record of 28 consecutive games without a loss.

Barcelona took the lead with an own goal by Levante defender David Navarro in the 21st minute and sealed the victory with an injury-time score by Luis Suarez to match the unbeaten streak set

by Pep Guardiola’s team in the 2010-11 season.

The result also kept Barcelona atop the Spanish league with 54 points, three more than Atletico Madrid, which defeated Eibar 3-1 on Saturday, and four more than third-place Real Madrid, which

beat Granada 2-1 in the late game with goals by Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. Barcelona has a game in hand.

Benzema scored in the 30th, Youseff El Arabi equalized in the 60th and Modric netted Madrid’s winner with a remarkable longrange shot in the 85th, giving coach Zinedine Zidane his first away win since taking over the squad. Benzema has scored at least a goal in the last six matches.

Also Sunday, Gary Neville’s

Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Betis in a result that extended the team’s winless streak in the league to 12 rounds, nine of those under the former England defender.

It was the 10th win in a row for Barcelona in all competitions. Luis Enrique’s squad hasn’t lost since a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla in the seventh round of the Spanish league in October.

“What matters to me are the team’s objectives,” said Enrique, who coached Barcelona for the 100th time on Sunday. “These are nice numbers, if they help us win titles at the end of the season, fantastic. We are in good position but there is still a lot left.”Guardiola’s

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Levante’s David Navarro in action.

team in 2011 went on to win the league by four points over Real Madrid. It also won the Champions League, beating Manchester United in the final weeks later. That unbeaten streak ended with a 3-1 loss at Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Both unbeaten teams won 23 games and drew five, each scoring more than 85 goals and allowing fewer than 15.

Guardiola’s squad also won 10 in a row at one point.

The Barcelona team coached by Rinus Michels in the 1973-74 season, which had Johan Cruyff on the squad, also hadn’t lost in 27 straight games. Barcelona faced difficulties

REUTERS/Heino Kalis

against Levante on Sunday in the coastal city of Valencia.

Although the Catalan club controlled possession, Levante was able to contain the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez, whose goal came in the final seconds of the game.

“We suffered a lot until the end,” Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto said. “We were able to go ahead in the first half but Levante played well and pressured throughout the game. At the end we got that second goal and we have to be happy for winning the three points.”

The hosts threatened on a few occasions and had some good chances to score, especially on counterattacks. The local fans gave the team a standing ovation at the end of the game despite the loss at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.

“We played a very good match,” said Levante striker Jose Morales, who struck the post with a first-half shot. “We put pressure on them and created good chances but in the end it comes down to the quality of their players, who are extraordinary.”

Barcelona’s first goal came when Jordi Alba’s cross from inside the area struck Navarro’s back and bounced into his own net.

Suarez had few chances until finding the net with an easy goal following a breakaway just before the final whistle. It was Suarez’s 10th goal in his last six matches.

The Uruguay striker is the league’s leading scorer with 20 goals, one more than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema.

Messi had a goal disallowed for an offside call after a great pass by Andres Iniesta less than five minutes into the game though replays were at odds with the decision.

Barcelona was coming off a 7-0 rout of Valencia in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. It has outscored opponents 34-5 in its last 10 games.

Pressure on Neville increased after Valencia lost its second straight game in the league.

“It’s unacceptable that we haven’t won a league game in the six, seven weeks that I’ve been here,” Neville said. “That was a pretty solid away performance today. We had two or three moments that didn’t go our way. I continue to work and I continue to have belief.” Valencia had an 89th-minute goal disallowed for offside. Ruben Castro scored Betis’ winner in the 49th.(ap)

9

Ibrahimovic scores as unbeaten PSG wins 2-1 at Marseille

Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring their second goal

Pressure now on title rivals, says Leicester’s Ranieri

The pressure is now on Leicester City’s title rivals to remove the Foxes from the top of the Premier League table, manager Claudio Ranieri said after Saturday’s thumping 3-1 league victory over Manchester City.

A brace from defender Robert Huth and another strike from winger Riyad Mahrez meant Leicester managed to open up a five-point gap with secondplaced Tottenham Hotspur.

“The pressure was on us at the beginning because our goal was to maintain our Premier League status, but now the pressure is on the other teams who spent a lot of money to win the Premier League and Champions League,” Italian Ranieri told British media. “It is important for us to stay concentrated and keep our feet on the ground.

“That is important because, for the first time in their lives, they are doing something special. It is important not to look behind you.”

Ranieri admitted his team could be affected by the pressure of the title race but urged his players to use their experience of being in the relegation dogfight last campaign to their advantage.

“Pressure, it could be a problem, but it is important we stay calm... What they experienced last season may help because it was a big pressure for them,” said the former Chelsea manager.

Leicester will look to dampen third-placed Arsenal’s title hopes when they travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, knowing a victory would pull them eight points away from Arsene Wenger’s men.(rtr)

REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Players of Brazilian soccer club Santos parade with Grande Rio samba school during the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, February 8, 2016.

PARIS — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the first goal and set up the winner for Angel di Maria as Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 away at bitter rival Marseille on Sunday, extending its record unbeaten l e a g u e run to 34 matches and maintaining its massive 24-point lead.

Ibrahimovic pounced in the second minute with his 21st league goal of the season, and created Di Maria’s goal in the 71st after winger Remy Cabella equalized midway through the first half.

But PSG’s winning goal was largely down to an error from Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

France’s No. 2 ‘keeper hesitated before coming off his line to close down Ibrahimovic on the right touchline. Ibrahimovic moved the ball away from him and, with Mandanda backtracking, picked out Di Maria just inside the area. Di Maria cut inside a defender and placed the ball into the bottom right corner, with Mandanda still out of position.

In a hostile atmosphere inside Stade Velodrome, Di Maria appeared to goad the home fans with a hand gesture after his goal, as did midfielder Blaise Matuidi. PSG coach Laurent Blanc conceded his side was perhaps fortunate to win.

“Marseille caused us a lot of problems,” he said. “They shook us up and we made too many technical mistakes. We’re losing the ball too quickly at the moment and lack patience.”

But PSG can always count on Ibrahimovic and has not lost in the league dating back to March 15.

“No team is unbeatable,” captain Thiago Silva said. “But if we carry on like this, I think we can continue until the end without losing.”

Due to the enmity between the opposing fans, there were no PSG fans present following police orders earlier in the week. As PSG’s team bus approached the stadium, some Marseille fans threw projectiles, and objects were also thrown toward Di Maria as he prepared to take a second-half corner. Marseille made the worst possible start.

Poor defending allowed left

back Maxwell to easily get behind the defense and cross to the back post, where Ibrahimovic tapped in his ninth goal in nine games against Marseille.

Marseille has not won at home in the league since Sept.

13 and sits in 10th spot, and it last beat PSG in 2011. PSG should have made it 2-0 but Di Maria shot wide after being set up by Matuidi.

Cabella equalized in the 25th with a fine run and strike from the edge of the area. PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who has made several high-profile errors this season, got a firm hand to the ball but let it squeeze in.

But any pass behind Marseille’s defense caused panic and Brazilian winger Lucas almost put PSG back in front, while Marseille striker Michy

Batshuayi saw his header cleared off the line by center half Silva in an entertaining half.

Marseille dominated the opening 15 minutes of the second period, but winger Georges-Kevin NKoudou was wasteful when choosing to shoot tamely from the edge of the area, with Batshuayi free to his right.

PSG almost punished that on the hour mark, only for Ibrahimovic to side-foot over from close range from Matuidi’s bouncing cross.

Marseille striker Steven Fletcher came on for the last 10 minutes and was well placed in the 89th, but Nkoudou’s overhit pass flew past him. “We’ve lost again at home and it’s frustrating,” Cabella said. “We didn’t take our chances.” (ap)

AP Photo/Claude Paris

Paris Saint Germain’s Angel Di Maria, top, celebrates with teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic after scoring against Marseille, during the League One soccer match between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Velodrome Stadium, in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

10

Destination

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

Venus Williams advances US team in Fed Cup

HAWAII — Venus Williams clinched victory for the U.S. Fed Cup team against Poland on Sunday in the Group II first round, advancing her team to the World Group Playoff in April.

A win in April would put the U.S. in contention for the Fed Cup title next year. The draw for the playoffs is Tuesday.

Williams needed just one hour to snatch a 6-1, 6-2 win against Poland’s No. 2 player Magda Linette and record the 19th victory of her Fed Cup career.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe teamed up and shot down Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Paula Kania, 6-1, 7-5, to keep the U.S. undefeated in the tie.

After the U.S. went up 4-0, the fourth singles match was not played.

U.S. team captain Mary Joe Fernandez said the weekend’s result was significant.

“The goal was to get a win any which way we could,” she said. “I think it’s great we were able to win all matches. We mentioned this at the beginning of the week: Team competition is different. The pressures are different. The expectations are different.

“It was a big matchup, because now we’re one step closer to getting back into the World Group next year.

This was very important,” Fernandez added. “Now we go on in April to play our next one, try to get three wins again to compete for the Fed Cup title next year.”

Williams said the blustery conditions Sunday tested both players at the start of the match.

“It was just so windy. I just had to be a little more patient, get ready for the ball to do anything. But I was happy to be able to still get through the court and be able to dictate, which is what I like to do,” she said. “I always want to get out there and win fast, but it doesn’t always happen that way. But I guess when I had a short ball, I came in. Just wanted to be able to get in to the net. When I get my racquet on a volley, usually I’m able to do a lot with it.” (AP)

Dolphin sightings at Lovina One of the best place in the world to do dolphin sighting boat trip. You will leave the beach at dawn to seek for the dolphins, though yes it may be quite crowded with other tourists trying to do the same especially during peak season, it is still well worth it when you find a school of dolphins happily jumping by. Lovina itself have a number of other attractions and activities itself, and boasts itself some backpacker scene where you can chill out in cafes and with live musics.

Lovina Beach is located in Kalibukbuk area and covering some countryside like Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Anturan and Kalibukbuk countryside. Kalibukbuk countryside it self is located in Buleleng sub district, meanwhile the Kaliasem and Temukus countryside are located in Banjar sub district where it both of them are belong to Buleleng regency. The eastern countryside is called Pemaron about 5 Km west of Singaraja, and the western countryside is Temukus about 12 Km west of Singaraja.

IBP/net

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AP Photo/Jens Meyer

Belinda Bencic, left, celebrates together with Martina Hingis, right, both of Switzerland, after winning the doubles during their Fed Cup World Group first round tennis match between Germany and Switzerland at the Leipzig Fair in Leipzig, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Hideki Matsuyama plays a shot on the 13th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale.

Hideki Matsuyama edged American Rickie Fowler in a playoff at the Phoenix Open on Sunday to become only the second Japanese player with multiple wins on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama displayed supreme poise in the clutch, overcoming a late two-stroke deficit in regulation as he finished birdiebirdie to catch Fowler at the TPC Scottsdale. He then edged the American at the fourth extra hole to claim his second PGA Tour victory, following his maiden success at the Memorial tournament in 2014.

“It’s been a while since the first one and I’m just really happy today,” Matsuyama told Golf Channel via an interpreter.

“At the start of this week I wasn’t really playing that well. Winning wasn’t one of my thoughts. I’m just glad everything worked out fine.”

Shigeki Maruyama, with three

wins, is the only Japanese player with more victories on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama, 23, who has also won six times on the Japan Tour, is projected to rise to 12th in the world rankings.

A Matsuyama victory seemed most unlikely when Fowler stood over an eight-foot birdie chance at the par-three 16th stadium hole with a chance to go three shots ahead. But Fowler missed the putt, much to the disappointment of the gallery, and then compounded his situation by powering a driver into the water beyond the 17th green en route to a bogey. In a dramatic finish to regulation, Matsuyama rolled in a 15-foot birdie dead centre at the parfour 18th, before Fowler matched him by sneaking a nine-footer in the right-hand door.

They both shot 67 to finish at 14under-par 270, two strokes ahead of

American Harris English.

New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who started the day with a three-shot lead, stumbled early and shot 73 to finish fourth, three shots off the pace.

Matsuyama and Fowler opened the sudden-death playoff by playing the 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred.

The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into the hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par. Matsuyama had the luxury of two-putting from five feet to win, as world number four Fowler squandered a chance for his second victory in three starts, after winning the European tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship two weeks ago. (rtr)

6

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

W

RLD

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Children dressed in Hanbok, a Korean traditional costume, play in front of a barbed-wire fence as their parents prepare for a memorial service for North Korean family members, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, February 8, 2016, on the occasion of Seolnal, the Korean Lunar New Year’s day. Millions of South Koreans travelled to their hometowns during the three-day holiday. Seolnal is one of the traditional holidays when most Koreans visit their hometowns to be united with their families and hold memorial services for their deceased ancestors.

North Korea rocket launch may spur U.S. missile defense buildup in Asia

WASHINGTON- North Korea’s latest rocket launch might kick off a buildup of U.S. missile defense systems in Asia, U.S. officials and missile defense experts said, something that could further strain U.S.-China ties and also hurt relations between Beijing and Seoul. North Korea says it put a satellite into orbit on Sunday, but the United States and its allies see the launch as cover for Pyongyang’s development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.

Washington sought to reassure its allies South Korea and Japan of its commitment to their defense after the launch, which followed a North Korean nuclear test on Jan. 6.

The United States and South Korea said they would begin formal talks about deploying the sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula “at the earliest possible date.” South Korea had been reluctant to publicly discuss the possibility due to worries about upsetting China, its biggest trading partner. Beijing, at odds with the United States over Washington’s reaction to its building of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, quickly expressed “deep concern” about a system whose radar could penetrate Chinese territory.

China had made its position

clear to Seoul and Washington, the Foreign Ministry said. “When pursuing its own security, one country should not impair others’ security interests,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

TIPPING POINT

But the North Korean rocket launch, on top of last month’s nuclear test, could be a “tipping point” for South Korea and win over parts of Seoul’s political establishment that remain wary of such a move, a U.S. official said.

South Korea and the United States said that if THAAD was deployed to South Korea, it would be focused only on North Korea. An editorial in the Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper,

called that assurance “feeble”. “It is widely believed by military experts that once THAAD is installed, Chinese missiles will be included as its target of surveillance, which will jeopardise Chinese national security,” it said.

Japan, long concerned about North Korea’s ballistic missile program, has previously said it was considering THAAD to beef up its defenses. The North Korean rocket on Sunday flew over Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Monday the Defense Ministry had no concrete plan to introduce THAAD, but added the ministry believed new military assets would strengthen the country’s capabilities.

Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said the launch would give Japan momentum to deploy THAAD. Washington moved one of its five THAAD systems to Guam in 2013 following North Korean threats, and is now studying the possibility of converting a Hawaii test site for a land-based version of the shipboard Aegis missile defense system into a combat-ready facility. (rtr)

International

More rescued two days after Taiwan quake

TAINAN - Rescuers pulled out alive an eight-year-old girl and her aunt from the rubble of a Taiwan apartment block on Monday, more than 60 hours after it was toppled by a quake, as the mayor of the southern city of Tainan warned the death toll could exceed 100. The official death toll from the quake rose to 38, with more than 100 people missing.

The girl, named as Lin SuChin, was conscious and had been taken to hospital, Taiwan television stations said. Her aunt, Chen Mei-jih, was rescued shortly after. The quake struck at about 4 a.m. on Saturday (2000 GMT Friday) at the beginning of the Lunar New Year holiday, with almost all the dead found in Tainan’s toppled Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building.

Rescue efforts are focused on the wreckage of the 17-storey building, where more than 100 people are listed as missing and are suspected to be buried deep under the rubble. Earlier, Wang Ting-yu, a legislator who represents the area, told reporters that a woman, identified as Tsao Wei-ling, was found alive, lying under her dead husband. Their two-year-old son, who was also killed, was found nearby.

A n o t h e r s u r v i v o r, a m a n

named Li Tsung-tian, was pulled out later, with Taiwan television stations showing live images of the rescues. Several hours later, Li’s girlfriend was found dead in the rubble. Tsao and Li were both being treated in hospital. Tainan Mayor William Lai said during a visit to a funeral home that rescue efforts had entered what he called the “third stage”. “There are more fatalities than those pulled out (alive), and the number of fatalities will probably exceed 100,” Lai told reporters. Rescuers continued to scramble over the twisted wreckage of the building as numbed family members stood around, waiting for news of missing relatives. Taiwan’s government said in a statement 36 of the 38 dead were from the Wei-guan building, which was built in 1994. President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who won election last month, said there needed to be a “general sorting out” of old buildings to make sure they were able to cope with disasters like earthquakes. “There needs to be a continued strengthening of their ability to deal with disasters,” she said. Outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou, speaking to reporters at a Tainan hospital, said the government needed to be a better job in ensuring building quality. (rtr)

Indonesia ...

national holidays, including Imlek.

But, this year, it is a bit different, and everything is free of charge,” the airports Senior General Manager, Zulfahmi, noted in a statement.

In Bali, thousands of Chinese tourists have arrived in Bali aboard chartered flights of several airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya remarked that at least 65 chartered flights carrying 23 thousand Chinese from 11 cities in China had landed in Bali.

“It seems that Bali has become the favorite destination for Chinese tourists. More than 114 million Chinese travel abroad every year,” Arief affirmed.

He attributed the success achieved in luring Chinese tourists to Bali to intensive advertising and sales by the tourism ministrys marketing team.

Arief said he had instructed the provision of six thousand souvenirs for the tourists and facilities to entertain the visitors. The minister stated that currently, only 1.14 million Chinese tourists annually visit Indonesia, far lesser than eight million to Thailand. (ant)

From page 1

For 2016, the Bali Tourism Office has set the target for tourist arrivals at the world-renowned tourist island at 4.2 million, at least. The Bali tourism office has also set the target of domestic tourists visiting the resort island for 2016 at 7.8 million.

Vice President

Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, through his Twitter account, conveyed his greetings on Chinese Lunar New Year 2567, wishing for peaceful and prosperous festivities. “Hoping it is always peaceful, prosperous, and merry,” Kalla stated, here, Monday. The Lunar New Year, which is locally known as Imlek, is celebrated across the country.

At the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the Barongsai dragon dance and Wushu martial art performances are held as part of the Imlek celebrations.

“This is a routine activity organized by the Soekarno-Hatta airports management to celebrate

International

No Indonesian among Taiwan earthquake victims so far JAKARTA - A spokesman of the Indonesian foreign ministry said there was not a single Indonesian national among the victims of the 6.4 earthquake that struck Tainan, Taiwan, so far.

A team of the Indonesian Trade and Economic Office (KDEI) had searched three hospitals for any Indonesian who might have become a victim in the disaster, but so far they found none, spokesman of the ministry Arrmanatha Nasir said here, Sunday.

The team had combed Chimei Tainan Hospital, Cheng Kung National University Hospital, and Sinlau Christian Hospital. They continue the search and coordinated with the local authorities, he added.

The KDEI has opened a command post located at Hua Street No 42-2, North District, Tainan City, and its telephone number is: +886973947516. The Indonesian government has extended condolences to families of the earthquake victims.

Some 230 thousand Indonesian nationals are estimated to have lived in Taiwan, including 17 thousand migrant workers and many students.

Xinhua news agency reported that the death toll of the powerful earthquake reached 18 by Sunday morning.

A total of 356 people have been rescued in Tainan. At least 132 people are still waiting for rescue, a local rescue command center said.

The 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit Kaohsiung on Saturday at a depth of 15 kilometers, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

Local monitoring authorities put the scale of the quake at 6.4 magnitude. Previous reports said more than 460 people were injured in the quake, according to Xinhua. (ant)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

11

21 dead after drinking adulterated liquor

SLEMAN - Slemans Police Resort of Yogyakarta, said the number Sunday.

He said that besides the dead dead victims after drinking adulterated hard drinks in Sleman had up victims, there were 25 others who to Saturday reached 21 people.

“The number of dead victims has reached 21, increasing from the previous data which were 15 victims,” Sle-

mans Resort Police Chief for criminal investigation Adjunct Police Commissioner Sepuh Siregar, said here on

were still being treated at a number of hospitals, some of them were in critical conditions, said Sepuh. (ant)

Storm wrecks 62 homes in Batam

BATAM - At least 62 homes in Batu Merah, Batuampar Sub-district, and the Batu Besar coastal area, Nongsa Sub-district, in Batam City, Riau Islands Province, were damaged due to storm caused by extreme weather since Sunday morning.

“Twenty houses were almost destroyed or heavily damaged, and 40 others incurred moderate damage in Batu Merah,” Ardiwinata, a spokesman of the Batam municipality administration, stated here, Monday.

In Batu Besar, the storm wrecked two houses and two restaurants --- Cahaya Laut and Hankang --- that were often frequented by foreign tourists.

The local authorities have set up emergency tents and a public kitchen to help the victims of the natural disaster. (ant)

AP Photo/Trisnadi

A villager walks near her house as Mount Bromo spews volcanic materials from its crater in Ngadisari, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. Bromo is one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

12

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

BUSINESS

Global stocks mostly fall amid economy jitters

TOKYO — Global stock markets mostly fell Monday as investors fretted about a global economic slowdown after data showed U.S. employers added fewer jobs last month.

KEEPING SCORE: France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.4 percent to 4,144.58 and Germany’s DAX fell 1.2 percent to 9,162.65. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 1 percent to 5,792.60. U.S. shares set to fall.

Dow futures retreated 0.5 percent to 16,044. S&P 500 futures lost 0.6 percent to 1,864.90.

US DATA: With much of Asia in holiday mode, attention focused on the discouraging U.S. employment figures for January released on Friday. U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs last month, a sharp deceleration from recent months as companies shed education, transportation and temporary workers. That was below economists’ forecasts of 185,000 new jobs, according to a survey of analysts by financial data provider

FactSet. The employment report lends weight to the case for the Federal Reserve to delay interest rate hikes, which is a positive for stock markets, but also adds to signs of weakness in major economies.

THE QUOTE: “There seems little doubt that we have reached a key juncture for the world’s financial markets and if confusion wasn’t at fever pitch two weeks ago then things are even worse now,” said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia.

“All eyes will be on Janet Yellen’s semi-annual testimony to Congress this week and there will be much focus on her vision around the impact tighter financial conditions have had on economics.”

ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s bench-

mark Nikkei 225 rose 1.1 percent to 17,004.30 while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 4,975.40.

Thailand’s SET added 0.5 percent to 1,312.50. India’s Sensex was down 0.6 percent at 23,459.99. Markets were closed in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines for Lunar New Year holidays.

New Zealand’s stock market was closed for a national holiday.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude inched up 9 cents to $30.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The futures contract fell 83 cents to $30.89 a barrel on Friday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was up 8 cents to $34.12 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 116.92 yen from 116.82 yen on Friday. The euro rose to $1.1179 from $1.1160.(ap)

Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Swiss bank Credit Suisse, speaks during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday Feb. 4, 2016.

Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP

After big loss, Credit Suisse CEO asks board: Cut my bonus GENEVA — The new CEO of Credit Suisse has proposed that its board make a “significant” cut in his bonus after the Swiss bank posted disappointing earnings last week and announced 4,000 job cuts.

The bank on Monday confirmed comments by Tidjane Thiam in an interview published a day earlier in SonntagsZeitung and other Germanlanguage media.

An e-mail from Credit Suisse’s

press office said he proposed the biggest cut among the bank’s management team because “I cannot demand sacrifices from others and not make any myself.”

Spokeswoman Anuschka Ross said the bank is “not giving numbers at the moment” about the size of the cut in the bonus. A dual national of France and Ivory Coast, Thiam took over last summer and has laid out a multi-year reform program to cut costs.(ap)

AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

A man look at an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. Most Asian stocks jumped Thursday as oil prices bounced back and weak U.S. economic data fueled investor hopes that the Fed would slow the pace of rate hikes this year. Japanese shares fell as the yen rose against the dollar.

LinkedIn shares plunge almost 44 percent SAN FRANCISCO — Investors gave LinkedIn a poor job review Friday in the form of a dramatic sell-off that wiped out nearly $11 billion in the professional networking site’s market value. A surprise forecast for slower growth this year sent LinkedIn shares into a stomach-turning plunge of almost 44 percent.

After the market closed Thursday, the online company reported better-than-expected earnings for the last quarter but warned that revenue would fall short of what analysts had projected for 2016.

It also said it was discontinuing a new online advertising system that hadn’t worked out.

Several analysts noted that LinkedIn has a track record of issuing conservative forecasts and later beating them, but this time investors were shaken by the company’s financial guidance. The stock closed Friday at $108.38 after its worst slide since LinkedIn went public in 2011.

LinkedIn said it expects revenue of about $3.6 billion to $3.65 billion for this year, while analysts surveyed by FactSet were projecting sales of $3.9 billion.

The company’s forecast implies the once fast-growing business expects sales to increase in the low 20 percent range this year, falling into the teens in 2017, according to a report by analyst Neil Doshi of Mizuho Securities. The firm

downgraded its investment rating on LinkedIn’s stock to “neutral” from “buy” on Friday.

Mizuho had been expecting LinkedIn to post 30 percent sales growth for 2016 and mid-20 percent growth for 2017. “Clearly, we were wrong,” Doshi said.

LinkedIn blamed economic uncertainty in Europe and Asia, in part, for slowing growth in its core job-recruiting business. Unlike other social networks that rely primarily on advertising sales, LinkedIn gets about 60 percent of its revenue from licensing fees for software that employers and recruiters use to find job candidates. The remaining revenue comes from advertising and subscription fees.

The Mountain View, California-based company said it will continue investing to expand around the world. Analysts say LinkedIn should see increased revenue from online training courses and new software that commercial sales representatives can use to drum up business from their online contacts.

But the company also said it was overhauling its digital ad business and phasing out one ad program launched last year, because it had not performed as expected. That will cause the company to forego some revenue in the coming months, executives warned.(ap)

Bali News

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Monkey zodiac, the economy predicted stable in mid-year

5

BANGLI - In the Chinese calendar, the Lunar New Year 2567 belongs to the year of the monkey. Ahead the turn of this lunar year, various predictions usually arise about what will happen during the coming year of the monkey.

According to the priest of Batur Chinese Temple, Jro Mangku Candra, in the next year of the monkey is predicted that everything either about the economy, security or other sectors will experience some instabilities. As the monkey’s behavior, the economic conditions and other security will be jumping.

He also mentioned that human behavior influenced by monkeys will be a bit inconsistent. “The security condition will be rippling,” he explained.

Nevertheless, by mid-year, all of these conditions will begin to change. He predicted that in the next mid-year of the monkey all the things that are initially unstable will become stable. “Stability will occur from mid-year to the end of the year. At that time, the condition

will be good,” he said.

On that account, in the face of the upcoming year of the monkey, Jero Mangku Candra also urged the public to keep their attitude in order to avoid any quarrels or disputes. People are also expected to continuously make introspection. “Do the regular activity. Just keep introspective,” he said.

Through the moment of this Lunar New Year, he gave a message that the whole community must remain cohesive. In spite of different belief, the community is expected to continuously respect one another.

“We are all brothers. Let’s respect one another. Although we remain different in terms of religions, we are still coming from one source,” he said. (kmb40)

Goddess Danu as Source of Prosperity

Tabanan - Hindu community in Bali believes in the manifestation of God as Sang Hyang Dewi Danu, the goddess of fertility and the source of prosperity. Goddess Danu is usually worshiped at Ulun Danu located in the upstream of a lake. “Ulun’ means upstream (opposite to downstream) and ‘Danu’ means lake. In addition to forests, the surrounding area of Ulun Danu Temple also

grows various flourishing flowers.

In the effort to maintain the balance of nature, especially in maintaining water, Hindu community in Bali does it physically (sekala) and psychically (niskala). Psychically, it is performed through animal sacrificial ceremony known as pakelem. On that account, this kind of ceremony is usually carried out in the water sources including lakes.

Prof. Dr. I Nengah Duija said that pakelem or mapakelem ceremony is one of the ways carried out by the Hindu community in Bali in appreciating to water, including the water of the lake. Manifestation of God revered in the lake is Goddess Danu, the goddess of water posing a culture of water for human life. “In the purana manuscript, Goddess Danu emits water to the entire Bali from nearest to distant

Ulun Danu Temple located in Beratan Lake, Tabanan

IBP/File

regions,” he said.Since people believe to have the god of water, they have special treatment to the goddess. As a matter of fact, there are stages of ritual performed by Hindu community, ranging from the smallest to the largest ones. All the stages should be done because they are integrated. “When paddy fields have vanished, it means there is a missing step,” said Rector of the Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) of Denpasar.

But more importantly, explained Prof. Duija, in keeping the water it must be balanced with the maintenance of forest as the buffer of water. Therefore, no matter how grandiose the ritual performed is, without being balanced with real action in keeping the forest it will be in vain. Philosophically, there is a strength performed in managing water, and at the same time the forests should also be maintained. “If we maintain Goddess Danu, the forests are also maintained,” he added.

The ritual performed by the Hindus in maintaining the forest is wana kertih ceremony, but it is not quite enough with the ceremony only without being equipped with real activities such as by not cutting down forests carelessly and intensifying greening activities. “Treating nature is not simple. We have been endowed with an understanding on logic, therefore, it must be accompanied with supporting components such as forest preservation,” he concluded.

Then, many lakes are now functioned as a tourist attraction, as one of the measures to gain prosperity. However, it is worth noting that people seeking prosperity must contribute to maintain nature. “Other than physical development, the aspect of civilization must also be developed,” he concluded. (IBP)

4

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Bali News

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

International

International

Highway submerged

In southern Africa, an illusion built on aid heralds hope and hunger

Parliament highlights quality of drainage

DENPASAR-Concerns about poor quality of drainage projects in Denpasar have frequently got highlights. Moreover, the drainage project worked on by central government has reaped criticism of the parliament from the beginning. Currently, the concerns became a reality. When it rained in Denpasar, Wednesday (Feb. 3), the highway of Denpasar was submerged highly deep. Ironically, the drainage of submerged highway has just finished to be worked on.

Against these conditions, a number of legislators of the Denpasar House of Representatives, such as A.A. Ngurah Gede Widiada, Wayan Warka and A.A. Susruta Ngurah Putra, Friday (Feb. 5) assessed that such incident was caused by many factors. One of them is the quality of workmanship considered less maximal. Especially it concerns with the slope as well as the inadequacy of tile outlets of the highway to the drain underneath. As a result, overflow of rainwater is so much and unable to be absorbed into the drain.

“Arrangement of the drain in the city of Denpasar, other than being handled by Denpasar municipality, is also involving the government of Bali Province and central government. To anticipate floods, the government has made maximal efforts. Evidently, in addition to arranging the drain, the Public Works Agency also regularly conducts flushing of the drains. However, due to poor quality of drain, the case of overflowing water is hard to be avoided,” said Widiada.

Another trigger, he said, is people’s behavior that is still lacking of keeping the environmental sanita-

tion and making the gutter as a place to litter. “This needs to be changed, so that our environment becomes beautiful,” he explained.

Both Widiada and Susruta Ngurah Putra agreed if the drainage project quality needs to be improved. For example, the slope of drain must be according to the conditions in the field. If the elevation is not appropriate, it results in puddles even though the drain has applied box culvert. In addition, crossing pipes in the drain can also trigger overflow. “On Jalan A. Yani, for instance, unavoidably it will always be hit by floods because the drain contains many crossing pipes.

This thing must also be coordinated with relevant agencies,” said this Nasdem Party politician.

Susruta added that drainage project in the city of Denpasar needs exposing comprehensively. Definitely it involves central government, Bali Province and municipality.

From the exposure, it can be known what becomes the priority and nonpriority. “Currently, pursuant to the field conditions the drainage has been arranged by using a box culvert, but in fact the water is still overflowing.

This condition also even happens

REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pose for a photo during a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia, February 8, 2016.

IBP/file

Concerns about poor quality of drainage projects in Denpasar have frequently got highlights.

When it rained in Denpasar, the highway of Denpasar was submerged highly deep. in the region where the drain has just been completed. This happens because the arrangement is only made in the upstream, while the downstream is left, so that there is overflow,” said Susruta, while citing the cases occurred on Jalan Sutomo, Denpasar.

Earlier, Chairman of Commis-

sion III of the Denpasar House of Representatives, Eko Supriadi, assessed the quality of the drainage project worked on by the province is less good. Supposedly, with the less maximal rainfall, the box culvert condition remains secure like in the original installation. “Just with the rain intensity, there has

been noticeable shift. This needs for closer scrutiny,” he said.

He cited what happens on Jalan Sutomo, Pemecutan Kaja, exactly in front of Grenceng hamlet hall. ”Having been flushed by rain, it has indicated if the workmanship process is not as expected,” said Eko Supriadi. (kmb12)

Trash of Trunyan at issue in social media

Parliament drives people to do mutual assistance

IBP/net

Trunyan village in Kintamani is lately at issue in social media like Facebook. This happens because a lot of garbage is littered in the area of the tourism village.

BANGLI-Trunyan village in Kintamani is lately at issue in social media like Facebook. This happens because a lot of garbage is littered in the area of the tourism village. Concerned with the matter, the circles of the Bangli House of Representatives led by Ngakan Kutha Parwata came down to location directly to work together with residents to clean up the garbage.

Other than involving two deputies, the cleanup action also involved a number of communities caring for environment in Bangli as well as local residents. When met after the mutual assistance activities last Saturday, Ngakan Kutha Parwata admitted that sanitation at Trunyan village lately got a lot of public highlight, especially the users of social media. That trash that should be managed was just left scattered and neglected.

Kutha Parwata said that many local residents of Trunyan migrating to other regions such as Gianyar cause the environmental sanitation of the village to be finally done by the elders of local village.

According to Kutha Parwata, through mutual assistance his institution wanted to bring around

the local communities on the importance of environmental sanitation. “This is initial breakthrough we could do. Through this mutual assistance we are also thinking of how to organize the Batur caldera region having been included in the world geopark region,” he explained.

Further, Kutha Parwata said that to arrange the Batur caldera region in the future his institution plans to carry out cooperation and coordination with the entire customary villages in the region. Moreover, according to the information he received, the arrangement of Batur caldera region has also got special attention from central government considering that Lake Batur is still entered as one of the 15 lakes in Indonesia getting priority rescue. “For this arrangement, central government will allocate fund around IDR 68 billion,” he explained.

However,his institution was still unable to ensure when the funds will be disbursed by central government. The fund, added Kutha Parwata, will be used to fund infrastructure development around of the lake including the culture of the surrounding villages. (kmb40)

13

Russian firepower helps Syrian forces edge towards Turkey border

BEIRUT - The Syrian army advanced towards the Turkish border on Monday in a major offensive backed by Russia and Iran that rebels say now threatens the future of their nearly five-year-old insurrection against President Bashar al-Assad.

Iranian backed-militias played a key role on the ground as Russian jets intensified what rebels call a scorched earth policy that has allowed the military back into the strategic northern area for the first time in more than two years.

“Our whole existence is now threatened, not just losing more ground,” said Abdul Rahim alNajdawi from Liwa al-Tawheed, an insurgent group.

“They are advancing and we are pulling back because in the face of such heavy aerial bombing we must minimise our losses.”

The Syrian military and its allies were almost five km (3 miles) from the rebel-held town of Tal Rafaat, which has brought them to around 25 km (16 miles) from the Turkish border, the rebels, a residents and a conflict monitor said.

The assault around the city of Aleppo in northern Syria has prompted tens of thousands to flee towards Turkey, which is already sheltering more than 2.5 million Syrians, the world’s largest refugee population.

In the last two days escalating Russian bombardment of towns north west of Aleppo, Anadan and Haritan, brought several thousand more, according to a resident in the town of Azaz.

Rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo are still home to 350,000 people, and aid workers have said they could soon fall to the government.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted at the weekend as saying Turkey was under threat.

Damascus says it wants to take back full control of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the civil war erupted five years ago. It would be a huge strategic prize for Assad’s government in a conflict that has killed at least 250,000 people across the country and driven 11 million from their homes.

After around a week of heavy Russian air strikes, Syrian government troops and their allies broke through rebel defences to reach two Shi’ite towns in northern Aleppo province on Wednesday, choking opposition supply lines from Turkey.

The Syrian army’s success in opening a route to the Shi’ite towns of Nubul and Zahraa enabled it to cut a main highway that linked rebel held areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo with the eastern part of Aleppo held by insurgents since 2012.

The latest gains by the Syrian government brings it to the closest point to the Turkish border area since August 2013, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The capture of the towns of Mayer and then Kafin, just north of Nubul and Zahraa, in the past 24 hrs have opened the road towards Tal Rifaat, the next focus of the army assault. The capture of that would leave only the town of Azaz before the Turkish border itself.

The prospect of the loss of Azaz, just a few miles from the Bab al Salama border crossing, would virtually wipe out the insurgents from their main stronghold in northwest Syria. Russian bombing has for weeks targeted rebel routes to the main border crossing that was once a major gateway from Europe and Turkey to the Gulf and Iraq. Since it fell to insurgents, the crossing has been both a major commercial lifeline and arms supply route for rebel-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces. (rtr)

LILONGWE - As she walks along a dirt road in central Malawi, Louise Abale carries her precious maize wrapped in a brightly coloured cloth and balanced on her head. Because of drought in Malawi and across southern Africa the grain has doubled in price in the space of a year, and now costs around 200 kwacha ($0.28) a kilo.

Like many, Abale is struggling to pay for maize, a staple of the diet, and says her own - stunted - crop will not be ready for harvest for two months. “It’s too expensive, I have almost no money,” she said.

In all 2.8 million people in Malawi, or 17 percent of the population, now face hunger, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Drought and floods have hit the maize crop, exposing the fragility of gains which had seen Malawi’s rates of malnutrition slashed in the past two decades.

That progress was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers. But now the government, starved of donor funds following a graft scandal over two years ago, can ill afford such payments and says it must scale down the programme.

Ironically, policies aimed at ensuring basic food security are partly to blame for a cycle of rural poverty and aid dependency in this landlocked African nation, leaving the population vulnerable to climate shocks, economists say.

“There is no doubt that the fertiliser subsidy was only feasible due to donor support,” said Ed Hobey, an analyst at Africa Risk Consulting. “At best, it was unsustainable without continued donor support, at worst, it was an illusion built on aid.”

Launched in 2005, the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) provides qualifying farmers - those with limited income but a plot of productive land - with two coupons which can be redeemed for two 50-kg bags of fertiliser. The recipients make a modest contribution, with the government footing most of the bill.

Because the government is subsidising the production of maize - the main source of calories for many poor households - it also bans the export of the grain.

The programme is credited by the government and some aid agencies with lifting maize production and cutting hunger. The data appear to back that up.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the percentage of Malawi’s malnourished population fell to 21.8 percent in 2012-14 from 45 percent two decades earlier. But FISP’s role here is difficult to untangle as most of those gains were made before 2005.

Still, there is evidence of benefits, including indirect ones. Stunting among Malawi children - a key nutrition measure - fell to 42.4 percent in 2014 from 49 percent in 2002. (rtr)

REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Subsistence farmer Nelson Sikanawawe walks through his field of maize after late rains near the capital Lilongwe, Malawi February 1, 2016. Floods and an El Nino-triggered drought have hit the staple maize crop, exposing the fragility of Malawi’s progress, which was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers that the government, now starved of donor funds, can ill afford. Picture taken February 1, 2016.

14

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Science

International

North Korea’s new satellite flew over Super Bowl site

TOKYO — Here’s a bit of Super Bowl trivia: North Korea’s newest satellite passed almost right over the stadium just an hour after it ended.

Whatever motives Pyongyang may have about using its rocket launches to develop nuclear-tipped long-range missiles, it now has two satellites circling the Earth, according to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, which monitors all satellites in orbit. Both of the Kwangmyongsong, or “Shining Star,” satellites complete their orbits in about 94 minutes and based on data released by international organizations tracking them, the new one passed almost right over Levi’s Stadium about an hour after the Super Bowl ended. “It passed almost directly overhead Silicon Valley, which is where I am and where the stadium is,” tech watcher Martyn Williams said in an email to The Associated Press.

“The pass happened at 8:26 p.m., after the game. I would put it down to nothing more than a coincidence, but an interesting one.” The game in Santa Clara, California, ended at 7:25 p.m. local time. North Korea claims Sunday’s successful satellite launch was its fourth. The first two have never been confirmed by anyone else, but experts worldwide agree it got one into orbit in 2012 and NORAD, which is hardly a propaganda mouthpiece for Pyongyang, now has

both that and the satellite launched on Sunday on its official satellite list.

Kwangmyongsong 4, the satellite launched Sunday, has the NORAD catalog number 41332 and Kwangmyongsong 3-2, launched in 2012, is 39026. They are described as Earth observation satellites, and weigh about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) apiece.

Their main applications, according to Pyongyang, are monitoring the weather, mapping natural resources and forest distributions and providing data that might help farmers improve their crops. North Korea’s state-run media quoted scientists and researchers at the North’s State Hydro-Meteorological Administration as saying Sunday they are “are delighted at the news” of the launch. Its deputy director, Ryu Pong Chol, reportedly said it will give a big boost to North Korean weather forecasters.

That remains to be seen. No signals from the previous satellite, which North Korea claimed transmitted the “Song of General Kim Il Sung” and “Song of General Kim Jong Il” after achieving orbit, have ever been confirmed by outside observers. That might be because it

was never stable enough to transmit anything back home.

Signals from the new satellite had also yet to be detected. Amateurs and experts alike are doing their best to listen in around the world, but it is unclear exactly what frequency the satellite is supposed to be using, or what it will be transmitting.

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist working at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said four objects from the 2012 launch are still trackable in their orbits — the satellite itself, the final stage of the Unha-3 rocket that lifted it into space and two small pieces of debris.

“It will stay up for a few more years,” McDowell said. “There’s no evidence that the spacecraft ever transmitted any signals. If it did work, I suspect it was for only a few hours, if at all.”

He said the satellite was in an initial orbit of 498x587 kilometers — figures that denote the object’s closest and farthest distance from Earth — similar to the orbit of the satellite launched Sunday. But over 3 years, friction with the Earth’s outer atmosphere has brought the older one’s orbit closer, to 467x529 kilometers. That’s still well above the orbit of the International Space Station. (ap)

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

In this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 photo, South Koreans watch a TV news program about North Korea’s rocket launch at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.

The letters on the screen read: “The U.N. Security Council will hold a meeting on Feb. 7.”

Bali News

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

3

Goa Gajah Temple attraction

Ranked second in terms of tourist visit

GIANYAR-Goa Gajah Temple is one of the attractions visited by hundreds of travelers every day. Based on monthly tourist visits, the attraction with historical and spiritual value located Bedulu village, Blahbatuh, is ranked second after the Tirta Empul tourist attraction.

Edgar Mitchell

AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams, File

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, 6th man on moon, dies in Florida

MIAMI — Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who became the sixth man on the moon when he and Alan Shepard helped NASA recover from Apollo 13’s “successful failure” and later devoted his life to exploring the mind, physics and unexplained phenomena such as psychics and aliens, has died in Florida.

He was 85.

Mitchell died Thursday night at a West Palm Beach hospice after a short illness, his daughter, Kimberly Mitchell, said. Mitchell’s passing coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 14 mission, which ran from Jan. 31-Feb. 9, 1971.

Mitchell, one of only 12 humans to set foot on the moon, was not a typical strait-laced astronaut: In later years, he said aliens visited Earth and faith healers were legit. He attempted to communicate telepathically with friends at home during his Apollo mission. He had an “epiphany” in space that focused him on studying consciousness, physics and other mysteries.

“What I experienced during that three-day trip home was nothing short of an overwhelming sense of universal connectedness,” Mitchell wrote in his 1996 autobiography. “It occurred to me that the molecules of my body and the molecules of the spacecraft itself were manufactured long ago in the furnace of one

of the ancient stars that burned in the heavens about me.” His passion for exploration led him to become an astronaut, and he joined NASA in 1966. He helped design and test the lunar modules that first reached the moon in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Shepard, the first American in space in 1961, picked Mitchell to be on Apollo 13’s three-person crew. But they were bumped to the next mission so Shepard would have more time to train — he had been grounded for years because of an inner ear disorder.

The delay was an unexpected benefit: Apollo 13’s astronauts were nearly killed when an oxygen tank exploded as they neared the moon in 1970. They made it home safely, but never set foot on the moon. A year later, Shepard, Mitchell and Stu Roosa were the first crew to try again amid falling support for the moon missions from President Nixon, Congress and the public.

“Had we blown it, had it failed for whatever reason, that would probably have been the end of the Apollo program right there,” Mitchell said in 1997. But they didn’t let that get to them: “When you’re carrying that personal load, you just don’t have room to carry a national load as well.” Fortunately, their mission, the third lunar landing and Mitchell’s only trip in space, was a success. (ap)

Goa Gajah Temple is located approximately 27 km east of Denpasar. The cave is estimated to have been built around the 11th century during the reign of Sri Astasura Ratna Bumi Banten, formerly used as a place for meditation. This location also has seven sacred pools with seven statues of angels. In addition, there are many historical heritages that can be found at this holy place complex.

This holy place is divided into three parts. Firstly, it is a sacred Hindu building complex established around the tenth century. Secondly, there is a Hindu sacred building in the form of a small temple or shrine.

Finally, there is a Buddhist heritage building founded around the eighth century.

Eastern part of the cave hosts

three lingams standing up in the niche, in the western part stands a statue of Ganesh, in the middle end stand three more lingams of Shiva. Then, in front of the cave lies a statue of Ganesha posing the son of Shiva.

Based on data of the Gianyar Tourism Office, the Goa Gajah tourist attraction is ranked second in terms of tourist arrivals with an average of 19,321 each month.

The first rank is occupied by Tirta Empul with a total of 32,681 tourist visits each month. The third place is Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring (9,381 visitors), Gunung Kawi Sebatu (1,781 visitors) and Yeh Pulu Bedulu (450 visitors).

The Head of the Gianyar Tourism Office, A.A. Bagus Ari Brahmanta, revealed that throughout

2015 there was significant increase in tourist visit in Gianyar. The initial target of tourist arrival was 2.5 million people, but it increased up to 2.8 million tourists per December 31, 2015. “In the previous year, there has been an increase with a total of 2.8 million tourists. The figure has exceeded the target,” he said.

High tourist visit includes in the five tourist destinations managed by the government of Gianyar district and customary village such as the Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring, Yeh Pulu, Gunung Kawi Sebatu and Tirta Empul Tampaksiring. Of the five tourist destinations, Tirta Empul is still admitted to be excellent, contributing more than 25 percent of the total tourist visit.

But interestingly, two other destinations, namely the Goa Gajah and Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring become two destinations experiencing the highest increase in tourist visit this year, compared to three other destinations. (kmb35)

IBP/net

Ahead of Galungan and Kuningan celebration, the volume of fruit sales in North Bali has increased in buyers from all walks of society.

Sales of fruits ahead of Galungan on the rise

SINGARAJA-Ahead of Galungan and Kuningan celebration, the volume of fruit sales in North Bali has increased in buyers from all walks of society. The types of fruit bustlingly sought after are primarily those used to meet the needs for celebration of the holidays.

Merchants at the Anyar market, Singaraja, began peddling various fruit needs like banana, snakefruit and dragon fruit. “Merchants will be crowded when approaching Galungan and Kuningan. We’ve got a stock of fruit not only from Buleleng, but also delivery stock from East Java and beyond,” said Mrs. Kiki, a local merchant, Saturday (Feb. 6).

She sold some kinds of fruit such as milk banana for IDR 60,000 more per bunch, Karangasem snakefruit for IDR 6,000 to IDR 7,000 per kilogram, Pupuan snakefruit for IDR 3,500 per kilogram, Pondoh

snakefruit for IDR 6,000 per kilogram and dragon fruit for IDR 6,500 - IDR 10,000 per kilogram.

“The price is fluctuating. Our fruit can sell out within one to two days.

It depends on the buyers. Well, approaching holidays like today we can sell them out more quickly,” said the merchant from Pakisan village, Kubutambahan.

Then, the price for sweet tangerine from Kintamani is around IDR 6,000 to IDR 14,000 per kilogram.

Currently, the fruit needs in North Bali are considered to have been fulfilled adequately. The sales also depend on supplies at the farm level, and the supply from outside Bali. “Daily sales are reasonable.

I cannot predict the needs of the fruit sold, but the last time I have ordered apple from Malang up to 5 tons and can be easily sold, sir,” she concluded. (kmb34)

DENPASAR-An Australian tourist with the initials EBG, 55, was arrested at Villa Xanadu on Jalan Dewi Saraswati II, Seminyak, Kuta, Monday (Feb. 1). Allegedly EBG got involved in a fraud case in the sale of villa and apartment on October 7, 2013. His victims are I Ketut Semadi and Tommy Comerford from Australia. The suspect has been put in wanted list since last December.

According to Chief of Bali Police-Public Information Center, Sri Harmiti, Friday (Feb. 2), the suspect initially marketed villas and apartments through websites. The suspect claimed to have complete documents and published the images of villas to be built.

In fact, both victims were deluded. They agreed that the price of one unit villa was nearly two billion rupiahs. Moreover, the victims agreed to buy a package of nine villas and apartments costing almost IDR 20 billion. However, the victims have just paid a half. “The payment was

transferred to the account of the suspect,” she said.

After that, both victims would like to meet the suspect to ask for a copy of the document of the villas and apartments. They included the certificate of ownership (SHM) and building permits (IMB). Unfortunately, the suspect said that he could not show the documents requested.

Both victims are getting furious when he saw the construction of the project because it did not correspond to the images. The suspect promised to reimburse the victims but it has not been proven so far.

“After the case was reported to the Directorate of Bali Police General Criminal Investigation, based on the investigation results EBG was named as a suspect. When the case was about to be handed over to the Bali High Court, the suspect fled and directly put into wanted list on December 1, 2014. The suspect was arrested on Monday,” said Sri Harmiti. (kmb36)

An Australian tourist arrested at villa

IBP/net

Goa Gajah based on monthly tourist visits, the attraction with historical and spiritual value located Bedulu village, Blahbatuh, is ranked second after the Tirta Empul tourist attraction.

2

International

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

COVER STORY Reclamation ...

From page 1

“I have an idea whether the government can make a company where the investors are the people of Bali. For example, it builds a company and goes public and the shares are then purchased by Balinese people, so that it is then owned by Balinese people. It can be made through the establishment of a large company such as hotels or hospitals, where the Balinese residents serve a shareholder,” he said.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesia Tour and Travel Agency (ASITA) Bali, Ketut Ardana, asserted that Bali is a living museum so that it may no longer be tossed by other things like reclamation. In other words, it is the uniqueness making Bali well known to the entire world.

That is why the Indonesia Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) Bali made a black and white on the rejection against the Benoa Bay reclamation three years ago.

“Tourists come here because of daily activities of Balinese people, how they live the life from getting up in the morning until they go back to sleep are becoming the main attraction,” he said.

A member of the Love Bali Forum, Nyoman Suma Artha, added that Bali has strong branding as a unique island along with its culture that is second to none in the world. The reclamation will even shift the branding of cultural tourism to mass tourism that will not be sustainable culturally, environmentally and in terms of human civilization.

“In any industry, one thing that must be considered is improving the quality of life of local communities, not even shifting the local community with the advent of capitalism that does not have a conscience. This should be considered by policy holders,” he said.

Suma Artha admitted to be concerned because the reclamation will not only change the branding but even eliminate the Bali tourism.

Besides, it can trigger horizontal conflict considering Balinese people have vivacity of doing thing all out. Moreover, so far there have been 18 customary villages having declared their rejection against the reclamation. However, the leaders, people’s representatives as well as investors remained silent and tend to continue the project by backfilling the bay.

“If it is forced, we are scared the

customary communities currently rejecting reach their limit of emotion so that it can result in horizontal

conflict. This will confront the community with the community. One thing needs remembering is that if tourism

of a region has gone bankrupt, it will never get recovered again,” he said. (kmb32)

IBP/File

Water sport in Tanjung Benoa is one of the tourism attarction in the area. If the reclamation plan is done then the water sport will be gone.

Threatening tourist arrivals to Bali

Moreover, a survey emerged previously stating that 60 percent of travelers today tend to get interested in

artificial tourism. In other words, now only remaining 40 percent of travelers choose nature tourism.

IBP/Net

Lake Toba, one of the tourism destination promoted by the government. It is very good to spread the tourists but threatening tourist arrivals to Bali.

“In 2016, central government will build 10 tourism destination facilities beyond Bali and in the next 4-5 years central government will build 10 new Bali-like destinations to meet the target of tourist arrivals to Indonesia. This condition will surely become a tough challenge for Bali in the future,” said a member of the PDI-P Faction, IGA Diah Werdhi Srikandi, when reading the perspective of her faction in the plenary session of the Bali House of Representatives recently.

Diah added the measure of central government is worried by the PDI-P Faction. On the one hand, travelers visiting Indonesia will be increased according to the expectations of the government. Likewise, revenues from tourism sector as part of the cultural industries will also be likely to exceed the oil, gas, mining and coal.

“But travelers visiting Bali will slowly decline, at least their average length of stay in Bali will diminish,” she explained. On the other hand,

continued Diah, Bali administration has been for more than two decades working to make primary sector or agriculture in broad sense contribute more to the economy of Bali.

However, so far the contribution of primary sector does not move from the range of 16 percent. Tertiary sector driven by tourism is always dominantly contributing over 65 percent.

“It is time for the entire people of Bali, in this case the provincial government as well as district government and municipality in Bali, to think together and take important steps forward for the progress of tourism in Bali,” she continued.

Governor of Bali, Made Mangku Pastika, said that when the 10 Bali-like destinations are realized, Bali will be number eleven. According to him, it is not easy to face this challenge unless Bali helps create new tourist destinations. Moreover, 60 percent of travelers are now interested in artificial

tourism. So far, Bali has relied more on natural and cultural tourism. “It (cultural and natural tourism—Ed) even becomes a problem later on because if we look at market trends, we might lose travelers,” he said.

He continued that creation of new destinations in Bali is also meant to avoid the migration of local labor to outside Bali considering that the Balinese are typical of people that are hard to move. “So, do not let me later on be accused of asking Balinese people to move out of Bali and ask other people to come to Bali, I do not mean so. Inevitably, our tourist destinations are those very same things as we find today. They will be unable to accommodate our workforce,” he explained.

In the meantime, the top ten tourist destinations to be developed include the Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, Bromo-TenggerSemeru, Seribu Islands, Wakatobi, Tanjung Lesung, Morotai and Tanjung Kelayang. (kmb32)

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

15

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Experience The Chinese New Year at Harris Hotel and Coventions Kelapa Gading

Jakarta – Nothing beats the feeling of gathering with family members from distant places during Chinese New Year and HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading welcomes everyone for the sumptuous Gong Xi Fa Cai Buffet Dinner at HARRIS Cafe.

Featuring a wide variety of buffet stations including some season specialties such as Chinese Crab Corn Soup, Peking Duck, La Mian Noodles, Hoisin Beef Scallion Rolls, Fortune Cookies and many more, Executive Chef Anton

Central govt launches 10 new Bali-like destinations

Denpasar - PDI-P Faction in the Bali House of Representative saw a shift in what the market wants related to destinations and accommodations in Bali. The increase in tourist arrivals is not followed by an increase in hotel occupancy rates in particular region.

Activities

International

Sujarwo and his team are working tirelessly to present only the best for valued customers.

As program highlight, the Lion Dance and also HARRIS Move performance by talented HARRIS Players. HARRIS Move is the signature dance of HARRIS Hotels.

“HARRIS Hotels takes great pleasure being the hub for families to be together especially during the festive Chinese New Year, share stories and laughs over good meal and friendly ambiance,” added Anton Sujarwo, Executive Chef of HARRIS Hotel & Conventions

Kelapa Gading.

In ensuring that guests are able to make positive contribution to the society, HARRIS Hotel & Conven-

tions Kelapa Gading has agreed to donate IDR 5,000 per every purchased buffet to the corporate responsibility program.

Gong Xi Fa Cai Buffet Dinner is available from 6-10PM on 7 February 2016 only for IDR 258,888nett per person.

Balinese Temple Ceremony

Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

IBP/Net

IBP/Net

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

16 Pages Number 31 8th year

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

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Inarritu wins DGA award for “The Revenant,” stoking its Oscar hopes

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood’s directors named Alejandro Inarritu the best film director of 2015 for “The Revenant” at a gala ceremony on Saturday, helping focus the race for the Oscars.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA), the leading industry group representing film and television directors, also chose Matthew Heineman as the best documentary maker for “Cartel Land.”

Past DGA feature film award winners have often gone on to claim the best director Oscar and see their films win best picture from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It was Inarritu’s second consecutive DGA win after taking home the prize last year for “Birdman,” for which he also won the best director Oscar. That film also took home the best picture Academy Award.

So far this year industry awards from the Screen Actors Guild, the Producers Guild and now the DGA have gone to different films, with ac-

tors choosing “Spotlight” and producers honoring “The Big Short.”

Heading into the DGAs, Oscar watchers had narrowed this year’s race to Inarritu’s dark drama, which stars Oscar favorite Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom McCarthy’s journalism tale “Spotlight” and financial farce “The Big Short.”

The Oscars will be handed out in Hollywood on Feb. 28 in a starstudded television show viewed around the world which is one of the most-watched TV programs in the United States.

But Oscar buzz, which is typically the focus of Hollywood’s awards season, has been overshadowed since January by claims of a lack of racial diversity in Academy Award voting after no actors of color were

nominated in key acting and directing categories for a second straight year.

The controversy led to a revival of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter, as well as calls for an Oscar boycott by the likes of director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith.

Following its January nominations, the Academy unveiled changes to membership rules that are meant to bring greater diversity, but the cloud of racial bias in Hollywood has continued to dominate awards talk.

DGA president Paris Barclay noted the controversy in his opening remarks, saying the DGA had long championed “the important fight for equal opportunity.”

In addition to film directors, the DGA also handed out television honors. Chris Addison won for best TV comedy direction for “Veep,” while David Nutter won the award for TV drama series for “Game of Thrones.” (rtr)

WEATHER FORECAST 23 - 32 Dps

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 North Korea rocket launch may spur U.S. missile defense buildup in Asia Page 6

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

Barcelona ties all-time club record of 28 games without loss Page 8

Not Published We, The International Bali Post will not be published on Wednesday and Thursday, February 10 and 11 due to Galungan Day.

Reclamation of Benoa Bay

Ignore sustainable tourism

REUTERS/Phil McCarten

Alejandro G. Inarritu (C) accepts the Feature Film award from DGA President Paris Barclay (L) and director Tom Hooper (R) during the 68th annual DGA Awards in Los Angeles February 6, 2016.

Beyonce, Bruno Mars heat up Coldplay’s Super Bowl halftime show SANTA CLARA - Coldplay headlined at Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show, but it was R&B super stars Beyonce and Bruno

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Recording artist Beyonce, Coldplay singer Chris Martin and recording artist Bruno Mars perform during halftime in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium.

Mars who delivered the sizzle with a lively, upbeat production that paid homage to previous halftime performers.

Known mainly for mellow hits, British altrockers Coldplay amped up the energy, staging “Viva La Vida” on a colorfully illuminated floor surrounded by dancing violinists. After Coldplay crowd-pleasers “Paradise” and “Adventure of a Lifetime,” a black-leather-clad Mars, who headlined the halftime show in 2014, bounced through “Uptown Funk!,” with producer Mark Ronson on DJ decks on stage.

But all eyes were on Beyonce, who gyrated her way through her latest single “Formation” - a power anthem to race and feminism that made a surprise debut on Saturday. The music video features powerful images of a flooded New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also depicts graffiti that reads “stop shooting us,” suggestive of the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged in the wake of killings of unarmed black men, several at

Thank You

the hands of police.

Prior to the game, some fans speculated on social media that Beyonce would deliver a politically charged performance.

But, partnered with Mars on the football field, the tone of the performance was lighter than the video. They subtly conveyed the themes of “Formation” with female dancers dressed in black shorts, crop tops and berets, in what was perceived as an homage to the black nationalist Black Panther Party movement of the 1960s and 70s.

Cedric Betts of Millbrae, California, who saw the performance live at the game, said Beyonce’s message was clear. “As black people we have to embrace these moments because it’s not often we get them,” he said.

An ad immediately following the show announced Beyonce’s “Formation” world tour beginning in April, her first major tour in three years.

Before wrapping up one of the signature

moments of America’s biggest sporting event, Beyonce and Mars joined Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for a quick re-visit to “Uptown Funk!,” ending on Coldplay’s uplifting ballad “Fix You.” Images honored past halftime performers including Stevie Wonder, Black Eyed Peas and the late Michael Jackson, whose military-style wardrobe inspired Beyonce’s costume Sunday. Even for music’s biggest stars, the Super Bowl halftime show is the largest stage of their careers, drawing more than 100 million viewers to the live event and lighting up social media.

This year’s halftime show garnered a total of 3.9 million tweets. Beyonce dominated the conversation on social media during the halftime performance, with 1.3 million tweets about the singer according to figures from Twitter. Coldplay followed with 774,000 tweets, while Mars garnered 341,000 tweets.

The most-tweeted song was “Formation.” (rtr)

AP Photo/Trisnadi

Indonesian men of Chinese descent pray at a flooded temple following a heavy rain during the Lunar New Year’s eve in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. The Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 8 this year marks the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese calendar.

Indonesia hopes to attract two million Chinese tourists in 2019

DENPASAR - The tourism ministry hopes to receive two million Chinese tourists in 2019, an official said. “For 2016, we set a target of attracting 1.7 million Chinese tourists, and two million in 2019,” Hari Untoro Dradjat, expert staff of the tourism ministry, said here, Sunday evening.

Some 12 million Chinese travel to Asia and the Pacific region a year, and Indonesia hopes to lure two million of them, he stated when greeting some 400 Chinese visitors during an “Imlek” (Lunar New Year) Festival in Bali.

“They want to celebrate Imlek in a warm region because its now winter in their country.

Bali and Indonesia in general are among their choices,” he added.

The tourism ministrys official presented six thousand special gifts as souvenirs to the Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year in Bali.

This year, more than one thousand Chinese, mostly from Beijing and Heilonggijang Province, celebrate their new year, that falls on February 8, in Bali.

During February alone, Indonesia hopes to receive at least 200 thousand Chinese visitors. A Chinese tourist spends an average of US$1,200 per visit. Thailand manages to attract eight million Chinese tourists a year.

“If they like Thailand, they must like Indonesia, too, particularly Bali. We have to be able to defeat our neighboring country,” he said.

Indonesia hopes to lure 12 million foreign tourists, particularly from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia and Japan, this year.

The number of Chinese tourists who visited Indonesia in 2014 was 959,231. It increased by 18.77 percent to 1,139,281 in 2015.

Bali recorded a total of 4.001 million foreign tourist arrivals during 2015, up 6.24 percent from 3.76 million recorded in the previous year.

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.

Currently tourism around the world is referring to sustainable tourism development.

This means that tourism still preserves cultural tourism and the environment and makes local people the host of their own region. However, in Bali there will the Benoa Bay reclamation project that is clearly contrary to the concept of sustainable tourism.

“Tourism in Bali, especially in Badung, has been oversupply with 94,000 hotel rooms. Regional occupancy only reaches 50 percent, and another half is still empty, while the reclamation plans to construct tourist accommodation reaching 150,000 rooms. In my opinion, it does not make sense,” said Chairman of the Bali Tourism Community Alliance (AMPB), Gusti Kade Sutawa, in the press conference of the Balinese Figures and Society Alliance (AMTB) at Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar, Thursday (Feb. 4).

Sutawa added that tariff war will become increasingly severe, not to mention the promised employment of 200,000 people will have social impacts such as congestion and crimes. Moreover, the reclamation at the bay area does not respect the mandate and bhisama (stipulation) of the ancestors saying that river, bay, sea, mountains and forests belong to sacred area. Investors should understand that they may not build in those places haphazardly.

“Reclamation is not necessary. The leaders of Bali, parliament, sulinggih (high priests) should have the same vision for the continuation of Bali, so that do not only think pragmatically in terms of the current need,” he added.

A tourism figure of Bali, Mangku Wayan Suteja, said that Bali actually has differentiation that is not owned by other regions. On that account, the sustainability of nature, culture, and human character of Bali are very important to be maintained. These elements are even attracting travelers to come, not because of landmarks, such as hotels or villas.

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