Edition Monday, April 15, 2019 | International Bali Post

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

16 Pages Number 76 11th year

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Ariana Grande, reigning teen pop idol with a defiant edge

PALM SPRINGS - Bubblegum pop coquette on the outside, saucy master of celebrity on the inside, there is perhaps no current star better at re-fashioning her own trials into larger-than-life success than Ariana Grande.

While suffering a highly publicized burst of personal and professional upheaval -- the deadly 2017 Manchester bombing at one of her concerts, the suicide of her exboyfriend rapper Mac Miller, the demise of her whirlwind engagement to comedian Pete Davidson -- Grande has proven poised in the face of tragedy and a deft manipulator of her own image, all while catapulting to global stardom.

Grande’s adept use of social media to slam her naysayers, drum up support from her “Arianator” fans and flirt with the gossip machine has created the perception that only she is in the driver’s seat.

After a resounding year of hits that saw industry tracker Billboard name the 25-year-old teen idol its 2018 woman of the year, Grande is set to headline a number of major festivals as part of her global tour, including this weekend’s influential Coachella lineup.

She’s just the fourth solo woman to headline the premier festival in the California desert -- and the youngest artist ever to nab the coveted spot. (afp)

Monday, April 15, 2019

LEON NEAL / AFP

In this file photo taken on December 16, 2015, US actress Carrie Fisher poses with a storm trooper as she attends the opening of the European Premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in central London.

Carrie Fisher in trailer for final ‘Star Wars’ movie

CHICAGO - Lucasfilm delighted “Star Wars” fans Friday with a glimpse of Carrie Fisher in sneak-peek footage of the hotly-anticipated final episode of the space opera -- more than two years after her death.

Ariana Grande

IBP/net

Director J.J. Abrams told the US “Star Wars Celebration” event the writers had agonized over giving Fisher’s beloved General Leia Organa a fitting send-off in the ninth installment, revealed as “Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker.”

“Every day it hits me that she is not here but it’s so surreal because we’re working with her still... she’s in scenes,” Abrams told the rapt crowd at the five-day event in

Chicago.

A world-first trailer released at the convention -- and dropped on the internet -- reintroduced the “next generation” characters from the final three films alongside old favorites from as far back as the 1977 original, “Star Wars IV: A New Hope.”

They included Lando Calrissian, portrayed by the original actor Billy Dee Williams, and the voice

only of Mark Hamill -- Luke Skywalker himself -- who appeared to die in the last film but was widely expected to have some role in the latest movie.

“No one’s ever really gone,” Skywalker says in voiceover, as Leia hugs apprentice Jedi Rey, played by English actress Daisy Ridley, who has top billing in the latest of the three trilogies that makes up the long-running saga.

Abrams said it would not continue the story exactly where the last one -- 2017’s “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” -- left off. (afp)

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Mohd RASFAN / AFP

An Indonesian woman, living in Malaysia, casts her overseas ballot in the embassy ahead of the country’s April 17 general election, in Kuala Lumpur on April 14, 2019. More than 190 million Indonesians are set to cast a ballot on April 17 in one of the world’s biggest one-day elections, with some two million living overseas also registered to vote, including in Malaysia.

Indonesia polls bring battle over China’s Belt and Road push

Indonesia has become the latest election battleground for Beijing’s soaring economic clout, as the opposition warns pro-China policies are saddling the mineral-rich archipelago with bad debt as it is sold off piecemeal to foreign interests.

Business links with top trade partner China have been thrust into the spotlight by ex-general Prabowo Subianto who is challenging Indonesian leader Joko Widodo for the presidency of Southeast Asia’s largest economy on Wednesday.

Trailing by double digits in the polls, Subianto has leaned on a fiery nationalist ticket and pledged to reevaluate Chinese investment, even as Jakarta courts huge contracts from Beijing’s $1.0 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“All (BRI) initiatives should be reviewed,” Irawan Ronodipuro, foreign affairs director for Subian-

to’s campaign, told AFP. “Blindly embracing these projects can compromise the national interest.”

Pushing back at China’s globespanning project has proved successful elsewhere in Asia, including in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Malaysia, as the trademark infrastructure push to link Asia, Europe and Africa is used to whip up fears about eroding sovereignty.

“China’s growing economic power has become a key election issue in many Asian countries ... with opposition politicians winning the elections after they criticise incumbents for their ‘pro-China’

policies,” Deasy Simandjuntak, a visiting Indonesian researcher at the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, told AFP. - Ports and power plants Since taking office in 2014, Widodo has pushed Chinese investment to fulfil his own multibillion-dollar drive to build muchneeded roads, airports and other infrastructure across the sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Last year, China and Indonesia signed $23 billion in belt and road

initiative contracts, including two hydro power plants on Borneo island and a power station on holiday hotspot Bali.

Indonesia has since said it would offer $91 billion worth of projects -from ports to power plants -- to Chinese investors at a Beijing summit in late April, just after the polls.

Chinese firms are already involved in several other ventures, including an industrial park on Sulawesi island and a $6.0 billion high-speed railway between the capital Jakarta and mountainfringed Bandung city -- which Subianto has promised to review.

Both projects have stoked fears about an influx of Chinese workers and Indonesia taking on unsustainable debt.

Perceptions about Chinese encroachment have a particular resonance in the country of 260 million, as resentment lingers over the success of some billionaire Chinese Indonesians who control vast swathes of the economy. The ethnic minority has suffered a long history of discrimination, including being a target during anti-communist purges in the mid-1960s.

Continued to page 6

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Bali News

International

Beware of ‘money politics’ during the election silence SEMARAPURA - Entering the election silence, the public is given the opportunity to solidify their choice prior to voting on April 17. During this three-day election silence, all campaign activities to the installation of the campaign properties must be stopped. On the contrary, in politics, this election silence even makes the candidates that fight cannot be calm. During this period, various frauds frequently occur that can determine the final outcome.

The logistic for Indonesian Election in Klungkung

IBP/Bagiarta

The riskiest form of fraud is money politics. People often refer to it as the dawn attack. Chairperson of the Klungkung Electoral Supervisory Board, Komang Artawan, warned on Saturday (Apr. 13) that all parties may not carry out any methods that violate such rules. He stressed that he is not reluctant to take firm action against all kinds of fraud during the election silence. “Those who give and receive will be imposed with the same sentence. So, be careful.

Don’t try to get involved in money politics. If there are people offering money, you should report it,” said Artawan.

The Law Number 7/2017 concerning General Elections, article 492, clearly states that anyone that intentionally conducts an election campaign outside the schedule set by the Central, Provincial and District/ Municipal Electoral Commission will be sentenced to a maximum of one year in prison and a fine of IDR 12 million. Nevertheless, Artawan stressed that he still put forward preventive efforts. His commission has collaborated with related institutions, such as National Police and the Indonesian Military to monitor the activities of all parties, so that no one will carry out money politics efforts.

“So far, there have been minimal reports of violations having submitted to the Electoral Supervisory Board because we are intensely making preventive efforts from the beginning. We prevent them first, before they occur by giving an explanation on the legal impact to be faced,” said Artawan, who is also an advocate.

Chairman of the Klungkung Electoral Commission, Gusti Lanang Mega Saskara, admitted on Friday (Apr. 12) the letter had been sent to all political parties, so that all parties followed the rules according to the general election regulations. The Electoral Commission as the election organizer, in this election silence, gives the voters an opportunity to calm down. The three-day election silence should be taken advantage by voters to reflect on the entire vision

and mission program having been delivered before they make their choice on April 17.

“If during the election silence there are still campaign properties being installed, we will dismantle them together with the Municipal Police and Electoral Supervisory Board,” explained Lanang Mega Saskara.

Logistics distribution When entering the election silence on Sunday (Apr. 14), the Electoral Commission carried out the logistics distribution process to Nusa Penida by using trucks and was then transported using the roro ship from Padangbai Harbor to Nusa Penida.

The total logistics transported to Nusa Penida for 190 polling stations reaches 950 ballot boxes (each polling stations gets five ballot boxes) containing all the completeness of the election logistics under sealed conditions.

Logistics in the ballot box include completeness of polling stations, ballots in sealed covers, covers for C-1 model forms as well as valid, invalid, unused, broken/mistakenly punched ballots, and copies of C-1 models, and uncut form of C-1 model and a copy of C-1 form. Meanwhile, logistics outside the ballot box includes the identification card of KPPS and security guard, witness identification, glue, pens, large markers, pairs of candidates, fixed candidate list of central, provincial, district/ municipal House of Representatives and regional representative council, copies of fixed voter list, additional voter list and special voter list, C-7 form model and voting booths.

For other sub-districts, such as the Dawan with 118 polling stations, the logistics distribution process will take place on April 15. In total, there are 590 ballot boxes. Meanwhile, Banjarangkan with 129 polling stations and Klungkung with 182 polling stations, the logistics distribution will be carried out on April 16. Banjarangkan gets 645 ballot boxes while Klungkung gets 910 ballot boxes. (gik)

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Activities

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

15

Praise The Lord at The Island of the Gods

A$AP Rocky brings heat for the Grand Opening of Manarai Beach House Consistently bringing the biggest names and only the best performances since its opening in 2018, Manarai Beach House serves as the perfect summer getaway for everyone. Celebrating the Grand Opening of Manarai Beach House was an unforgettable performance on Saturday, 6th April 2019, hosted

by the one and only A$AP Rocky.

With over 2000 people pouring into the beach house, the crowd was fully submerged in his largerthan-life showmanship which left everyone in amazement.

Kicking off the evening was DJ Nina Las Vegas , followed by fellow comrade of the A$AP Mob family,

A$AP Lou Banga, to get the crowd heated up for what was more than an incredible evening. The shores of Nusa Dua welcomed the award winning rapper with much enthusiasm as he played his most popular tracks like ‘Praise Da Lord’, ‘F***in Problems’, and ‘Plain Jane’. As the perfect end to the night, A$AP

Rocky did not forget to do his iconic crowd surf which hyped up the audience even further.

Cementing its position as the face of a premier lifestyle destination in Nusa Dua, Manarai Beach House will stop at nothing to constantly bring new excitements.

Offering nothing less than a sophis-

ticated ambience, Manarai Beach House as one of the best beach clubs in Bali, invites everyone to experience endless summer vibes and enjoy the tropical delights at the tranquil yet lively scene of Nusa Dua. For more information, visit us at www.instagram.com/ manaraibali

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Traveling

International

Hiking to the Lost City in Colombia FOR many years Colombia was out-of-bounds to tourists, due to a deadly combination of terrorism and drug trafficking, but recent peace deals have seen the country emerging as one of the world’s most diverse destinations.

A hike to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) should be at the top of every intrepid travellers’ bucket list.

Santa Marta Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is the starting point for the trek. The coast has long sandy beaches, perfect for relaxing before or after your walk.

I’m anxious to get going but, before I set off, I plant a Ceiba sapling in the forest. The locals believe any wish made will be granted and, of course, I’m hoping for success in reaching the Lost City.

Dating from the 7th century, the Spanish conquistadors wiped out the Tairona, the people who built it, in their thirst for the gold of

Eldorado. Abandoned in the early 16th century, it wasn’t really lost, just forgotten, until tomb robbers rediscovered it in the 1970’s. It’s still sacred to the indigenous Kogi people, direct descendants from the Tairona, and access is strictly limited.

El Mamey It’s a four day trek, there and back, and you have to go as part of a group with local guides. Even though the distance covered is only around 52km, you do need a certain amount of fitness, although they say that anyone can do it. We start with a bone shattering 4WD journey to the start of the trek at El Mamey. The other hikers are all young, less than half my age, the majority Dutch, with a handful of Americans and Canadian.

The afternoon starts with a gruelling climb uphill and of course I’m the slow one at the back, with the long legged Dutch pushing on ahead. The humidity is high

and a few Kogi women, in their distinctive white smocks, pass me on mules.

I drop down to the first camp by the river and plunge into the deep water pools to wash off the day’s toil. Food is simple but plentiful and we sleep in bunk beds under mosquito nets.

The second day is the toughest, as we climb deeper into the mountains and cultivated fields give way to tropical forest.

At a Kogi village, the women and children emerge from circular thatched huts to watch us pass. Piglets snuffle around in the mud, and I’m told the men are out hunting.

Later there are rivers to cross, for some atop a donkey, but since it’s the dry season the water is shallow.

The Lost City Our evening’s camp is within striking distance of the Lost City and the night time sounds of the forest lull me to sleep. It’s an early call, just before dawn, and then a steep climb up a series of 1200

moss covered steps into the mist.

A couple of soldiers waving automatic weapons guard the entrance – British tourists were kidnapped here in 2003 by ELN guerrillas and held for 103 days, and the authorities are taking no chances.

Unlike that other famous lost city, Machu Picchu, the buildings here were made of wood and thatch, much like the huts I saw earlier, so only the foundations remain. There are a series of concentric circles, on wide terraces like manicured lawns, connected by winding pathways.

Spread over an area of about 30 hectares, 250 terraces have been discovered so far and around 4000 people are believed to have lived here at its peak.

Apparently there are other settlements lost in the jungle, and as the early morning mist lifts, allowing the sunlight to pierce the deep green canopy, the only sounds come from the birds and a nearby waterfall. As we relax on the terraces, taking it all in, two shots ring out. My guides say it’s only the Kogi out on a hunt-

ing expedition and there’s no need to be alarmed.

The only way back is to retrace our steps and spend another night in the forest. It’s not exactly all downhill from here, but I feel proud I’ve reached my goal. And the gods seem to be on my side – the skies cloud over and I’m not battling the blazing sun. Although it’s humid work I’m grateful I’ve chosen the dry season. When the rains come, it’s a completely different proposition – the paths are muddy, the rivers are high and everything is permanently soaked.

To say nothing of the leeches.

Of course it’s not over until it’s over and I still find the next couple of days tough going, slightly humiliating even, as other trekkers overtake me. Finally I arrive back in El Mamey where the rest of my group are already on their second beer. There’s a round of applause – apparently they weren’t sure I’d make it. It gives me great joy to have proved them wrong. (net)

Bali News

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

3

Enjoy the charms of Kelingking Beach from above

DENPASAR — Other than Bali Island, the sister of Bali Island, namely Nusa Penida Island, is equally beautiful. Nusa Penida has a number of beautiful and iconic places on the island, one of which is the Kelingking Beach. It is located in the western part of Nusa Penida Island. The white sand of this beach gives extraordinary beauty, moreover, if it is enjoyed from above.

A visitor from Gianyar, Nyoman Suardika, stated that to get to the Kelingking Beach requires a struggle. To reach this location, tourists can depart from Sanur Beach. It takes about 30 minutes for the crossing. When arriving at Nusa Penida Harbor, tourists return to travel for about 45 minutes to get to Kelingking Beach.

He also had to go through winding and rocky path. Nevertheless, the fatigue on the trip will get paid when watching the natural beauty offered by Kelingking Beach. No wonder many tourists, both local, domestic and foreign tourists are interested in visiting this location.

It can be seen from the hectic visit to that place.

To be able to enter the Kelingking Beach area, visitors only need to pay admission ticket at IDR 5,000 per person. At the location, there are also small shops

offering various types of food.

Toilet facilities are also available.

Besides, various interesting photo spots are also available to capture the momentous moment when traveling.

Although quite tiring, it can give satisfaction to Nyoman Suardika because the road is very beautiful to enjoy. “Along the way from the harbor, many trees are passed through with cool air. This location is very attractive for vacationers,” he said recently.

According to him, Nusa Penida will be booming to become a foreign tourist destination like the Bali mainland. However, it is necessary to repair the road infrastructure to get to tourist destinations in Nusa Penida. Apart from Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida also has other tourist icons such as the Atuh Beach, Toya Pakeh, and Pasih Uwug. (kmb42)

Kelingking Beach

IBP/kmb

Half of tourism industry targeted to use Hormel

IBP/kmb

Chef Benny Zhu, from Shanghai, did a cooking demonstration of Hormel products.

DENPASAR — Chefs in Bali love to cook pork from Hormel products. Other than caused by guests wishing the product, it is also easy to cook, tastes good and smells good. In the Launch Hormel Feast taking place in the Hatten Wine Building, Sanur recently, Chef Benny Zhu, from Shanghai, did a cooking demonstration of Hormel products.

Hormel is a food product brand from the United States. It consists of bacon, ham, et cetera. In addition, Hormel also has a butter product having existed in Indonesia and was previously better known as Skippy.

The owner of Megafood Trading, Hidayat, who markets Hormel products in Indonesia, stated that all this time Hormel brand has been obtained from Singapore. So, the industries or households needing these products must import from Singapore. But next May, Hormel will be imported directly from the United States. So, the price can be cheaper.

He himself is interested in marketing the Hormel because there is no agency bringing in the product to Bali. “So, we market the product because it is indeed used and required

by hotels and restaurants,” he said.

The chefs and invitees attending the event looked so interested because all this time they have just seen Hormel on Google and the website. However, today the product has been available in Bali.

He said that Hormel has been well known in the world, especially in Singapore and Hong Kong. Hormel is the first pork product in the world.

When he was invited to see the process of making the product, he saw the manufacturing process with sophisticated machines.

The pork used belongs to rock pig having a rather long body. In addition, the piglets bred is also a good one so the meat is rather wide. These pigs are bred well, not left to go wild.

Quality of the meat depends on the food the pig eats. “For pigs consuming good food and farmed cleanly, it is guaranteed to taste good,” he said.

Overseas, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, these products have already been widely used by restaurants. Undeniably, it is also used by households, but by the middle to upper class because the price is quite expensive.

In Bali, he is confident that many people will love it. Moreover, Bali

is a tourist destination which in fact many foreign tourists that have known and tasted the delicacy of Hormel products. In Bali, several expatriates have been living in Bali for a long time, who are confused to find this product. He is grateful if 50 percent of restaurants and hotels in Bali will use Hormel products. He knew that in Bali there is Governor Regulation No. 99/2018 that encourages hotels and restaurants to use local products including local pork.

“Yesterday, when we were asked by the government, we proved that many guests are looking for this Hormel product. We answered that we have certain market segment and market shares for these imported products. For example, guests wishing to imported product and dare to pay, chef will prepare this (Hormel).

Meanwhile, some others preferred to local product due to lower budget,” he said.

Thus, chef will cook depend on the request of guests. Since Hormel has been long and available worldwide, Hormel served the menu will draw the interest of guests to try. “Maybe those coming from the United States wants Hormel,” he said. (kmb42)

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Bali News

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Kintamani Bali dog recognized as a world race

Thai new year splashes in with water fights, raves

DENPASAR - The Kintamani Bali dog finally gained recognition as one of its own breeds of native Indonesian dogs from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). FCI is an international organization for the protection and development of all pure dog breeds and progeny in the world. This world recognition is the first for native Indonesian dog breeds.

“This recognition means that FCI has officially announced to the whole world that the Kintamani Bali Dog is a dog breed in its own right and that the Kintamani Bali Dog is an Indonesian native dog,” said Chairman of Indonesian Kennel Club (IKK), Benny Kwok Wie Sioe, at the Wiswa Sabha Utama, Bali Governor’s Office on Saturday (Apr. 13).

According to Benny Kwok, the process of obtaining FCI’s recognition took a long time because it is known as a very strict organization. The official recognition of the FCI is stated in a letter sent by the Executive Director of FCI, Yves De Clercq to the IKK. Benny also submitted the acknowledgment letter to the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster. With this recognition, the Kintamani Bali Dog has the right to participate in a number of certain dog competitions and shows at the international level. In addition, birth certificates and genealogies for each Kintamani Bali Dog are also entitled to be marked with the FCI’s logo.

Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, continuously expressed his gratitude for the issuance of the letter of recognition for the Kintamani Bali dog as a world race from the FCI. Previously, the he heard the recognition for the Kintamani dog would be submitted by another country.

The struggle to get recognition is also quite long as the preparation was started in 2010.

“Thanks God for this acknowledgement. We really thank the IKK for its perseverance, discipline and consistency in patiently striving for this so that it can be approved.

It takes a long time and there are so many challenges to be passed through,” he said.

After gaining world recognition, Koster stated that Bali provincial government now has an obligation to maintain and continue the policy of protecting Kintamani dogs. First of all, the Bali Animal Husbandry Service is assigned to record the Kintamani dog population along with the conditions and distribution. After that, cultivation, breeding and preparation of the area for maintaining Kintamani dogs must be carried out so that more control over purity or originality.

“Then, to maintain this purity, it must also be preserved by marrying to fellow Kintamani dogs.

It is not permissible to intermarry as it will become a mulatto. Its originality will disappear, so that it must be maintained properly,” said the governor having two heads of Kintamani dogs.

Koster added that disease control must also be done to ensure the health of Kintamani dogs, including maintaining the environment

MANJUNATH KIRAN / AFP

President of Indian National Congress party Rahul Gandhi (C) and Former Indian Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda (R) speak while AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal (L) listens during an election campaign rally at Krishnaraja Nagar, some about 200 Kms South West of Bangalore on April 13, 2019.

IBP/kmb

The Kintamani Bali dog finally gained recognition as one of its own breeds of native Indonesian dogs from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). and their need for life must be fulfilled. Most importantly, do not let the Kintamani dogs get affected by rabies as the rabies problem is still incomplete in Bali. It will prioritize programs so that Bali is truly free from rabies. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia has allocated a budget of up to IDR 18 billion to complete rabies added from the Bali regional budget worth IDR 5 billion.

“It means that central government pays extraordinary attention, so that we must increase our

responsibility, commitment to fulfilling the target to complete so that Bali is really free from rabies,” he explained.

In addition to preservation and cultivation, continued Koster, there will also be promotions for the wealth of Bali’s branding assets.

One of them is the plan to organize a Kintamani dog festival. Other than Kintamani dogs, Bali also has Bali cows, Bali pigs, Bali starlings, and Bali goats, namely the longhaired goat from Karangasem.

Then, in the field of agriculture,

there are Bali snakefruit, Bali tangerine, Bali coffee, Bali durians, Bali mangosteen, Bali rice wine, and Bali arrack.

“We will indeed develop this from upstream to downstream. It also includes traditional Balinese medicines, as well as the Balinese branding handicraft industry. Yesterday, we discussed with the team until late night to make a Governor Regulation in order to protect local Balinese products so they cannot be claimed by others,” he explained. (kmb32)

Again, foreigners desperately climb to the peak of Mount Agung

Mount Agung

IBP/kmb

AMLAPURA - For the umpteenth time, there are still people doing climbing activities to the peak of Mount Agung amid the quite high volcanic activities of the highest mountain in Bali. This time, a desperate action was carried out by five foreigners that returned to climb.

Fortunately, the five foreigners survived to the bottom despite being lost in the slopes of Mount Agung.

Based on information compiled, the five tourists doing climbing activities early morning on Saturday (Apr. 13). The five foreigners are known as Trikhanovid Paver, Trikhanovid Anthalika, Olga, Belarus, and Artem. When carrying out the climbing, they got lost in the slope of Mount Agung. Finally, in the end the five managed to survive to the bottom with safe conditions.

The five climbers could go down and arrive at Penataran Agung Temple of Sebudi at 14:00.

Headman of Amertha Bhuana, who is also the Secretary of Pasebaya Agung, I Wayan Suara Arsana, stated the search process had been suspended because Mount Agung continued to tremble. However, at around 14:00, the four foreigners finally could go down safely. When being interrogated, they even did a little resistance. They did not want to stop and immediately rode their motorcycle and were about to leave. But, since one of the motorcycles had a flat tire, two could be intercepted. Meanwhile, the other two colleagues tried to escape.

Luckily the officers managed to intercept both at Sebudi.

“The five foreigners are in safe

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condition. However, their whole body was soaking wet as a result of being rushed by heavy rain. Then, they were escorted to the Selat Police to be further interrogated by police officers,” said Suara.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ida Bagus Arimbawa, stated to have repeatedly appealed not to carry out any climbing activities because the activity of Mount Agung remaining high and there are frequent large eruptions.

However, there are still those being desperate to climb to the top of the mountain. It is very risky and endangering safety if the mountain erupts. Once again, we urge there will be no more climbing activities to the top of Mount Agung,” said Arimbawa. (kmb41)

Money, money, money: the tycoon factor in India’s election

MUMBAI - India’s tycoons are playing a pivotal role in the Asian giant’s most expensive election ever, from funding campaigns and tacit endorsements to being hot-button issues themselves.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election bid has received huge financial backing from corporate India, raising fears about the integrity of the world’s largest democratic process, experts say. Meanwhile, Congress party opponent Rahul Gandhi is trying to exploit a fighter jet deal involving industrialist Anil Ambani while fugitive tycoons Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi loom over the vote from London.

Contesting polls is getting costlier in India and analysts say parties are becoming more reliant on donations from anonymous businessmen, leading to a lack of transparency and worrying conflicts of interest.

“There’s a trend towards plutocracy,” Niranjan Sahoo, of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) thinktank, told AFP. “Unbridled corporate influence can have a serious impact on policies,” he added.

The New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies estimates that around $5 billion was spent during the 2014 election that swept Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power -- up from $2 billion in 2009.

The group thinks the 2019 contest could top $7 billion, making it one of the priciest elections globally.

“Elections are getting more expensive for many structural reasons,” Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank, told AFP.

“(There is a) growing population, increasing political competition, voter expectations of handouts in the form of cash and other inducements, and technological change, which means greater outlays for media and digital outreach,” he added.

Analysts say traditional funding streams, such as party memberships, are declining so parties increasingly rely on wealthy donors to fund campaigns. Data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an election watchdog, showed that in financial year 2017-18 corporates and individuals contributed 12 times more to the BJP than to six other national parties, including Congress, combined.

- ‘Quid pro quo’ The BJP received 93 percent of all donations above 20,000 rupees ($290) that year, according to ADR’S analysis. Modi’s BJP banked 4.37 billion rupees ($63.3 million); Congress got just 267 million rupees.

“There is a huge funding disparity now. Congress simply doesn’t have the money to fight elections.

That should worry people,” said the ORF’s Sahoo.

Modi’s government says it has cracked down on so-called “black money” in politics by lowering the amount that can be donated in cash from 20,000 rupees to 2,000 rupees.

Critics, however, say it is now easier for wealthy entities to donate

to political parties; corporate funding formed 92 percent of the total donations declared by the BJP in 2017-18, according to ADR. Detractors point to the government removing a cap on corporate donations two years ago and introducing a scheme whereby donors can give anonymously through “electoral bonds” purchased from a bank.

On Friday India’s supreme court ordered parties to reveal the identity of donors after activists challenged the bond system, which the government has defended.

“The lack of transparency allows conflicts of interest and quid pro quos to flourish”, said Vaishnav, who suspects that medium-sized businesses requiring permits from the government are more of an issue than India’s big oligarchs.

Tycoons do not explicitly endorse candidates for fear of backing the wrong horse but Modi, 68, is seen to be close to several big tycoons.

In 2014 he travelled between rallies in a corporate jet and helicopter owned by billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, while magnate Ratan Tata praised Modi for carrying out air strikes in Pakistan.

India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani -- whose personal net worth has soared from $18.6 billion when Modi came to power to $53 billion today, according to Forbes -- has repeatedly called him “our beloved prime minister” in speeches. (afp)

BANGKOK - Water-spraying elephants, raves and boisterous, street-blocking water fights -- Thailand’s Buddhist new year arrived with a splash Saturday, a once calm festival now celebrated with a more raucous edge.

Paying respects to elders and sprinkling water over figures of Buddha at local temples are some of the traditions of the three-day new year celebration -- known as Songkran -- but the holiday also has a rowdier side involving alcoholfuelled revelry among its youth.

Thais and foreigners sporting floral shirts arm themselves with colourful water pistols and protective goggles, engaging in water fights that bring entire streets to a standstill.

Authorities had issued warnings beforehand on modesty, saying that nudity and provocative clothing will be prohibited.

There are no such restrictions however on summary drenchings.

In the Bangkok tourist hotspot Khao San road, two young men dressed in school uniforms get doused by passersby wielding highpowered water pistols and buckets of water.

And in Ayutthaya, elephants painted in colourful floral designs lift their trunks and spray water on delighted tourists, with the town’s ancient temples serving as a backdrop.

As the sun sets, tens of thousands of ravers from across Asia are expected to dance into Saturday night under massive water cannons and spectacular pyrotechnics, as Bangkok’s S2O Songkran festival gets underway.

Some of the world’s best known -- and paid -- DJs, including Tiesto, Steve Aoki and UK veteran Fatboy Slim are performing across the three-day dance music event -- Asia’s largest.

Neighbouring Laos and Myanmar celebrate the same festival with young and old throwing buckets of water over each other as music thuds from loudspeakers.

In Yangon, where the festival is known as Thingyan, children blow bubbles and play with soap suds at street foam parties, while women dressed in traditional costumes perform dances near the famed Sule Pagoda.

Songkran is also the most perilous time to travel in Thailand, and the week beginning from April 11 is dubbed “seven dangerous days” as millions of Thais make the journey back to their hometowns by bus, vans or motorbikes.

To prevent drink driving incidents, authorities have said they will levy harsh penalties on those imbibing alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Somchai Wayrojpipat, 57, was charged with premeditated murder after causing a fatal accident under the influence late Thursday night in the outskirts of Bangkok, police officer Pitak Poolputtha told AFP. “This is the first case in this country where the drunk driver faced premeditated murder and the highest punishment is the death sentence,” Pitak said.

The Interior Ministry has recorded more than 100 deaths in the first two days preceding the festival, but that number is expected to climb. (afp)

Jewel SAMAD / AFP

A man wearing a horse-head mask sprays water at other revellers as they celebrate the Buddhist New Year, locally known as Songkran, in Bangkok on April 14, 2019.

12

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Monday, April 15, 2019

5

Come on, Explore Uniqueness of Ubud Village by Bicycle

Uneasy about the economy, some businesses hold off on hiring

NEW YORK - Samantha Martin does most of the annual hiring for her public relations firm in the first quarter. But not this year — clients worried about a slowing economy are cutting their budgets, and Martin has in turn scaled back her own plans.

“Our clients are having trouble getting funding and therefore public relations and marketing are the first to get cut,” says Martin, owner of New York-based Media Maison. If Martin’s firm has more work than her current staff can handle, she’ll hire freelancers who work by the hour. Hiring on a project-by-project basis removes the potential of having to lay anyone off.

Small business owners who are uneasy as they see signs of a weakening economy have cut back on hiring in recent months and found ways to get work done without adding employees. The latest evidence of a hiring slowdown came last week, when payroll provider ADP said its small business customers created just 6,000 jobs in March.

February’s tally of 19,000 new jobs was also weak and down sharply from January’s 98,000; ADP’s small business numbers also fluctuated throughout 2018. The report, as well as the most recent jobs report from the Labor Department, clearly shows that small business hiring has lagged behind job creation at larger companies.

Small business owners, especially those who learned hard lessons from the Great Recession about overstaffing, are playing it safe. While a Capital One survey also released last week showed that 29% of 500 small business owners planned to hire in the next six months, that was down from 33% in a survey six months earlier. Of the owners who don’t plan to hire, nearly 30% said the economy is making them too nervous to spend more on staffing. The Capital One survey was in line with other surveys taken during the first quarter.

The economy is widely expected to slow this year, starting with the recently ended first quarter. Economists surveyed by financial information provider FactSet estimate that gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 1.6% from January through March, down from 2.9% in all of 2018.

TruePublic’s last four hires were parttimers. CEO Kaben Clauson had planned on taking on full-time staffers, but partly because of the economy decided against the added risk.

“We could hire those people full time now — we have the money to do so — but it would give us only six months of a cash cushion,” says Kaben, whose Chicago-based company conducts online surveys. “We’d feel more comfortable with a year’s cushion.”

Once upon a time, try to travel in Ubud village by cycling. The atmosphere must be different.

Other than having exercise, you can also enjoy cultural attractions of the local community up close. Moreover, you can interact with them. Indeed, between Ubud and cycling activities are two inseparable things.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

In this Thursday, April 4, 2019, photo Kaben Clauson, poses for a photo t at his TruePublic office in Chicago. Small business owners like Clauson are wary as they see signs of a weaker economy have been scaling back hiring in recent months and finding ways to get work done without new employees. Clauson had planned on taking on full-time staffers, but partly because of the economy decided against the added risk.

Clauson’s concern is linked to the hesitancy he sees in investors who start hunkering down because of stock market volatility or signs of economic weakness.

“My company is raising another $2 million and we’re looking for investors,” Kaben says. “Who’s knows what happens with the economy going forward?”

Before the recession, the philosophy at many companies was to hire in anticipation of higher revenue. Now, the approach is to put off hiring until rising revenue justifies taking on the added expense and risk. Many owners like Martin hire independent contractors, or freelancers, if there’s more work than their regular employees can handle.

“They have a much finer gauge on how to accomplish what they need to without layering in a lot of expense,” says Steve Spinelli, the incoming president of Babson College and an entrepreneur himself.

Owners have also adopted technology that helps them get their work done, so there

is less pressure on their companies to hire, Spinelli says.

“You have a healthier small business community, a more nimble small business community and one that’s more forward looking,” Spinelli says.

After Greg Henson’s technology services company was forced to lay off half its staff during the Great Recession, he restructured the business so approximately 50% of The Henson Group’s workers are freelancers.

He has the flexibility of calling them in for projects as needed, and doesn’t have fears of another mass layoff.

Henson is also concerned about the economy, and has contracted with another company to handle some of his sales work.

“We have frozen hiring until we know what’s happening,” he says.

Some owners aren’t as worried about the economy, but have other reasons to be concerned about their finances and are therefore cautious about hiring. For example, their

overhead is going up and they don’t want to add to those increasing costs — expenses that can make them more vulnerable to the vagaries of the economy.

The rising minimum wage has Sean Pour holding off hiring 10 new staffers for his company, SellMax, which has more than 30 workers earning the $12 minimum that a San Diego city ordinance requires. The minimum, which rose 50 cents on Jan. 1, will rise each year along with inflation.

The minimum-wage staffers at SellMax work in the car buying company’s call center.

Pour supplements their pay with performance bonuses, but worries that rising wages will limit his ability to pay the extra money.

“Quite frankly, this scares us and we are afraid we won’t be able to keep the new hires that we employ,” Pour says. So SellMax, which already uses automation to answer some calls, may need to increase its dependence on technology if it can’t afford to hire. (ap)

Although there is a variety of transportation means at this tourism village, cycling remains an option for tourists wishing to explore the enjoyable tourist area. So, don’t be surprised if most accommodations provide bicycle facility for tourists desiring to enjoy the local countryside. Alam Puisi Villa Ubud at Sembuwuk village, for instance, also offers this facility.

General Manager of Alam Puisi Villa Ubud, Budiarta, said that cycling

is one of the very popular activities among foreign tourists traveling to Ubud. This activity is in great demand.

Since the Ubud area is identical to cycling, the tourist accommodation should provide bicycle. “This bicycle can be used by tourists wishing to look around the villa,” he said.

In addition, the Alam Puisi Villa Ubud also has a cycling route, consisting of long track that starts from Ubud to Kintamani and medium track only located around Ubud while enjoying

the local natural beauty. “This cycling track is the most in demand by tourists in Ubud,” said Budiarta.

Cycling trails in the Ubud area are very easy to pass through. On this route, tourists are introduced to traditional agrarian activities posing the main livelihood of Ubud people. However, tourists will also be introduced to several other cultural activities. Cycling paths have been adjusted and combined with natural and cultural pathways.

As the advantages of this track, tourists can enjoy the true natural beauty of Bali and cultural activities because they will be invited to stop by for a moment where the elements of Balinese culture are still maintained. Ubud as one of the cultural centers in Bali also become a concern of guests. Moreover, each side of Ubud has many uniqueness that can be enjoyed by tourists.

The terrain traversed by tourists is quite interesting, starting from the snaking contours of the road passing through the rice fields, reeds in the hill area of ??Campuhan, Ubud, to the area owned by local residents and many other beautiful sceneries

Nasi Tekor Served for Travelers Have you ever enjoyed nasi tekor or rice served in banana leaf food basket? In the past, getting a nasi tekor was an extraordinary gift. People tasting it did not only avoid hunger, but also got respect of brotherhood. If people organized prayers and piodalan or festival at family temple, they will cook in large amount and then ngejot or sharing food to neighbors containing of rice, lawar, vegetables, pepes and condiment.

The nasi tekor can also usually enjoyed after ngayah or devotional work at temple before piodalan.

Even though it only contains vegetables, all the menus taste good.

Indeed, in the past it was very rare for people to use plate as a place to eat. Tekor is a container made

from banana leaf whose ends are folded. It is indeed very traditional, so that eating with such a way as if bringing us back to the past, a time which will bring back memories once existing in the past.

In line with the rapid development of tourism, nasi tekor is also served at hotel restaurants having been creatively packed. One of them is menu of Warunk Cuci Mata located right in front of the Grand Istana Rama. The nasi tekor is served with bamboo woven mat with the philosophy related to the origin of life that every birth or life exists because of the merits of a father and mother.

Nasi tekor at Warunk Cuci Mata is served like Balinese mixed rice containing white rice, fried eel,

that can be explored. For package of long route, tourists cycle from Ubud to Kintamani with several choices, one of which is cycling from Puncak Penulisan, Sukawana village, Kintamani.

This track invites tourists to look around the mountains through the eastern path by crossing forest, seeing mountain views, rural environment and then crossing the mountains behind Mount Batur with the overlay of Mount Batur view. For cycling in Kintamani, the tour will end at Toya Bungkah village located right at the foot of Mount Batur and close to Lake Batur. (kmb)

eel in shrimp paste, kaffir lime and chili sauce, garlic and aromatic ginger spice, taro meat ball, chicken skin, and chicken penyon. Eating at Warunk Cuci Mata can be another way to enjoy the beauty of Kuta Beach. Aside from tasting delights of various halal archipelagic menus provided, of course visitors can get refreshed.

Nasi tekor menu is very appropriate to be presented at this warunk or food stall because it is located right in front of the Grand Istana Rama with a traditional market concept. This place is currently one of the favorite hangouts on Kuta Beach. Besides being serving unique and delicious Indonesian food, the price is also very affordable. (kmb)

6

Monday, April 15, 2019

Assange’s father calls on Australia to bring him home

W

International

International

RLD

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Quake-hit Indonesians refuse to leave high ground: official

SYDNEY - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s father on Sunday called on Australia to bring his son home, saying he was shocked to see his son’s condition after his arrest in London last week.

John Shipton -- who was secretary of the Wikileaks Party when his son tried to run for a senate seat in 2013 national elections -- reportedly visited Assange every Christmas at the Ecuadore embassy in London after he sought refuge there in 2012.

“DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs) and the prime minister should in a nuanced way do something,” Shipton told Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun. “It can be resolved simply to the satisfaction of all. There has been some talk in a meeting between a senator and a senior DFAT official to extradite Julian to Australia.”

Shipton said he was shocked to see the state of his son when he was arrested at the embassy on Thursday on allegations of skipping bail, and on a US extradition warrant related to a huge leak of official documents.

“I saw him, the way they dragged him down the steps, the coppers (police), he didn’t look good. I’m 74 and I look better than him and he’s 47. It’s such a shock,” he said.

“For months and months he has been living like a high-security prisoner, he can’t even go to the toilet. There have been cameras watching his every move.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that Assange would receive “no special treatment” from Canberra.

The 47-year-old Australian had sought refuge in the embassy while on bail awaiting extradition to Sweden to face charges of sexual assault and rape, which he always denied.

British lawmakers on Saturday urged their government to prioritise any extradition bid Sweden might make for him over the allegations.

Swedish prosecutors dropped a preliminary investigation into the rape allegation in 2017. (afp)

Indonesia...

From page 1

“Chinese capital is associated with communism and that is threatening,” said Trissia Wijaya, an East Asian political economy specialist at Australia’s Murdoch University. “It’s very ingrained in the Indonesian mindset,” she added.

- ‘Indonesia first’ However, debate over Widodo’s so-called pivot to China was full of misleading claims, said Wijaya, with a tide of fake news online fanning anti-Beijing sentiment.

“Most Chinese investment in Indonesia is in industry, such as mining,” she told AFP, adding that little was in strategic or sensitive assets.

The deals involve mostly private-sector companies and brought muchneeded capital to build industrial processing plants such as the one in Sulawesi, added the Indonesian academic.

Analysts said it was too early to know if Subianto would take an outright anti-China policy if he takes office, but there are signs that investors are nervous about his plans for the economy.

“His rhetoric is so extreme that I think he would have to follow through on at least some of it,” said Kevin O’Rourke, an Indonesia-based political risk analyst. “There would be a lot of jitters among foreign investors.”

The 67-year-old Subianto is a proponent of “smart nationalism” who, taking a page from US President Donald Trump nationalist policies, would put “Indonesia first”, countered his foreign affairs director Ronodipuro.

“But that doesn’t mean we’ll start putting restrictions on trade and investment,” he added.

Ahead of the polls, Widodo has been burnishing his own nationalist credentials, including taking back control of the giant Grasberg gold and copper mine from US operator Freeport-McMoRan. He can also claim a relatively solid economic record, with inflation at historically low levels and a slump in the rupiah currency coming off 2018 lows.

Annual growth is hovering around 5.0 percent, although it is still well short of Widodo’s 2014 election pledge to hit seven percent annually.

While the former furniture exporter, popularly known as Jokowi, has faced criticism that big-ticket infrastructure projects have done little to help the poor, some voters appear to see tangible benefits.

“The president’s work is real -- we’ve seen it,” said Untung Sri Rejeki, a 53-year-old housewife in Central Java. “There is development happening all over.”(afp)

Monday, April 15, 2019

William WEST / AFP

Firemen wash away bloodstains after a security guard was shot dead with another man fighting for his life after a drive-by shooting outside a popular Melbourne nightclub on April 14, 2019.

One dead after Australia shooting outside nightclub

MELBOURNE - A security guard is dead and another man is fighting for his life after a drive-by shooting outside a popular Melbourne nightclub, police said Sunday, amid a spate of gun violence in Australia’s second-largest city.

Police said four men -- three security guards and a patron waiting to get in -- were shot outside the Love Machine club in the trendy inner-city suburb of Prahran early Sunday morning.

“It would appear that shots have been discharged from a car in this area into a crowd that was standing outside the nightclub,” Victoria Police Inspector Andrew Stamper told reporters.

“This is just a horrendous act.

It’s a busy nightclub, one of the main nightclubs in Melbourne in one of the main entertainment precincts in Melbourne.”

T h e 3 7 - y e a r- o l d s e c u r i t y guard was taken to hospital but

died soon after.

A 28-year-old man was in a critical condition, while two others aged 29 and 50 had non-life threatening injuries, police said.

A police spokeswoman told AFP the shooting was not believed to be linked to terrorism.

Investigators were probing links to motorcycle gangs, Melbourne’s Age newspaper reported.

Police were also probing whether a black Porsche SUV seen leaving the area and later found burnt out in another suburb was linked to the shooting.

The latest incident came after a spate of shootings in Mel-

bourne in March that left five people dead in four separate incidents. Two of the incidents were believed to be gang-related.

Stamper stressed that there was “nothing to indicate” that the shooting was part of a “broader agenda”.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, which has strict firearms laws introduced in 1996 after 35 people were killed by a gunman in Port Arthur.

A murder-suicide last year which left seven members of a family dead in Western Australia was the country’s worst mass shooting since the Port Arthur attack. (afp)

Some panicked residents of a quake-hit Indonesian island have refused to return home after the tremor triggered a brief tsunami warning and fears there was more to come, the disaster agency said Saturday.

Aftershocks rippled across the east coast of Sulawesi -- an island where thousands were killed in a quake-tsunami last year -- as officials scrambled to assess whether there are any casualties or major damage.

While one resident of quake-hit Luwuk city reportedly died after falling while trying to flee, the agency has not reported any confirmed deaths or injuries.

An AFP reporter in the city said there were no signs of major property damage.

“The situation is returning to normal,” the disaster agency said early Saturday morning.

Some 1,300 families have returned home, it said, adding that some residents of another small island near the epicentre of Friday’s 6.8 magnitude quake were still refusing to return from higher ground. It did not say how many residents had refused to leave the high ground.

Luwuk resident Emiliana Rumayer said she and her family slept in the hills overnight “but we’ve now returned home”.

Mohammad Sholeh, police chief of Poso city on Sulawesi, said the quake’s impact there had been minor. “There’s a little bit of damage, but nothing significant and there are no casualties,” he said.

On Friday, a tsunami warning was issued for coastal communities in Morowali district, where residents were advised to move away from the coast.

The warning was later lifted by the disaster agency, which had estimated the wave at under a half a metre (20 inches).

Video footage from Luwuk showed scared residents -- some carrying children -- running from their homes and racing to higher ground on motorcycles.

The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 17 kilometres (10 miles) off Sulawesi, where a 7.5-magnitude quaketsunami around the city of Palu killed more than 4,300 people last year.

Residents of Palu, which is hundreds of kilometres away from Friday’s epicentre, still felt the quake.

Indonesia is one of the most disasterprone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.

On Boxing Day 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck westernmost Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 in Indonesia.

Last year Indonesia experienced more than 2,500 disasters ranging from a series of deadly earthquakes to killer landslides and volcanic eruptions.(afp)

11

ELECTION 2019

AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

An Indonesian electoral worker prepares ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations in Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, April 11, 2019. The world’s third-largest democracy is gearing up to hold its legislative and presidential elections on April 17.

Indonesia to probe warehouse of ballots in Malaysia

JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Election Commission said Thursday it is sending officials to investigate after videos circulated online of thousands of ballots for next week’s polls scattered throughout a warehouse in neighboring Malaysia.

One of the videos shows police at the warehouse in Malaysia’s Selangor state and people holding up voting papers and commenting they’d been marked in favor of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and legislative candidates for parties in his coalition.

Another video, apparently from a second location in Malaysia, shows two women making holes in ballots, which is how a vote is marked in Indonesia’s elections.

Election Commission official Ilham Saputra said the commission “will immediately set up a team and send its members there to ascertain what really happened.”

Presidential and legislative elections in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy after India and the U.S., are set for April 17.

Saputra said Indonesians living in Malaysia would vote on Sunday and ballots had been sent to the country a week ago.

He said the Overseas Electoral Commission advised that it hadn’t rented a shophouse in Malaysia, a term for a lowrise business premise that also doubles as a residence.

Yaza Azzhara, who heads the Indonesian election monitoring committee for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, told TVOne there were an estimated 10,000-20,000 ballots found in two locations.

She said that she and opposition representatives opened some of the voting papers, which were postal ballots, and they’d been marked for Widodo and his running mate. In other cases, they were marked for a Widodoallied legislative candidate who’s the son of

Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia.

“When I arrived at the first location, the shophouse door was open. According to some members (of the opposition committee) who suspected that there was a pile of ballot papers inside, they entered through a window and opened the door from inside,” Azzhara said.

Some of the ballots were in brown bags with official Overseas Electoral Commission padlocks and these hadn’t been marked, she said.

Opinion polls from the second half of March showed Widodo had a large lead over his challenger, former special forces general Prabowo Subianto, but as many as 20 percent of voters were undecided.

Subianto narrowly lost to Widodo in 2014.

While campaigning in a Jakarta satellite city, Widodo told reporters he had ordered an investigation into the marked ballots.

“If that’s true, it’s a violation and should be reported to the National Election Supervisory Board,” he said.(ap)

10

Destination

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Dominant Hamilton wins 1,000th race in Mercedes one-two

SHANGHAI - Lewis Hamilton won the 1,000th Formula One grand prix Sunday after grabbing the lead from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and powering to victory in blustery Shanghai.

Puri Agung Kerambitan TABANAN - Located in the village of Kerambitan that has historical significance as the seat of an old branch of Tabanan royalty. This Royal Palace of Kerambitan was founded in the 13th century on 4 hectares of land and has been the abode of the Kerambitan Royal Family ever since.

The palace compound which actually consists of two palaces, Puri Gede and Puri Anyar, is made up of seven sections, six of which are used for specific functions while the seventh is the residence for the royal family. It is currently opened for special tourist events such as traditional-style dinner parties accompanied by legong, tektekan, and joged performances, as well as traditional Agung-style wedding ceremonies.

The first section, known as Cangkem Kodok, is essentially an open-air area in the front of the Puri complex, which serves as a preparation area for any ceremonies held at the Puri. The second section, Ancak Saji or the reception area, is an open area surrounded by lush Balinese gardens with a walk-

way and Kori Agung or the roofed tower gate that leads up to the third section, Jabe Tandeg. Honorable guests are welcomed, greeted and entertained with a variety of traditional Balinese entertainment by villagers at Ancak Saji before being escorted to Jabe Tandeg to meet the head and elders of the Puri.

Tandakan is the fourth area that serves as the main venue for all kinds of religious as well as traditional ceremonies including wedding cer-

emonies. The Tandakan was built in the classic Balinese wantilan style, an open-design hall with high ceilings and gapura – the traditional Balinese brick gate – with Balinese carving ornaments as a backdrop The fifth section is the historic Saren Agung, the Puri’s oldest structure. The outer walls of the structure are uniquely ornamented with Chinese and Dutch porcelains that were unearthed from the Puri’s vicinity. The Saren Agung has been

restored and has now become a place to conserve the Puri Family’s historical objects and collections.

The sixth section is Pura Batur Agung, the Puri Family’s religious temple complex. It is at here that the Puri family conducts their religious rituals and gives offerings to the Hindu deities and thus considered the most sacred.

The last section is Palemahan, the official residence of the Puri Family.

The Palemahan’s posterior location in

the palace compound serves to make it a quiet retreat for the Puri Family.

Kerambitan is Tabanan’s most notable village, owing to its reputation as the former seat of one branch of the Tabanan royal family; to the centuries-old royal palaces and classic Balinese architecture; as well as to its highly talented and skillful artisans who produce beautiful works of art that include traditional music, dances, wood and stone carvings. (IBP/net)

Hamilton, who started from second on the grid, took the world championship lead after romping home to win the Chinese Grand Prix by more than 6.5 seconds from Bottas, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fourth and Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari was fifth.

This was world champion Hamilton’s sixth victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and second in a row this season.

“To have a one-two (for Mercedes) is really special in the 1,000th grand prix but the start was where it made the difference and the rest is history,” said the Briton.

Hamilton was pipped for pole position by Bottas by just 0.023 seconds in qualifying and had said that he was “struggling with the car”.

But the Finn laboured out of the blocks, allowing Hamilton to nip in and grab the lead at the first corner.

“I lost it on the start, honestly, shame about the start, I got some wheel spin on the start line,” said Bottas, who also relinquished his hold on the standings after three races.

Talented 21-year-old Leclerc meanwhile pulled off the same trick at the start at the expense of his team-mate Vettel, darting into third.

There was more early drama when Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat tangled with both McLarens of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, earning the Russian a drive-through penalty.

On lap 11, four-time world champion Vettel leapfrogged back in front of Monaco’s Leclerc into third following radio orders from Ferrari telling the youngster to let him pass.

“We do our job, stay focused,” Leclerc -- agonisingly denied victory last time out in Bahrain after his Ferrari lost power late

WANG ZHAO / AFP

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates on his car after winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 14, 2019. on -- was informed on team radio after he briefly protested.

Back at the front, the 34-year-old Hamilton began pulling away, establishing a more than five-second gap on Bottas with a third of the race gone.

With five-time world champion Hamilton -- winner in Bahrain two weeks ago -- serene up top, the real battles unfolded behind him.

Vettel, under pressure after a number of

unforced errors going back to last season, went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen after both pitted for fresh tyres.

Vettel, Bottas and then Toro Rosso’s Alexander Albon, who missed qualifying after a nasty crash in final practice, all exchanged fastest laps.

On lap 38 of the 56 it was Leclerc and Bottas who had a skirmish in the compelling battle for second.

Leclerc then pitted and was momentarily

held up by a comparatively sluggish change of tyres.

Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified eighth for Renault, saw his race come to an early conclusion after the team retired his faltering car.

Norris and Kvyat were also forced out before the end.

The fourth race of the season takes place on the streets of Baku, in Azerbaijan, in a fortnight. (afp)

Ethiopia sweeps Paris marathon, Calvin smashes French record

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PARIS - Ethiopian Abrha Milaw upstaged two-time defending champion Paul Lonyangata to win the Paris Marathon on Sunday.

Milaw clocked 2hr 07min 05sec, with Kenyan rival Lonyangata coming in third as 60,000 runners took to the streets of the French

capital in cold, clear conditions.

Gelete Burka produced a spurt of extra gas in the final kilometre to ensure an Ethiopian winner in the women’s race with a time of 2:22:48.

France’s Clemence Calvin, who was only cleared to race on Friday after the last-minute lifting of a

Ethiopia’s Abrha Milaw celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of Paris Marathon on April 14, 2019.

temporary ban for evading a doping test last month in Morocco, smashed the French women’s record. Calvin finished fourth in 2:23:41, bettering by 41 seconds the previous national record set by Christelle Daunay in 2010.

It also bettered by almost three minutes her own previous best of 2:26:28 which she set when finishing second in the European championships in Berlin last year. (afp)

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Monday, April 15, 2019

9

Man Utd ‘got away with it’ against West Ham, admits Solskjaer

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side were fortunate to grab a much-needed 2-1 win over West Ham on Saturday courtesy of two Paul Pogba penalties.

Solskjaer’s men had lost four of their previous five games in all competitions and could easily have suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a topfour Premier League finish.

West Ham had a goal harshly ruled out for offside, hit the crossbar and saw David de Gea make a wonder save to deny Michail Antonio giving them a late lead.

“They played better than us, it is fair to say, I don’t think anyone will disagree,” said the Norwegian.

“We got away with it. Sometimes we have lost when we should have won, so over a season it evens itself out.”

Solskjaer left Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay on the bench among five changes from the side that started Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final, first leg defeat to Barcelona.

And he admitted the quick turnaround before facing Barca again in the Camp Nou on Tuesday had affected his team selection.

“Playing on Wednesday, and today and again on Tuesday

played a major factor,” he added.

“We got away with it, got three points, in a few years no-one will remember how we played if we finished in the top four.

“We rested a couple, thankfully, we got through it and we will be ready for Tuesday.

With a performance like this we all know we will struggle in Barcelona, and we will have to improve.”

Victory lifted United up to fifth at the expense of Arsenal and to within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea.(afp)

Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba celebrates after he scores the team’s first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 13, 2019.

Rotated Barca surrender two points to Atletico after Huesca draw Barcelona’s 11-point advantage over Atletico Madrid became nine on Saturday as Lionel Messi was left out of their goalless draw with Huesca and Gerard Pique watched on television with a bowl of prawns.

With Barca’s focus clearly on Manchester United, Messi and Pique were among 10 players rested for the stalemate at El Alcoraz as coach Ernesto Valverde prioritised Tuesday’s second leg and progress to the Champions League semifinals.

The price was two points dropped and Atletico capitalised, beating Celta Vigo 2-0 thanks to a thundering Antoine Griezmann free-kick and a cool finish from Alvaro Morata.

“Obviously we always want to win but it’s true this game came in slightly different circumstances,” Valverde said.

“It is an unusual week because we come from playing an intense match on Wednesday, when the trip was long, and we have the return on Tuesday. “Considering the schedule and our advantage in the league, I thought it was time to make changes.”

Messi was left out of the squad completely while the suspended Pique posted a picture on social media of the match on television, in front of him a large bowl of seafood.

Barcelona’s huge advantage at the top of La Liga has afforded them the luxury of prioritising success in Europe, the only issue perhaps for Valverde the matter of maintaining momentum.

Overall, they were better than Huesca but never really got out of second gear.

Luis Suarez was also banned, with Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Clement Lenglet given the chance to recuperate too ahead of the return against United at Camp Nou, where Barca will start with 1-0 lead from the first leg.

Ousmane Dembele’s chance of a start there would appear enhanced after he played 67 minutes following his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Malcom came closest to a winner, his shot hitting the post, but Huesca were good value for the draw and could even have snatched victory themselves in the second half.

Still bottom of the table in their

NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

first-ever season in Spain’s top flight, Huesca now sit five adrift of safety, albeit having played a game more than those immediately above them.

Their survival bid remains unlikely but alive.

Celta’s defeat to Atletico means they are still in the scrap, two points separating them from the bottom three.

Marseille’s Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) reacts past French referee Hakim Ben El Hadj (C-R) during the French Ligue 1 football match between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Olympique de Marseille at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on April 5, 2019.

- Barca focused on Europe Dembele came closest to a goal in the first half after a brilliant reverse pass from the talented Riqui Puig, one of a number of youngsters given a chance to impress.

Another was Jean-Clair Todibo, who saw a header saved while KevinPrince Boateng, also handed a rare outing after his arrival in January, was unable to connect with a low Dembele cross.

Huesca had their moments as Enric Gallego burst through but shot wide and then he wanted a penalty after Marc-Andre ter Stegen slid through the back of his legs.

Malcom struck the post with a fizzing drive but despite Jordi Alba, Philippe Coutinho and Arthur Melo

- Monaco off the hook Nimes sit 10th on 43 points despite Teji Savanier getting the away side back in the game with an 82nd minute penalty following Boubacar Kamara’s handball.

Bernard Blaquart thought his side had been given a golden chance for an equaliser in the final seconds when referee Frank Schneider blew for another spot-kick in the fourth minute of added time after Marseille right-back Bouna Sarr handled the ball while falling over in his own area.

However after consulting with the video assistant referees Schneider ruled out the penalty for a trip on Sarr.

Blaquart’s side are a point be-

Marseille survive late VAR drama to stay in Champions League hunt

ANDER GILLENEA / AFP

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Carles Alena (L) vies with SD Huesca’s Venezuelan midfielder Juanpi during the Spanish league football match between SD Huesca and FC Barcelona at the El Alcoraz stadium in Huesca on April 13, 2019. all coming on in the second half, Barca could not find a way through.

The onus was on Atletico to take advantage at the Wanda Metropolitano even if any chase, with six games left to play, will surely prove fruitless.

Griezmann’s free-kick flew into the top corner just before half-time and he then teed up Morata to make it two, the Spaniard carrying it around the goalkeeper for his seventh goal in 10 games.(ap)

Marseille kept up their hunt for Champions League football on Saturday despite losing inform striker Mario Balotelli to injury after VAR saw them escape last-gasp penalty drama to beat Nimes 2-1.

Balotelli has helped kick-start Marseille’s chase for European football with seven goals in 11 Ligue 1 appearances since arriving from Nice in January but left the field with a thigh injury 12 minutes before the break.

“He stopped because he wasn’t 100 percent,” said coach Rudi Garcia. “He wanted to stay on but there was no point playing with a player who is not fully fit.”

Garcia’s side move above Saint-Etienne into the European places after squeaking past Nimes in the enigmatic Italian’s absence.

They took the three points thanks to two goals in two sec-

ond half minutes from Balotelli’s replacement Valere Germain and Luiz Gustavo and the video assistant referees ruling out a penalty awarded in the fourth minute of added time that would have given the away side a chance to snatch a dramatic point.

They now sit fourth in Ligue 1’s Europa League spot on 51 points, five behind third-placed Lyon -- in the final Champions League spot -- with six matches left to play after Bruno Genesio’s side fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Nantes on Friday.

Now all eyes are on the clash between the two sides to come at the Stade Velodrome on May 12.

“Now is not the time to think about the 36th round of fixtures (when Marseille host Lyon),” added Garcia. “We’ve won three points, for now we have returned to fourth place and we will see

what Saint-Etienne do tomorrow (against Bordeaux). We had to win after Lyon’s defeat yesterday.”

hind Strasbourg, who stay ninth, six points behind Marseille after a hugely entertaining 3-3 home draw with Guingamp that does little to lessen the away side’s relegation woes.

Jeremy Sorbon’s leveller three minutes from time after a brace from Ludovic Ajorque and another from Sanjin Prcic looked to have won the day for Strasbourg lifted Guingamp off the bottom and a point above Caen, who lost 1-0 to mid-table Angers.

Those results let Monaco off the hook following their goalless draw at home with Reims, which moves Leonardo Jardim’s side to 16th.

However they have injury problems to deal with ahead of next week’s visit to Paris SaintGermain, who could wrap up the Ligue 1 title on Sunday with a draw at second-placed Lille.

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas left the field early with a calf injury, while Stevan Jovetic left the Stade Louis II on crutches after Jardim said he had ruptured cruciate ligaments in his left knee.

They are two places and seven points clear of the relegation play-off spot after all four of the teams below them failed to win.

That place is occupied by Dijon, who drew 0-0 at home against Amiens on Friday in a match that was interrupted after monkey chants were directed by a home fan towards the away side’s captain Prince Gouano.

It was the latest in a string of incidents of racist abuse that have blighted football this season, and prompted FIFA head Gianni Infantino to ask football authorities across the world to take a “zero tolerance” stance on racism.(afp)

8

Monday, April 15, 2019

Monday, April 15, 2019

9

Man Utd ‘got away with it’ against West Ham, admits Solskjaer

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side were fortunate to grab a much-needed 2-1 win over West Ham on Saturday courtesy of two Paul Pogba penalties.

Solskjaer’s men had lost four of their previous five games in all competitions and could easily have suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a topfour Premier League finish.

West Ham had a goal harshly ruled out for offside, hit the crossbar and saw David de Gea make a wonder save to deny Michail Antonio giving them a late lead.

“They played better than us, it is fair to say, I don’t think anyone will disagree,” said the Norwegian.

“We got away with it. Sometimes we have lost when we should have won, so over a season it evens itself out.”

Solskjaer left Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay on the bench among five changes from the side that started Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final, first leg defeat to Barcelona.

And he admitted the quick turnaround before facing Barca again in the Camp Nou on Tuesday had affected his team selection.

“Playing on Wednesday, and today and again on Tuesday

played a major factor,” he added.

“We got away with it, got three points, in a few years no-one will remember how we played if we finished in the top four.

“We rested a couple, thankfully, we got through it and we will be ready for Tuesday.

With a performance like this we all know we will struggle in Barcelona, and we will have to improve.”

Victory lifted United up to fifth at the expense of Arsenal and to within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea.(afp)

Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba celebrates after he scores the team’s first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 13, 2019.

Rotated Barca surrender two points to Atletico after Huesca draw Barcelona’s 11-point advantage over Atletico Madrid became nine on Saturday as Lionel Messi was left out of their goalless draw with Huesca and Gerard Pique watched on television with a bowl of prawns.

With Barca’s focus clearly on Manchester United, Messi and Pique were among 10 players rested for the stalemate at El Alcoraz as coach Ernesto Valverde prioritised Tuesday’s second leg and progress to the Champions League semifinals.

The price was two points dropped and Atletico capitalised, beating Celta Vigo 2-0 thanks to a thundering Antoine Griezmann free-kick and a cool finish from Alvaro Morata.

“Obviously we always want to win but it’s true this game came in slightly different circumstances,” Valverde said.

“It is an unusual week because we come from playing an intense match on Wednesday, when the trip was long, and we have the return on Tuesday. “Considering the schedule and our advantage in the league, I thought it was time to make changes.”

Messi was left out of the squad completely while the suspended Pique posted a picture on social media of the match on television, in front of him a large bowl of seafood.

Barcelona’s huge advantage at the top of La Liga has afforded them the luxury of prioritising success in Europe, the only issue perhaps for Valverde the matter of maintaining momentum.

Overall, they were better than Huesca but never really got out of second gear.

Luis Suarez was also banned, with Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Clement Lenglet given the chance to recuperate too ahead of the return against United at Camp Nou, where Barca will start with 1-0 lead from the first leg.

Ousmane Dembele’s chance of a start there would appear enhanced after he played 67 minutes following his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Malcom came closest to a winner, his shot hitting the post, but Huesca were good value for the draw and could even have snatched victory themselves in the second half.

Still bottom of the table in their

NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

first-ever season in Spain’s top flight, Huesca now sit five adrift of safety, albeit having played a game more than those immediately above them.

Their survival bid remains unlikely but alive.

Celta’s defeat to Atletico means they are still in the scrap, two points separating them from the bottom three.

Marseille’s Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) reacts past French referee Hakim Ben El Hadj (C-R) during the French Ligue 1 football match between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Olympique de Marseille at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on April 5, 2019.

- Barca focused on Europe Dembele came closest to a goal in the first half after a brilliant reverse pass from the talented Riqui Puig, one of a number of youngsters given a chance to impress.

Another was Jean-Clair Todibo, who saw a header saved while KevinPrince Boateng, also handed a rare outing after his arrival in January, was unable to connect with a low Dembele cross.

Huesca had their moments as Enric Gallego burst through but shot wide and then he wanted a penalty after Marc-Andre ter Stegen slid through the back of his legs.

Malcom struck the post with a fizzing drive but despite Jordi Alba, Philippe Coutinho and Arthur Melo

- Monaco off the hook Nimes sit 10th on 43 points despite Teji Savanier getting the away side back in the game with an 82nd minute penalty following Boubacar Kamara’s handball.

Bernard Blaquart thought his side had been given a golden chance for an equaliser in the final seconds when referee Frank Schneider blew for another spot-kick in the fourth minute of added time after Marseille right-back Bouna Sarr handled the ball while falling over in his own area.

However after consulting with the video assistant referees Schneider ruled out the penalty for a trip on Sarr.

Blaquart’s side are a point be-

Marseille survive late VAR drama to stay in Champions League hunt

ANDER GILLENEA / AFP

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Carles Alena (L) vies with SD Huesca’s Venezuelan midfielder Juanpi during the Spanish league football match between SD Huesca and FC Barcelona at the El Alcoraz stadium in Huesca on April 13, 2019. all coming on in the second half, Barca could not find a way through.

The onus was on Atletico to take advantage at the Wanda Metropolitano even if any chase, with six games left to play, will surely prove fruitless.

Griezmann’s free-kick flew into the top corner just before half-time and he then teed up Morata to make it two, the Spaniard carrying it around the goalkeeper for his seventh goal in 10 games.(ap)

Marseille kept up their hunt for Champions League football on Saturday despite losing inform striker Mario Balotelli to injury after VAR saw them escape last-gasp penalty drama to beat Nimes 2-1.

Balotelli has helped kick-start Marseille’s chase for European football with seven goals in 11 Ligue 1 appearances since arriving from Nice in January but left the field with a thigh injury 12 minutes before the break.

“He stopped because he wasn’t 100 percent,” said coach Rudi Garcia. “He wanted to stay on but there was no point playing with a player who is not fully fit.”

Garcia’s side move above Saint-Etienne into the European places after squeaking past Nimes in the enigmatic Italian’s absence.

They took the three points thanks to two goals in two sec-

ond half minutes from Balotelli’s replacement Valere Germain and Luiz Gustavo and the video assistant referees ruling out a penalty awarded in the fourth minute of added time that would have given the away side a chance to snatch a dramatic point.

They now sit fourth in Ligue 1’s Europa League spot on 51 points, five behind third-placed Lyon -- in the final Champions League spot -- with six matches left to play after Bruno Genesio’s side fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Nantes on Friday.

Now all eyes are on the clash between the two sides to come at the Stade Velodrome on May 12.

“Now is not the time to think about the 36th round of fixtures (when Marseille host Lyon),” added Garcia. “We’ve won three points, for now we have returned to fourth place and we will see

what Saint-Etienne do tomorrow (against Bordeaux). We had to win after Lyon’s defeat yesterday.”

hind Strasbourg, who stay ninth, six points behind Marseille after a hugely entertaining 3-3 home draw with Guingamp that does little to lessen the away side’s relegation woes.

Jeremy Sorbon’s leveller three minutes from time after a brace from Ludovic Ajorque and another from Sanjin Prcic looked to have won the day for Strasbourg lifted Guingamp off the bottom and a point above Caen, who lost 1-0 to mid-table Angers.

Those results let Monaco off the hook following their goalless draw at home with Reims, which moves Leonardo Jardim’s side to 16th.

However they have injury problems to deal with ahead of next week’s visit to Paris SaintGermain, who could wrap up the Ligue 1 title on Sunday with a draw at second-placed Lille.

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas left the field early with a calf injury, while Stevan Jovetic left the Stade Louis II on crutches after Jardim said he had ruptured cruciate ligaments in his left knee.

They are two places and seven points clear of the relegation play-off spot after all four of the teams below them failed to win.

That place is occupied by Dijon, who drew 0-0 at home against Amiens on Friday in a match that was interrupted after monkey chants were directed by a home fan towards the away side’s captain Prince Gouano.

It was the latest in a string of incidents of racist abuse that have blighted football this season, and prompted FIFA head Gianni Infantino to ask football authorities across the world to take a “zero tolerance” stance on racism.(afp)

10

Destination

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Dominant Hamilton wins 1,000th race in Mercedes one-two

SHANGHAI - Lewis Hamilton won the 1,000th Formula One grand prix Sunday after grabbing the lead from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and powering to victory in blustery Shanghai.

Puri Agung Kerambitan TABANAN - Located in the village of Kerambitan that has historical significance as the seat of an old branch of Tabanan royalty. This Royal Palace of Kerambitan was founded in the 13th century on 4 hectares of land and has been the abode of the Kerambitan Royal Family ever since.

The palace compound which actually consists of two palaces, Puri Gede and Puri Anyar, is made up of seven sections, six of which are used for specific functions while the seventh is the residence for the royal family. It is currently opened for special tourist events such as traditional-style dinner parties accompanied by legong, tektekan, and joged performances, as well as traditional Agung-style wedding ceremonies.

The first section, known as Cangkem Kodok, is essentially an open-air area in the front of the Puri complex, which serves as a preparation area for any ceremonies held at the Puri. The second section, Ancak Saji or the reception area, is an open area surrounded by lush Balinese gardens with a walk-

way and Kori Agung or the roofed tower gate that leads up to the third section, Jabe Tandeg. Honorable guests are welcomed, greeted and entertained with a variety of traditional Balinese entertainment by villagers at Ancak Saji before being escorted to Jabe Tandeg to meet the head and elders of the Puri.

Tandakan is the fourth area that serves as the main venue for all kinds of religious as well as traditional ceremonies including wedding cer-

emonies. The Tandakan was built in the classic Balinese wantilan style, an open-design hall with high ceilings and gapura – the traditional Balinese brick gate – with Balinese carving ornaments as a backdrop The fifth section is the historic Saren Agung, the Puri’s oldest structure. The outer walls of the structure are uniquely ornamented with Chinese and Dutch porcelains that were unearthed from the Puri’s vicinity. The Saren Agung has been

restored and has now become a place to conserve the Puri Family’s historical objects and collections.

The sixth section is Pura Batur Agung, the Puri Family’s religious temple complex. It is at here that the Puri family conducts their religious rituals and gives offerings to the Hindu deities and thus considered the most sacred.

The last section is Palemahan, the official residence of the Puri Family.

The Palemahan’s posterior location in

the palace compound serves to make it a quiet retreat for the Puri Family.

Kerambitan is Tabanan’s most notable village, owing to its reputation as the former seat of one branch of the Tabanan royal family; to the centuries-old royal palaces and classic Balinese architecture; as well as to its highly talented and skillful artisans who produce beautiful works of art that include traditional music, dances, wood and stone carvings. (IBP/net)

Hamilton, who started from second on the grid, took the world championship lead after romping home to win the Chinese Grand Prix by more than 6.5 seconds from Bottas, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fourth and Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari was fifth.

This was world champion Hamilton’s sixth victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and second in a row this season.

“To have a one-two (for Mercedes) is really special in the 1,000th grand prix but the start was where it made the difference and the rest is history,” said the Briton.

Hamilton was pipped for pole position by Bottas by just 0.023 seconds in qualifying and had said that he was “struggling with the car”.

But the Finn laboured out of the blocks, allowing Hamilton to nip in and grab the lead at the first corner.

“I lost it on the start, honestly, shame about the start, I got some wheel spin on the start line,” said Bottas, who also relinquished his hold on the standings after three races.

Talented 21-year-old Leclerc meanwhile pulled off the same trick at the start at the expense of his team-mate Vettel, darting into third.

There was more early drama when Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat tangled with both McLarens of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, earning the Russian a drive-through penalty.

On lap 11, four-time world champion Vettel leapfrogged back in front of Monaco’s Leclerc into third following radio orders from Ferrari telling the youngster to let him pass.

“We do our job, stay focused,” Leclerc -- agonisingly denied victory last time out in Bahrain after his Ferrari lost power late

WANG ZHAO / AFP

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates on his car after winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 14, 2019. on -- was informed on team radio after he briefly protested.

Back at the front, the 34-year-old Hamilton began pulling away, establishing a more than five-second gap on Bottas with a third of the race gone.

With five-time world champion Hamilton -- winner in Bahrain two weeks ago -- serene up top, the real battles unfolded behind him.

Vettel, under pressure after a number of

unforced errors going back to last season, went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen after both pitted for fresh tyres.

Vettel, Bottas and then Toro Rosso’s Alexander Albon, who missed qualifying after a nasty crash in final practice, all exchanged fastest laps.

On lap 38 of the 56 it was Leclerc and Bottas who had a skirmish in the compelling battle for second.

Leclerc then pitted and was momentarily

held up by a comparatively sluggish change of tyres.

Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified eighth for Renault, saw his race come to an early conclusion after the team retired his faltering car.

Norris and Kvyat were also forced out before the end.

The fourth race of the season takes place on the streets of Baku, in Azerbaijan, in a fortnight. (afp)

Ethiopia sweeps Paris marathon, Calvin smashes French record

Place Your Add Here

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

PARIS - Ethiopian Abrha Milaw upstaged two-time defending champion Paul Lonyangata to win the Paris Marathon on Sunday.

Milaw clocked 2hr 07min 05sec, with Kenyan rival Lonyangata coming in third as 60,000 runners took to the streets of the French

capital in cold, clear conditions.

Gelete Burka produced a spurt of extra gas in the final kilometre to ensure an Ethiopian winner in the women’s race with a time of 2:22:48.

France’s Clemence Calvin, who was only cleared to race on Friday after the last-minute lifting of a

Ethiopia’s Abrha Milaw celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of Paris Marathon on April 14, 2019.

temporary ban for evading a doping test last month in Morocco, smashed the French women’s record. Calvin finished fourth in 2:23:41, bettering by 41 seconds the previous national record set by Christelle Daunay in 2010.

It also bettered by almost three minutes her own previous best of 2:26:28 which she set when finishing second in the European championships in Berlin last year. (afp)

6

Monday, April 15, 2019

Assange’s father calls on Australia to bring him home

W

International

International

RLD

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN Quake-hit Indonesians refuse to leave high ground: official

SYDNEY - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s father on Sunday called on Australia to bring his son home, saying he was shocked to see his son’s condition after his arrest in London last week.

John Shipton -- who was secretary of the Wikileaks Party when his son tried to run for a senate seat in 2013 national elections -- reportedly visited Assange every Christmas at the Ecuadore embassy in London after he sought refuge there in 2012.

“DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs) and the prime minister should in a nuanced way do something,” Shipton told Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun. “It can be resolved simply to the satisfaction of all. There has been some talk in a meeting between a senator and a senior DFAT official to extradite Julian to Australia.”

Shipton said he was shocked to see the state of his son when he was arrested at the embassy on Thursday on allegations of skipping bail, and on a US extradition warrant related to a huge leak of official documents.

“I saw him, the way they dragged him down the steps, the coppers (police), he didn’t look good. I’m 74 and I look better than him and he’s 47. It’s such a shock,” he said.

“For months and months he has been living like a high-security prisoner, he can’t even go to the toilet. There have been cameras watching his every move.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that Assange would receive “no special treatment” from Canberra.

The 47-year-old Australian had sought refuge in the embassy while on bail awaiting extradition to Sweden to face charges of sexual assault and rape, which he always denied.

British lawmakers on Saturday urged their government to prioritise any extradition bid Sweden might make for him over the allegations.

Swedish prosecutors dropped a preliminary investigation into the rape allegation in 2017. (afp)

Indonesia...

From page 1

“Chinese capital is associated with communism and that is threatening,” said Trissia Wijaya, an East Asian political economy specialist at Australia’s Murdoch University. “It’s very ingrained in the Indonesian mindset,” she added.

- ‘Indonesia first’ However, debate over Widodo’s so-called pivot to China was full of misleading claims, said Wijaya, with a tide of fake news online fanning anti-Beijing sentiment.

“Most Chinese investment in Indonesia is in industry, such as mining,” she told AFP, adding that little was in strategic or sensitive assets.

The deals involve mostly private-sector companies and brought muchneeded capital to build industrial processing plants such as the one in Sulawesi, added the Indonesian academic.

Analysts said it was too early to know if Subianto would take an outright anti-China policy if he takes office, but there are signs that investors are nervous about his plans for the economy.

“His rhetoric is so extreme that I think he would have to follow through on at least some of it,” said Kevin O’Rourke, an Indonesia-based political risk analyst. “There would be a lot of jitters among foreign investors.”

The 67-year-old Subianto is a proponent of “smart nationalism” who, taking a page from US President Donald Trump nationalist policies, would put “Indonesia first”, countered his foreign affairs director Ronodipuro.

“But that doesn’t mean we’ll start putting restrictions on trade and investment,” he added.

Ahead of the polls, Widodo has been burnishing his own nationalist credentials, including taking back control of the giant Grasberg gold and copper mine from US operator Freeport-McMoRan. He can also claim a relatively solid economic record, with inflation at historically low levels and a slump in the rupiah currency coming off 2018 lows.

Annual growth is hovering around 5.0 percent, although it is still well short of Widodo’s 2014 election pledge to hit seven percent annually.

While the former furniture exporter, popularly known as Jokowi, has faced criticism that big-ticket infrastructure projects have done little to help the poor, some voters appear to see tangible benefits.

“The president’s work is real -- we’ve seen it,” said Untung Sri Rejeki, a 53-year-old housewife in Central Java. “There is development happening all over.”(afp)

Monday, April 15, 2019

William WEST / AFP

Firemen wash away bloodstains after a security guard was shot dead with another man fighting for his life after a drive-by shooting outside a popular Melbourne nightclub on April 14, 2019.

One dead after Australia shooting outside nightclub

MELBOURNE - A security guard is dead and another man is fighting for his life after a drive-by shooting outside a popular Melbourne nightclub, police said Sunday, amid a spate of gun violence in Australia’s second-largest city.

Police said four men -- three security guards and a patron waiting to get in -- were shot outside the Love Machine club in the trendy inner-city suburb of Prahran early Sunday morning.

“It would appear that shots have been discharged from a car in this area into a crowd that was standing outside the nightclub,” Victoria Police Inspector Andrew Stamper told reporters.

“This is just a horrendous act.

It’s a busy nightclub, one of the main nightclubs in Melbourne in one of the main entertainment precincts in Melbourne.”

T h e 3 7 - y e a r- o l d s e c u r i t y guard was taken to hospital but

died soon after.

A 28-year-old man was in a critical condition, while two others aged 29 and 50 had non-life threatening injuries, police said.

A police spokeswoman told AFP the shooting was not believed to be linked to terrorism.

Investigators were probing links to motorcycle gangs, Melbourne’s Age newspaper reported.

Police were also probing whether a black Porsche SUV seen leaving the area and later found burnt out in another suburb was linked to the shooting.

The latest incident came after a spate of shootings in Mel-

bourne in March that left five people dead in four separate incidents. Two of the incidents were believed to be gang-related.

Stamper stressed that there was “nothing to indicate” that the shooting was part of a “broader agenda”.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, which has strict firearms laws introduced in 1996 after 35 people were killed by a gunman in Port Arthur.

A murder-suicide last year which left seven members of a family dead in Western Australia was the country’s worst mass shooting since the Port Arthur attack. (afp)

Some panicked residents of a quake-hit Indonesian island have refused to return home after the tremor triggered a brief tsunami warning and fears there was more to come, the disaster agency said Saturday.

Aftershocks rippled across the east coast of Sulawesi -- an island where thousands were killed in a quake-tsunami last year -- as officials scrambled to assess whether there are any casualties or major damage.

While one resident of quake-hit Luwuk city reportedly died after falling while trying to flee, the agency has not reported any confirmed deaths or injuries.

An AFP reporter in the city said there were no signs of major property damage.

“The situation is returning to normal,” the disaster agency said early Saturday morning.

Some 1,300 families have returned home, it said, adding that some residents of another small island near the epicentre of Friday’s 6.8 magnitude quake were still refusing to return from higher ground. It did not say how many residents had refused to leave the high ground.

Luwuk resident Emiliana Rumayer said she and her family slept in the hills overnight “but we’ve now returned home”.

Mohammad Sholeh, police chief of Poso city on Sulawesi, said the quake’s impact there had been minor. “There’s a little bit of damage, but nothing significant and there are no casualties,” he said.

On Friday, a tsunami warning was issued for coastal communities in Morowali district, where residents were advised to move away from the coast.

The warning was later lifted by the disaster agency, which had estimated the wave at under a half a metre (20 inches).

Video footage from Luwuk showed scared residents -- some carrying children -- running from their homes and racing to higher ground on motorcycles.

The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 17 kilometres (10 miles) off Sulawesi, where a 7.5-magnitude quaketsunami around the city of Palu killed more than 4,300 people last year.

Residents of Palu, which is hundreds of kilometres away from Friday’s epicentre, still felt the quake.

Indonesia is one of the most disasterprone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.

On Boxing Day 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck westernmost Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 in Indonesia.

Last year Indonesia experienced more than 2,500 disasters ranging from a series of deadly earthquakes to killer landslides and volcanic eruptions.(afp)

11

ELECTION 2019

AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

An Indonesian electoral worker prepares ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations in Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, April 11, 2019. The world’s third-largest democracy is gearing up to hold its legislative and presidential elections on April 17.

Indonesia to probe warehouse of ballots in Malaysia

JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Election Commission said Thursday it is sending officials to investigate after videos circulated online of thousands of ballots for next week’s polls scattered throughout a warehouse in neighboring Malaysia.

One of the videos shows police at the warehouse in Malaysia’s Selangor state and people holding up voting papers and commenting they’d been marked in favor of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and legislative candidates for parties in his coalition.

Another video, apparently from a second location in Malaysia, shows two women making holes in ballots, which is how a vote is marked in Indonesia’s elections.

Election Commission official Ilham Saputra said the commission “will immediately set up a team and send its members there to ascertain what really happened.”

Presidential and legislative elections in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy after India and the U.S., are set for April 17.

Saputra said Indonesians living in Malaysia would vote on Sunday and ballots had been sent to the country a week ago.

He said the Overseas Electoral Commission advised that it hadn’t rented a shophouse in Malaysia, a term for a lowrise business premise that also doubles as a residence.

Yaza Azzhara, who heads the Indonesian election monitoring committee for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, told TVOne there were an estimated 10,000-20,000 ballots found in two locations.

She said that she and opposition representatives opened some of the voting papers, which were postal ballots, and they’d been marked for Widodo and his running mate. In other cases, they were marked for a Widodoallied legislative candidate who’s the son of

Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia.

“When I arrived at the first location, the shophouse door was open. According to some members (of the opposition committee) who suspected that there was a pile of ballot papers inside, they entered through a window and opened the door from inside,” Azzhara said.

Some of the ballots were in brown bags with official Overseas Electoral Commission padlocks and these hadn’t been marked, she said.

Opinion polls from the second half of March showed Widodo had a large lead over his challenger, former special forces general Prabowo Subianto, but as many as 20 percent of voters were undecided.

Subianto narrowly lost to Widodo in 2014.

While campaigning in a Jakarta satellite city, Widodo told reporters he had ordered an investigation into the marked ballots.

“If that’s true, it’s a violation and should be reported to the National Election Supervisory Board,” he said.(ap)

12

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Monday, April 15, 2019

5

Come on, Explore Uniqueness of Ubud Village by Bicycle

Uneasy about the economy, some businesses hold off on hiring

NEW YORK - Samantha Martin does most of the annual hiring for her public relations firm in the first quarter. But not this year — clients worried about a slowing economy are cutting their budgets, and Martin has in turn scaled back her own plans.

“Our clients are having trouble getting funding and therefore public relations and marketing are the first to get cut,” says Martin, owner of New York-based Media Maison. If Martin’s firm has more work than her current staff can handle, she’ll hire freelancers who work by the hour. Hiring on a project-by-project basis removes the potential of having to lay anyone off.

Small business owners who are uneasy as they see signs of a weakening economy have cut back on hiring in recent months and found ways to get work done without adding employees. The latest evidence of a hiring slowdown came last week, when payroll provider ADP said its small business customers created just 6,000 jobs in March.

February’s tally of 19,000 new jobs was also weak and down sharply from January’s 98,000; ADP’s small business numbers also fluctuated throughout 2018. The report, as well as the most recent jobs report from the Labor Department, clearly shows that small business hiring has lagged behind job creation at larger companies.

Small business owners, especially those who learned hard lessons from the Great Recession about overstaffing, are playing it safe. While a Capital One survey also released last week showed that 29% of 500 small business owners planned to hire in the next six months, that was down from 33% in a survey six months earlier. Of the owners who don’t plan to hire, nearly 30% said the economy is making them too nervous to spend more on staffing. The Capital One survey was in line with other surveys taken during the first quarter.

The economy is widely expected to slow this year, starting with the recently ended first quarter. Economists surveyed by financial information provider FactSet estimate that gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 1.6% from January through March, down from 2.9% in all of 2018.

TruePublic’s last four hires were parttimers. CEO Kaben Clauson had planned on taking on full-time staffers, but partly because of the economy decided against the added risk.

“We could hire those people full time now — we have the money to do so — but it would give us only six months of a cash cushion,” says Kaben, whose Chicago-based company conducts online surveys. “We’d feel more comfortable with a year’s cushion.”

Once upon a time, try to travel in Ubud village by cycling. The atmosphere must be different.

Other than having exercise, you can also enjoy cultural attractions of the local community up close. Moreover, you can interact with them. Indeed, between Ubud and cycling activities are two inseparable things.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

In this Thursday, April 4, 2019, photo Kaben Clauson, poses for a photo t at his TruePublic office in Chicago. Small business owners like Clauson are wary as they see signs of a weaker economy have been scaling back hiring in recent months and finding ways to get work done without new employees. Clauson had planned on taking on full-time staffers, but partly because of the economy decided against the added risk.

Clauson’s concern is linked to the hesitancy he sees in investors who start hunkering down because of stock market volatility or signs of economic weakness.

“My company is raising another $2 million and we’re looking for investors,” Kaben says. “Who’s knows what happens with the economy going forward?”

Before the recession, the philosophy at many companies was to hire in anticipation of higher revenue. Now, the approach is to put off hiring until rising revenue justifies taking on the added expense and risk. Many owners like Martin hire independent contractors, or freelancers, if there’s more work than their regular employees can handle.

“They have a much finer gauge on how to accomplish what they need to without layering in a lot of expense,” says Steve Spinelli, the incoming president of Babson College and an entrepreneur himself.

Owners have also adopted technology that helps them get their work done, so there

is less pressure on their companies to hire, Spinelli says.

“You have a healthier small business community, a more nimble small business community and one that’s more forward looking,” Spinelli says.

After Greg Henson’s technology services company was forced to lay off half its staff during the Great Recession, he restructured the business so approximately 50% of The Henson Group’s workers are freelancers.

He has the flexibility of calling them in for projects as needed, and doesn’t have fears of another mass layoff.

Henson is also concerned about the economy, and has contracted with another company to handle some of his sales work.

“We have frozen hiring until we know what’s happening,” he says.

Some owners aren’t as worried about the economy, but have other reasons to be concerned about their finances and are therefore cautious about hiring. For example, their

overhead is going up and they don’t want to add to those increasing costs — expenses that can make them more vulnerable to the vagaries of the economy.

The rising minimum wage has Sean Pour holding off hiring 10 new staffers for his company, SellMax, which has more than 30 workers earning the $12 minimum that a San Diego city ordinance requires. The minimum, which rose 50 cents on Jan. 1, will rise each year along with inflation.

The minimum-wage staffers at SellMax work in the car buying company’s call center.

Pour supplements their pay with performance bonuses, but worries that rising wages will limit his ability to pay the extra money.

“Quite frankly, this scares us and we are afraid we won’t be able to keep the new hires that we employ,” Pour says. So SellMax, which already uses automation to answer some calls, may need to increase its dependence on technology if it can’t afford to hire. (ap)

Although there is a variety of transportation means at this tourism village, cycling remains an option for tourists wishing to explore the enjoyable tourist area. So, don’t be surprised if most accommodations provide bicycle facility for tourists desiring to enjoy the local countryside. Alam Puisi Villa Ubud at Sembuwuk village, for instance, also offers this facility.

General Manager of Alam Puisi Villa Ubud, Budiarta, said that cycling

is one of the very popular activities among foreign tourists traveling to Ubud. This activity is in great demand.

Since the Ubud area is identical to cycling, the tourist accommodation should provide bicycle. “This bicycle can be used by tourists wishing to look around the villa,” he said.

In addition, the Alam Puisi Villa Ubud also has a cycling route, consisting of long track that starts from Ubud to Kintamani and medium track only located around Ubud while enjoying

the local natural beauty. “This cycling track is the most in demand by tourists in Ubud,” said Budiarta.

Cycling trails in the Ubud area are very easy to pass through. On this route, tourists are introduced to traditional agrarian activities posing the main livelihood of Ubud people. However, tourists will also be introduced to several other cultural activities. Cycling paths have been adjusted and combined with natural and cultural pathways.

As the advantages of this track, tourists can enjoy the true natural beauty of Bali and cultural activities because they will be invited to stop by for a moment where the elements of Balinese culture are still maintained. Ubud as one of the cultural centers in Bali also become a concern of guests. Moreover, each side of Ubud has many uniqueness that can be enjoyed by tourists.

The terrain traversed by tourists is quite interesting, starting from the snaking contours of the road passing through the rice fields, reeds in the hill area of ??Campuhan, Ubud, to the area owned by local residents and many other beautiful sceneries

Nasi Tekor Served for Travelers Have you ever enjoyed nasi tekor or rice served in banana leaf food basket? In the past, getting a nasi tekor was an extraordinary gift. People tasting it did not only avoid hunger, but also got respect of brotherhood. If people organized prayers and piodalan or festival at family temple, they will cook in large amount and then ngejot or sharing food to neighbors containing of rice, lawar, vegetables, pepes and condiment.

The nasi tekor can also usually enjoyed after ngayah or devotional work at temple before piodalan.

Even though it only contains vegetables, all the menus taste good.

Indeed, in the past it was very rare for people to use plate as a place to eat. Tekor is a container made

from banana leaf whose ends are folded. It is indeed very traditional, so that eating with such a way as if bringing us back to the past, a time which will bring back memories once existing in the past.

In line with the rapid development of tourism, nasi tekor is also served at hotel restaurants having been creatively packed. One of them is menu of Warunk Cuci Mata located right in front of the Grand Istana Rama. The nasi tekor is served with bamboo woven mat with the philosophy related to the origin of life that every birth or life exists because of the merits of a father and mother.

Nasi tekor at Warunk Cuci Mata is served like Balinese mixed rice containing white rice, fried eel,

that can be explored. For package of long route, tourists cycle from Ubud to Kintamani with several choices, one of which is cycling from Puncak Penulisan, Sukawana village, Kintamani.

This track invites tourists to look around the mountains through the eastern path by crossing forest, seeing mountain views, rural environment and then crossing the mountains behind Mount Batur with the overlay of Mount Batur view. For cycling in Kintamani, the tour will end at Toya Bungkah village located right at the foot of Mount Batur and close to Lake Batur. (kmb)

eel in shrimp paste, kaffir lime and chili sauce, garlic and aromatic ginger spice, taro meat ball, chicken skin, and chicken penyon. Eating at Warunk Cuci Mata can be another way to enjoy the beauty of Kuta Beach. Aside from tasting delights of various halal archipelagic menus provided, of course visitors can get refreshed.

Nasi tekor menu is very appropriate to be presented at this warunk or food stall because it is located right in front of the Grand Istana Rama with a traditional market concept. This place is currently one of the favorite hangouts on Kuta Beach. Besides being serving unique and delicious Indonesian food, the price is also very affordable. (kmb)

4

Bali News

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

International

Kintamani Bali dog recognized as a world race

Thai new year splashes in with water fights, raves

DENPASAR - The Kintamani Bali dog finally gained recognition as one of its own breeds of native Indonesian dogs from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). FCI is an international organization for the protection and development of all pure dog breeds and progeny in the world. This world recognition is the first for native Indonesian dog breeds.

“This recognition means that FCI has officially announced to the whole world that the Kintamani Bali Dog is a dog breed in its own right and that the Kintamani Bali Dog is an Indonesian native dog,” said Chairman of Indonesian Kennel Club (IKK), Benny Kwok Wie Sioe, at the Wiswa Sabha Utama, Bali Governor’s Office on Saturday (Apr. 13).

According to Benny Kwok, the process of obtaining FCI’s recognition took a long time because it is known as a very strict organization. The official recognition of the FCI is stated in a letter sent by the Executive Director of FCI, Yves De Clercq to the IKK. Benny also submitted the acknowledgment letter to the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster. With this recognition, the Kintamani Bali Dog has the right to participate in a number of certain dog competitions and shows at the international level. In addition, birth certificates and genealogies for each Kintamani Bali Dog are also entitled to be marked with the FCI’s logo.

Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, continuously expressed his gratitude for the issuance of the letter of recognition for the Kintamani Bali dog as a world race from the FCI. Previously, the he heard the recognition for the Kintamani dog would be submitted by another country.

The struggle to get recognition is also quite long as the preparation was started in 2010.

“Thanks God for this acknowledgement. We really thank the IKK for its perseverance, discipline and consistency in patiently striving for this so that it can be approved.

It takes a long time and there are so many challenges to be passed through,” he said.

After gaining world recognition, Koster stated that Bali provincial government now has an obligation to maintain and continue the policy of protecting Kintamani dogs. First of all, the Bali Animal Husbandry Service is assigned to record the Kintamani dog population along with the conditions and distribution. After that, cultivation, breeding and preparation of the area for maintaining Kintamani dogs must be carried out so that more control over purity or originality.

“Then, to maintain this purity, it must also be preserved by marrying to fellow Kintamani dogs.

It is not permissible to intermarry as it will become a mulatto. Its originality will disappear, so that it must be maintained properly,” said the governor having two heads of Kintamani dogs.

Koster added that disease control must also be done to ensure the health of Kintamani dogs, including maintaining the environment

MANJUNATH KIRAN / AFP

President of Indian National Congress party Rahul Gandhi (C) and Former Indian Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda (R) speak while AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal (L) listens during an election campaign rally at Krishnaraja Nagar, some about 200 Kms South West of Bangalore on April 13, 2019.

IBP/kmb

The Kintamani Bali dog finally gained recognition as one of its own breeds of native Indonesian dogs from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). and their need for life must be fulfilled. Most importantly, do not let the Kintamani dogs get affected by rabies as the rabies problem is still incomplete in Bali. It will prioritize programs so that Bali is truly free from rabies. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia has allocated a budget of up to IDR 18 billion to complete rabies added from the Bali regional budget worth IDR 5 billion.

“It means that central government pays extraordinary attention, so that we must increase our

responsibility, commitment to fulfilling the target to complete so that Bali is really free from rabies,” he explained.

In addition to preservation and cultivation, continued Koster, there will also be promotions for the wealth of Bali’s branding assets.

One of them is the plan to organize a Kintamani dog festival. Other than Kintamani dogs, Bali also has Bali cows, Bali pigs, Bali starlings, and Bali goats, namely the longhaired goat from Karangasem.

Then, in the field of agriculture,

there are Bali snakefruit, Bali tangerine, Bali coffee, Bali durians, Bali mangosteen, Bali rice wine, and Bali arrack.

“We will indeed develop this from upstream to downstream. It also includes traditional Balinese medicines, as well as the Balinese branding handicraft industry. Yesterday, we discussed with the team until late night to make a Governor Regulation in order to protect local Balinese products so they cannot be claimed by others,” he explained. (kmb32)

Again, foreigners desperately climb to the peak of Mount Agung

Mount Agung

IBP/kmb

AMLAPURA - For the umpteenth time, there are still people doing climbing activities to the peak of Mount Agung amid the quite high volcanic activities of the highest mountain in Bali. This time, a desperate action was carried out by five foreigners that returned to climb.

Fortunately, the five foreigners survived to the bottom despite being lost in the slopes of Mount Agung.

Based on information compiled, the five tourists doing climbing activities early morning on Saturday (Apr. 13). The five foreigners are known as Trikhanovid Paver, Trikhanovid Anthalika, Olga, Belarus, and Artem. When carrying out the climbing, they got lost in the slope of Mount Agung. Finally, in the end the five managed to survive to the bottom with safe conditions.

The five climbers could go down and arrive at Penataran Agung Temple of Sebudi at 14:00.

Headman of Amertha Bhuana, who is also the Secretary of Pasebaya Agung, I Wayan Suara Arsana, stated the search process had been suspended because Mount Agung continued to tremble. However, at around 14:00, the four foreigners finally could go down safely. When being interrogated, they even did a little resistance. They did not want to stop and immediately rode their motorcycle and were about to leave. But, since one of the motorcycles had a flat tire, two could be intercepted. Meanwhile, the other two colleagues tried to escape.

Luckily the officers managed to intercept both at Sebudi.

“The five foreigners are in safe

13

condition. However, their whole body was soaking wet as a result of being rushed by heavy rain. Then, they were escorted to the Selat Police to be further interrogated by police officers,” said Suara.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ida Bagus Arimbawa, stated to have repeatedly appealed not to carry out any climbing activities because the activity of Mount Agung remaining high and there are frequent large eruptions.

However, there are still those being desperate to climb to the top of the mountain. It is very risky and endangering safety if the mountain erupts. Once again, we urge there will be no more climbing activities to the top of Mount Agung,” said Arimbawa. (kmb41)

Money, money, money: the tycoon factor in India’s election

MUMBAI - India’s tycoons are playing a pivotal role in the Asian giant’s most expensive election ever, from funding campaigns and tacit endorsements to being hot-button issues themselves.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election bid has received huge financial backing from corporate India, raising fears about the integrity of the world’s largest democratic process, experts say. Meanwhile, Congress party opponent Rahul Gandhi is trying to exploit a fighter jet deal involving industrialist Anil Ambani while fugitive tycoons Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi loom over the vote from London.

Contesting polls is getting costlier in India and analysts say parties are becoming more reliant on donations from anonymous businessmen, leading to a lack of transparency and worrying conflicts of interest.

“There’s a trend towards plutocracy,” Niranjan Sahoo, of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) thinktank, told AFP. “Unbridled corporate influence can have a serious impact on policies,” he added.

The New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies estimates that around $5 billion was spent during the 2014 election that swept Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power -- up from $2 billion in 2009.

The group thinks the 2019 contest could top $7 billion, making it one of the priciest elections globally.

“Elections are getting more expensive for many structural reasons,” Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank, told AFP.

“(There is a) growing population, increasing political competition, voter expectations of handouts in the form of cash and other inducements, and technological change, which means greater outlays for media and digital outreach,” he added.

Analysts say traditional funding streams, such as party memberships, are declining so parties increasingly rely on wealthy donors to fund campaigns. Data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an election watchdog, showed that in financial year 2017-18 corporates and individuals contributed 12 times more to the BJP than to six other national parties, including Congress, combined.

- ‘Quid pro quo’ The BJP received 93 percent of all donations above 20,000 rupees ($290) that year, according to ADR’S analysis. Modi’s BJP banked 4.37 billion rupees ($63.3 million); Congress got just 267 million rupees.

“There is a huge funding disparity now. Congress simply doesn’t have the money to fight elections.

That should worry people,” said the ORF’s Sahoo.

Modi’s government says it has cracked down on so-called “black money” in politics by lowering the amount that can be donated in cash from 20,000 rupees to 2,000 rupees.

Critics, however, say it is now easier for wealthy entities to donate

to political parties; corporate funding formed 92 percent of the total donations declared by the BJP in 2017-18, according to ADR. Detractors point to the government removing a cap on corporate donations two years ago and introducing a scheme whereby donors can give anonymously through “electoral bonds” purchased from a bank.

On Friday India’s supreme court ordered parties to reveal the identity of donors after activists challenged the bond system, which the government has defended.

“The lack of transparency allows conflicts of interest and quid pro quos to flourish”, said Vaishnav, who suspects that medium-sized businesses requiring permits from the government are more of an issue than India’s big oligarchs.

Tycoons do not explicitly endorse candidates for fear of backing the wrong horse but Modi, 68, is seen to be close to several big tycoons.

In 2014 he travelled between rallies in a corporate jet and helicopter owned by billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, while magnate Ratan Tata praised Modi for carrying out air strikes in Pakistan.

India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani -- whose personal net worth has soared from $18.6 billion when Modi came to power to $53 billion today, according to Forbes -- has repeatedly called him “our beloved prime minister” in speeches. (afp)

BANGKOK - Water-spraying elephants, raves and boisterous, street-blocking water fights -- Thailand’s Buddhist new year arrived with a splash Saturday, a once calm festival now celebrated with a more raucous edge.

Paying respects to elders and sprinkling water over figures of Buddha at local temples are some of the traditions of the three-day new year celebration -- known as Songkran -- but the holiday also has a rowdier side involving alcoholfuelled revelry among its youth.

Thais and foreigners sporting floral shirts arm themselves with colourful water pistols and protective goggles, engaging in water fights that bring entire streets to a standstill.

Authorities had issued warnings beforehand on modesty, saying that nudity and provocative clothing will be prohibited.

There are no such restrictions however on summary drenchings.

In the Bangkok tourist hotspot Khao San road, two young men dressed in school uniforms get doused by passersby wielding highpowered water pistols and buckets of water.

And in Ayutthaya, elephants painted in colourful floral designs lift their trunks and spray water on delighted tourists, with the town’s ancient temples serving as a backdrop.

As the sun sets, tens of thousands of ravers from across Asia are expected to dance into Saturday night under massive water cannons and spectacular pyrotechnics, as Bangkok’s S2O Songkran festival gets underway.

Some of the world’s best known -- and paid -- DJs, including Tiesto, Steve Aoki and UK veteran Fatboy Slim are performing across the three-day dance music event -- Asia’s largest.

Neighbouring Laos and Myanmar celebrate the same festival with young and old throwing buckets of water over each other as music thuds from loudspeakers.

In Yangon, where the festival is known as Thingyan, children blow bubbles and play with soap suds at street foam parties, while women dressed in traditional costumes perform dances near the famed Sule Pagoda.

Songkran is also the most perilous time to travel in Thailand, and the week beginning from April 11 is dubbed “seven dangerous days” as millions of Thais make the journey back to their hometowns by bus, vans or motorbikes.

To prevent drink driving incidents, authorities have said they will levy harsh penalties on those imbibing alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Somchai Wayrojpipat, 57, was charged with premeditated murder after causing a fatal accident under the influence late Thursday night in the outskirts of Bangkok, police officer Pitak Poolputtha told AFP. “This is the first case in this country where the drunk driver faced premeditated murder and the highest punishment is the death sentence,” Pitak said.

The Interior Ministry has recorded more than 100 deaths in the first two days preceding the festival, but that number is expected to climb. (afp)

Jewel SAMAD / AFP

A man wearing a horse-head mask sprays water at other revellers as they celebrate the Buddhist New Year, locally known as Songkran, in Bangkok on April 14, 2019.

14

Monday, April 15, 2019

Traveling

International

Hiking to the Lost City in Colombia FOR many years Colombia was out-of-bounds to tourists, due to a deadly combination of terrorism and drug trafficking, but recent peace deals have seen the country emerging as one of the world’s most diverse destinations.

A hike to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) should be at the top of every intrepid travellers’ bucket list.

Santa Marta Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is the starting point for the trek. The coast has long sandy beaches, perfect for relaxing before or after your walk.

I’m anxious to get going but, before I set off, I plant a Ceiba sapling in the forest. The locals believe any wish made will be granted and, of course, I’m hoping for success in reaching the Lost City.

Dating from the 7th century, the Spanish conquistadors wiped out the Tairona, the people who built it, in their thirst for the gold of

Eldorado. Abandoned in the early 16th century, it wasn’t really lost, just forgotten, until tomb robbers rediscovered it in the 1970’s. It’s still sacred to the indigenous Kogi people, direct descendants from the Tairona, and access is strictly limited.

El Mamey It’s a four day trek, there and back, and you have to go as part of a group with local guides. Even though the distance covered is only around 52km, you do need a certain amount of fitness, although they say that anyone can do it. We start with a bone shattering 4WD journey to the start of the trek at El Mamey. The other hikers are all young, less than half my age, the majority Dutch, with a handful of Americans and Canadian.

The afternoon starts with a gruelling climb uphill and of course I’m the slow one at the back, with the long legged Dutch pushing on ahead. The humidity is high

and a few Kogi women, in their distinctive white smocks, pass me on mules.

I drop down to the first camp by the river and plunge into the deep water pools to wash off the day’s toil. Food is simple but plentiful and we sleep in bunk beds under mosquito nets.

The second day is the toughest, as we climb deeper into the mountains and cultivated fields give way to tropical forest.

At a Kogi village, the women and children emerge from circular thatched huts to watch us pass. Piglets snuffle around in the mud, and I’m told the men are out hunting.

Later there are rivers to cross, for some atop a donkey, but since it’s the dry season the water is shallow.

The Lost City Our evening’s camp is within striking distance of the Lost City and the night time sounds of the forest lull me to sleep. It’s an early call, just before dawn, and then a steep climb up a series of 1200

moss covered steps into the mist.

A couple of soldiers waving automatic weapons guard the entrance – British tourists were kidnapped here in 2003 by ELN guerrillas and held for 103 days, and the authorities are taking no chances.

Unlike that other famous lost city, Machu Picchu, the buildings here were made of wood and thatch, much like the huts I saw earlier, so only the foundations remain. There are a series of concentric circles, on wide terraces like manicured lawns, connected by winding pathways.

Spread over an area of about 30 hectares, 250 terraces have been discovered so far and around 4000 people are believed to have lived here at its peak.

Apparently there are other settlements lost in the jungle, and as the early morning mist lifts, allowing the sunlight to pierce the deep green canopy, the only sounds come from the birds and a nearby waterfall. As we relax on the terraces, taking it all in, two shots ring out. My guides say it’s only the Kogi out on a hunt-

ing expedition and there’s no need to be alarmed.

The only way back is to retrace our steps and spend another night in the forest. It’s not exactly all downhill from here, but I feel proud I’ve reached my goal. And the gods seem to be on my side – the skies cloud over and I’m not battling the blazing sun. Although it’s humid work I’m grateful I’ve chosen the dry season. When the rains come, it’s a completely different proposition – the paths are muddy, the rivers are high and everything is permanently soaked.

To say nothing of the leeches.

Of course it’s not over until it’s over and I still find the next couple of days tough going, slightly humiliating even, as other trekkers overtake me. Finally I arrive back in El Mamey where the rest of my group are already on their second beer. There’s a round of applause – apparently they weren’t sure I’d make it. It gives me great joy to have proved them wrong. (net)

Bali News

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

3

Enjoy the charms of Kelingking Beach from above

DENPASAR — Other than Bali Island, the sister of Bali Island, namely Nusa Penida Island, is equally beautiful. Nusa Penida has a number of beautiful and iconic places on the island, one of which is the Kelingking Beach. It is located in the western part of Nusa Penida Island. The white sand of this beach gives extraordinary beauty, moreover, if it is enjoyed from above.

A visitor from Gianyar, Nyoman Suardika, stated that to get to the Kelingking Beach requires a struggle. To reach this location, tourists can depart from Sanur Beach. It takes about 30 minutes for the crossing. When arriving at Nusa Penida Harbor, tourists return to travel for about 45 minutes to get to Kelingking Beach.

He also had to go through winding and rocky path. Nevertheless, the fatigue on the trip will get paid when watching the natural beauty offered by Kelingking Beach. No wonder many tourists, both local, domestic and foreign tourists are interested in visiting this location.

It can be seen from the hectic visit to that place.

To be able to enter the Kelingking Beach area, visitors only need to pay admission ticket at IDR 5,000 per person. At the location, there are also small shops

offering various types of food.

Toilet facilities are also available.

Besides, various interesting photo spots are also available to capture the momentous moment when traveling.

Although quite tiring, it can give satisfaction to Nyoman Suardika because the road is very beautiful to enjoy. “Along the way from the harbor, many trees are passed through with cool air. This location is very attractive for vacationers,” he said recently.

According to him, Nusa Penida will be booming to become a foreign tourist destination like the Bali mainland. However, it is necessary to repair the road infrastructure to get to tourist destinations in Nusa Penida. Apart from Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida also has other tourist icons such as the Atuh Beach, Toya Pakeh, and Pasih Uwug. (kmb42)

Kelingking Beach

IBP/kmb

Half of tourism industry targeted to use Hormel

IBP/kmb

Chef Benny Zhu, from Shanghai, did a cooking demonstration of Hormel products.

DENPASAR — Chefs in Bali love to cook pork from Hormel products. Other than caused by guests wishing the product, it is also easy to cook, tastes good and smells good. In the Launch Hormel Feast taking place in the Hatten Wine Building, Sanur recently, Chef Benny Zhu, from Shanghai, did a cooking demonstration of Hormel products.

Hormel is a food product brand from the United States. It consists of bacon, ham, et cetera. In addition, Hormel also has a butter product having existed in Indonesia and was previously better known as Skippy.

The owner of Megafood Trading, Hidayat, who markets Hormel products in Indonesia, stated that all this time Hormel brand has been obtained from Singapore. So, the industries or households needing these products must import from Singapore. But next May, Hormel will be imported directly from the United States. So, the price can be cheaper.

He himself is interested in marketing the Hormel because there is no agency bringing in the product to Bali. “So, we market the product because it is indeed used and required

by hotels and restaurants,” he said.

The chefs and invitees attending the event looked so interested because all this time they have just seen Hormel on Google and the website. However, today the product has been available in Bali.

He said that Hormel has been well known in the world, especially in Singapore and Hong Kong. Hormel is the first pork product in the world.

When he was invited to see the process of making the product, he saw the manufacturing process with sophisticated machines.

The pork used belongs to rock pig having a rather long body. In addition, the piglets bred is also a good one so the meat is rather wide. These pigs are bred well, not left to go wild.

Quality of the meat depends on the food the pig eats. “For pigs consuming good food and farmed cleanly, it is guaranteed to taste good,” he said.

Overseas, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, these products have already been widely used by restaurants. Undeniably, it is also used by households, but by the middle to upper class because the price is quite expensive.

In Bali, he is confident that many people will love it. Moreover, Bali

is a tourist destination which in fact many foreign tourists that have known and tasted the delicacy of Hormel products. In Bali, several expatriates have been living in Bali for a long time, who are confused to find this product. He is grateful if 50 percent of restaurants and hotels in Bali will use Hormel products. He knew that in Bali there is Governor Regulation No. 99/2018 that encourages hotels and restaurants to use local products including local pork.

“Yesterday, when we were asked by the government, we proved that many guests are looking for this Hormel product. We answered that we have certain market segment and market shares for these imported products. For example, guests wishing to imported product and dare to pay, chef will prepare this (Hormel).

Meanwhile, some others preferred to local product due to lower budget,” he said.

Thus, chef will cook depend on the request of guests. Since Hormel has been long and available worldwide, Hormel served the menu will draw the interest of guests to try. “Maybe those coming from the United States wants Hormel,” he said. (kmb42)

2

Monday, April 15, 2019

Bali News

International

Beware of ‘money politics’ during the election silence SEMARAPURA - Entering the election silence, the public is given the opportunity to solidify their choice prior to voting on April 17. During this three-day election silence, all campaign activities to the installation of the campaign properties must be stopped. On the contrary, in politics, this election silence even makes the candidates that fight cannot be calm. During this period, various frauds frequently occur that can determine the final outcome.

The logistic for Indonesian Election in Klungkung

IBP/Bagiarta

The riskiest form of fraud is money politics. People often refer to it as the dawn attack. Chairperson of the Klungkung Electoral Supervisory Board, Komang Artawan, warned on Saturday (Apr. 13) that all parties may not carry out any methods that violate such rules. He stressed that he is not reluctant to take firm action against all kinds of fraud during the election silence. “Those who give and receive will be imposed with the same sentence. So, be careful.

Don’t try to get involved in money politics. If there are people offering money, you should report it,” said Artawan.

The Law Number 7/2017 concerning General Elections, article 492, clearly states that anyone that intentionally conducts an election campaign outside the schedule set by the Central, Provincial and District/ Municipal Electoral Commission will be sentenced to a maximum of one year in prison and a fine of IDR 12 million. Nevertheless, Artawan stressed that he still put forward preventive efforts. His commission has collaborated with related institutions, such as National Police and the Indonesian Military to monitor the activities of all parties, so that no one will carry out money politics efforts.

“So far, there have been minimal reports of violations having submitted to the Electoral Supervisory Board because we are intensely making preventive efforts from the beginning. We prevent them first, before they occur by giving an explanation on the legal impact to be faced,” said Artawan, who is also an advocate.

Chairman of the Klungkung Electoral Commission, Gusti Lanang Mega Saskara, admitted on Friday (Apr. 12) the letter had been sent to all political parties, so that all parties followed the rules according to the general election regulations. The Electoral Commission as the election organizer, in this election silence, gives the voters an opportunity to calm down. The three-day election silence should be taken advantage by voters to reflect on the entire vision

and mission program having been delivered before they make their choice on April 17.

“If during the election silence there are still campaign properties being installed, we will dismantle them together with the Municipal Police and Electoral Supervisory Board,” explained Lanang Mega Saskara.

Logistics distribution When entering the election silence on Sunday (Apr. 14), the Electoral Commission carried out the logistics distribution process to Nusa Penida by using trucks and was then transported using the roro ship from Padangbai Harbor to Nusa Penida.

The total logistics transported to Nusa Penida for 190 polling stations reaches 950 ballot boxes (each polling stations gets five ballot boxes) containing all the completeness of the election logistics under sealed conditions.

Logistics in the ballot box include completeness of polling stations, ballots in sealed covers, covers for C-1 model forms as well as valid, invalid, unused, broken/mistakenly punched ballots, and copies of C-1 models, and uncut form of C-1 model and a copy of C-1 form. Meanwhile, logistics outside the ballot box includes the identification card of KPPS and security guard, witness identification, glue, pens, large markers, pairs of candidates, fixed candidate list of central, provincial, district/ municipal House of Representatives and regional representative council, copies of fixed voter list, additional voter list and special voter list, C-7 form model and voting booths.

For other sub-districts, such as the Dawan with 118 polling stations, the logistics distribution process will take place on April 15. In total, there are 590 ballot boxes. Meanwhile, Banjarangkan with 129 polling stations and Klungkung with 182 polling stations, the logistics distribution will be carried out on April 16. Banjarangkan gets 645 ballot boxes while Klungkung gets 910 ballot boxes. (gik)

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Activities

International

Monday, April 15, 2019

15

Praise The Lord at The Island of the Gods

A$AP Rocky brings heat for the Grand Opening of Manarai Beach House Consistently bringing the biggest names and only the best performances since its opening in 2018, Manarai Beach House serves as the perfect summer getaway for everyone. Celebrating the Grand Opening of Manarai Beach House was an unforgettable performance on Saturday, 6th April 2019, hosted

by the one and only A$AP Rocky.

With over 2000 people pouring into the beach house, the crowd was fully submerged in his largerthan-life showmanship which left everyone in amazement.

Kicking off the evening was DJ Nina Las Vegas , followed by fellow comrade of the A$AP Mob family,

A$AP Lou Banga, to get the crowd heated up for what was more than an incredible evening. The shores of Nusa Dua welcomed the award winning rapper with much enthusiasm as he played his most popular tracks like ‘Praise Da Lord’, ‘F***in Problems’, and ‘Plain Jane’. As the perfect end to the night, A$AP

Rocky did not forget to do his iconic crowd surf which hyped up the audience even further.

Cementing its position as the face of a premier lifestyle destination in Nusa Dua, Manarai Beach House will stop at nothing to constantly bring new excitements.

Offering nothing less than a sophis-

ticated ambience, Manarai Beach House as one of the best beach clubs in Bali, invites everyone to experience endless summer vibes and enjoy the tropical delights at the tranquil yet lively scene of Nusa Dua. For more information, visit us at www.instagram.com/ manaraibali

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

16 Pages Number 76 11th year

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

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Monday, April 15, 2019

Ariana Grande, reigning teen pop idol with a defiant edge

PALM SPRINGS - Bubblegum pop coquette on the outside, saucy master of celebrity on the inside, there is perhaps no current star better at re-fashioning her own trials into larger-than-life success than Ariana Grande.

While suffering a highly publicized burst of personal and professional upheaval -- the deadly 2017 Manchester bombing at one of her concerts, the suicide of her exboyfriend rapper Mac Miller, the demise of her whirlwind engagement to comedian Pete Davidson -- Grande has proven poised in the face of tragedy and a deft manipulator of her own image, all while catapulting to global stardom.

Grande’s adept use of social media to slam her naysayers, drum up support from her “Arianator” fans and flirt with the gossip machine has created the perception that only she is in the driver’s seat.

After a resounding year of hits that saw industry tracker Billboard name the 25-year-old teen idol its 2018 woman of the year, Grande is set to headline a number of major festivals as part of her global tour, including this weekend’s influential Coachella lineup.

She’s just the fourth solo woman to headline the premier festival in the California desert -- and the youngest artist ever to nab the coveted spot. (afp)

Monday, April 15, 2019

LEON NEAL / AFP

In this file photo taken on December 16, 2015, US actress Carrie Fisher poses with a storm trooper as she attends the opening of the European Premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in central London.

Carrie Fisher in trailer for final ‘Star Wars’ movie

CHICAGO - Lucasfilm delighted “Star Wars” fans Friday with a glimpse of Carrie Fisher in sneak-peek footage of the hotly-anticipated final episode of the space opera -- more than two years after her death.

Ariana Grande

IBP/net

Director J.J. Abrams told the US “Star Wars Celebration” event the writers had agonized over giving Fisher’s beloved General Leia Organa a fitting send-off in the ninth installment, revealed as “Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker.”

“Every day it hits me that she is not here but it’s so surreal because we’re working with her still... she’s in scenes,” Abrams told the rapt crowd at the five-day event in

Chicago.

A world-first trailer released at the convention -- and dropped on the internet -- reintroduced the “next generation” characters from the final three films alongside old favorites from as far back as the 1977 original, “Star Wars IV: A New Hope.”

They included Lando Calrissian, portrayed by the original actor Billy Dee Williams, and the voice

only of Mark Hamill -- Luke Skywalker himself -- who appeared to die in the last film but was widely expected to have some role in the latest movie.

“No one’s ever really gone,” Skywalker says in voiceover, as Leia hugs apprentice Jedi Rey, played by English actress Daisy Ridley, who has top billing in the latest of the three trilogies that makes up the long-running saga.

Abrams said it would not continue the story exactly where the last one -- 2017’s “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” -- left off. (afp)

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Mohd RASFAN / AFP

An Indonesian woman, living in Malaysia, casts her overseas ballot in the embassy ahead of the country’s April 17 general election, in Kuala Lumpur on April 14, 2019. More than 190 million Indonesians are set to cast a ballot on April 17 in one of the world’s biggest one-day elections, with some two million living overseas also registered to vote, including in Malaysia.

Indonesia polls bring battle over China’s Belt and Road push

Indonesia has become the latest election battleground for Beijing’s soaring economic clout, as the opposition warns pro-China policies are saddling the mineral-rich archipelago with bad debt as it is sold off piecemeal to foreign interests.

Business links with top trade partner China have been thrust into the spotlight by ex-general Prabowo Subianto who is challenging Indonesian leader Joko Widodo for the presidency of Southeast Asia’s largest economy on Wednesday.

Trailing by double digits in the polls, Subianto has leaned on a fiery nationalist ticket and pledged to reevaluate Chinese investment, even as Jakarta courts huge contracts from Beijing’s $1.0 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“All (BRI) initiatives should be reviewed,” Irawan Ronodipuro, foreign affairs director for Subian-

to’s campaign, told AFP. “Blindly embracing these projects can compromise the national interest.”

Pushing back at China’s globespanning project has proved successful elsewhere in Asia, including in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Malaysia, as the trademark infrastructure push to link Asia, Europe and Africa is used to whip up fears about eroding sovereignty.

“China’s growing economic power has become a key election issue in many Asian countries ... with opposition politicians winning the elections after they criticise incumbents for their ‘pro-China’

policies,” Deasy Simandjuntak, a visiting Indonesian researcher at the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, told AFP. - Ports and power plants Since taking office in 2014, Widodo has pushed Chinese investment to fulfil his own multibillion-dollar drive to build muchneeded roads, airports and other infrastructure across the sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Last year, China and Indonesia signed $23 billion in belt and road

initiative contracts, including two hydro power plants on Borneo island and a power station on holiday hotspot Bali.

Indonesia has since said it would offer $91 billion worth of projects -from ports to power plants -- to Chinese investors at a Beijing summit in late April, just after the polls.

Chinese firms are already involved in several other ventures, including an industrial park on Sulawesi island and a $6.0 billion high-speed railway between the capital Jakarta and mountainfringed Bandung city -- which Subianto has promised to review.

Both projects have stoked fears about an influx of Chinese workers and Indonesia taking on unsustainable debt.

Perceptions about Chinese encroachment have a particular resonance in the country of 260 million, as resentment lingers over the success of some billionaire Chinese Indonesians who control vast swathes of the economy. The ethnic minority has suffered a long history of discrimination, including being a target during anti-communist purges in the mid-1960s.

Continued to page 6

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