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Thursday, February 14, 2019

‘Lego’ movie disappoints at N. American box office

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

LOS ANGELES - The latest Warner Bros. “Lego” movie topped the North American box office charts on its debut weekend -- but performed well below estimates from the studio and independent industry predictions.

The animated sequel -- “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” -- took in $34.7 million, one of the lowest openings in the series. It nonetheless beat out two other new releases, “What Men Want,” and “Cold Pursuit,” industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said on Monday.

The “Lego” film cost $100 million and had been expected to fetch at least $50 million on its opening weekend.

The new edition again features the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett -- joined this time by Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph -- in a story about love, chaos and revenge in a grim, post-apocalyptic toyland.

In second place was Paramount comedy “What Men Want,” at $18.2 million. The film, a genderswitching remake of 2000’s “What

Women Want,” stars Taraji P. Henson.

Third spot went to thriller “Cold Pursuit” at $11 million. The film’s opening was overshadowed by controversy over racially fraught comments by lead actor Liam Neeson, and Lionsgate canceled a red-carpet premiere, but Variety said the opening tracked with expectations.

“The Upside” from STX Films earned $7.1 million in its fifth week out. The film stars Bryan Cranston as a wealthy quadriplegic who hires ex-convict Kevin Hart as his caretaker.

In fifth place was last week’s leading film, “Glass” from Universal, at $6.3 million. The M. Night Shyamalan thriller, mostly set in a psychiatric ward, stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy. (afp)

Sarah Morris/Getty Images/AFP

Elizabeth Banks attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” at Regency Village Theatre on February 02, 2019 in Westwood, California.

Big Narstie says he could have ended up in prison if he hadn’t found God

IBP/net

Big Narstie has told how his faith helped keep him on the right path.

CALIFORNIA - Rapper Big Narstie has said he could have ended up in jail if he hadn’t found God. The 33-year-old, from Brixton, South London, said he did not think he would become a famous rapper and could have been “another statistic”.

Discussing how he found his faith, he told Radio Times magazine: “I would say it was God blessing my life, and giving me the opportunity to do everything I’m doing.

“At 18, I could have not been here.

“I could have been another statistic.

“All the odds were in favour of my just going to prison at that age. “I had no visions of being a superstar.”

Narstie, who is now an established grime star, said there was a time when he struggled to afford bread and thought about giving up music many occasions.

He said: “When it just wasn’t working, my mum pushed me and drove me,.

“There were times when I couldn’t even buy a loaf of

bread.”

The star is also known for The Big Narstie Show, which he said was a little different to what he was used to when he got started.

He added: “My first problem about doing The Big Narstie Show was just adjusting to TV rules.

“At first, it started to piss me off, but after I got the adjustments and the rules, I started to enjoy it.

“I’m fortunate, though. Channel 4 know I’m messed up. But they’ve got a soft spot for me.”

This week’s Radio Times is out on Tuesday. (IBP/net)

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SBY Announces Ani Yudhoyono’s Blood Cancer Diagnosis

IBp/ant

Jakarta - Sixth Indonesian president Susilo ‘SBY’ Bambang Yudhoyono explained that his wife, former first lady Ani Yudhoyono, has been diagnosed with blood cancer in a video posted on the internet by himself today.

“Ani is undergoing medical treatment in Singapore as based on the recommendation of Indonesian presidential doctor team,” said SBY Wednesday, Feb. 13.

“With deep concern, I announce to fellow Indonesians that Ibu Ani is diagnosed with blood cancer and should receive intensive treatment at the National University Hospital of Singapore,” he added.

The video also saw SBY expressing his gratitude to the current president Jokowi and the administration, especially the presidential doctors’ team for the medical as-

sistance for Ani Yudhoyono. Lastly, SBY thanked everyone who wished Ani Yudhoyono good health.

“I ask for prayers from everyone that God will cure my beloved wife so that she can continue her activities back home,” he said during a press conference in Singapore.

He also thanked President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the government and all well-wishers for the attention and support for his wife.

“As a husband, of course, I will remain at her side. I know that she is a strong person. She has accompanied me through thick and thin,”

said Yudhoyono.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Imelda Sari said on Tuesday that the family and presidential medical team had met with the doctors who had been treating Ani in Singapore.

“Ibu Ani is in stable condition,” Imelda said in a statement.

She added that Yudhoyono, his eldest son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his youngest Edhi Baskoro Yudhyono were at the hospital awaiting the results from the doctors’ observations over the past week.

Jokowi deployed the presi-

dential medical team on Tuesday, Democrat executive Andi Arief posted on his Twitter account.

“Pak Jokowi has instructed the presidential medical team to work together with doctors in Singapore for Ibu Ani Yudhyono’s recovery, as mandated by the law,” Andi tweeted.

The head of the party’s advocacy and legal team, Ferdinand Hutahaean, said its members were all wishing a speedy recovery for Ani. “We all are sad,” Ferdinand said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

Apart from party members and her family, Ani has also received well-wishes and flowers from state leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Presi-

dent Jokowi and First Lady Iriana, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

On Tuesday, Ani uploaded a photo of a greeting card to her Instagram account @aniyudhoyono.

Her granddaughter, Almira “Aira” Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, had made the card and given it to her at the hospital. (ant) 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.

2

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Bali News

International

GIANYAR - Residents in Gianyar district are encouraged to be alert again to cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). At the beginning of this year, dozens of residents are suspected of dengue having spread throughout the district. Seeing this condition, the relevant officers are now starting to carry out prevention and mitigation. an Extraordinary Event (KLB),” he explained.

He described the spread of this disease predominantly occurred in three sub-districts, namely Payangan (11 cases), Blahbatuh (8 cases) and Sukawati (5 cases). Meanwhile, the rest spread almost evenly in the four other sub-districts. “They have received medical treatment at hospital,” he explained.

As a preventive and countermeasure effort, he claimed to have made various efforts starting from epidemiological investigation, eradicating mosquito nests with 3M + scheduled by public health center and village larvae monitoring cadres as well as the spread of larvicides or abate to all public health center, auxiliary public health center, cadres and implementing an extended fogging focused on the areas where there are cases.

“At the end of 2018, we have done ULV (Ultra Low Volume) namely the spraying in the morning at 20 villages endemic to DHF. This is

done when the case is at its lowest,” he said.

In addition, his agency has also spread an appeal from the Regional Secretary of Gianyar about the alertness to the increase in dengue disease. It is followed with a circular from the Gianyar Health Agency regarding the implementation of 3M + for mosquito nests eradication and the dissemination of information. “We also make cross-sectoral collaboration for mosquito nests eradication (PSN) with the Gianyar Police. Similarly, we distributed larvicide to carry out the PSN in the dormitory neighborhood of the district police,” he explained.

In the future, his agency will increase the instruction of the Ministry of Health, namely one house having one mosquito larvae monitoring officer. “It means that every house has a role as a larva monitor at its own home. We in the Health Agency will facilitate technically,” he said. (kmb35)

IBP/net

Thursday, February 14, 2019

15

MOXY HOTELS SET TO ENERGISE MELBOURNE WITH ITS DEBUT HOTEL IN AUSTRALIA

63 suspects of dengue fever noted at the beginning of the year

Based on data from the Division of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P), Gianyar Health Agency, the distribution of suspected dengue disease in the early 2019 until Tuesday (Feb. 12) amounted to 63 people. In details, they are 42 people in January and 21 people in February. However, it does not necessarily mean the 63 people are positive for dengue.

“Being suspected of dengue fever means it is not necessarily positive for dengue cases. But it must be a vigilance by the public and the government,” explained the Division Head of P2P at the Gianyar Health Office, Nyoman Astawa, when confirmed last Tuesday.

Compared to the data in 2018, the number of suspected DHF this year has increased. During the period of January-February last year, there were only 14 cases or persons. “Indeed there has been an increase. But the national morbidity rate is still low, namely 51/100,000 residents. It has not been stated as

Activities

International

IBP/Yudi Karnaedi

Team of the Denpasar Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) and related agencies such as the Bali-Penida River Agency and South Denpasar subdistrict carried out a search related to the causes of foam in the Taman Pancing River, South Denpasar.

Alleged to generate foam

City govt closes sewerage to Taman Pancing Park

DENPASAR - Team of the Denpasar Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) and related agencies such as the BaliPenida River Agency and South Denpasar subdistrict carried out a search related to the causes of foam in the Taman Pancing River, South Denpasar.

As a result from the exploration to the 6 pipes, one pipe was found to get installed and dumps waste into the river. Without having to wait long, the team immediately closed the sewer pipe on Tuesday (Jan. 12) in the Taman Pancing River area.

Secretary of the DLHK Denpasar, I.B. Putra Wirabawa, explained that foam problems in the Taman Pancing River did become a common concern. This is what made the team intensively continue to oversee the river area.

“From the beginning, we suspected that someone intentionally dumped waste into the river. From the results of trac-

ing against 6 pipes, we found 1 embedded waste pipe that is alleged to produce foam, so that we immediately closed it,” he explained Gustra, as he is familiarly addressed, explained there remains possibility that some pipes are still embedded. On that account, his agency will continue to carry out sweeping so that no more waste is immediately disposed of into the river. “We will continue to trace the Taman Pancing area and check if there are other pipes that are also embedded,” he said.

He added the offender who is known to have a laundry service business will be tried with a misdemeanor on Wednesday (Feb. 13). “We will act firmly against violators, so that for people having businesses with the potential to produce waste naturally they must be processed in advance so as not to cause pollution and environmental damage when dumped into rivers,” he concluded. (kmb12)

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Moxy Hotels, Marriott International’s playful, experiential hotel brand for the next generation of travelers, is set to debut in Australia with the signing of Moxy Melbourne South Yarra. Slated to open in July 2021, the 180-room, new build standalone hotel is being developed by Melbourne businessmen Hector Ktori and Peter Arvanitis. Conceputalised for both the young and the young at heart, Moxy Melbourne South Yarra has been designed by architectural firm Rothelowman.

With 30 operating hotels across Europe, North America and Asia and more than 80 properties in development, Moxy Hotels redefines the traditional affordable hotel experience, allowing guests to work, play and connect while surrounded by bold design and contemporary style. The hotel living room is crafted for the socially extroverted, energetic consumer, with highly social spaces including a high-energy lounge, 24/7 self-service grab-andgo food and drinks, ample plug-ins for personal devices and furiously fast free Wi-Fi.

“Australia has seen growing demand in the select-service tier and we look forward to introducing the Moxy brand to this market with Moxy Melbourne South Yarra,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

Moxy Melbourne South Yarra will open in the heart of Melbourne’s lively South Yarra neighbourhood at 30-32 Claremont Street. Guests will be a short walk from Chapel Street - Melbourne’s trendy shopping and entertainment strip - and South Yarra Station. From here, guests can easily navigate the city’s major tourist attractions, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the the city’s celebrated restaurant, bar and arts scene in the Central Business District.

Moxy Melbourne South Yarra promises a contemporary design with 180 high-tech rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the rooms with natural light. The hotel will offer various live/work/ play spaces, including a bar, coworking space and meeting studio,

as well as a rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline with access to a large veranda. Guests looking to keep fit can also take advantage of the hotel gym, fully equipped with the latest cardio and strength training equipment.

“The next generation of travelers is seeking more than a comfortable bed and room-service burger.

They want to stay in hotels with an approachable price point that offer bold, contemporary design and hyper social experiences that tap into the local culture,” said Sean Hunt, Area Vice President, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International. “Moxy is the perfect fit for the curious and adventurous, and I’m thrilled we’ve found the right location and partners to bring this brand to Australia.”

“We’re really excited to partner with Marriott International to bring the first ever Moxy to Australia,” said Hector Ktori, co-owner of Moxy Melbourne South Yarra.

“After visiting a number of Moxy hotels around the world, we’re confident this brand will be a welcome addition to South Yarra,

offering guests exceptional value, urban style and lively public spaces in a much sought-after suburb of Melbourne.”

For more information, visit http://moxy-hotels.marriott.com/en or follow on Instagram and watch on YouTube.

14

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Health

International

IBP/net

As measles surge, some unvaccinated teens are seeking shots

SOME teenagers who have never been vaccinated against diseases such as measles or chickenpox are questioning the anti-vaccine movement, even as health officials condemn parents who chose not to vaccinate their children for a measles outbreak in 10 states. her friends to do the same.

“When I was 12, I remember all my classmates saying, ‘I hated getting my shots’,” Mayci said. “I asked them, ‘What do you mean, you had to get shots to get into school?’”

Georgia is one of 17 states that allows non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for going to school, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Currently, 47 states allow religious exemptions and since 2009, the number of ‘philosophical-belief’ vaccine exemptions provided to state departments has risen in 12 of the 18 states that currently allow this policy.

“What we are seeing is pockets of intense anti-vaccine activity,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Waco, Texas. “A social movement of public health vaccine opposition has been growing in the United States in recent years. Subsequently, measles outbreaks have also increased.”

Experts believe that this is one reason why anti-vaccination hot spots like Clark County, Washington have popped up. But doctors and nurses say the recent outbreak is spurring people to get vaccinated.

The Washington State Health Department says about 530 people

were immunized against measles in January 2018. This January, there were more than 3,000 immunizations.

Since getting vaccinated is a medical procedure, in most cases teens younger than 18 need the consent of a parent, guardian, or other adult family member.

When Mayci was 17, she talked to her dad about getting the vaccine when she turned 18.

“He honestly just said that I am old enough to make my own medical decisions. He supports my judgment,” Mayci said. “The fact that I work in a doctor’s office has allowed me to really become educated on the myths and truths about vaccines.”

In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the United States, thanks to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that has been part of routine childhood shots for decades.

Measles is a highly contagious disease, but people who get the proper doses of the vaccine rarely contract it, even if they are exposed.

Two doses of the vaccine — at 1 year to 15 months old and a second dose at 4 to 6 years — provides about 97 percent protection. A very few who get both two doses of the measles vaccine will still get measles if exposed to the virus, albeit a milder form of the disease.

Experts are not sure why. (net)

AS people peer into DNA for clues to health and heritage, man’s best friend is under the microscope, too.

Genetic testing for dogs has surged in recent years, fueled by companies that echo popular athome tests for humans, offering a deep dive into a pet’s genes with the swab of a canine cheek. More than a million dogs have been tested in little over a decade.

The tests’ rise has stirred debate about standards, interpretation and limitations. But to many dog owners, DNA is a way to get to know their companions better.

“It put some pieces of the puzzle together,” says Lisa Topol, who recently tested her mixed-breed dogs, Plop and Schmutzy. Plop was the top-scoring mixed-breed, and Schmutzy also competed, in Saturday’s agility contest at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York. Judging toward the coveted best-in-show prize begins Monday.

A test by Embark — which this fall became Westminster’s first DNA-testing partner — confirmed Topol’s guess that her high-octane pets are more Australian cattle dog than anything else. But Schmutzy’s genetic pie chart had surprise ingredients, including generous amounts of Labrador retriever and Doberman pinscher.

Huh? Topol thought at first. And then: Maybe Schmutzy’s love of water and fetching is her inner Lab coming out. And doesn’t she walk a bit like a Doberman?

“They are the dogs that they are,” said Topol, a New York advertising executive. “They’re unique, and they’re special.” But the testing “makes me understand them better.”

Canine DNA testing for certain conditions and purposes goes back over two decades, but the industry

took off after scientists mapped a full set of dog genes and published the results in 2005.

Wisdom Health, part of pet care and candy giant Mars Inc., launched a breed-identification test in 2007, added a health-screening option a few years later, and says it has now tested over 1.1 million dogs worldwide. Numerous other brands are also available.

Mass-market tests have fueled research and helped animal shelters attract adopters by providing more information about prospective pets.

DNA can back up purebred dogs’ parentage and help breeders try to eliminate certain diseases.

The technology has been used to identify dogs whose owners don’t pick up their droppings, to pursue dogs accused of biting and to free a Belgian Malinois from dog death row after he was accused of killing a Pomeranian in Michigan. And some veterinarians believe that DNA testing enhances care.

“I want to know as much about my patients as possible,” says Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and TV personality in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. He recommends testing all puppies.

But qualms about the dog DNA boom spilled into the prestigious science journal Nature last year.

“Pet genetics must be reined in,” a Boston veterinarian and two other scientists wrote. Their commentary opened with a troubling story: a pug being euthanized because her owners interpreted DNA results to mean that she had a rare degenerative neurological disorder, when in fact her ailment might have been something more treatable.

“These (tests) should be used in a limited way until we get a lot more information,” said co-author and vet Dr. Lisa Moses. (net)

IBP/net

Plop, a mixed-breed rescue dog owned by Lisa Topol, who ordered genetic testing for Plop and her other dog, Schmutzy.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

3

Farmers sell snakefruit through social media

Dog DNA testing takes off, and generates debate

Miami Children’s Hospital pediatrician Dr. Amanda Porro, M.D prepares to administer a measles vaccination to a patient during a visit to the Miami Children’s Hospital on Jan. 28, 2015 in Miami.

One of those teens is Mayci, an 18-year-old from Augusta, Georgia who went to Reddit for advice on vaccination after hearing about the measles outbreak.

Mayci — who asked that her last name not be included because she’s worried about upsetting her mother — had never had a vaccine.

The reason? Her mother’s position, ‘vaccines are bad, this is something we don’t do, leave it alone,’ the teen told NBC News.

“At the time I was born, both of my parents agreed on anti-vaccination,” Mayci said. “Almost a year and a half ago, I moved out of my mother’s house and in with my dad.

My dad has a pretty neutral view on vaccinations as of right now, but when I was born he essentially just agreed with my mom and her family’s beliefs.”

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 101 cases of measles.

Fifty-five of those were in Washington state, the epicenter of the outbreak. Almost all of the cases occurred in children younger than 10 whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate them.

While growing up, Mayci thought her mother’s negative views of vaccines were normal. Her mother used a religious exemption so Mayci wouldn’t be required to be vaccinated in school, and told

Bali News

International

TABANAN - Nowadays, farmers turn out to keep up with technology and utilize it. One of them is the use of social media by farmers of Munduk Temu village, Pupuan, to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit. This measure is expected to be able to increase the number of snakefruit sales currently entering the harvest season.

Tanjung Benoa

IBP/kmb

Worried about the impact of Pelindo III’s project at Benoa Harbor

Tanjung Benoa community proposes seawall development MANGUPURA - The dredging and stockpiling project related to the expansion carried out by Pelindo III in the Benoa Harbor caused worries to the Tanjung Benoa community. Since the Tanjung Benoa area is relatively small, the existence of the project is feared to gradually erode the coast.

Subdistrict Head of South Kuta, I Made Widiana, when met after the implementation of the development plan meeting of South Kuta sub-district on Monday (Feb. 11) stated the presence of Pelindo III project is feared to have an impact on the coastal areas of Tanjung Benoa. For this reason, a number of community leaders of Tanjung Benoa proposed the installation of seawall on the north coast of Tanjung Benoa.

Widiana explained that such proposal is intended for land handling on Tanjung Benoa so that it will not get eroded. “This should be established so that the land in Tanjung Benoa does not collapse,” he concluded.

Related to the project, he admitted currently there are no indications of abrasion. However, local people began to worry about that.

For this reason, in the near future, his side will check to find out the conditions on the Tanjung Benoa Beach. “You don’t have to wait for impact, but you need to anticipate, especially for the North Coast of

Tanjung Benoa,” he concluded.

Even though there are such proposals from the public regarding the condition, he admitted to have not communicated yet with Pelindo III. He promised to communicate with Pelindo III to discuss about this issue.

When confirmed separately, the Head of the Badung Public Works and Settlement Agency (PUPR), I.B. Surya Suamba, said that it is not appropriate to install such seawall at the location. As tourism area, such installation will certainly reduce the aesthetics and can also disrupt the tourism there.

A possible solution according to Surya Suamba is with the expansion of Pelindo and the Benoa Bay must be normalized. Sedimentation results of the normalization are brought ashore so the water volume and the depth of Benoa Bay will return and the land will increase.

“With the normalization, it will not erode the Tanjung Benoa coastal areas. If establishing seawall, of course tourism aesthetics will disappear. And in the long run it will also get eroded,” he concluded.

By normalizing and moving the sedimentation to mainland, of course the volume of water will remain. During low tides, there is still even water so that the boat will be able to operate at low tide. (kmb23)

One of the farmers at the Kebon Jero hamlet, Munduk Temu, Ketut Suardika, stated on Monday (Feb. 11) that he had used social media to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit due to abundant production volume this year. “This year, the harvest season happens to delay due to extreme weather condition. Usually the harvest occurs in December but then fell in January,” he said.

The delayed harvest season made the absorption of production not optimal. During the harvest season falling in December, the demand also increased due the existence of many moments of holidays and New Year. So, if the harvest carried out in that month, even though in massive harvest, the price of sugar snakefruit is also quite expensive because of the large demand.

Now, because of the harvest in January and incidentally there are no moments of holidays or festivities, the price of snakefruit is quite falling than usual.

At present, the price of sugar snakefruit reaches IDR 5,000 per kilogram at the farmer level. By and large,

if the harvest in December, the price is IDR 10,000 per kilogram at the farmer level.

The decline in the selling price of snakefruit makes a number of farmers innovate the sales by marketing directly without passing collectors. One of the measures is to use social media. “We invited the family to take advantage of product marketing through Facebook and WhatsApp to a number of consumers, and the results are quite good. Many people responded positively,” said Suardika.

Since it directly gets in touch with consumers, the selling price of sugar snakefruit is currently stable and does not fall deeper. “If wishing to get maximum income, farmers really have to sell directly to consumers. So, the marketing through social media is one of the ways,” said Suardika. During the main harvest season, the average production capacity for sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit at Kebon Jero hamlet, Munduk Temu, can reach 5-10 tons per harvest season. (kmb24)

IBP/kmb

Nowadays, farmers turn out to keep up with technology and utilize it to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit.

4

Bali News

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Reaching target of 1-1.5 percent

Australia announces reopening of offshore detention centre

Governor forms an acceleration team of poverty reduction

DENPASAR - Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, immediately formed a team for the poverty alleviation acceleration. It is related to poverty alleviation efforts whose targets are revised to 1 percent to 1.5 percent from the previous 4.2 percent. It considered the Regional Bill on the Bali Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD) 2005-2025 and the Regional Bill on the Universal Planning of Bali Regional Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) 2018-2023 have been approved at the Plenary Meeting of the Bali House of Representatives on Monday (Feb. 11).

“We will make a team of poverty alleviation acceleration by mapping all the loci which are the places where the problems exist, including the strategies to overcome them,” said Koster after the plenary meeting.

Koster is optimistic that the problem of poverty can be resolved within 5 years of his leadership. It includes the crust of poverty having been feared all this time. Therefore, the mapping will be the main focus of the team before formulating a resolution strategy.

“We have not mapped it out, but it is vague in Karangasem, Jembrana, Bangli, Klungkung and Buleleng,” he added.

Regarding the Regional Bill of the RPJPD and the Universal Planning of RPJMD having already been approved, Koster continued it will become a pattern and direction for development in Bali considering it has been a regional regulation, so that it applies throughout the Island of the Gods.

“So, we will invite the regents, mayor, and the heads of Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) to sit together and formulate the RPJP, RPJM and Regional Budget (APBD) in the regencies and municipality in order to adapt to the Bali Provincial Planning and RPJMD,” he said.

Chairperson of the Regional Bill Special Committee of RPJPD and Universal Planning of the RPJMD, I Ketut Tama Tenaya, said his committee supports the efforts made by the governor regarding the reduction of the amount of poverty in Bali. Moreover,

AFP

View of an entrance reading “Welcome to Badiraguato” in Badiraguato -Mexican mobster Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s hometown-, Sinaloa State, Mexico on February 8, 2019.

poverty is a reflection of one’s inability to meet the needs including clothing, food and housing. “Poverty has become a complex problem both at the national and regional level, so that mitigation requires an appropriate and sustainable strategy,” he said.

To reach the target of up to 1 percent, the Special Committee recommended there is synchronization with economic growth so that it is proportional to the reduction in poverty level. On the other hand, continued Tama, the Special Committee also reminded about labor which is a complex problem and always increases every year. Meanwhile, the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT), like poverty, is also targeted to decline between 1.5-0.9 percent.

“We observe the dynamics in the changing structure of the TPT of the Bali Province, there are still problems that must be resolved where the TPT structure is still dominated by educated unemployed from the level of vocational, diploma, and undergraduate,” added this PDI-P Politician.

Tama added it happens due to the difficulty of getting job opportunities in accordance with the competencies and qualifications of the existing workforce. Governor is expected to immediately synchronize through curriculum changes in accordance with the evolving market dynamics. Likewise, Special Committee also gave input on investment targeted at an average of IDR 18-28 trillion in the RPJMD as an initial measure in economic

development. Besides, the export target increased by an average of USD 547,711— USD 684,662.

“We urge this investment continue to be improved so that it results in an encouraging investment climate as a buffer for regional economic growth,” explained the Chairperson of Commission I. Aside from offending macro targets, Tama also urged the governor to immediately resolve differences in perspective in the community regarding building heights and coastal borders in the revision of the Regional Regulation on the Bali Regional Spatial Plan (RTRWP). “Considering, the bill of the RTRWP and the RPJMD has close relations,” he said. (kmb32)

Liquid drug smuggler arrested

MANGUPURA - Customs and Excise officers of Ngurah Rai Airport, Kuta, Badung, arrested a Brazilian citizen on behalf of Marco Antonio Vetro De Marco, 45, on Wednesday (Feb. 6). It happened because Marco brought two bottles of liquid crystal meth with the weight of 116.76 grams.

Next, the suspect Marco was handed over to Denpasar Police.

Pursuant to the information obtained on

Monday (Feb. 11), the perpetrator works in travel agency in his country. The perpetrator coming with the passports number FX869942 traveled by air from Brazil to Bali. He arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport at 21:00. As usual, upon arrival at the Ngurah Rai Airport International Arrival Terminal, he underwent proper inspection.

“During the inspection, customs officers found a bottle of suspected psychotropic

content. The two bottles containing clear liquid are suspected of being crystal meth.

Then, the perpetrator is immediately arrested,” said the source. When interrogated, the perpetrator argued the clear liquid is a sleeping pill purchased by prescription at a pharmacy in Brazil. However, the officers did not believe it, and in order to explore this case, Marco was handed over to Denpasar Police for further investigation. “The

perpetrator kept and carried two bottles of liquid crystal meth with the label of Rivotril,” said the source asking for anonymity.

Chief of Denpasar Police Drug Criminal Investigation, Aris Purwanto, when confirmed he had accepted the case delegation from the Customs Office of Ngurah Rai Airport. “Tomorrow (Tuesday), this case will be released at the Airport Customs Office,” he affirmed. (kmb36)

13

‘El Chapo’ leaves a void in his Mexican hometown

BADIRAGUATO - The downfall of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has done little to diminish his drug cartel’s power, but locals say it has had a devastating effect in one place: his remote and lawless hometown, Badiraguato.

“El Chapo” was born 61 years ago in this small, dusty town in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains, in the northwestern state that would give his multi-billion-dollar global drug empire its name: the Sinaloa cartel. Guzman, who was found guilty Tuesday of trafficking tons of drugs to the United States across a quarter of a century, now faces the likelihood of life in jail at his sentencing on June 25 in New York federal court.

But he remains a hero in Badiraguato and the surrounding county, where residents remember him as a larger-than-life figure who ruled his fiefdom with largesse and brought a now-lost prosperity the Mexican government never provided.

“Now that Mr Chapo’s gone, there’s more poverty. People have to leave here to look for work, because things are pretty tough,” says Jorge Valenzuela, a resident of Potrero de Bejarano, a small village at the far edge of the county.

The air is thick with tension in this region, where the police are nowhere to be seen and men with

AK-47s and walkie-talkies patrol the countryside in armored pickups.

Many wear caps stamped with the number 701 -- a reference to the spot “El Chapo” reached on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s richest people, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion.

The mountains are dotted with marijuana and opium poppy fields.

Silence is the rule: locals’ lips are generally sealed when it comes to talking about the area’s number one industry. But get them started, and they gush praise for Guzman.

“He gave people money to buy things, gave them seeds to plant (drugs). Now there’s nobody to do that,” Valenzuela told AFP. “Hardly anyone is planting crops, since Mr Chapo is the one they all sold to.”

- Poverty and drugs Together with the states of Chihuahua and Durango, Sinaloa forms Mexico’s “Golden Triangle,” a region rife with marijuana and poppy fields, and home to many of the country’s most notorious drug

traffickers.

“El Chapo” grew up in a tiny hamlet of about 100 people called La Tuna, high in the mountains.

He once told Sean Penn in an interview for Rolling Stone magazine -- a meeting that infamously led to his downfall -- that he grew up “very humble, very poor.” He went into the drug business at 15 because there were no other jobs, he said.

The area remains impoverished.

Nine in 10 residents of Badiraguato live in poverty or extreme poverty, according to government figures. It is the poorest county in Sinaloa. It also has the fewest paved roads in the state -- though there are plenty of dirt ones criss-crossing the mountains, leading to the fields.

With “El Chapo” gone, the local economy has suffered, small business owners say.

“It used to be there were always people coming and going, transporting stuff up into the mountains in 4x4s. Now it’s dead calm,” says Jaime Laija, who owns a restaurant on the main road into Badiraguato. (afp)

SYDNEY - A controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island is to reopen, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Wednesday, as he doubled down on hardline policies after a historic legislative defeat.

Morrison approved the reopening of the remote facility -- closed just months ago -- claiming new laws just passed by parliament would increase the number of people trying to arrive in Australia illegally.

On Tuesday and Wednesday parliament rebuffed government warnings and adopted legislation opening the door for some of the 1,000 refugees detained in existing offshore centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island to travel to Australia for medical treatment if the transfers are requested by two or more doctors.

It was the first time in decades that an Australian government has lost a vote on its own legislation in the House of Representatives.

Morrison brushed aside suggestions that the law would only apply to those already in detention and accused the opposition of trying to “weaken and compromise our borders”.

His government, he said, was adopting “100 percent” of a series of recommendations from the country’s security services to further tighten efforts to prevent the arrival of migrants and asylum-seekers by sea.

He declined to specify what those classified measures were, other than to announce the reopening of the camp on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory some 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of the western city of Perth.

“If they don’t come, it will be because of the work and the decisions we are now taking and the actions we are putting in place,” Morrison said. “If they do come, you can thank the Labor Party and (opposition leader) Bill Shorten.”

But authorities on Christmas Island questioned the move to reopen the detention centre, saying their health facilities are limited and they “quite regularly” medically evacuate people because their small hospital cannot handle complex treatment.

“We just wouldn’t have the capacity here to deal with people coming here for medical reasons,” Shire of Christmas Island CEO David Price told national broadcaster ABC, adding they do not have the specialists to deal with serious mental health problems.

Price said the shire had not been consulted on Morrison’s decision,

Saeed KHAN / AFP

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison which he labelled a “political kneejerk reaction”.

- ‘Cruel and dangerous’ Morrison’s decision comes as both parties gear up for a bitter campaign ahead of a general election due in May and amid fierce debate over the conservative government’s harsh immigration policies. Those policies have seen thousands of asylumseekers languish for years on Manus and Nauru under conditions widely condemned by the United Nations and human rights organisation.

A dozen refugees have already died in the Manus and Nauru camps and a number have attempted suicide, including children.

“Ensuring access to adequate medical care for refugees and asylum-seekers is a life-saving, humanitarian act,” said Louise Aubin, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canberra.

The opposition Labor party responded furiously to what it called Morrison’s “scare tactics” and said he was manufacturing a fear of migrants to win votes.

Labor’s shadow solicitor general Mark Dreyfus accused Morrison of encouraging “people smugglers to restart their evil trade,” declaring him “not fit to be PM of this country”.

Morrison refused calls to step down or call an early election in the wake of the parliamentary setback, insisting that Australians would have time to make their choice in May. Opinion polls consistently show the Labor Party easily taking control of government in the election.

The facility on Christmas Island once held thousands of people and was the scene of violent protests by detainees complaining of harsh conditions. The last 35 detainees were taken off the island last October, when the camp was shuttered.

12

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Thursday, February 14, 2019

5

Long lines to buy meat illustrate Iran’s economic woes TEHRAN - In the frigid air of a Tehran winter, a mother of two stands in a long line of shoppers waiting for the chance to buy discounted meat at a store supported by Iran’s government.

“Yesterday, after nearly two hours in the line, the shopkeeper said: ‘It is finished, try another day,’” Zahra Akrami said recently.

“And now I am here again.”

Her struggle represents the economic paradox that faces Iran as it marks the 40th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution.

Despite holding some of the world’s largest proven deposits of oil and natural gas, Iran has seen a return to long lines for food — a sight once seen during the 1980s, when it was at war with Iraq. Inflation continues to rise as its currency, the rial, depreciates. University graduates are unable to find jobs.

Part of the economic challenges stem from the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers. Those sanctions have returned after President Donald Trump decided to pull America out of the accord.

But other problems persist, some dating back to policies instituted after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

That revolt wouldn’t have been possible without impoverished Iranians rising up against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. His land reforms saw poorer rural residents move to the cities and become fresh recruits for the revolution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s calls for supporting the poor struck a populist tone among the struggling masses, as well as with the leftists who helped overthrow a regime that spent billions on U.S. weapons.

Immediately after the revolution, Iran nationalized its oil industry, its main source of hard currency. Its new leaders also seized industries tied to the shah or companies of those who fled the country. Shiite charitable trusts, known as bonyads, also amassed vast holdings, as has Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Today, economists consider Iran’s a “transition” economy, meaning it is shifting from state control to being driven by a free market.

However, some firms that moved into private ownership have seen the businesses collapse, leaving workers without pensions and fueling some sporadic protests.

“No week comes to an end without the closure of 10 to 50 companies,” said Masoud Khansari, the head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce. “Last year, 800 out of 1,500 contractor companies in the oil sector collapsed.”

Iran’s oil industry never fully recovered from a strike that paralyzed it before the shah’s departure. Prior to the revolution, Iran

Foreign Tourists Like Monkey Attraction at Alas Kedaton

Both domestic and foreign tourists love the action of monkeys when invited to take a pictures or selfie. The four-legged animal has an extraordinary style when being faced with camera. As requirements, the must be given to eat nuts, so they want to be quiet while chewing snacks like tubers. Besides, it must also be guided by a handler or local guide. Don’t try to do it by yourself!

AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

In this Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 photo, Iranian butcher Ahmad Ahmadi cuts chicken at his shop in Tehran, Iran. The economy faces multiple struggles as the country marks the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Inflation continues to rise as its currency depreciates and university graduates are unable to find jobs. Some of the challenges stem from the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions while other problems date back to the time of the revolution. pumped about 6 million barrels of oil a day.

In January, it pumped 2.7 million.

There are bright spots. Iran’s per capita income has more than doubled since the revolution to $4,838 in 2018. Iran has more than 100,000 locally trained doctors and 18,000 medical centers, and it produces 95 percent of its own medicine, according to government statistics. Life expectancy is around 75, as opposed to about 57 before the revolution. Nearly every Iranian can read.

But for the average person, the only numbers they really care about are those at the cash register at neighborhood grocery stores.

“Unfortunately, high prices have become crippling for people,” lawmaker Mohammad Reza Sabaghian said. “Some goods have seen up to a 200 percent increase in prices.”

Staples like meat have grown more expensive. Lamb has reached to nearly $5 a pound, up from $3. Chicken is 70 cents a pound, up from 40 cents.

Analysts suspect part of the problem may be the U.S. sanctions. As the rial falls, livestock breeders likely want the hard currency they can get selling the meat in neighboring countries. Iran produces nearly 90 percent of its domestic demand for meat, but it imports related items like medicine and corn.

The meat crisis has become a cudgel for government hard-liners who are eager to weaken the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric within the theocracy. State television repeatedly broadcasts stories about long lines at governmentsubsidized grocery stores, with those waiting criticizing Rouhani’s administration.

“The bones of the people are shattering under pressure of poverty,” said Kazem Sedighi, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a dig at Rouhani, Sedighi added: “Economic problems exist, but some officials are careless about the problems.”

Part of Rouhani’s problem is Washington and the sanctions it restored in November.

Germany, France and Britain, which have worked to preserve the nuclear deal, announced earlier this month that they have established a new system so their companies can continue trading with Iran without incurring U.S. penalties for doing so.

However, that system has yet to come into effect, and the strains on Iran are clear. Efforts to import government-subsidized meat from abroad through the military saw a cargo plane crash in January, killing 15 people.

Yet the lines at stores continue daily.

“Every day, the radio and TV are reporting about the trial of those officials who took public funds for themselves, but there’s no change in our life,” said Assad Azari, a 63year-old retired teacher and father of three waiting in line. “We poor people shouldn’t have to wait hours for two kilos (4.4 pounds) of budget meat.” (ap)

Alas Kedaton attraction located at Kukuh village, Marga, Tabanan, or about 8 km North West of Denpasar City is indeed a tourist idol for traveling. They come in the afternoon or evening to continue watching sunset at Tanah Lot. “Tourists really like the attraction of this monkey,” said Ni Putu Marani, one of the local officers.

This forest does not only has

monkeys as an attraction, but also giant bats (flying foxes) and tropical forests with various types of plants. Every day, this object is opened from 8:30 until 15:30. The admission ticket for adults costs IDR 20,000 and IDR 15,000 for child.

Meanwhile, the admission ticket for foreign adults is IDR 30,000 and IDR 20,000 for child. “Espe-

cially for Galungan, Kuningan and New Year’s Day specifically for local people, the admission ticket will be charged at IDR 5,000,” said Ni Putu Marani.

Tourists having held a ticket will be accompanied by a local guide who is also a souvenir merchant. The ticket is then presented to the officer at the lobby of the tourist attraction, then heading

for the monkey attraction. Under direction of local guide, visitors walk to the middle of the forest through a pathway to the right side of Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton Temple.

On the way, the atmosphere is cool because the area is rich in large plants. At each wall visitors will come across forest dwellers that can be invited to take pictures.

Local guide continues to explain the uniqueness of the temple, the attraction of the fruit bat show and snake show. “We invite tourists to witness the attraction of taking

pictures with flying fox and snakes using Balinese customary clothes,” he added.

Formerly, the flying fox and snake show were located on the west side of the tourist attraction, but it has now been moved to the east of forest area, to the right of the temple. To take pictures with snakes, visitors must pay IDR 70,000 and IDR 60,000 for taking pictures with flying fox. After that, the local guide will direct you to their shops to browse or buy various kinds of souvenirs on offer. (kmb)

Men Brayut Symbol of the strength of Balinese Women

The story of Men Brayut tells of the extraordinary strength of character of a Balinese woman by this name. This story has become part of Balinese folklore and is often told as a bedtime story. It is a symbolic tale of how strong Balinese women are in carrying out the tasks of their daily lives. Having a strong work ethic, patience, honesty, care, and a sense of camaraderie and ability to remain steadfast in facing problems are qualities that are highlighted in this ancient tale.

Several villages in Bali, have shrines and temple reliefs devoted to Men Brayut, where people come to pray. Pura Dalem in Belang Samu Village, Kusamba and Goa

Gajah are two examples of sites where, on specific days people come to pay honour to Men Brayut. Many people believe that by doing so they will be blessed with children.

Men Brayut was a housewife who came from a poor family and who had 18 children. To fulfill the needs of her big family, she had to work very hard and even had to do ‘men’s work’. She was able to keep peace and harmony within her big family and with others in her community, so she is considered a very good example to follow.

According to Dr. Drs. I Wayan Wastawa, MA, a lecturer at The Denpasar Hindu Dharma Institute

(IHDN), Men Brayut not only had a strong work ethic but was also spiritually diligent, praying every day. She was also very generous, sharing whatever she had and was always grateful. “Men Brayut is a symbol of the strength of Balinese women in protecting the harmony of their family”, he added.

By giving equal love to all her children, they all become successful people. Many people are puzzled by this and ask: “how is it possible for a women with so many children and with so little money accomplish this?”. Many people therefore want to learn from Men Brayut. “After all, once she accomplished all her tasks,

she entered the next phase of life known as Wanaprasta in which she practiced yoga semadi”, explained Wastawa.

Men Brayut is a symbol of prosperity and a symbol of the motherland as described by how her children always stayed closed to her and even grasped her hair or legs to survive. She was able to apply the principle of equality to her family by giving the same heritage to each of her child. “Men Brayut is a symbol of a great leader who acts with equally towards the people”, said Dr. Wastawa.

He also explained that these days, Balinese women should follow the example of Men Brayut’s

work ethic. Balinese woman should not be too strict about only doing specialized woman’s work. According to Dr. Wastawa, there are many things that women can do: “there are many jobs that can be done by woman such as farming, construction, being security officers and high ranking managers. These jobs can be done by both men and women”, he stated. Balinese woman have a strong spirit for studying so job opportunities are wide open to them. “Nowadays, there is saying that ‘woman should not just rely on their husbands. Women can also feed the family’ Dr. Wastawa concluded. (kmb)

6

Thursday, February 14, 2019

W

RLD

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Biossance/AFP

Displays and signage are seen during Galentine’s Day Glow with Biossance hosted by Katherine Schwarzenegger at Alo Yoga Beverly Hills on February 12, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Cute and empowering -Galentine’s Day takes off in US

WASHINGTON - For some people, facing the onslaught of Valentine’s Day flowers, candy and marketing can be overwhelming if you are single. For Riya Patel, it’s a reason to celebrate love -- platonic love -- even by long distance.

Welcome to the American phenomenon of Galentine’s Day, feted on February 13th -- a “holiday” gaining in popularity with each passing year, and also gaining in terms of its message of female empowerment.

“I’ve organized this giant group FaceTime with all my closest girlfriends. All of us are going to get on the phone and celebrate each other,” says Patel, a 22-year-old research analyst from the US capital.

“And then I’ll just celebrate me.

That’s probably going to end up being some restorative yoga in my bedroom and then making something with bourbon in it.”

Galentine’s Day was born in 2010 during an episode of the American sitcom “Parks & Recreation,” when main character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) hosts a brunch on February 13 for her best gal pals.

It was conceived as a defiant response to Valentine’s Day -- a statement that the traditional romantic love is not the only kind

worth honoring.

“Women are just so pummeled throughout their upbringing with this idea of romantic love imagery, and what it means to be in love,” said Olivia Dillingham, a brand consultant for women in New York.

“That does create this sense of unworthiness and failure when you come around to Valentine’s Day and you don’t have someone to go to dinner with.”

Galentine’s Day has grown from being a semi-joke to a semi-serious holiday -- and it’s generating big money.

There is also a lot of pink, a lot of gold and a lot of glitter.

Many businesses have started selling themed products -- cards, wine glasses, candies, cookies. Big box stores have dedicated sections for the event.

Bars and restaurants are organizing happy hours and parties.

In Washington, whisky bar Jack Rose Dining Saloon is hosting a special cocktail hour. The luxury St Regis Hotel has planned an after-

noon tea with an exclusive pop-up jewelry boutique.

“We did it a little playful, with colorful girl colors,” said Heather Dobson, the hotel’s head pastry chef, displaying an array of small pastries decorated with candy hearts, chocolate lips and rose petals.

Clothing retailer Madewell is staging a promotional sale, encouraging shoppers to view the clothes purchased with a 20 percent discount as their new “BFFs” -- best friends forever.

A search on the hashtag “#galentinesday” on Instagram reveals thousands of photos of pink balloons or ladies’ brunches.

Dillingham, 24, hosted a Galentine’s Day party last year: she and other female friends cast “love spells” on themselves, exchanged flowers and traded compliments.

“Having a really strong solid support system and having support in yourself is so important,” she said.

“And it’s just a good excuse to bring friends together.” (afp)

International

International

‘I’m sorry’- Thai princess apologises after ill-fated run for PM

BANGKOK - A Thai princess has apologised after her shortlived candidacy for prime minister earned a royal rebuke from her brother -- the king -- and sent jitters across the politically febrile country just weeks before elections.

Thailand has been mired in political drama since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana’s name was submitted as a prime ministerial candidate by the Thai Raksa Chart Party.

The party is allied with the powerful Shinawatra clan, which has won all elections since 2001 but whose patron, the billionaire ex-premier Thaksin, lives in selfexile to avoid jail.

Ubolratana’s unprecedented bid to enter frontline politics unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as “highly inappropriate”.

Thailand’s monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened in public during times of political crisis.

The princess was disqualified as a prime ministerial candidate by the Election Commission on Monday, which cited the royal command. It is now discussing whether to refer Thai Raksa Chart to the consitutional court for dissolution.

In an Instagram post late Tuesday the 67-year-old princess apologised for her role in the drama.

“I’m sorry that my genuine intention to help work for the country and fellow Thai people has created a problem that shouldn’t happen in this era,” she wrote.

It was tagged with a hashtag: “#howcomeitsthewayitis”.

Ubolratana is the first-born of former king Bhumibol Adulyadej, but she gave up her royal titles when she married an American in 1972.

After her divorce, she moved back to Thailand where she is regarded by the Thai public as a part of the royal family.

While she said she was exercising her rights as a commoner to stand for premier, the palace statement said she is “still a member of the House of Chakri”, referring to the name of the dynasty.

The monarchy in Thailand is considered sacred and revered by its people, and is under the protection of draconian lese majeste laws.

The king’s word is considered final.

The scuttling of her candidacy and potential moves to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart party is a blow to Thaksin Shinawatra’s political machine.

The party was set to add to the vote bank of the bigger Shinawatra electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, in an election where secondary parties are targeting seats via the party list system.

Thaksin and his sister Yingluck -- who was overthrown in the 2014 coup -- live abroad to avoid convictions they say are politically motivated.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who toppled Yingluck’s government, is running for prime minister in the March 24 poll.

Party executives from Thai Raksa Chart have expressed contrition after the upheaval, but said they would challenge any attempt to disband the party.

A media organisation affiliated with the Shinawatras was also in the crosshairs this week.

Voice TV, owned by Thaksin’s son Ponthongtae, was ordered Tuesday by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to go off-air for 15 days after two of its programs caused “confusion and provocation”. (afp)

Princess Ubolratana of Thailand

FRED DUFOUR / AFP

Thursday, February 14, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Health Ministry sends 100 units of dengue RDT instruments to Papua JAYAPURA - The Health Ministry has distributed 100 small packs of dengue rapid diagnostic test (RDT) instrument to dengueaffected districts and municipality in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua.

“The Papua Health Service has distributed RDT instruments from the Health Ministry to eight districts and municipality in Papua since Saturday (Feb 9),” Chief of the Disease Prevention and Control of the Papua Health Service Dr Aaron Rumainum said here on Monday.

Rumainum noted that the instrument will be able to detect whether it is dengue fever or not. Each of the small packs contains 10 units of RDT. The eight districts are Biak Numfor, Timika, Nabire, Merauke, Kota Jayapura, Boven Digoel, Asmat, and Sarmi.

“We ask district health service office in each district to buy RDT if they run out of it,” he added.

As many as 15,132 cases of dengue fever were reported in Indonesia, with 145 deaths, as of Feb 1, 2019, according to the Health Ministry.

East Java Province witnessed the highest number of dengue cases, with 3,074 cases, resulting in 52 deaths, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the ministry`s director for vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, stated on Friday.

West Java ranked second, with 2,204 cases, causing 14 deaths; followed by East Nusa Tenggara, with 1,092 cases, resulting in 13 deaths; and North Sumatra, with 1,071 cases, leading to 13 deaths.

The ministry recorded 53,075 cases of dengue fever in 2018; 68,407 cases in 2017; and 204,171 cases in 2016. (ant)

ASEAN Secretariat calls for nominations for ASEAN Prize 2019

JAKARTA - Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat calls for nominations for the prestigious regional award ASEAN Prize 2019 acknowledging an individual`s or organization`s inspiring and outstanding achievements in fostering the ASEAN identity, promoting ASEAN spirit, and championing ASEAN way.

“Nominees should have exceptional merit in contributing to the following designated focus areas: collaboration between ASEAN Member States; collaboration between ASEAN and the world; people-to-people engagement among ASEAN Member States; economic integration and promotion of standards between ASEAN Member States; or excellent contribution to ASEAN Community Building,” the secretariat noted in a statement here, Tuesday.

A Judging Committee, comprising eminent high-level members, including incumbent and former ASEAN Secretaries-General, will select a recipient, who will be awarded the ASEAN Prize Trophy and a cash prize of US$20 thousand. This year`s prize will be presented during the 34th ASEAN Summit in June in Bangkok, Thailand.

In 2018, the inaugural ASEAN Prize was awarded to Ms Erlinda Uy Koe, a dedicated community leader from the Philippines, to honor her exemplary contributions to the cause of an inclusive ASEAN community.

Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and SecretaryGeneral of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi presented the trophy and prize money to Koe at the opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in November 2018. (ant)

11

ELECTION 2019

IBP/ant

Trans Java Toll Road

Social Justice is driving factor behind infrastructure development: Jokowi

JAKARTA - Social justice for all Indonesian people is a driving factor behind infrastructure development across the country, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

“This is because we want our brothers and sisters there to also reap (the benefits of infrastructure development), such as roads, that we have enjoyed in Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan,” Jokowi remarked at a working meeting on National Health in South Tangerang on Tuesday.

The government has developed a 140-kilometer (km)-long MeraukeBovendigul road, among other things, he noted.

Infrastructure construction can also reduce the prices of basic food items and fuel, he added.

The president is keen to ensure there is no disparity in the price of fuel in Wamena and Java. Before Jokowi had instructed to set a single price for fuel four years ago, the

price of gasoline in Wamena could reach Rp80 thousand to Rp100 thousand per liter.

Infrastructure development is a precondition foundation for Indonesia to compete with other countries, he emphasized.

The Jagorawi toll road, connecting Bogor and Jakarta, was built

by Indonesia in 1978. The first toll road had become a model for several neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand and also China, he stated.

However, Indonesia later began lagging behind in infrastructure development. Within four decades, Indonesia had only managed to build 780 km of toll roads; Malaysia, 1,800 km; and China, 280 thousand km.

In addition to toll roads, the construction of seaports and airports is crucial for economic growth in Indonesia, he emphasized.

The administration of Jokowi and M. Jusuf Kalla has intensified infrastructure development across Indonesia during their first four-year term, starting October 2014, as the projects are expected to strengthen connectivity, economic growth, and national unity.

During the 2015-2018 period, the government had developed new roads, stretching a total of 3,432 km, in the Kalimantan and Papua border areas as well as East Nusa Tenggara, among others. The new roads exceed the target of 2,650 km by 2019. (ant)

10

Destination

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Triple for James but Lakers stumble; Warriors roll on

LOS ANGELES - LeBron James produced a 28-point triple double but it was not enough to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from sliding to defeat against the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

GIANYAR - Gaduh Temple In the village Blahbatuh about 10 kilometers west of the city of Gianyar, is the southernmost temple of ancient antiquity Pejeng Kingdom. Currently, the exterior of Gaduh Temple is still very much needed facelift and interior will remain the same. Gaduh

Gaduh Temple

Temple was actually destroyed by an earthquake in 1917 and was rebuilt and repaired. The interior of the church is structured like all Balinese Pura than a little fanciful sculpture that can be seen on the main staircase inside Candi Bentar. Notable Antiquity of Pura is a massive stone head

of Kebo Iwo-portrait. Comes of 14 C, however it is strangely distant from the Hindu / Javanese icons structured in this period.

Kebo Iwo served as minister last Balinese king Bedulu, who was a despot by nature and a boar’s head.

During the invasion in 1343 AD Ma-

japahit king Bedulu kingdom was defeated Gadjah Mada. The interior of the temple is structured the same as all Balinese Pura except for the rather fanciful carvings which can be seen on the main stairway inside the Candi Bentar. The remarkable antiquity of this Pura is the massive

stone head-portrait of Kebo Iwo. It dates from the 14th C, however it is strangely afar from the Hindu/Javanese icons structured during this period. Kebo Iwo served as a minister to the last Balinese king, Bedulu, who was a despot by nature and had the head of a boar. (IBP/net)

Dolphin Tourism Should Be Designed with FAD System

Foreign travelers are extermely interested in enjoying dolphin watching on Lovina Beach. The Bulelelgn Chapter of the Indonesia Hotel and Restauratn Association (PHRI) have proposed that instead of chasing the dolphins in fishing boats that the dolphins should instead be diverted usingfish ag-

gregation deveices (FAD) or similar equipment so that the dophins gather in particualr locations.

According to Chairman of the PHRI Buleleng, Dewa Suardipa, tourism in Lovina has not been exploited to its full potential and lacks innovatoin and good packagin gby the government. He pointed to the

dolphins as one example. Presently he said, fishermen compete to chase down thedolphins which causes the dolphins to become stresses and so sometimes they do not appear at all.

He suggested that there be a sserious discussion about using FADs to organize dolphinssightseeing. Dophins could be called

using a whistle and then fed fish by guests when they approach., he suggested. “ I recommend that FADs be made or floating dolphin homes whereguests could sit comfortably. Dolphin trainers cold then blow a whistle or use some other way to call the dolphins and the mammals would then approach to

be fed fish”, he said.

Suardipa hopes that the dolphins can be enjoyed not just in the early morning but also at midday and in the evening when the sun goes down. He added that he is confident that tourism in Lovinacan be developed if it supported by new inoovations. (IBP/net)

A stony-faced James marched quickly off the court at the State Farm Arena following a fourth defeat in five games for the Lakers, who were pummelled by Philadelphia in their previous outing on Sunday.

James’ fifth triple double of the year included 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. However, the Lakers were undone by a determined Hawks line-up which spread the scoring through their ranks to complete a 117-113 win.

“At the end of the day we lost the ball game, I don’t care what I did individually,” James said of his performance.

“I could care less if I’m not winning ball games. That’s what I’m all about. I can throw that game in the trash.”

John Collins and Trae Young had 22 points each for the Hawks, while four other players made double figures.

The Lakers fell to 28-29 with the defeat, which saw Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram score 19 points each while point guard Reggie Bullock chipped in with 15 points. The Lakers remain outside the playoff places in the Western Conference in 10th spot, and will need to halt their slide in form if they are to mount a charge for the playoffs.

“We didn’t have consistent play in all phases of the game, offensively and defensively,” James

told reporters.

Asked about a leaky defence which has conceded an average of nearly 33 points a quarter in recent games, James added: “The numbers speak for themselves. We’ll have to look at that.”

Elsewhere Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors overcame a spirited performance by the Utah Jazz before pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 115-108 win.

Kevin Durant put up 28 points while Stephen Curry added 24 to lead the scoring for the Warriors.

Curry’s tally included backto-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help take the NBA champions into a 103-95 lead.

- Defensive cornerstone Utah had earlier matched the Warriors blow for blow, scrapping their way to 93-93 with just under eight minutes left.

However, Curry’s run of points and a sublime three-pointer from Klay Thompson made the game safe for Golden State, who lead the Western Conference with 41 wins against 15 losses.

Curry said the Warriors first quarter defensive display -- when they held Utah to only 14 points to help take an 11-point lead -- had been the cornerstone of the win.

“We won the game in the first quarter with our defensive effort,” Curry said. “We set the tone early.

We’ve been having terrible starts

Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

recently, and we rectified that.”

In Philadelphia, Gordon Hayward delivered 26 points from the bench to spark Boston to a 112-109 victory over the 76ers.

Hayward, who has made a successful return from a horrific leg injury in 2017 which sidelined him for the entire season, drained six

three-pointers to give the Celtics a battling win over their Eastern Conference rivals.

The Celtics are now level with the Sixers with 36 wins against 21 defeats and will take encouragement from a win achieved without Kyrie Irving, who was out with a strained knee.

In Irving’s absence it was left to Hayward to lead the Celtics offense during his 26 minutes on court.

Al Horford had 23 points while Jayson Tatum added 20 to help set up the win. All of Philadelphia’s starters made double figures with Joel Embiid adding 23 points. (afp)

Nishikori rallies to overcome tough Rotterdam opener

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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP

Japan’s Kei Nishikori plays a backhand return to France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert during their men’s singles match on day two of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on February 12, 2019.

ROTTERDAM - Top seed Kei Nishikori was tested by a stubborn opponent before finally putting away Pierre-Hugues Herbert 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Rotterdam Open. The Japanese world number seven needed an hour and a quarter to get on track against a player who had reached the Montpellier final barely 48 hours earlier against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Second seed Karen Khachanov, winner of the Paris Masters title last November, fell in a shock to Dutch wildcard Tallon Griekspoor, who recovered for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 upset of the Russian.

The defeat leaves Khachanov winless here in three attempts.

Victory marked the second Rotterdam upset for the 211th-ranked local, who put out Stan Wawrinka

a year ago in his hometown for his first career ATP Tour-level win.

Nishikori finally earned his first break well into the evening against Herbert, taking a 3-1 lead in the second set after dropping the first.

That opened the floodgates, with Asia’s top player quickly finding his recovery mode to run out the tight first-round victory after two hours and 10 minutes, saving break points as he served out the win.

Nishikori could not have asked for a more difficult Rotterdam debut as he faced the 36th-ranked Frenchman.

“It wasn’t easy, as he was playing good tennis and serving well,” Nishikori said.

“I had a little bit of trouble with my return game and couldn’t convert the important points.

“I just tried to play steady, as I wasn’t playing bad. I tried to stay aggressive.”

Victory sent Nishikori to 9-1 this season after starting 2019 with a Brisbane title and an Australian Open quarter-final appearance.

He was forced to quit his match in Melbourne against Novak Djokovic in the second set due to a knee problem, cured by rest over the past two weeks in Florida.

Nishikori next faces Ernests Gulbis, who beat Marius Copil 6-2, 6-4 in a battle of qualifying lucky losers.

“He’s not easy, especially indoors where he uses his great serve and aggressive play really well.

“I just need to stay focused and get used to the conditions a little bit more,” Nishikori said. (afp)

8

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Thursday, February 14, 2019

9

Zaniolo bags brace as Roma claim first-leg win over Porto

Mbappe stars as PSG hand Solskjaer’s Man Utd a reality check Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side were shown how much they still have to improve after being swept aside by an injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.

Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe struck in a seven-minute spell just before the hour mark as PSG displayed their credentials to finally become champions of Europe for the first time, especially once they get the world’s most expensive player Neymar and Edinson Cavani back from injury.

After a run of 10 wins and one draw in 11 games since Solskjaer replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, a first defeat for the Norwegian is a reality check for United’s revival and they have a mountain to climb when the sides meet again for the second leg on March 6.

The English giants will also have to cope without Paul Pogba in three weeks’ time as he was sent off a minute from time to round off a terrible night for the hosts.

“Today we weren’t at the level, this is a level up from what we have played against. We have had a great run, we came into this game in a great frame of mind, great form, but it’s a big step up,” said Solskjaer.

For all the positivity of United’s return to form in the past two months, they remain 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and Liverpool and the big rebuilding job required to make the three-time European champions contenders again for this competition was laid bare.

“We’ve been taking about top four (of the Premier League). Top four is one thing but we want to be at the top,” added Solskjaer.

“Manchester United should be at the top and this is a top team we’ve played against. The players are disappointed but I also think they know we need to step up our level to get to the level we want to get to.”

- Di Maria silences detractors -

PSG showed they still retain plenty of world class talent despite their big name absentees as United struggled to contain the slick passing of Thomas Tuchel’s men in midfield and the pace of Mbappe in attack.

Angel di Maria was roundly booed by the home support on his return to Old Trafford after an unhappy one-season spell with United after signing for a then club record £60 million in 2014.

But the Argentine silenced his detractors by setting up both goals and also mocked the throwing of a beer bottle at him by pretending to drink from it.

“I think the guy is very competitive, like all South American guys. If you tease him it does not make him weaker,” said Tuchel.

For all PSG’s injury problems, a double blow also rocked United in the seconds before half-time and at the break

as Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial limped off to be replaced by Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata.

The home side never recovered their composure as PSG produced a stunning second-half display to all but book their place in the last eight despite David de Gea’s best efforts in the United goal.

Kimpembe was left completely unmarked to side-foot home Di Maria’s corner from point-blank range on 53 minutes.

A brilliant team goal then doubled United’s trouble soon after when Mbappe was again too quick for Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly to meet Di Maria’s low cross.

“The first goal is always going to be important and the way we concede it is disappointing,” added Solskjaer.

“The second goal was quality by them. The ground he (Mbappe) makes up that boy to get in the box, to all the strikers that want to be poachers that’s how to get in the box.”

Thereafter only De Gea stood in the visitors’ way as he stayed big to block Mbappe’s attempted chip as he bore down on goal again before Juan Bernat’s rising drive was then diverted wide.

And any hope of a United comeback in Paris suffered another huge blow when Pogba was dismissed late on for catching Dani Alves with a raised boot. (afp)

Teenage sensation Nicolo Zaniolo bagged a brace as Roma beat Porto 2-1 in their Champions League last 16, first-leg clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old got his first ever Champions League goal in the 70th minute in Rome, adding a second six minutes later to inflict a first defeat on Porto in this year’s top-tier European competition.

But Adrian Lopez pulled a vital goal back for the Portuguese club after 79 minutes to ensure they remain in the hunt going into their home leg on May 6.

“It’s an incredible night, I’m speechless and never would have expected such a thing,” Zaniolo told Sky Sport Italia.

“But we’ve got the second leg coming up, we shouldn’t have conceded the goal.”

The night belonged to the youngster from Tuscany who has become a fan favourite since arriving from Inter Milan, where he never played a top-flight game, in exchange for Radja Nainggolan last summer.

On Tuesday, he was given an ovation by an ecstatic home crowd who see him as the heir to club legend Francesco Totti.

The match sparked into life midway through the second half as Zaniolo netted with a precise finish after Edin Dzeko’s lay-off. He soon had his second when Dzeko went on the counter-attack, his shot bouncing off the post with Zaniolo on hand to tap in the rebound.

“Celebrating under the ‘curva’ is an extraordinary feeling,” said Zaniolo. “I can’t describe it. I hope to score many more.”

“Zaniolo is not a surprise any more,” said Roma captain Daniele De Rossi.

“His physical strength is incredible for a guy of his age and he combines it with great technique. He is already a great player, but he will become a great champion.”

E u s e b i o D i F r a n c e s c o ’s Roma, last year’s semi-finalists, had fallen to the Portuguese club in both their previous meetings, most recently the 2016 playoff round in qualifying.

FRANCK FIFE / AFP

was nothing serious, everything is okay. “As bef o r e h a n d i t ’s still 50-50 (to qualify). Our goal leaves everything open,” said Conceicao.

“I’m convinced we’ll go through to the quarter-finals.”

Di Francesco praised “one of the best performances of the season from a collective point of view” from his team, who as so often conceded a

- Conceicao sets the mood -

Before Zaniolo’s heroics, the match had been a lacklustre affair between two sides who had both eased through the group stage. There had been tensions however between Porto coach Sergio Conceicao, a former Lazio player, and fans from their arch-rivals Roma.

A furious

AS Roma Italian midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo celebrates after opening the scoring during the U E FA C h a m p i o n s League round of 16, first leg football match AS Roma vs FC Porto on February 12, 2019 at the Olympic stadium in Rome.

goal quickly after going ahead.

“We won’t be going to Porto to defend, but to score,” he warned. The hosts had the best of the first half with veteran Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas denying Aleksandar Kolarov and Lorenzo Pellegrini off the rebound.

Dzeko looked destined to break the deadlock on 38 minutes when he beat the Porto defence only to blast a shot against the post.

Roma stepped up the pressure after the break, with Zaniolo setting up Bryan Cristante who wove his way through, again forcing a Casillas save.

A Danilo Pereira header flew wide, with Casillas on hand to parry a low Pellegrini effort, before Zaniolo broke through with his double to become the youngest Italian to score in the Champions League.

Lopez pulled a goal back for Porto three minutes later as the Roma defence were caught out by Tiquinho Soares’ miscued volley, before Hector Herrera curled wide and Aleksandar Kolarov missed a chance late for a third for the hosts.

Roma held on for their first success over Porto, who have won the competition twice, most recently in 2004 under Jose Mourinho. “We cannot be calm with a 2-1 victory but I think now we can say the chances of qualification are 51-49 for us,” said De Rossi. (afp)

Scholes makes winning start with Oldham

Barrington Coombs/PA via AP

Paris Saint-Germain’s French striker Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 football match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on February 12, 2019.

row also erupted between Conceicao and Di Francesco, a former Roma p l a y e r, o n t h e touchline.

“He got annoyed, so did I, we spoke a little too loud,” explained Conceicao. “But it

Newly unveiled Oldham Athletic soccer club manager Paul Scholes during a press conference at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, Monday Feb. 11, 2019. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has landed his first managerial job at Oldham, which plays in England’s fourth division.

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes made the perfect start to his managerial career as Oldham thrashed Yeovil 4-1 in their League Two clash on Tuesday.

Scholes is taking his first steps in management after agreeing to coach the club he supported as a boy.

The 44-year-old was officially unveiled on Monday and 24 hours later he was able to celebrate his first victory with the fourth-tier team.

While his old team United were losing to Paris Saint-Germain in

the Champions League a few miles away, former England midfielder Scholes watched from the touchline as Oldham turned in a stylish display.

“It’s a relief and I may get some sleep tonight,” said Scholes, who lives just a few minutes’ drive from Oldham’s stadium.

“After the game, I said ‘Well done’. It was a tough night and not really a 4-1 game but I was proud with the way they battled.

“I want them to express themselves and enjoy themselves. Fans want

entertainment and that’s what we gave them.”

Jose Baxter put the Latics in front during first-half stoppage time and Callum Lang headed the second early in the second half.

Bevis Mugabi pulled a goal back for Yeovil on 54 minutes at Boundary Park.

But Mohamed Maouche put the result beyond doubt on 88 minutes, and there was still time for Christopher Missilou to volley in a fourth as Oldham moved up to 11th place. (afp)

8

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Thursday, February 14, 2019

9

Zaniolo bags brace as Roma claim first-leg win over Porto

Mbappe stars as PSG hand Solskjaer’s Man Utd a reality check Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side were shown how much they still have to improve after being swept aside by an injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.

Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe struck in a seven-minute spell just before the hour mark as PSG displayed their credentials to finally become champions of Europe for the first time, especially once they get the world’s most expensive player Neymar and Edinson Cavani back from injury.

After a run of 10 wins and one draw in 11 games since Solskjaer replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, a first defeat for the Norwegian is a reality check for United’s revival and they have a mountain to climb when the sides meet again for the second leg on March 6.

The English giants will also have to cope without Paul Pogba in three weeks’ time as he was sent off a minute from time to round off a terrible night for the hosts.

“Today we weren’t at the level, this is a level up from what we have played against. We have had a great run, we came into this game in a great frame of mind, great form, but it’s a big step up,” said Solskjaer.

For all the positivity of United’s return to form in the past two months, they remain 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and Liverpool and the big rebuilding job required to make the three-time European champions contenders again for this competition was laid bare.

“We’ve been taking about top four (of the Premier League). Top four is one thing but we want to be at the top,” added Solskjaer.

“Manchester United should be at the top and this is a top team we’ve played against. The players are disappointed but I also think they know we need to step up our level to get to the level we want to get to.”

- Di Maria silences detractors -

PSG showed they still retain plenty of world class talent despite their big name absentees as United struggled to contain the slick passing of Thomas Tuchel’s men in midfield and the pace of Mbappe in attack.

Angel di Maria was roundly booed by the home support on his return to Old Trafford after an unhappy one-season spell with United after signing for a then club record £60 million in 2014.

But the Argentine silenced his detractors by setting up both goals and also mocked the throwing of a beer bottle at him by pretending to drink from it.

“I think the guy is very competitive, like all South American guys. If you tease him it does not make him weaker,” said Tuchel.

For all PSG’s injury problems, a double blow also rocked United in the seconds before half-time and at the break

as Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial limped off to be replaced by Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata.

The home side never recovered their composure as PSG produced a stunning second-half display to all but book their place in the last eight despite David de Gea’s best efforts in the United goal.

Kimpembe was left completely unmarked to side-foot home Di Maria’s corner from point-blank range on 53 minutes.

A brilliant team goal then doubled United’s trouble soon after when Mbappe was again too quick for Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly to meet Di Maria’s low cross.

“The first goal is always going to be important and the way we concede it is disappointing,” added Solskjaer.

“The second goal was quality by them. The ground he (Mbappe) makes up that boy to get in the box, to all the strikers that want to be poachers that’s how to get in the box.”

Thereafter only De Gea stood in the visitors’ way as he stayed big to block Mbappe’s attempted chip as he bore down on goal again before Juan Bernat’s rising drive was then diverted wide.

And any hope of a United comeback in Paris suffered another huge blow when Pogba was dismissed late on for catching Dani Alves with a raised boot. (afp)

Teenage sensation Nicolo Zaniolo bagged a brace as Roma beat Porto 2-1 in their Champions League last 16, first-leg clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old got his first ever Champions League goal in the 70th minute in Rome, adding a second six minutes later to inflict a first defeat on Porto in this year’s top-tier European competition.

But Adrian Lopez pulled a vital goal back for the Portuguese club after 79 minutes to ensure they remain in the hunt going into their home leg on May 6.

“It’s an incredible night, I’m speechless and never would have expected such a thing,” Zaniolo told Sky Sport Italia.

“But we’ve got the second leg coming up, we shouldn’t have conceded the goal.”

The night belonged to the youngster from Tuscany who has become a fan favourite since arriving from Inter Milan, where he never played a top-flight game, in exchange for Radja Nainggolan last summer.

On Tuesday, he was given an ovation by an ecstatic home crowd who see him as the heir to club legend Francesco Totti.

The match sparked into life midway through the second half as Zaniolo netted with a precise finish after Edin Dzeko’s lay-off. He soon had his second when Dzeko went on the counter-attack, his shot bouncing off the post with Zaniolo on hand to tap in the rebound.

“Celebrating under the ‘curva’ is an extraordinary feeling,” said Zaniolo. “I can’t describe it. I hope to score many more.”

“Zaniolo is not a surprise any more,” said Roma captain Daniele De Rossi.

“His physical strength is incredible for a guy of his age and he combines it with great technique. He is already a great player, but he will become a great champion.”

E u s e b i o D i F r a n c e s c o ’s Roma, last year’s semi-finalists, had fallen to the Portuguese club in both their previous meetings, most recently the 2016 playoff round in qualifying.

FRANCK FIFE / AFP

was nothing serious, everything is okay. “As bef o r e h a n d i t ’s still 50-50 (to qualify). Our goal leaves everything open,” said Conceicao.

“I’m convinced we’ll go through to the quarter-finals.”

Di Francesco praised “one of the best performances of the season from a collective point of view” from his team, who as so often conceded a

- Conceicao sets the mood -

Before Zaniolo’s heroics, the match had been a lacklustre affair between two sides who had both eased through the group stage. There had been tensions however between Porto coach Sergio Conceicao, a former Lazio player, and fans from their arch-rivals Roma.

A furious

AS Roma Italian midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo celebrates after opening the scoring during the U E FA C h a m p i o n s League round of 16, first leg football match AS Roma vs FC Porto on February 12, 2019 at the Olympic stadium in Rome.

goal quickly after going ahead.

“We won’t be going to Porto to defend, but to score,” he warned. The hosts had the best of the first half with veteran Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas denying Aleksandar Kolarov and Lorenzo Pellegrini off the rebound.

Dzeko looked destined to break the deadlock on 38 minutes when he beat the Porto defence only to blast a shot against the post.

Roma stepped up the pressure after the break, with Zaniolo setting up Bryan Cristante who wove his way through, again forcing a Casillas save.

A Danilo Pereira header flew wide, with Casillas on hand to parry a low Pellegrini effort, before Zaniolo broke through with his double to become the youngest Italian to score in the Champions League.

Lopez pulled a goal back for Porto three minutes later as the Roma defence were caught out by Tiquinho Soares’ miscued volley, before Hector Herrera curled wide and Aleksandar Kolarov missed a chance late for a third for the hosts.

Roma held on for their first success over Porto, who have won the competition twice, most recently in 2004 under Jose Mourinho. “We cannot be calm with a 2-1 victory but I think now we can say the chances of qualification are 51-49 for us,” said De Rossi. (afp)

Scholes makes winning start with Oldham

Barrington Coombs/PA via AP

Paris Saint-Germain’s French striker Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 football match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on February 12, 2019.

row also erupted between Conceicao and Di Francesco, a former Roma p l a y e r, o n t h e touchline.

“He got annoyed, so did I, we spoke a little too loud,” explained Conceicao. “But it

Newly unveiled Oldham Athletic soccer club manager Paul Scholes during a press conference at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, Monday Feb. 11, 2019. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has landed his first managerial job at Oldham, which plays in England’s fourth division.

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes made the perfect start to his managerial career as Oldham thrashed Yeovil 4-1 in their League Two clash on Tuesday.

Scholes is taking his first steps in management after agreeing to coach the club he supported as a boy.

The 44-year-old was officially unveiled on Monday and 24 hours later he was able to celebrate his first victory with the fourth-tier team.

While his old team United were losing to Paris Saint-Germain in

the Champions League a few miles away, former England midfielder Scholes watched from the touchline as Oldham turned in a stylish display.

“It’s a relief and I may get some sleep tonight,” said Scholes, who lives just a few minutes’ drive from Oldham’s stadium.

“After the game, I said ‘Well done’. It was a tough night and not really a 4-1 game but I was proud with the way they battled.

“I want them to express themselves and enjoy themselves. Fans want

entertainment and that’s what we gave them.”

Jose Baxter put the Latics in front during first-half stoppage time and Callum Lang headed the second early in the second half.

Bevis Mugabi pulled a goal back for Yeovil on 54 minutes at Boundary Park.

But Mohamed Maouche put the result beyond doubt on 88 minutes, and there was still time for Christopher Missilou to volley in a fourth as Oldham moved up to 11th place. (afp)

10

Destination

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Triple for James but Lakers stumble; Warriors roll on

LOS ANGELES - LeBron James produced a 28-point triple double but it was not enough to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from sliding to defeat against the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

GIANYAR - Gaduh Temple In the village Blahbatuh about 10 kilometers west of the city of Gianyar, is the southernmost temple of ancient antiquity Pejeng Kingdom. Currently, the exterior of Gaduh Temple is still very much needed facelift and interior will remain the same. Gaduh

Gaduh Temple

Temple was actually destroyed by an earthquake in 1917 and was rebuilt and repaired. The interior of the church is structured like all Balinese Pura than a little fanciful sculpture that can be seen on the main staircase inside Candi Bentar. Notable Antiquity of Pura is a massive stone head

of Kebo Iwo-portrait. Comes of 14 C, however it is strangely distant from the Hindu / Javanese icons structured in this period.

Kebo Iwo served as minister last Balinese king Bedulu, who was a despot by nature and a boar’s head.

During the invasion in 1343 AD Ma-

japahit king Bedulu kingdom was defeated Gadjah Mada. The interior of the temple is structured the same as all Balinese Pura except for the rather fanciful carvings which can be seen on the main stairway inside the Candi Bentar. The remarkable antiquity of this Pura is the massive

stone head-portrait of Kebo Iwo. It dates from the 14th C, however it is strangely afar from the Hindu/Javanese icons structured during this period. Kebo Iwo served as a minister to the last Balinese king, Bedulu, who was a despot by nature and had the head of a boar. (IBP/net)

Dolphin Tourism Should Be Designed with FAD System

Foreign travelers are extermely interested in enjoying dolphin watching on Lovina Beach. The Bulelelgn Chapter of the Indonesia Hotel and Restauratn Association (PHRI) have proposed that instead of chasing the dolphins in fishing boats that the dolphins should instead be diverted usingfish ag-

gregation deveices (FAD) or similar equipment so that the dophins gather in particualr locations.

According to Chairman of the PHRI Buleleng, Dewa Suardipa, tourism in Lovina has not been exploited to its full potential and lacks innovatoin and good packagin gby the government. He pointed to the

dolphins as one example. Presently he said, fishermen compete to chase down thedolphins which causes the dolphins to become stresses and so sometimes they do not appear at all.

He suggested that there be a sserious discussion about using FADs to organize dolphinssightseeing. Dophins could be called

using a whistle and then fed fish by guests when they approach., he suggested. “ I recommend that FADs be made or floating dolphin homes whereguests could sit comfortably. Dolphin trainers cold then blow a whistle or use some other way to call the dolphins and the mammals would then approach to

be fed fish”, he said.

Suardipa hopes that the dolphins can be enjoyed not just in the early morning but also at midday and in the evening when the sun goes down. He added that he is confident that tourism in Lovinacan be developed if it supported by new inoovations. (IBP/net)

A stony-faced James marched quickly off the court at the State Farm Arena following a fourth defeat in five games for the Lakers, who were pummelled by Philadelphia in their previous outing on Sunday.

James’ fifth triple double of the year included 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. However, the Lakers were undone by a determined Hawks line-up which spread the scoring through their ranks to complete a 117-113 win.

“At the end of the day we lost the ball game, I don’t care what I did individually,” James said of his performance.

“I could care less if I’m not winning ball games. That’s what I’m all about. I can throw that game in the trash.”

John Collins and Trae Young had 22 points each for the Hawks, while four other players made double figures.

The Lakers fell to 28-29 with the defeat, which saw Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram score 19 points each while point guard Reggie Bullock chipped in with 15 points. The Lakers remain outside the playoff places in the Western Conference in 10th spot, and will need to halt their slide in form if they are to mount a charge for the playoffs.

“We didn’t have consistent play in all phases of the game, offensively and defensively,” James

told reporters.

Asked about a leaky defence which has conceded an average of nearly 33 points a quarter in recent games, James added: “The numbers speak for themselves. We’ll have to look at that.”

Elsewhere Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors overcame a spirited performance by the Utah Jazz before pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 115-108 win.

Kevin Durant put up 28 points while Stephen Curry added 24 to lead the scoring for the Warriors.

Curry’s tally included backto-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help take the NBA champions into a 103-95 lead.

- Defensive cornerstone Utah had earlier matched the Warriors blow for blow, scrapping their way to 93-93 with just under eight minutes left.

However, Curry’s run of points and a sublime three-pointer from Klay Thompson made the game safe for Golden State, who lead the Western Conference with 41 wins against 15 losses.

Curry said the Warriors first quarter defensive display -- when they held Utah to only 14 points to help take an 11-point lead -- had been the cornerstone of the win.

“We won the game in the first quarter with our defensive effort,” Curry said. “We set the tone early.

We’ve been having terrible starts

Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

recently, and we rectified that.”

In Philadelphia, Gordon Hayward delivered 26 points from the bench to spark Boston to a 112-109 victory over the 76ers.

Hayward, who has made a successful return from a horrific leg injury in 2017 which sidelined him for the entire season, drained six

three-pointers to give the Celtics a battling win over their Eastern Conference rivals.

The Celtics are now level with the Sixers with 36 wins against 21 defeats and will take encouragement from a win achieved without Kyrie Irving, who was out with a strained knee.

In Irving’s absence it was left to Hayward to lead the Celtics offense during his 26 minutes on court.

Al Horford had 23 points while Jayson Tatum added 20 to help set up the win. All of Philadelphia’s starters made double figures with Joel Embiid adding 23 points. (afp)

Nishikori rallies to overcome tough Rotterdam opener

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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP

Japan’s Kei Nishikori plays a backhand return to France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert during their men’s singles match on day two of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on February 12, 2019.

ROTTERDAM - Top seed Kei Nishikori was tested by a stubborn opponent before finally putting away Pierre-Hugues Herbert 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Rotterdam Open. The Japanese world number seven needed an hour and a quarter to get on track against a player who had reached the Montpellier final barely 48 hours earlier against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Second seed Karen Khachanov, winner of the Paris Masters title last November, fell in a shock to Dutch wildcard Tallon Griekspoor, who recovered for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 upset of the Russian.

The defeat leaves Khachanov winless here in three attempts.

Victory marked the second Rotterdam upset for the 211th-ranked local, who put out Stan Wawrinka

a year ago in his hometown for his first career ATP Tour-level win.

Nishikori finally earned his first break well into the evening against Herbert, taking a 3-1 lead in the second set after dropping the first.

That opened the floodgates, with Asia’s top player quickly finding his recovery mode to run out the tight first-round victory after two hours and 10 minutes, saving break points as he served out the win.

Nishikori could not have asked for a more difficult Rotterdam debut as he faced the 36th-ranked Frenchman.

“It wasn’t easy, as he was playing good tennis and serving well,” Nishikori said.

“I had a little bit of trouble with my return game and couldn’t convert the important points.

“I just tried to play steady, as I wasn’t playing bad. I tried to stay aggressive.”

Victory sent Nishikori to 9-1 this season after starting 2019 with a Brisbane title and an Australian Open quarter-final appearance.

He was forced to quit his match in Melbourne against Novak Djokovic in the second set due to a knee problem, cured by rest over the past two weeks in Florida.

Nishikori next faces Ernests Gulbis, who beat Marius Copil 6-2, 6-4 in a battle of qualifying lucky losers.

“He’s not easy, especially indoors where he uses his great serve and aggressive play really well.

“I just need to stay focused and get used to the conditions a little bit more,” Nishikori said. (afp)

6

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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RLD

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Biossance/AFP

Displays and signage are seen during Galentine’s Day Glow with Biossance hosted by Katherine Schwarzenegger at Alo Yoga Beverly Hills on February 12, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Cute and empowering -Galentine’s Day takes off in US

WASHINGTON - For some people, facing the onslaught of Valentine’s Day flowers, candy and marketing can be overwhelming if you are single. For Riya Patel, it’s a reason to celebrate love -- platonic love -- even by long distance.

Welcome to the American phenomenon of Galentine’s Day, feted on February 13th -- a “holiday” gaining in popularity with each passing year, and also gaining in terms of its message of female empowerment.

“I’ve organized this giant group FaceTime with all my closest girlfriends. All of us are going to get on the phone and celebrate each other,” says Patel, a 22-year-old research analyst from the US capital.

“And then I’ll just celebrate me.

That’s probably going to end up being some restorative yoga in my bedroom and then making something with bourbon in it.”

Galentine’s Day was born in 2010 during an episode of the American sitcom “Parks & Recreation,” when main character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) hosts a brunch on February 13 for her best gal pals.

It was conceived as a defiant response to Valentine’s Day -- a statement that the traditional romantic love is not the only kind

worth honoring.

“Women are just so pummeled throughout their upbringing with this idea of romantic love imagery, and what it means to be in love,” said Olivia Dillingham, a brand consultant for women in New York.

“That does create this sense of unworthiness and failure when you come around to Valentine’s Day and you don’t have someone to go to dinner with.”

Galentine’s Day has grown from being a semi-joke to a semi-serious holiday -- and it’s generating big money.

There is also a lot of pink, a lot of gold and a lot of glitter.

Many businesses have started selling themed products -- cards, wine glasses, candies, cookies. Big box stores have dedicated sections for the event.

Bars and restaurants are organizing happy hours and parties.

In Washington, whisky bar Jack Rose Dining Saloon is hosting a special cocktail hour. The luxury St Regis Hotel has planned an after-

noon tea with an exclusive pop-up jewelry boutique.

“We did it a little playful, with colorful girl colors,” said Heather Dobson, the hotel’s head pastry chef, displaying an array of small pastries decorated with candy hearts, chocolate lips and rose petals.

Clothing retailer Madewell is staging a promotional sale, encouraging shoppers to view the clothes purchased with a 20 percent discount as their new “BFFs” -- best friends forever.

A search on the hashtag “#galentinesday” on Instagram reveals thousands of photos of pink balloons or ladies’ brunches.

Dillingham, 24, hosted a Galentine’s Day party last year: she and other female friends cast “love spells” on themselves, exchanged flowers and traded compliments.

“Having a really strong solid support system and having support in yourself is so important,” she said.

“And it’s just a good excuse to bring friends together.” (afp)

International

International

‘I’m sorry’- Thai princess apologises after ill-fated run for PM

BANGKOK - A Thai princess has apologised after her shortlived candidacy for prime minister earned a royal rebuke from her brother -- the king -- and sent jitters across the politically febrile country just weeks before elections.

Thailand has been mired in political drama since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana’s name was submitted as a prime ministerial candidate by the Thai Raksa Chart Party.

The party is allied with the powerful Shinawatra clan, which has won all elections since 2001 but whose patron, the billionaire ex-premier Thaksin, lives in selfexile to avoid jail.

Ubolratana’s unprecedented bid to enter frontline politics unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as “highly inappropriate”.

Thailand’s monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened in public during times of political crisis.

The princess was disqualified as a prime ministerial candidate by the Election Commission on Monday, which cited the royal command. It is now discussing whether to refer Thai Raksa Chart to the consitutional court for dissolution.

In an Instagram post late Tuesday the 67-year-old princess apologised for her role in the drama.

“I’m sorry that my genuine intention to help work for the country and fellow Thai people has created a problem that shouldn’t happen in this era,” she wrote.

It was tagged with a hashtag: “#howcomeitsthewayitis”.

Ubolratana is the first-born of former king Bhumibol Adulyadej, but she gave up her royal titles when she married an American in 1972.

After her divorce, she moved back to Thailand where she is regarded by the Thai public as a part of the royal family.

While she said she was exercising her rights as a commoner to stand for premier, the palace statement said she is “still a member of the House of Chakri”, referring to the name of the dynasty.

The monarchy in Thailand is considered sacred and revered by its people, and is under the protection of draconian lese majeste laws.

The king’s word is considered final.

The scuttling of her candidacy and potential moves to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart party is a blow to Thaksin Shinawatra’s political machine.

The party was set to add to the vote bank of the bigger Shinawatra electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, in an election where secondary parties are targeting seats via the party list system.

Thaksin and his sister Yingluck -- who was overthrown in the 2014 coup -- live abroad to avoid convictions they say are politically motivated.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who toppled Yingluck’s government, is running for prime minister in the March 24 poll.

Party executives from Thai Raksa Chart have expressed contrition after the upheaval, but said they would challenge any attempt to disband the party.

A media organisation affiliated with the Shinawatras was also in the crosshairs this week.

Voice TV, owned by Thaksin’s son Ponthongtae, was ordered Tuesday by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to go off-air for 15 days after two of its programs caused “confusion and provocation”. (afp)

Princess Ubolratana of Thailand

FRED DUFOUR / AFP

Thursday, February 14, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Health Ministry sends 100 units of dengue RDT instruments to Papua JAYAPURA - The Health Ministry has distributed 100 small packs of dengue rapid diagnostic test (RDT) instrument to dengueaffected districts and municipality in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua.

“The Papua Health Service has distributed RDT instruments from the Health Ministry to eight districts and municipality in Papua since Saturday (Feb 9),” Chief of the Disease Prevention and Control of the Papua Health Service Dr Aaron Rumainum said here on Monday.

Rumainum noted that the instrument will be able to detect whether it is dengue fever or not. Each of the small packs contains 10 units of RDT. The eight districts are Biak Numfor, Timika, Nabire, Merauke, Kota Jayapura, Boven Digoel, Asmat, and Sarmi.

“We ask district health service office in each district to buy RDT if they run out of it,” he added.

As many as 15,132 cases of dengue fever were reported in Indonesia, with 145 deaths, as of Feb 1, 2019, according to the Health Ministry.

East Java Province witnessed the highest number of dengue cases, with 3,074 cases, resulting in 52 deaths, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the ministry`s director for vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, stated on Friday.

West Java ranked second, with 2,204 cases, causing 14 deaths; followed by East Nusa Tenggara, with 1,092 cases, resulting in 13 deaths; and North Sumatra, with 1,071 cases, leading to 13 deaths.

The ministry recorded 53,075 cases of dengue fever in 2018; 68,407 cases in 2017; and 204,171 cases in 2016. (ant)

ASEAN Secretariat calls for nominations for ASEAN Prize 2019

JAKARTA - Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat calls for nominations for the prestigious regional award ASEAN Prize 2019 acknowledging an individual`s or organization`s inspiring and outstanding achievements in fostering the ASEAN identity, promoting ASEAN spirit, and championing ASEAN way.

“Nominees should have exceptional merit in contributing to the following designated focus areas: collaboration between ASEAN Member States; collaboration between ASEAN and the world; people-to-people engagement among ASEAN Member States; economic integration and promotion of standards between ASEAN Member States; or excellent contribution to ASEAN Community Building,” the secretariat noted in a statement here, Tuesday.

A Judging Committee, comprising eminent high-level members, including incumbent and former ASEAN Secretaries-General, will select a recipient, who will be awarded the ASEAN Prize Trophy and a cash prize of US$20 thousand. This year`s prize will be presented during the 34th ASEAN Summit in June in Bangkok, Thailand.

In 2018, the inaugural ASEAN Prize was awarded to Ms Erlinda Uy Koe, a dedicated community leader from the Philippines, to honor her exemplary contributions to the cause of an inclusive ASEAN community.

Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and SecretaryGeneral of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi presented the trophy and prize money to Koe at the opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in November 2018. (ant)

11

ELECTION 2019

IBP/ant

Trans Java Toll Road

Social Justice is driving factor behind infrastructure development: Jokowi

JAKARTA - Social justice for all Indonesian people is a driving factor behind infrastructure development across the country, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

“This is because we want our brothers and sisters there to also reap (the benefits of infrastructure development), such as roads, that we have enjoyed in Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan,” Jokowi remarked at a working meeting on National Health in South Tangerang on Tuesday.

The government has developed a 140-kilometer (km)-long MeraukeBovendigul road, among other things, he noted.

Infrastructure construction can also reduce the prices of basic food items and fuel, he added.

The president is keen to ensure there is no disparity in the price of fuel in Wamena and Java. Before Jokowi had instructed to set a single price for fuel four years ago, the

price of gasoline in Wamena could reach Rp80 thousand to Rp100 thousand per liter.

Infrastructure development is a precondition foundation for Indonesia to compete with other countries, he emphasized.

The Jagorawi toll road, connecting Bogor and Jakarta, was built

by Indonesia in 1978. The first toll road had become a model for several neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand and also China, he stated.

However, Indonesia later began lagging behind in infrastructure development. Within four decades, Indonesia had only managed to build 780 km of toll roads; Malaysia, 1,800 km; and China, 280 thousand km.

In addition to toll roads, the construction of seaports and airports is crucial for economic growth in Indonesia, he emphasized.

The administration of Jokowi and M. Jusuf Kalla has intensified infrastructure development across Indonesia during their first four-year term, starting October 2014, as the projects are expected to strengthen connectivity, economic growth, and national unity.

During the 2015-2018 period, the government had developed new roads, stretching a total of 3,432 km, in the Kalimantan and Papua border areas as well as East Nusa Tenggara, among others. The new roads exceed the target of 2,650 km by 2019. (ant)

12

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Thursday, February 14, 2019

5

Long lines to buy meat illustrate Iran’s economic woes TEHRAN - In the frigid air of a Tehran winter, a mother of two stands in a long line of shoppers waiting for the chance to buy discounted meat at a store supported by Iran’s government.

“Yesterday, after nearly two hours in the line, the shopkeeper said: ‘It is finished, try another day,’” Zahra Akrami said recently.

“And now I am here again.”

Her struggle represents the economic paradox that faces Iran as it marks the 40th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution.

Despite holding some of the world’s largest proven deposits of oil and natural gas, Iran has seen a return to long lines for food — a sight once seen during the 1980s, when it was at war with Iraq. Inflation continues to rise as its currency, the rial, depreciates. University graduates are unable to find jobs.

Part of the economic challenges stem from the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers. Those sanctions have returned after President Donald Trump decided to pull America out of the accord.

But other problems persist, some dating back to policies instituted after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

That revolt wouldn’t have been possible without impoverished Iranians rising up against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. His land reforms saw poorer rural residents move to the cities and become fresh recruits for the revolution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s calls for supporting the poor struck a populist tone among the struggling masses, as well as with the leftists who helped overthrow a regime that spent billions on U.S. weapons.

Immediately after the revolution, Iran nationalized its oil industry, its main source of hard currency. Its new leaders also seized industries tied to the shah or companies of those who fled the country. Shiite charitable trusts, known as bonyads, also amassed vast holdings, as has Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Today, economists consider Iran’s a “transition” economy, meaning it is shifting from state control to being driven by a free market.

However, some firms that moved into private ownership have seen the businesses collapse, leaving workers without pensions and fueling some sporadic protests.

“No week comes to an end without the closure of 10 to 50 companies,” said Masoud Khansari, the head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce. “Last year, 800 out of 1,500 contractor companies in the oil sector collapsed.”

Iran’s oil industry never fully recovered from a strike that paralyzed it before the shah’s departure. Prior to the revolution, Iran

Foreign Tourists Like Monkey Attraction at Alas Kedaton

Both domestic and foreign tourists love the action of monkeys when invited to take a pictures or selfie. The four-legged animal has an extraordinary style when being faced with camera. As requirements, the must be given to eat nuts, so they want to be quiet while chewing snacks like tubers. Besides, it must also be guided by a handler or local guide. Don’t try to do it by yourself!

AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

In this Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 photo, Iranian butcher Ahmad Ahmadi cuts chicken at his shop in Tehran, Iran. The economy faces multiple struggles as the country marks the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Inflation continues to rise as its currency depreciates and university graduates are unable to find jobs. Some of the challenges stem from the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions while other problems date back to the time of the revolution. pumped about 6 million barrels of oil a day.

In January, it pumped 2.7 million.

There are bright spots. Iran’s per capita income has more than doubled since the revolution to $4,838 in 2018. Iran has more than 100,000 locally trained doctors and 18,000 medical centers, and it produces 95 percent of its own medicine, according to government statistics. Life expectancy is around 75, as opposed to about 57 before the revolution. Nearly every Iranian can read.

But for the average person, the only numbers they really care about are those at the cash register at neighborhood grocery stores.

“Unfortunately, high prices have become crippling for people,” lawmaker Mohammad Reza Sabaghian said. “Some goods have seen up to a 200 percent increase in prices.”

Staples like meat have grown more expensive. Lamb has reached to nearly $5 a pound, up from $3. Chicken is 70 cents a pound, up from 40 cents.

Analysts suspect part of the problem may be the U.S. sanctions. As the rial falls, livestock breeders likely want the hard currency they can get selling the meat in neighboring countries. Iran produces nearly 90 percent of its domestic demand for meat, but it imports related items like medicine and corn.

The meat crisis has become a cudgel for government hard-liners who are eager to weaken the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric within the theocracy. State television repeatedly broadcasts stories about long lines at governmentsubsidized grocery stores, with those waiting criticizing Rouhani’s administration.

“The bones of the people are shattering under pressure of poverty,” said Kazem Sedighi, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a dig at Rouhani, Sedighi added: “Economic problems exist, but some officials are careless about the problems.”

Part of Rouhani’s problem is Washington and the sanctions it restored in November.

Germany, France and Britain, which have worked to preserve the nuclear deal, announced earlier this month that they have established a new system so their companies can continue trading with Iran without incurring U.S. penalties for doing so.

However, that system has yet to come into effect, and the strains on Iran are clear. Efforts to import government-subsidized meat from abroad through the military saw a cargo plane crash in January, killing 15 people.

Yet the lines at stores continue daily.

“Every day, the radio and TV are reporting about the trial of those officials who took public funds for themselves, but there’s no change in our life,” said Assad Azari, a 63year-old retired teacher and father of three waiting in line. “We poor people shouldn’t have to wait hours for two kilos (4.4 pounds) of budget meat.” (ap)

Alas Kedaton attraction located at Kukuh village, Marga, Tabanan, or about 8 km North West of Denpasar City is indeed a tourist idol for traveling. They come in the afternoon or evening to continue watching sunset at Tanah Lot. “Tourists really like the attraction of this monkey,” said Ni Putu Marani, one of the local officers.

This forest does not only has

monkeys as an attraction, but also giant bats (flying foxes) and tropical forests with various types of plants. Every day, this object is opened from 8:30 until 15:30. The admission ticket for adults costs IDR 20,000 and IDR 15,000 for child.

Meanwhile, the admission ticket for foreign adults is IDR 30,000 and IDR 20,000 for child. “Espe-

cially for Galungan, Kuningan and New Year’s Day specifically for local people, the admission ticket will be charged at IDR 5,000,” said Ni Putu Marani.

Tourists having held a ticket will be accompanied by a local guide who is also a souvenir merchant. The ticket is then presented to the officer at the lobby of the tourist attraction, then heading

for the monkey attraction. Under direction of local guide, visitors walk to the middle of the forest through a pathway to the right side of Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton Temple.

On the way, the atmosphere is cool because the area is rich in large plants. At each wall visitors will come across forest dwellers that can be invited to take pictures.

Local guide continues to explain the uniqueness of the temple, the attraction of the fruit bat show and snake show. “We invite tourists to witness the attraction of taking

pictures with flying fox and snakes using Balinese customary clothes,” he added.

Formerly, the flying fox and snake show were located on the west side of the tourist attraction, but it has now been moved to the east of forest area, to the right of the temple. To take pictures with snakes, visitors must pay IDR 70,000 and IDR 60,000 for taking pictures with flying fox. After that, the local guide will direct you to their shops to browse or buy various kinds of souvenirs on offer. (kmb)

Men Brayut Symbol of the strength of Balinese Women

The story of Men Brayut tells of the extraordinary strength of character of a Balinese woman by this name. This story has become part of Balinese folklore and is often told as a bedtime story. It is a symbolic tale of how strong Balinese women are in carrying out the tasks of their daily lives. Having a strong work ethic, patience, honesty, care, and a sense of camaraderie and ability to remain steadfast in facing problems are qualities that are highlighted in this ancient tale.

Several villages in Bali, have shrines and temple reliefs devoted to Men Brayut, where people come to pray. Pura Dalem in Belang Samu Village, Kusamba and Goa

Gajah are two examples of sites where, on specific days people come to pay honour to Men Brayut. Many people believe that by doing so they will be blessed with children.

Men Brayut was a housewife who came from a poor family and who had 18 children. To fulfill the needs of her big family, she had to work very hard and even had to do ‘men’s work’. She was able to keep peace and harmony within her big family and with others in her community, so she is considered a very good example to follow.

According to Dr. Drs. I Wayan Wastawa, MA, a lecturer at The Denpasar Hindu Dharma Institute

(IHDN), Men Brayut not only had a strong work ethic but was also spiritually diligent, praying every day. She was also very generous, sharing whatever she had and was always grateful. “Men Brayut is a symbol of the strength of Balinese women in protecting the harmony of their family”, he added.

By giving equal love to all her children, they all become successful people. Many people are puzzled by this and ask: “how is it possible for a women with so many children and with so little money accomplish this?”. Many people therefore want to learn from Men Brayut. “After all, once she accomplished all her tasks,

she entered the next phase of life known as Wanaprasta in which she practiced yoga semadi”, explained Wastawa.

Men Brayut is a symbol of prosperity and a symbol of the motherland as described by how her children always stayed closed to her and even grasped her hair or legs to survive. She was able to apply the principle of equality to her family by giving the same heritage to each of her child. “Men Brayut is a symbol of a great leader who acts with equally towards the people”, said Dr. Wastawa.

He also explained that these days, Balinese women should follow the example of Men Brayut’s

work ethic. Balinese woman should not be too strict about only doing specialized woman’s work. According to Dr. Wastawa, there are many things that women can do: “there are many jobs that can be done by woman such as farming, construction, being security officers and high ranking managers. These jobs can be done by both men and women”, he stated. Balinese woman have a strong spirit for studying so job opportunities are wide open to them. “Nowadays, there is saying that ‘woman should not just rely on their husbands. Women can also feed the family’ Dr. Wastawa concluded. (kmb)

4

Bali News

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Thursday, February 14, 2019

International

Reaching target of 1-1.5 percent

Australia announces reopening of offshore detention centre

Governor forms an acceleration team of poverty reduction

DENPASAR - Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, immediately formed a team for the poverty alleviation acceleration. It is related to poverty alleviation efforts whose targets are revised to 1 percent to 1.5 percent from the previous 4.2 percent. It considered the Regional Bill on the Bali Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD) 2005-2025 and the Regional Bill on the Universal Planning of Bali Regional Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) 2018-2023 have been approved at the Plenary Meeting of the Bali House of Representatives on Monday (Feb. 11).

“We will make a team of poverty alleviation acceleration by mapping all the loci which are the places where the problems exist, including the strategies to overcome them,” said Koster after the plenary meeting.

Koster is optimistic that the problem of poverty can be resolved within 5 years of his leadership. It includes the crust of poverty having been feared all this time. Therefore, the mapping will be the main focus of the team before formulating a resolution strategy.

“We have not mapped it out, but it is vague in Karangasem, Jembrana, Bangli, Klungkung and Buleleng,” he added.

Regarding the Regional Bill of the RPJPD and the Universal Planning of RPJMD having already been approved, Koster continued it will become a pattern and direction for development in Bali considering it has been a regional regulation, so that it applies throughout the Island of the Gods.

“So, we will invite the regents, mayor, and the heads of Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) to sit together and formulate the RPJP, RPJM and Regional Budget (APBD) in the regencies and municipality in order to adapt to the Bali Provincial Planning and RPJMD,” he said.

Chairperson of the Regional Bill Special Committee of RPJPD and Universal Planning of the RPJMD, I Ketut Tama Tenaya, said his committee supports the efforts made by the governor regarding the reduction of the amount of poverty in Bali. Moreover,

AFP

View of an entrance reading “Welcome to Badiraguato” in Badiraguato -Mexican mobster Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s hometown-, Sinaloa State, Mexico on February 8, 2019.

poverty is a reflection of one’s inability to meet the needs including clothing, food and housing. “Poverty has become a complex problem both at the national and regional level, so that mitigation requires an appropriate and sustainable strategy,” he said.

To reach the target of up to 1 percent, the Special Committee recommended there is synchronization with economic growth so that it is proportional to the reduction in poverty level. On the other hand, continued Tama, the Special Committee also reminded about labor which is a complex problem and always increases every year. Meanwhile, the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT), like poverty, is also targeted to decline between 1.5-0.9 percent.

“We observe the dynamics in the changing structure of the TPT of the Bali Province, there are still problems that must be resolved where the TPT structure is still dominated by educated unemployed from the level of vocational, diploma, and undergraduate,” added this PDI-P Politician.

Tama added it happens due to the difficulty of getting job opportunities in accordance with the competencies and qualifications of the existing workforce. Governor is expected to immediately synchronize through curriculum changes in accordance with the evolving market dynamics. Likewise, Special Committee also gave input on investment targeted at an average of IDR 18-28 trillion in the RPJMD as an initial measure in economic

development. Besides, the export target increased by an average of USD 547,711— USD 684,662.

“We urge this investment continue to be improved so that it results in an encouraging investment climate as a buffer for regional economic growth,” explained the Chairperson of Commission I. Aside from offending macro targets, Tama also urged the governor to immediately resolve differences in perspective in the community regarding building heights and coastal borders in the revision of the Regional Regulation on the Bali Regional Spatial Plan (RTRWP). “Considering, the bill of the RTRWP and the RPJMD has close relations,” he said. (kmb32)

Liquid drug smuggler arrested

MANGUPURA - Customs and Excise officers of Ngurah Rai Airport, Kuta, Badung, arrested a Brazilian citizen on behalf of Marco Antonio Vetro De Marco, 45, on Wednesday (Feb. 6). It happened because Marco brought two bottles of liquid crystal meth with the weight of 116.76 grams.

Next, the suspect Marco was handed over to Denpasar Police.

Pursuant to the information obtained on

Monday (Feb. 11), the perpetrator works in travel agency in his country. The perpetrator coming with the passports number FX869942 traveled by air from Brazil to Bali. He arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport at 21:00. As usual, upon arrival at the Ngurah Rai Airport International Arrival Terminal, he underwent proper inspection.

“During the inspection, customs officers found a bottle of suspected psychotropic

content. The two bottles containing clear liquid are suspected of being crystal meth.

Then, the perpetrator is immediately arrested,” said the source. When interrogated, the perpetrator argued the clear liquid is a sleeping pill purchased by prescription at a pharmacy in Brazil. However, the officers did not believe it, and in order to explore this case, Marco was handed over to Denpasar Police for further investigation. “The

perpetrator kept and carried two bottles of liquid crystal meth with the label of Rivotril,” said the source asking for anonymity.

Chief of Denpasar Police Drug Criminal Investigation, Aris Purwanto, when confirmed he had accepted the case delegation from the Customs Office of Ngurah Rai Airport. “Tomorrow (Tuesday), this case will be released at the Airport Customs Office,” he affirmed. (kmb36)

13

‘El Chapo’ leaves a void in his Mexican hometown

BADIRAGUATO - The downfall of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has done little to diminish his drug cartel’s power, but locals say it has had a devastating effect in one place: his remote and lawless hometown, Badiraguato.

“El Chapo” was born 61 years ago in this small, dusty town in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains, in the northwestern state that would give his multi-billion-dollar global drug empire its name: the Sinaloa cartel. Guzman, who was found guilty Tuesday of trafficking tons of drugs to the United States across a quarter of a century, now faces the likelihood of life in jail at his sentencing on June 25 in New York federal court.

But he remains a hero in Badiraguato and the surrounding county, where residents remember him as a larger-than-life figure who ruled his fiefdom with largesse and brought a now-lost prosperity the Mexican government never provided.

“Now that Mr Chapo’s gone, there’s more poverty. People have to leave here to look for work, because things are pretty tough,” says Jorge Valenzuela, a resident of Potrero de Bejarano, a small village at the far edge of the county.

The air is thick with tension in this region, where the police are nowhere to be seen and men with

AK-47s and walkie-talkies patrol the countryside in armored pickups.

Many wear caps stamped with the number 701 -- a reference to the spot “El Chapo” reached on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s richest people, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion.

The mountains are dotted with marijuana and opium poppy fields.

Silence is the rule: locals’ lips are generally sealed when it comes to talking about the area’s number one industry. But get them started, and they gush praise for Guzman.

“He gave people money to buy things, gave them seeds to plant (drugs). Now there’s nobody to do that,” Valenzuela told AFP. “Hardly anyone is planting crops, since Mr Chapo is the one they all sold to.”

- Poverty and drugs Together with the states of Chihuahua and Durango, Sinaloa forms Mexico’s “Golden Triangle,” a region rife with marijuana and poppy fields, and home to many of the country’s most notorious drug

traffickers.

“El Chapo” grew up in a tiny hamlet of about 100 people called La Tuna, high in the mountains.

He once told Sean Penn in an interview for Rolling Stone magazine -- a meeting that infamously led to his downfall -- that he grew up “very humble, very poor.” He went into the drug business at 15 because there were no other jobs, he said.

The area remains impoverished.

Nine in 10 residents of Badiraguato live in poverty or extreme poverty, according to government figures. It is the poorest county in Sinaloa. It also has the fewest paved roads in the state -- though there are plenty of dirt ones criss-crossing the mountains, leading to the fields.

With “El Chapo” gone, the local economy has suffered, small business owners say.

“It used to be there were always people coming and going, transporting stuff up into the mountains in 4x4s. Now it’s dead calm,” says Jaime Laija, who owns a restaurant on the main road into Badiraguato. (afp)

SYDNEY - A controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island is to reopen, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Wednesday, as he doubled down on hardline policies after a historic legislative defeat.

Morrison approved the reopening of the remote facility -- closed just months ago -- claiming new laws just passed by parliament would increase the number of people trying to arrive in Australia illegally.

On Tuesday and Wednesday parliament rebuffed government warnings and adopted legislation opening the door for some of the 1,000 refugees detained in existing offshore centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island to travel to Australia for medical treatment if the transfers are requested by two or more doctors.

It was the first time in decades that an Australian government has lost a vote on its own legislation in the House of Representatives.

Morrison brushed aside suggestions that the law would only apply to those already in detention and accused the opposition of trying to “weaken and compromise our borders”.

His government, he said, was adopting “100 percent” of a series of recommendations from the country’s security services to further tighten efforts to prevent the arrival of migrants and asylum-seekers by sea.

He declined to specify what those classified measures were, other than to announce the reopening of the camp on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory some 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of the western city of Perth.

“If they don’t come, it will be because of the work and the decisions we are now taking and the actions we are putting in place,” Morrison said. “If they do come, you can thank the Labor Party and (opposition leader) Bill Shorten.”

But authorities on Christmas Island questioned the move to reopen the detention centre, saying their health facilities are limited and they “quite regularly” medically evacuate people because their small hospital cannot handle complex treatment.

“We just wouldn’t have the capacity here to deal with people coming here for medical reasons,” Shire of Christmas Island CEO David Price told national broadcaster ABC, adding they do not have the specialists to deal with serious mental health problems.

Price said the shire had not been consulted on Morrison’s decision,

Saeed KHAN / AFP

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison which he labelled a “political kneejerk reaction”.

- ‘Cruel and dangerous’ Morrison’s decision comes as both parties gear up for a bitter campaign ahead of a general election due in May and amid fierce debate over the conservative government’s harsh immigration policies. Those policies have seen thousands of asylumseekers languish for years on Manus and Nauru under conditions widely condemned by the United Nations and human rights organisation.

A dozen refugees have already died in the Manus and Nauru camps and a number have attempted suicide, including children.

“Ensuring access to adequate medical care for refugees and asylum-seekers is a life-saving, humanitarian act,” said Louise Aubin, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canberra.

The opposition Labor party responded furiously to what it called Morrison’s “scare tactics” and said he was manufacturing a fear of migrants to win votes.

Labor’s shadow solicitor general Mark Dreyfus accused Morrison of encouraging “people smugglers to restart their evil trade,” declaring him “not fit to be PM of this country”.

Morrison refused calls to step down or call an early election in the wake of the parliamentary setback, insisting that Australians would have time to make their choice in May. Opinion polls consistently show the Labor Party easily taking control of government in the election.

The facility on Christmas Island once held thousands of people and was the scene of violent protests by detainees complaining of harsh conditions. The last 35 detainees were taken off the island last October, when the camp was shuttered.

14

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Health

International

IBP/net

As measles surge, some unvaccinated teens are seeking shots

SOME teenagers who have never been vaccinated against diseases such as measles or chickenpox are questioning the anti-vaccine movement, even as health officials condemn parents who chose not to vaccinate their children for a measles outbreak in 10 states. her friends to do the same.

“When I was 12, I remember all my classmates saying, ‘I hated getting my shots’,” Mayci said. “I asked them, ‘What do you mean, you had to get shots to get into school?’”

Georgia is one of 17 states that allows non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for going to school, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Currently, 47 states allow religious exemptions and since 2009, the number of ‘philosophical-belief’ vaccine exemptions provided to state departments has risen in 12 of the 18 states that currently allow this policy.

“What we are seeing is pockets of intense anti-vaccine activity,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Waco, Texas. “A social movement of public health vaccine opposition has been growing in the United States in recent years. Subsequently, measles outbreaks have also increased.”

Experts believe that this is one reason why anti-vaccination hot spots like Clark County, Washington have popped up. But doctors and nurses say the recent outbreak is spurring people to get vaccinated.

The Washington State Health Department says about 530 people

were immunized against measles in January 2018. This January, there were more than 3,000 immunizations.

Since getting vaccinated is a medical procedure, in most cases teens younger than 18 need the consent of a parent, guardian, or other adult family member.

When Mayci was 17, she talked to her dad about getting the vaccine when she turned 18.

“He honestly just said that I am old enough to make my own medical decisions. He supports my judgment,” Mayci said. “The fact that I work in a doctor’s office has allowed me to really become educated on the myths and truths about vaccines.”

In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the United States, thanks to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that has been part of routine childhood shots for decades.

Measles is a highly contagious disease, but people who get the proper doses of the vaccine rarely contract it, even if they are exposed.

Two doses of the vaccine — at 1 year to 15 months old and a second dose at 4 to 6 years — provides about 97 percent protection. A very few who get both two doses of the measles vaccine will still get measles if exposed to the virus, albeit a milder form of the disease.

Experts are not sure why. (net)

AS people peer into DNA for clues to health and heritage, man’s best friend is under the microscope, too.

Genetic testing for dogs has surged in recent years, fueled by companies that echo popular athome tests for humans, offering a deep dive into a pet’s genes with the swab of a canine cheek. More than a million dogs have been tested in little over a decade.

The tests’ rise has stirred debate about standards, interpretation and limitations. But to many dog owners, DNA is a way to get to know their companions better.

“It put some pieces of the puzzle together,” says Lisa Topol, who recently tested her mixed-breed dogs, Plop and Schmutzy. Plop was the top-scoring mixed-breed, and Schmutzy also competed, in Saturday’s agility contest at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York. Judging toward the coveted best-in-show prize begins Monday.

A test by Embark — which this fall became Westminster’s first DNA-testing partner — confirmed Topol’s guess that her high-octane pets are more Australian cattle dog than anything else. But Schmutzy’s genetic pie chart had surprise ingredients, including generous amounts of Labrador retriever and Doberman pinscher.

Huh? Topol thought at first. And then: Maybe Schmutzy’s love of water and fetching is her inner Lab coming out. And doesn’t she walk a bit like a Doberman?

“They are the dogs that they are,” said Topol, a New York advertising executive. “They’re unique, and they’re special.” But the testing “makes me understand them better.”

Canine DNA testing for certain conditions and purposes goes back over two decades, but the industry

took off after scientists mapped a full set of dog genes and published the results in 2005.

Wisdom Health, part of pet care and candy giant Mars Inc., launched a breed-identification test in 2007, added a health-screening option a few years later, and says it has now tested over 1.1 million dogs worldwide. Numerous other brands are also available.

Mass-market tests have fueled research and helped animal shelters attract adopters by providing more information about prospective pets.

DNA can back up purebred dogs’ parentage and help breeders try to eliminate certain diseases.

The technology has been used to identify dogs whose owners don’t pick up their droppings, to pursue dogs accused of biting and to free a Belgian Malinois from dog death row after he was accused of killing a Pomeranian in Michigan. And some veterinarians believe that DNA testing enhances care.

“I want to know as much about my patients as possible,” says Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and TV personality in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. He recommends testing all puppies.

But qualms about the dog DNA boom spilled into the prestigious science journal Nature last year.

“Pet genetics must be reined in,” a Boston veterinarian and two other scientists wrote. Their commentary opened with a troubling story: a pug being euthanized because her owners interpreted DNA results to mean that she had a rare degenerative neurological disorder, when in fact her ailment might have been something more treatable.

“These (tests) should be used in a limited way until we get a lot more information,” said co-author and vet Dr. Lisa Moses. (net)

IBP/net

Plop, a mixed-breed rescue dog owned by Lisa Topol, who ordered genetic testing for Plop and her other dog, Schmutzy.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

3

Farmers sell snakefruit through social media

Dog DNA testing takes off, and generates debate

Miami Children’s Hospital pediatrician Dr. Amanda Porro, M.D prepares to administer a measles vaccination to a patient during a visit to the Miami Children’s Hospital on Jan. 28, 2015 in Miami.

One of those teens is Mayci, an 18-year-old from Augusta, Georgia who went to Reddit for advice on vaccination after hearing about the measles outbreak.

Mayci — who asked that her last name not be included because she’s worried about upsetting her mother — had never had a vaccine.

The reason? Her mother’s position, ‘vaccines are bad, this is something we don’t do, leave it alone,’ the teen told NBC News.

“At the time I was born, both of my parents agreed on anti-vaccination,” Mayci said. “Almost a year and a half ago, I moved out of my mother’s house and in with my dad.

My dad has a pretty neutral view on vaccinations as of right now, but when I was born he essentially just agreed with my mom and her family’s beliefs.”

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 101 cases of measles.

Fifty-five of those were in Washington state, the epicenter of the outbreak. Almost all of the cases occurred in children younger than 10 whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate them.

While growing up, Mayci thought her mother’s negative views of vaccines were normal. Her mother used a religious exemption so Mayci wouldn’t be required to be vaccinated in school, and told

Bali News

International

TABANAN - Nowadays, farmers turn out to keep up with technology and utilize it. One of them is the use of social media by farmers of Munduk Temu village, Pupuan, to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit. This measure is expected to be able to increase the number of snakefruit sales currently entering the harvest season.

Tanjung Benoa

IBP/kmb

Worried about the impact of Pelindo III’s project at Benoa Harbor

Tanjung Benoa community proposes seawall development MANGUPURA - The dredging and stockpiling project related to the expansion carried out by Pelindo III in the Benoa Harbor caused worries to the Tanjung Benoa community. Since the Tanjung Benoa area is relatively small, the existence of the project is feared to gradually erode the coast.

Subdistrict Head of South Kuta, I Made Widiana, when met after the implementation of the development plan meeting of South Kuta sub-district on Monday (Feb. 11) stated the presence of Pelindo III project is feared to have an impact on the coastal areas of Tanjung Benoa. For this reason, a number of community leaders of Tanjung Benoa proposed the installation of seawall on the north coast of Tanjung Benoa.

Widiana explained that such proposal is intended for land handling on Tanjung Benoa so that it will not get eroded. “This should be established so that the land in Tanjung Benoa does not collapse,” he concluded.

Related to the project, he admitted currently there are no indications of abrasion. However, local people began to worry about that.

For this reason, in the near future, his side will check to find out the conditions on the Tanjung Benoa Beach. “You don’t have to wait for impact, but you need to anticipate, especially for the North Coast of

Tanjung Benoa,” he concluded.

Even though there are such proposals from the public regarding the condition, he admitted to have not communicated yet with Pelindo III. He promised to communicate with Pelindo III to discuss about this issue.

When confirmed separately, the Head of the Badung Public Works and Settlement Agency (PUPR), I.B. Surya Suamba, said that it is not appropriate to install such seawall at the location. As tourism area, such installation will certainly reduce the aesthetics and can also disrupt the tourism there.

A possible solution according to Surya Suamba is with the expansion of Pelindo and the Benoa Bay must be normalized. Sedimentation results of the normalization are brought ashore so the water volume and the depth of Benoa Bay will return and the land will increase.

“With the normalization, it will not erode the Tanjung Benoa coastal areas. If establishing seawall, of course tourism aesthetics will disappear. And in the long run it will also get eroded,” he concluded.

By normalizing and moving the sedimentation to mainland, of course the volume of water will remain. During low tides, there is still even water so that the boat will be able to operate at low tide. (kmb23)

One of the farmers at the Kebon Jero hamlet, Munduk Temu, Ketut Suardika, stated on Monday (Feb. 11) that he had used social media to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit due to abundant production volume this year. “This year, the harvest season happens to delay due to extreme weather condition. Usually the harvest occurs in December but then fell in January,” he said.

The delayed harvest season made the absorption of production not optimal. During the harvest season falling in December, the demand also increased due the existence of many moments of holidays and New Year. So, if the harvest carried out in that month, even though in massive harvest, the price of sugar snakefruit is also quite expensive because of the large demand.

Now, because of the harvest in January and incidentally there are no moments of holidays or festivities, the price of snakefruit is quite falling than usual.

At present, the price of sugar snakefruit reaches IDR 5,000 per kilogram at the farmer level. By and large,

if the harvest in December, the price is IDR 10,000 per kilogram at the farmer level.

The decline in the selling price of snakefruit makes a number of farmers innovate the sales by marketing directly without passing collectors. One of the measures is to use social media. “We invited the family to take advantage of product marketing through Facebook and WhatsApp to a number of consumers, and the results are quite good. Many people responded positively,” said Suardika.

Since it directly gets in touch with consumers, the selling price of sugar snakefruit is currently stable and does not fall deeper. “If wishing to get maximum income, farmers really have to sell directly to consumers. So, the marketing through social media is one of the ways,” said Suardika. During the main harvest season, the average production capacity for sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit at Kebon Jero hamlet, Munduk Temu, can reach 5-10 tons per harvest season. (kmb24)

IBP/kmb

Nowadays, farmers turn out to keep up with technology and utilize it to sell sugar snakefruit and honey snakefruit.

2

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Bali News

International

GIANYAR - Residents in Gianyar district are encouraged to be alert again to cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). At the beginning of this year, dozens of residents are suspected of dengue having spread throughout the district. Seeing this condition, the relevant officers are now starting to carry out prevention and mitigation. an Extraordinary Event (KLB),” he explained.

He described the spread of this disease predominantly occurred in three sub-districts, namely Payangan (11 cases), Blahbatuh (8 cases) and Sukawati (5 cases). Meanwhile, the rest spread almost evenly in the four other sub-districts. “They have received medical treatment at hospital,” he explained.

As a preventive and countermeasure effort, he claimed to have made various efforts starting from epidemiological investigation, eradicating mosquito nests with 3M + scheduled by public health center and village larvae monitoring cadres as well as the spread of larvicides or abate to all public health center, auxiliary public health center, cadres and implementing an extended fogging focused on the areas where there are cases.

“At the end of 2018, we have done ULV (Ultra Low Volume) namely the spraying in the morning at 20 villages endemic to DHF. This is

done when the case is at its lowest,” he said.

In addition, his agency has also spread an appeal from the Regional Secretary of Gianyar about the alertness to the increase in dengue disease. It is followed with a circular from the Gianyar Health Agency regarding the implementation of 3M + for mosquito nests eradication and the dissemination of information. “We also make cross-sectoral collaboration for mosquito nests eradication (PSN) with the Gianyar Police. Similarly, we distributed larvicide to carry out the PSN in the dormitory neighborhood of the district police,” he explained.

In the future, his agency will increase the instruction of the Ministry of Health, namely one house having one mosquito larvae monitoring officer. “It means that every house has a role as a larva monitor at its own home. We in the Health Agency will facilitate technically,” he said. (kmb35)

IBP/net

Thursday, February 14, 2019

15

MOXY HOTELS SET TO ENERGISE MELBOURNE WITH ITS DEBUT HOTEL IN AUSTRALIA

63 suspects of dengue fever noted at the beginning of the year

Based on data from the Division of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P), Gianyar Health Agency, the distribution of suspected dengue disease in the early 2019 until Tuesday (Feb. 12) amounted to 63 people. In details, they are 42 people in January and 21 people in February. However, it does not necessarily mean the 63 people are positive for dengue.

“Being suspected of dengue fever means it is not necessarily positive for dengue cases. But it must be a vigilance by the public and the government,” explained the Division Head of P2P at the Gianyar Health Office, Nyoman Astawa, when confirmed last Tuesday.

Compared to the data in 2018, the number of suspected DHF this year has increased. During the period of January-February last year, there were only 14 cases or persons. “Indeed there has been an increase. But the national morbidity rate is still low, namely 51/100,000 residents. It has not been stated as

Activities

International

IBP/Yudi Karnaedi

Team of the Denpasar Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) and related agencies such as the Bali-Penida River Agency and South Denpasar subdistrict carried out a search related to the causes of foam in the Taman Pancing River, South Denpasar.

Alleged to generate foam

City govt closes sewerage to Taman Pancing Park

DENPASAR - Team of the Denpasar Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK) and related agencies such as the BaliPenida River Agency and South Denpasar subdistrict carried out a search related to the causes of foam in the Taman Pancing River, South Denpasar.

As a result from the exploration to the 6 pipes, one pipe was found to get installed and dumps waste into the river. Without having to wait long, the team immediately closed the sewer pipe on Tuesday (Jan. 12) in the Taman Pancing River area.

Secretary of the DLHK Denpasar, I.B. Putra Wirabawa, explained that foam problems in the Taman Pancing River did become a common concern. This is what made the team intensively continue to oversee the river area.

“From the beginning, we suspected that someone intentionally dumped waste into the river. From the results of trac-

ing against 6 pipes, we found 1 embedded waste pipe that is alleged to produce foam, so that we immediately closed it,” he explained Gustra, as he is familiarly addressed, explained there remains possibility that some pipes are still embedded. On that account, his agency will continue to carry out sweeping so that no more waste is immediately disposed of into the river. “We will continue to trace the Taman Pancing area and check if there are other pipes that are also embedded,” he said.

He added the offender who is known to have a laundry service business will be tried with a misdemeanor on Wednesday (Feb. 13). “We will act firmly against violators, so that for people having businesses with the potential to produce waste naturally they must be processed in advance so as not to cause pollution and environmental damage when dumped into rivers,” he concluded. (kmb12)

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Moxy Hotels, Marriott International’s playful, experiential hotel brand for the next generation of travelers, is set to debut in Australia with the signing of Moxy Melbourne South Yarra. Slated to open in July 2021, the 180-room, new build standalone hotel is being developed by Melbourne businessmen Hector Ktori and Peter Arvanitis. Conceputalised for both the young and the young at heart, Moxy Melbourne South Yarra has been designed by architectural firm Rothelowman.

With 30 operating hotels across Europe, North America and Asia and more than 80 properties in development, Moxy Hotels redefines the traditional affordable hotel experience, allowing guests to work, play and connect while surrounded by bold design and contemporary style. The hotel living room is crafted for the socially extroverted, energetic consumer, with highly social spaces including a high-energy lounge, 24/7 self-service grab-andgo food and drinks, ample plug-ins for personal devices and furiously fast free Wi-Fi.

“Australia has seen growing demand in the select-service tier and we look forward to introducing the Moxy brand to this market with Moxy Melbourne South Yarra,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

Moxy Melbourne South Yarra will open in the heart of Melbourne’s lively South Yarra neighbourhood at 30-32 Claremont Street. Guests will be a short walk from Chapel Street - Melbourne’s trendy shopping and entertainment strip - and South Yarra Station. From here, guests can easily navigate the city’s major tourist attractions, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the the city’s celebrated restaurant, bar and arts scene in the Central Business District.

Moxy Melbourne South Yarra promises a contemporary design with 180 high-tech rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the rooms with natural light. The hotel will offer various live/work/ play spaces, including a bar, coworking space and meeting studio,

as well as a rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline with access to a large veranda. Guests looking to keep fit can also take advantage of the hotel gym, fully equipped with the latest cardio and strength training equipment.

“The next generation of travelers is seeking more than a comfortable bed and room-service burger.

They want to stay in hotels with an approachable price point that offer bold, contemporary design and hyper social experiences that tap into the local culture,” said Sean Hunt, Area Vice President, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International. “Moxy is the perfect fit for the curious and adventurous, and I’m thrilled we’ve found the right location and partners to bring this brand to Australia.”

“We’re really excited to partner with Marriott International to bring the first ever Moxy to Australia,” said Hector Ktori, co-owner of Moxy Melbourne South Yarra.

“After visiting a number of Moxy hotels around the world, we’re confident this brand will be a welcome addition to South Yarra,

offering guests exceptional value, urban style and lively public spaces in a much sought-after suburb of Melbourne.”

For more information, visit http://moxy-hotels.marriott.com/en or follow on Instagram and watch on YouTube.

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

16 Pages Number 37 11th year

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

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Thursday, February 14, 2019

‘Lego’ movie disappoints at N. American box office

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

Thursday, February 14, 2019

LOS ANGELES - The latest Warner Bros. “Lego” movie topped the North American box office charts on its debut weekend -- but performed well below estimates from the studio and independent industry predictions.

The animated sequel -- “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” -- took in $34.7 million, one of the lowest openings in the series. It nonetheless beat out two other new releases, “What Men Want,” and “Cold Pursuit,” industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said on Monday.

The “Lego” film cost $100 million and had been expected to fetch at least $50 million on its opening weekend.

The new edition again features the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett -- joined this time by Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph -- in a story about love, chaos and revenge in a grim, post-apocalyptic toyland.

In second place was Paramount comedy “What Men Want,” at $18.2 million. The film, a genderswitching remake of 2000’s “What

Women Want,” stars Taraji P. Henson.

Third spot went to thriller “Cold Pursuit” at $11 million. The film’s opening was overshadowed by controversy over racially fraught comments by lead actor Liam Neeson, and Lionsgate canceled a red-carpet premiere, but Variety said the opening tracked with expectations.

“The Upside” from STX Films earned $7.1 million in its fifth week out. The film stars Bryan Cranston as a wealthy quadriplegic who hires ex-convict Kevin Hart as his caretaker.

In fifth place was last week’s leading film, “Glass” from Universal, at $6.3 million. The M. Night Shyamalan thriller, mostly set in a psychiatric ward, stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy. (afp)

Sarah Morris/Getty Images/AFP

Elizabeth Banks attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” at Regency Village Theatre on February 02, 2019 in Westwood, California.

Big Narstie says he could have ended up in prison if he hadn’t found God

IBP/net

Big Narstie has told how his faith helped keep him on the right path.

CALIFORNIA - Rapper Big Narstie has said he could have ended up in jail if he hadn’t found God. The 33-year-old, from Brixton, South London, said he did not think he would become a famous rapper and could have been “another statistic”.

Discussing how he found his faith, he told Radio Times magazine: “I would say it was God blessing my life, and giving me the opportunity to do everything I’m doing.

“At 18, I could have not been here.

“I could have been another statistic.

“All the odds were in favour of my just going to prison at that age. “I had no visions of being a superstar.”

Narstie, who is now an established grime star, said there was a time when he struggled to afford bread and thought about giving up music many occasions.

He said: “When it just wasn’t working, my mum pushed me and drove me,.

“There were times when I couldn’t even buy a loaf of

bread.”

The star is also known for The Big Narstie Show, which he said was a little different to what he was used to when he got started.

He added: “My first problem about doing The Big Narstie Show was just adjusting to TV rules.

“At first, it started to piss me off, but after I got the adjustments and the rules, I started to enjoy it.

“I’m fortunate, though. Channel 4 know I’m messed up. But they’ve got a soft spot for me.”

This week’s Radio Times is out on Tuesday. (IBP/net)

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

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

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

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

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

SBY Announces Ani Yudhoyono’s Blood Cancer Diagnosis

IBp/ant

Jakarta - Sixth Indonesian president Susilo ‘SBY’ Bambang Yudhoyono explained that his wife, former first lady Ani Yudhoyono, has been diagnosed with blood cancer in a video posted on the internet by himself today.

“Ani is undergoing medical treatment in Singapore as based on the recommendation of Indonesian presidential doctor team,” said SBY Wednesday, Feb. 13.

“With deep concern, I announce to fellow Indonesians that Ibu Ani is diagnosed with blood cancer and should receive intensive treatment at the National University Hospital of Singapore,” he added.

The video also saw SBY expressing his gratitude to the current president Jokowi and the administration, especially the presidential doctors’ team for the medical as-

sistance for Ani Yudhoyono. Lastly, SBY thanked everyone who wished Ani Yudhoyono good health.

“I ask for prayers from everyone that God will cure my beloved wife so that she can continue her activities back home,” he said during a press conference in Singapore.

He also thanked President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the government and all well-wishers for the attention and support for his wife.

“As a husband, of course, I will remain at her side. I know that she is a strong person. She has accompanied me through thick and thin,”

said Yudhoyono.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Imelda Sari said on Tuesday that the family and presidential medical team had met with the doctors who had been treating Ani in Singapore.

“Ibu Ani is in stable condition,” Imelda said in a statement.

She added that Yudhoyono, his eldest son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his youngest Edhi Baskoro Yudhyono were at the hospital awaiting the results from the doctors’ observations over the past week.

Jokowi deployed the presi-

dential medical team on Tuesday, Democrat executive Andi Arief posted on his Twitter account.

“Pak Jokowi has instructed the presidential medical team to work together with doctors in Singapore for Ibu Ani Yudhyono’s recovery, as mandated by the law,” Andi tweeted.

The head of the party’s advocacy and legal team, Ferdinand Hutahaean, said its members were all wishing a speedy recovery for Ani. “We all are sad,” Ferdinand said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

Apart from party members and her family, Ani has also received well-wishes and flowers from state leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Presi-

dent Jokowi and First Lady Iriana, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

On Tuesday, Ani uploaded a photo of a greeting card to her Instagram account @aniyudhoyono.

Her granddaughter, Almira “Aira” Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, had made the card and given it to her at the hospital. (ant) 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.