Edition Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | International Bali Post

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

16 Pages Number 77 11th year

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

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Game Of Thrones star Pilou Asbaek: ‘Villains are the best - heroes are boring’ GAME Of Thrones does a baddie better than any other show. First up: Joffrey, the loathsome boy king who ordered Ned Stark’s beheading in season one and, eight years later, remains arguably the show’s most hated character.

Considering his competition, it’s quite a title. Walder Frey, Ramsay Bolton, Littlefinger, Cersei Lannister… the list goes on.

We also have Euron Greyjoy, the pirate villain who nails bodies to ships, but is also actually quite… charming? In this, the final series, many fans will be rooting for inadvertent heir and brooding hero Jon Snow to claim the Iron Throne, but there will surely be just as many who want to see the ruthless Cersei crowned queen, or the evil White Walkers triumph.

Game Of Thrones is not about traditional goodies and baddies (with the exception of lovable underdog Samwell Tarly, and a few cases of pure unadulterated evil);

the complex characters fans love to hate are one of the great things about the epic show.

Speaking to Sky News at the premiere of season eight in Belfast, Pilou Asbaek, who plays Greyjoy, said he would always choose to play the bad guy.

Asked what he would miss most about his character now the show has ended, he said: “Him being so brutal and relentless and that he has no limits. I’m gonna miss that.

“You’re working so much [on this show] and you’re so much away from your family that it needs to be fun. With Euron Greyjoy he’s such a fun character that even though I was away from my family it didn’t feel so wrong because I had such fun doing it.

“Villains are always the best.

You never want to be the hero; the heroes are boring, they always have to be politically correct. When you create a villain you’ve got to make them human.” (net)

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Dexter Fletcher

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for CinemaCon/AFP

After saving ‘Rhapsody,’ Dexter Fletcher stitches Elton John memories

LAS VEGAS - Elton John’s memories of his nearly fivedecade career might not be perfectly clear, but they are his nonetheless.

IBP/net

Euron Greyjoy, the pirate villain who nails bodies to ships.

And now, having been weaved together by director Dexter Fletcher, the world is going to see them.

After swooping in last minute to save “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Oscars and two Golden Globes, the British director is moving on to another tale of musical legend: that of John in

“Rocketman.”

Fletcher arrived on set for the Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic in late 2017, after original directer Bryan Singer -- accused of sexual misconduct -- was fired two weeks before wrapping up filming.

“It was coincidence, really,” Fletcher, 53, told AFP.

“I worked on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody ‘a few years before: that version didn’t happen,” he added.

Fletcher was originally brought on as director in 2013 -- but was let go over creative differences a year later.

“If things had gone the way they should have gone, we wouldn’t be talking about it... I did what I had to do but really my focus is always ‘Rocketman,’” said Fletcher. (afp)

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AP Photo

This combination photo taken on Saturday, April 13, 2019, left, and Sunday, April 7, 2019, right, show Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and his challenger in the upcoming election Prabowo Subianto during their campaign rallies in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesia presidential race pits heavy metal against the general

Indonesia’s heavy metal-loving leader Joko Widodo faces off against ex-military general Prabowo Subianto in the race to lead the world’s third-biggest democracy Wednesday, a re-run of the 2014 election contest narrowly won by Widodo.

A record 245,000 candidates are running for public office from the presidency down to local legislator positions, including an Olympic gold medallist, a pop diva, a frontman who lost his bandmates and wife in a killer tsunami and even a late dictator’s son convicted of masterminding a judge’s murder.

- Joko Widodo Widodo’s landmark 2014 victory capped a remarkable rise for the down-to-earth outsider in a political scene dominated by political dynasties from the era of Indonesia’s late dictator Suharto.

A one-time furniture exporter, the 57-year-old shot to prominence when he was elected governor of

the capital Jakarta in 2012 after a successful stint as mayor of his hometown Solo.

Raised in a bamboo shack in a riverside slum, his humble demeanour and love for headbangers Metallica proved a hit with voters fed up with a graft-prone elite.

But the father of three -- popularly known as Jokowi -- carries a mixed track record into the polls.

He championed an ambitious drive to build much-needed roads, airports and other infrastructure across the sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, including Jakarta’s first mass rapid transit system.

He also ushered in or expanded popular health and social develop-

ment schemes, including cash for the rural poor. But his rights record has come under scrutiny, with an uptick in discriminatory attacks on Indonesia’s small LGBT community during his tenure, and highprofile cases of intolerance directed at religious minority groups in the Muslim majority nation.

He has also been accused of creeping authoritarianism following arrests of opposition campaigners and a revised law that let Jakarta ban mass organisations. Viewed as weak and out of his depth in his first year in office, Widodo consolidated power in part by appointing Suharto-era army generals with chequered pasts to key posts.

He has further isolated moderate

voters by picking conservative Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin -- known for his disparaging views of minorities -- as his vice presidential nominee.

Widening inequality and a slump in the rupiah currency have sparked criticism of Widodo’s economic stewardship, despite annual growth of about five percent and low inflation. His big-ticket infrastructure projects have also been knocked for offering little benefit to tens of millions of poor Indonesians.

- Prabowo Subianto Subianto lost by a whisker five years ago, cutting Widodo’s oncehuge lead to just a few points by polling day.

The ex-general -- and ex-husband of one Suharto’s daughters -- faces another uphill battle in 2019, trailing by double digits in most opinion polls.

Prabowo has tried and failed to win high office several times over the past 15 years, including an unsuccessful 2009 run for the vice presidency.

But his ambitions have been dogged by ties to the Suharto family and a dark past -- Subianto ordered the abduction of democracy activists in the dying days of the dictator’s rule in 1998 and has been accused of committing atrocities in East Timor. He was dismissed from the military over the kidnappings.

Continued to page 6

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Bali News

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Activities

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

15

Bali-Japan relations must remain sustainable

ASIDE from tourism, there is also established cooperation in other field. With a long history, the relationship between Bali and Japan must be sustainable. It is the essence of meeting held by the Denpasar-Fukuoka Brotherhood taking place at Bali Coffee Warung 63 on Jalan Veterans no long ago.

“It does not only cover the Denpasar area but also the region across Bali. The field does not only include tourism, culture and education, but if possible it can be further expanded by generations or other community components,” said senior figure of the brotherhood, I Gusti Kompyang Pujawan.

All this time, explained Nagaoka Shoji, a lot has been done but it must be sustainable. When looking back, continued the man who is now also expanding the cooperation to the early child education (PAUD), after the implementation of several agendas such as education. Some teachers, students and other academicians are given the opportunity to study in Japan for free.

Periodically, some pupils, college students and people of various professions come to Bali and teach Japanese at Mataken Gakko for free. In the field of culture, the brotherhood members are invited and participated in the Dontaku Festival in Fukuoka.

Meanwhile, Prof. Rumawan Salain commented that what has been carried out by this nonprofit institution is certainly monitored by the government. “We are very much supported by the Denpasar city government and of course by the Japanese government through its General Consulate in Denpasar,” he said.

Morale support of IJI is very important considering the mission carried out is a universal matter for the advancement of both parties. “Every cultural event held by the Consulate, we are always invited and vice versa,” said Rumawan, a senior architect.

As Japanese in Bali, Nagaoka Shoji also sees the movement of the IJI institution is very positive by cooperating with various groups to bridge the two sides.

“Obviously, this institution will continuously participate in the progress of both parties. Bali-Japan, Denpasar-Fukuoka has a long history. We will continuously write with everything that we hope to bring in better thing,” concluded Pujawan. (055)

IBP/Pak pal

The discussion about the relationship between Bali and Japan

Enforcement of admission ticket to Waterblow

MOU required between Badung district govt and ITDC

MANGUPURA - The Waterblow area located on Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua, crowded with tourists, is now being tested in connection with the plan to enforce admission ticket. It is considering that Waterblow area has been designated as a Badung tourist destination.

However, the Badung Tourism Office hoped that before the admission ticket is officially enforced, there must be MoU between the Badung district government and the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

Head of the Badung Tourism Office, Made Badra, said since it was established as a tourist destination a year ago, indeed tourist visits to the Waterblow continued to increase. The trial conducted at this time, said Badra, is good enough to disseminate the existence of the new Waterblow having been arranged. Particularly, it is related to the procedures and how to get a ticket to enter into the area.

He affirmed that ticket admission should be implemented permanently after the MoU is signed with his office at the Badung district government. In the cooperation agreement will be arranged the technique of applying the ticket and the amount of the tariff to be charged. Discussion regarding the MOU, said Badra, will be carried out

after the election (Apr. 17). “Later, there must be MoU first before the ticket enforcement. Otherwise, the trial can be extended,” he said when contacted on Sunday (Apr. 14).

Meanwhile, Managing Director of ITDC Nusa Dua, IGN Ardita, said that conceptually this has also been communicated with the Badung Tourism Office in accordance with the plan for implementing the Waterblow as the Badung tourist attraction. For this stage of the process, he has also communicated and disseminated to the community around the area, and all parties already supported. “We also prepare the issues of safety, cleanliness and information about the object,” he added.

In an effort to increase tourist visits to Nusa Dua area, various international events are ready to be held in 2019. There are 6 international tourism events planned to be held on Peninsula Island, The Nusa Dua. Ardita added the events are also held as an effort to promote the Peninsula

Island, namely an island facing the Indian Ocean as one of the tourist destinations in Bali. “This activity aims to add tourist attractions in the area of The Nusa Dua, especially culture tourism, to increase interest and visit of tourists to Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general,” he said recently.

All of the planned events are the Sundown Dancing Lesson held every Sunday at 17:00 on the Peninsula Island. The Bebalihan (traditional show) involving a number of art studios in the ITDC buffer zone will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at Puja Mandala Temple, The Nusa Dua. The third event is the Nusa Dua Light Festival to be held on May 30-July 14, 2019.

Meanwhile, for music lovers, Bali Blues Festival will be prepared on June 13-14, 2019 and for sports there will be an International Night Run on October 13, 2019 and the Pesona Nusa Dua Fiesta will be held on October 25-27, 2019. (kmb23)

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MELIA BALI – BUILDING A CARING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PLANET

At Melia Bali, we are embracing our role as custodians of our fragile earth. To honour our commitment to its ongoing care, we have established the Melia Bali Sustainability Program, an initiative that has won a number of awards in recent years including the UNWTO EarthCheck Master Achievement Award in 2018.

The most important relationship that we all have is with the planet that gives us life. In our fast-paced, modern world it is all too easy to take our planet and its resources

for granted and such complacency risks devastating consequences for the future. We are only just starting to really understand that our planet weaves its life-giving magic through a multitude of finely balanced environmental systems, systems that we depend upon for our very survival.

The Melia Bali Sustainability Program introduces strategies to reduce the impact of our operations on the earth, and the latest phase of this program tackles the use of

damaging plastics by eliminating them from our services wherever possible.

The use of single-use plastic water bottles and drinking straws are significant causes of plastic pollution across the world, to address these restaurants use glass bottles instead of plastic ones, our guests can purchase reusable personal steel drinking bottles and our new biodegradable drinking straws are made from corn and cassava. This is only the start and

further initiatives in the program are: • We are using reusable materials to line the wooden trash bins in our guest rooms.

• Eco-friendly materials are being used instead of plastic for our picnic boxes • We are using eco cups in the spa, kid’s club and the fitness and sports centre.

• Our room slippers are now being made from woven bamboo • We no longer serve butter in

portion control plastic pots but in ceramic dishes.

• Plastic coasters have been replaced by wood.

• The gardeners now use reusable pillowcases to replace plastic bags for collecting leaves and other garden waste.

We are the ancestors of the future and will be remembered for the health of the environment we pass on to future generations, come and join us in building a loving, caring relationship with our planet.

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Science

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Bali News

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

3

Photography

Glamor of blurs in macro photography

IBP/net

Ketamine cultivates new nerve cell connections in mice Ketamine may work by encouraging nerve cells (illustrated) in the brain to make new connections, a mouse study finds.

CONNECTICUT - Ketamine banishes depression by slowly coaxing nerve cells to sprout new connections, a study of mice suggests. The finding, published in the April 12 Science, may help explain how the hallucinogenic anesthetic can ease some people’s severe depression.

The results are timely, coming on the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s March 5 approval of a nasal spray containing a form of ketamine called esketamine for hard-to-treat depression. But lots of questions remain about the drug.

“There is still a lot of mystery in terms of how ketamine works in the brain,” says neuroscientist Alex Kwan of Yale University. The new study adds strong evidence that newly created nerve cell connections are involved in ketamine’s antidepressant effects, he says.

While typical antidepressants can take weeks to begin working,

ketamine can make people feel better in hours. Scientists led by neuroscientist Conor Liston suspected that ketamine might quickly be remodeling the brain by spurring new nerve cell connections called synapses. “As it turned out, that wasn’t true, not in the way we expected, anyway,” says Liston, of Cornell University.

Newly created synapses aren’t involved in ketamine’s immediate effects on behavior, the researchers found. But the nerve cell connections do appear to help sustain the drug’s antidepressant benefits over the longer term.

To approximate depression in people, researchers studied mice that had been stressed for weeks, either by being restrained daily in mesh tubes, or by receiving injections of the stress hormone corticosterone. These mice began showing signs of despair, such as losing their taste for sweet water and giving up a struggle when dangled by their tails.

Three hours after a dose of ketamine, the mice’s behavior righted, as the researchers expected. But the team found no effects of the drug on nerve cells’ dendritic spines — tiny signal-receiving

blebs that help make new neural connections. So the creation of new synapses couldn’t be responsible for ketamine’s immediate effects on behavior, “because the behavior came first,” Liston says.

When the researchers looked over a longer time span, though, they found that these new synapses were key. About 12 hours after ketamine treatment, new dendritic spines began to pop into existence on nerve cells in part of the mice’s prefrontal cortex, the brain area responsible for complex thinking.

These dendritic spines seemed to be replacing those lost during the period of stress, often along the same stretch of neuron.

To test if these newly created spines were important for the

mice’s improved behavior, the researchers destroyed the spines with a laser a day after the ketamine treatment. That effectively erased ketamine’s effects, and the mice again exhibited behavior resembling depression, including struggling less when held by their tails. (The mice kept their regained sugar preference.)

Research on humans has also suggested that depressed people have diminished synapses, says Ronald S. Duman, a neuroscientist at Yale University not involved in the study. The new work adds more support to those findings by showing that destroying new synapses can block ketamine’s behavioral effects. “That’s a huge contribution and advance,” Duman says. (net)

FLORIDA - Israel’s first lunar lander, Beresheet, appears to have crash-landed on the moon.

The spacecraft, launched by the Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL, was scheduled to touch down on the lunar surface on April 11.

But in the final few minutes of its descent, the spacecraft’s engine stalled. Mission control reset Beresheet to bring its engine back online, but then communication with the lander cut out. “#Beresheet’s main engine fail! Spacecraft failed landing.

Appeared to have crashed on the moon’s surface!” the Israel Space Agency tweeted at 3:30 p.m. EDT. “We didn’t make it, but we definitely tried,” said SpaceIL Chairman Morris Kahn in an

online livestream of the landing.

“I think we can be proud.”

Had Beresheet arrived safely, Israel would have become the fourth country — following the United States, the former Soviet Union and China — to stick a lunar landing (SN: 11/24/18, p.

14). Still, Israel has now claimed seventh place in sending a spacecraft into orbit around the moon.

Launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., onboard a SpaceX rocket in February, Beresheet orbited Earth until meeting up with the moon in early April. After several lunar orbits, the spacecraft was set to park in the Sea of Serenity — a volcanic plain on the moon’s nearside, close to where Apollo 17 astronauts planted a

flag in 1972.

Beresheet carried a handful of scientific instruments onboard, including cameras and a device to measure magnetic fields. But science was only SpaceIL’s No. 2 priority for their small, scrappy spacecraft. The primary goal of Beresheet was a successful landing that would help create an “Apollo Effect” to inspire Israeli students to pursue science and engineering. The mission even inspired a children’s book, The Little Spacecraft.

This isn’t the end for an Israeli mission to the moon, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “If at first you don’t succeed, you try again.” (afp)

Israel’s first moon mission lost moments before landing

IBP/net

The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet snapped this selfie during its final approach to the moon, just minutes before the spacecraft failed.

THE WORLD of photography always moves dynamically and never stagnates. New ideas, innovations and fresh creativity always emerge making the world of photography even more interesting to pursue. This matter also applies to macro photography, a genre in photography that specifically explores the beauty of small objects. One of them is presenting blur nuance around the main object or point of interest to strengthen the characters and stories presented in the macro photography works. Here are practical tips for presenting amazing blur in macro photography from Andiyan Lufti.

According to this Indonesian photographer whose macro photography works have won various awards at national and international photography competition, the lenses used to present blur nuances depend on what type of blur they want. He said that each lens has its own character. In the photos displayed in this edition, the photographer domiciling in Bogor uses a mirrorless Fuji camera with an XF 80mm Macro lens and Meyer

Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm F2.8 lens.

Both lenses produce two different types of blur. With the XF 80mm Macro lens, the blur acquired shows evenly the highlighted circles (Photo: Golden Snail).

Meanwhile, with the Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan, the blur produced highlights on the side of the circle only, so it is often called bubble blur (Photo: Pearl Nets).

Sufficient magnification To produce blur, Andiyan Lutfi suggested the use of macro lenses with sufficient magnification. If using the Meyer Gorlitz lens that is not a macro lens, it will require extension tube to increase the magnification of the object. When shooting, there must be a light source from behind or back lighting. “Blur originates from light reflection. In the photos of this edition, I use light reflections of water beads. The water beads are placed around the object both foreground and background,” he said.

Andiyan Lutfi added, in Fuji macro lenses, the diaphragm used

freely depends on the distance of the object from the background, the size of the object and the light conditions when shooting. Meanwhile, with the Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan lens, it is obligatory to use the largest diaphragm on the lens, namely F / 2.8 to produce bubble blur. If you use the diaphragm on it, the bubble blur will not appear. “On the Fuji XF80mm Macro lens, the resulted blur both foreground and background have the same type.

Meanwhile, in the use of Meyer

Gorlitz Domiplan Lens, the blur type on the foreground and background is very different. Blur in the background will be perfectly formed while the foreground looks irregular,” he said.

So, what about the speed and ISO settings? Andiyan Lutfi gave emphasis that the use of speed and ISO is very much dependent on light when shooting. However, he suggested setting the speed should be more than the focal length of the lens to avoid shaking when shoot-

ing. For example, if the lens used is 80mm, then the speed must be more than 1/80.

He added that still or moving slowly objects become the top priority in shooting macro photography if wishing to raise the feel of blur such as mushrooms, small flowers, snails, spiders and so on.

“I tend to choose objects that are silent or have slow movements.

Fast-moving objects tend to make us difficult to execute in areas having been set,” he explained. (ian)

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Bali News

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

People complain about damaged roads often claiming tourist victims

GIANYAR - Being well-known as an art town visited by thousands of tourists every day, it does not necessarily make Gianyar district free from damaged roads. Moreover, the badly damaged roads have long been complained by residents of Keliki village and Kendran village, Tegallalang subdistrict. The road damage has been going on for a long time, but until now there has been no follow-up from the local government. Moreover, after rainy season the damage to a number of roads at these two villages is getting worse.

A local resident, I Wayan Diana, stated that 1.7-kilometer of road from Pejengaji to Gagah hamlet, Keliki, are in damaged condition.

This condition is very much regretted by residents crossing the location. “It used to be measured.

But after being submitted, the repair was only promised along 1 km. Until now, there has been no realization,” said Wayan Diana.

He explained it is also taken advantage as alternative route if there is a diversion in the Ceking region.

“Initially, it was an independentlymade road, but it was then taken advantage for shortcut to Ceking,” he explained.

If there is a diversion, this road section is often passed through by

large vehicles like trucks. The section has been used as alternative road since 1996. The last hot mixed asphalt was applied to road section around 2011. It was followed with regular asphalt for about three times. “Around 3 months ago, it was patched with concrete financed by fund from some donors. But now the road is cracked again,” he explained.

Even though this road section is located in the countryside, the district road belongs to tourism access.

Almost every time this road section is passed through by cycling adventure and used as access to a number of tourist attractions. Sadly, a number of tourists often have got accidents due to falling down while crossing the damaged road. “It is a pity that tourists wishing to take a vacation actually experience an incident just because the government does not seriously fix the infrastructure,” he said.

Similar comment was expressed by another resident, I Ketut Narwa.

This badly damaged road is right in front of his house. “The damage also happens to the road right in front of my house, so that guests often fall down. Not long ago, there was a German guests falling down and had to be rushed to hospital,” he said. (kmb35)

Academics concerned about Singapore’s ‘fake news’ law

JIJI PRESS / AFP

In this picture taken on April 14, 2019 Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant as he stands in front of the reactor number 2 (L) and number 3 (R) buildings in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture.

IBP/kmb40

The body of the statue has the same size as a calf covered with several pieces of black cloth. In front of it, there is a small concrete table used to place canang offerings and incense stick.

Ox statue of Tamanbali royal heritage

Believed to be a place to invoke cattle healing

BANGLI - Several heritages of the Tamanbali kingdom can still be found at Tamanbali village, Bangli. One of them is an ox statue. The stone statue is said to be the king’s place to poop. By the local community, the statue is currently taken advantage as a place to invoke recovery of livestock.

IBP/kmb35

The road damage has been going on for a long time, but until now there has been no follow-up from the local government.

13

This ox statue is located in front of the Bangli Public Health Center 1, precisely in the southwest corner of the health center. The statue surrounded by compound walls looks quite well maintained. There are no other buildings in the area, except for the ox statue with the two broken horns. The body of the statue has the same size as a calf covered with several pieces of black cloth.

In front of it, there is a small concrete table used to place canang offerings and incense stick.

Dewa Made Manacika, a community leader of Tamanbali village, when met recently revealed the ox statue is one of the several heritages owned by the king of Tamanbali remaining to exist today, following the collapse of the Tamanbali kingdom in 1829. As the history he knows for generations, the ox statue is said to be a toilet used by the king to defecate. “In the past, this location was a royal family area. Location of the current public health center and vocational school are the royal area,” he said accompanied by Sang Kompyang Suji, a local community.

It is unknown exactly how the king formerly used the statue. Obviously, the ox statue has a number of holes connected to one channel in it. The holes are on the back, mouth and lower back of the ox.

He said that around the 1980s, after organizing Maligia Lajur ritual at Tamanbali village, the people of Tamanbali village wished to lift the ox statue from its present position and then put it back on a higher place. It is meant as an expression of respect, so the position of the ox statue can be parallel to the existing buildings around it. However, the desire failed to be carried out because the statue could not be lifted by people even though it was held in tatters. “At that time, around 40 people tried to lift the statue. Moreover, it was already made a carrying rope. Unfortunately, it could not be lifted,” he explained.

Local community believes that the royal heritage is sacred. Since it is considered sacred, so far the people of Tamanbali village often put canang and banten offerings on the statue, especially on Tumpek Landep celebration. “Pursuant to the

belief of local community, people will invoke holy water when their cattle, pigs or other animals get sick.

The water is believed to be able to help cure their livestock,” he said.

Dewa Made Manacika who once served as headman of Tamanbali in 1970-1982 said that in addition to the ox statue, the heritage of the Tamanbali kingdom remaining to be found today at Tamanbali village include a royal bathing place namely Taman Narmada Bali Raja, Bale Mas and a number of largesized statues. Meanwhile, when remaining to serve as a headman, he claimed to have a desire to make some of the heritages into historical tourist attraction.

Moreover, there is a desire to set up a museum as a place to store and showcase the heritages of the Tamanbali kingdom. “Until now, the desire of Tamanbali village to become a historical tourism village and the establishment of the museum remains to exist. Now, it depends on the village to disseminate and ask for agreement from the local community,” he concluded. (kmb40)

Nuclear fuel removed from crippled Japan plant

TOKYO - The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima power plant on Monday began removing atomic fuel from inside a building housing one of the reactors that melted down in 2011.

The delicate operation represents the first time the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has pulled out fuel rods from inside a highly contaminated building containing the melted-down reactor, and comes four years behind schedule.

Due to high radiation levels, technicians used remote-controlled equipment to haul fuel from a “storage pool” inside the building.

Operations were briefly suspended early Monday afternoon after a problem with the equipment removing the fuel, but resumed shortly afterwards.

“We finally started this work. We will spend two years removing 566 units of fuel from reactor three,” said Takahiro Kimoto, a TEPCO spokesman. TEPCO removed four units as planned on Monday, with workers continuing to remove debris that have fallen inside the pool and other areas, Kimoto told reporters.

“Factors such as removal of debris and various troubles have caused delays, which we realise have caused significant worries to people in the region and others,” Kimoto said.

“Putting safety as our priority, we will carefully continue this work,” he promised.

Engineers have had to contend with clearing earthquake debris in-

side the building and an array of other technical challenges, said TEPCO spokeswoman Yuka Matsubara.

“We had to proceed carefully (to remove debris), and we needed to take measures as dust would waft up and increase radiation readings,” she told AFP. TEPCO engineers will not yet attempt to extract molten nuclear fuel that remains deep inside the mangled reactor. This is considered the most difficult part of the massive cleanup operation and is not expected to begin until 2021.

- ‘Reconstruction plan’ In February, TEPCO sent a remote-controlled probe to pick up pebble-sized pieces of the melted fuel in a bid to find out whether the material could be moved.

The next step in that painstaking process will be to remove some of the fuel as a sample, which is scheduled to happen by March 2020.

The company also faces other difficult challenges, including working out how to dispose of large quantities of contaminated water stored in containers at the plant site.

In the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986, reactors one, two and three at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant melted down after a

deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011.

The tsunami killed around 18,000 people and caused widespread devastation, and the nuclear meltdown forced the evacuation of areas near the plant. Reactors four through six were offline at the time of the disaster for inspections and did not suffer meltdowns, though reactor four was damaged by an explosion in the days after the tsunami.

In December 2014, TEPCO finished removing all 1,535 units of nuclear fuel kept inside the storage pool at reactor four.

The company aims to conduct the same operations for the buildings for reactor one and two by 2023 as part of a four-decade plan to dismantle the entire Fukushima plant.

Japan’s government has pushed a reconstruction plan for the surrounding region that includes decontaminating affected areas and removing topsoil. This month, an evacuation order was lifted for part of Okuma, one of two towns where the nuclear plant is located.

But regions affected by the disaster have struggled to attract back residents who fled in the wake of the meltdown, with many still concerned about radiation despite government assurances. (afp)

SINGAPORE - Nearly 100 academics worldwide have expressed concern over Singapore’s proposed law against “fake news”, warning it could threaten academic freedom and hurt the city-state’s ambition to become a global education hub.

The government this month unveiled a bill containing tough measures, including powers for ministers to order sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter to put warnings next to posts authorities deem false, and extreme cases, to take them down.

If an action is deemed malicious and damaging to Singapore’s interests, companies could be hit with fines of up to Sg$1 million ($740,000), while individuals could face jail terms of up to 10 years.

Authorities in the tightly-controlled country insist the measures are necessary to prevent online falsehoods sowing social divisions, but the move has sparked anger from press freedom groups and tech giants such as Facebook and Google.

Now ninety-seven academics from around the world with expertise in Singapore and Asia have signed a letter warning the proposed legislation “may deter scholarship and set precedents harmful to global academia”.

“We are concerned that the proposed legislation will have unintended detrimental consequences for scholars and research in Singapore,” said the group, who included academics from Harvard and Yale, as well as institutions in Britain, Australia, and parts of Asia.

The letter, released at the weekend, also warned the law could compromise “Singapore’s notable efforts to develop itself into an internationally-recognised hub for excellence in higher education”.

Singapore is home to several leading higher education institutes, which attract academics from around the world.

The group, called Academics Against Disinformation, also said they wrote to the education ministry to express their concerns.

The ministry was cited in local media as saying the draft law does not restrict opinion and will not affect academic research work, but the academics said they could not accept the response as a guarantee.

Singapore is among several countries seeking to legislate against fake news, and the bill is expected to pass easily through parliament, which is dominated by the long-ruling People’s Action Party. (afp)

IBP/net

Authorities in the tightly-controlled country insist the measures are necessary to prevent online falsehoods sowing social divisions, but the move has sparked anger from press freedom groups and tech giants such as Facebook and Google.

12

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

5

Castro warns Cubans to brace for shortages HAVANA - Communist Party leader Raúl Castro warned Cubans on Wednesday that they should brace for worsening shortages due to Trump administration policies, but said the island won’t return to the extreme deprivation of the post-Soviet period.

In his first speech to the nation in more than three months, Castro said that U.S. pressure on Venezuela and Cuba could lead to serious shortages increasing sharply in coming months.

It has become hard to find basic goods such as chicken, cooking oil, eggs and flour throughout Cuba this year, due largely to a lack of hard currency to buy imported goods or equipment to process domestic products. State-run newspapers cut their page count last week due to shortages of newsprint, and Castro indicated that the government would engage in further cutbacks due to cash shortfalls.

“We’ve taken a series of decision to focus the development of the economy, and to resist and overcome the new obstacles imposed by the hardening of the economic siege,” Castro said. “We need to be aware of growing problems, and the situation could grow worse in the next few months.”

Cuba’s centrally planned economy has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in income in recent months due to problems in deals with leftist allies and former allies. Brazil’s new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro canceled a contract employing thousands of Cuban doctors late last year. The collapse of Venezuela’s economy is believed to cost additional hundreds of millions in cutbacks to aid to Cuba, although neither country releases figures.

Castro spoke at a ceremony in which a new constitution, approved in a February referendum, went into effect. The National Assembly is now expected to pass a series of laws updating elements of the Cuban state, ranging from the electoral system to the family code. Cuban officials say there are no major economic reforms pending for one of the world’s last Soviet-style systems, despite the increasingly tough situation.

While he warned of worsening shortages, Castro said that the hunger and desperation that hit Cuba after the fall of its Soviet patron in 1991 would not return, thanks to Cuba’s diversified economy — with nearly 5 million tourists a year and direct investment from Europe, Asia and Latin America.

“It’s not about returning to the harshest phase of the Special Period of the ‘90s,” Castro said. “Today it’s a different scenario in terms of the diversification of the economy, although we do have to be prepared for the worst.”

Along with sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba’s closest ally and economic patron, the Trump administration has made it harder to visit Cuba and has threatened to allow U.S. lawsuits against foreign investors here.

Despite the pressure, Castro said Cuba would not abandon President Nicolás Maduro and his administration.

“We will never abandon our duty to act in solidarity with Venezuela, or renounce a single one of our principles, and we energetically reject all pressure and blackmail,” Castro said. (ap)

AP Photo/Michael Probst

President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi speaks during a press conference following the Governing Council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

Europe hurt by US trade threats, central bank says

FRANKFURT - The head of the European Central Bank warned that global friction over trade — such as U.S. threats to impose more tariffs — is holding back the economy as he underlined the bank’s readiness to deploy more stimulus if needed.

Mario Draghi said Wednesday that an improving jobs market and rising wages were helping the economy in the 19 countries that use the euro but uncertainties like trade disputes and Brexit are hurting it.

“Global headwinds continue to weigh on euro area growth,” he told a news conference after the central bank kept its key interest rates and policy promises on hold.

Draghi was speaking hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to pile tariffs on another $11 billion worth of goods from the European Union, ratcheting up tensions as the two sides negotiate trade terms.

“The fact that these threats are being voiced with some frequency is certainly undermining confidence,” Draghi said.

The 19-country eurozone, which relies heavily on exports, has also suffered from uncertainty created by a separate U.S. dispute with China over trade. Trump has

targeted countries that sell more to the U.S. than they buy, saying he is protecting American companies and jobs.

Yet the trade disputes have unsettled the global economy. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its growth outlook for this year to 3.3% from 3.5% and its chief economist said the global economy was at “a delicate moment.”

Britain’s looming departure from the EU - with leaders meeting Wednesday to discuss proposals for a delay - has further created concerns about new barriers to trade in Europe.

The eurozone economy has sagged under the pressure of the uncertainty stemming from those ongoing concerns.

One-off factors have also hurt activity, including troubles in the auto industry.

The European Commission forecasts eurozone growth of 1.3% for all of 2019, from 1.8% last year. Unemployment is down to 7.8% from a peak of 12.1% in 2013, helping domestic demand for

goods and services. Draghi said that the ECB, the chief monetary authority for the European Union member countries that use the euro currency, was ready to use all its policies to help the economy, should it be needed.

The ECB, which only at the end of 2018 wrapped up a major monetary stimulus program, has had to shift its stance and offer the economy more help.

In March it extended the date for the earliest interest rate increase to the end of the year. It also promised a new round of cheap loans to banks to help them lend to business and support growth.

The ECB has joined the U.S. Federal Reserve in pausing the withdrawal of stimulus measures deployed over a decade to bounce back from the global financial crisis, as central bankers around the world ponder which way the economy is headed. The Fed has already started raising rates but has backed off plans for further rate increases in 2019. (ap)

Come on, Ride Free Gig in Denpasar City

Have you ever ridden a gig? Once upon a time, try to enjoy the attraction of riding a free gig prepared by the Denpasar municipality. The location is at the office of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD) of Denpasar, the former building of the Denpasar Tourism Office, precisely on Jalan Raya Surapati, north of Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar.

Gig is a traditional means of transportation taking advantage of the horse power. To be able to enjoy the atmosphere of Denpasar city through gig rides for free, just come on Saturday and Sunday at the office of the BPPD Denpasar.

This attraction starts at 9:00 until

15:00. However, passengers should fill out the participant’s log book put at the entrance of the office.

When riding a gig, guests can invite their sister, brother or parents.

By all means, there are eight gigs that always line up while waiting for the public or tourists to enjoy

the atmosphere of the city. A gig must not be ridden by more than four people. After getting enough passenger, the driver of the gig then drive to the center of the Bali’s capital. “My children are very happy to be invited to ride a gig,” said Ni Made Suparmi, a mother

of 2 sons from Karangasem living at Penatih.

The route in the city of Denpasar is passed through for around 18-20 minutes. The journey starts from the office of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), moving towards the left via Jalan Surapati, turn right towards Jalan Kapten Agung, turn right towards Jalan Baliton and then turn right towards Jalan Udayana.

The journey continues to pass

Trevelling in Bali, what menu have you not been enjoyed? As a world tourist destination, people on this Island of the Gods are very rich in culinary delights coming with delicious traditional menus.

The menus are not only presented with classic style, but also prepared and packaged in a modern way, so that they can be enjoyed by the tongues of various countries.

Well, of course it is the result of the

development of Bali tourism based on culture.

Mixed rice, for instance, is one of the most popular traditional menus. Chef of restaurants or hotels prepare it and then arrange it more interestingly. One of them is the Chef of Lembah Ayung Restaurant, Pramana Watukurung Resort Ubud, I Wayan Jayantika. This creative man managed to arrange ‘Purple Rice’ inspired by mixed rice. With various innovations poured into the culinary servings, it can attract the public interest.

This purple rice is delicious and unique. Apart from having distinctive taste and presentation, the additional ingredients also make it attractive. One serving of purple rice comes with rice in the form of a cone, vegetable with spicy sauce, fish satay, chicken soup, chicken egg and fried beans with grated coconut. Served with raw

condiment, it is added with sambel pangi or pangium condiment. The latter is served in one serving of mixed rice. “We intentionally add sambel pangi in the presentation of purple rice,” said Chef I Wayan Jayantika.

Perhaps sambel pangi is not widely known by people at this time, especially among the millennial generations that have started to switch to international-style food. Well, this sambel pangi is introduced to foreign tourists by the Lembah Ayung Restaurant located in Pramana Watukurung Resort in Ubud area.

This restaurant does serve sambel pangi in purple rice. In addition to providing a unique taste sensation, pangium condiment is also intended to introduce foods usually consumed by Balinese people. “We are also happy because tourists’ response is positive where many

in the area of ??the Catur Muka Statue, go to Jalan Veteran at Inna Bali Hotel and then move towards Jalan Gatot Kaca, turn left passing Jalan Arjuna and then enter Jalan Gajah Mada. After crossing the area of ??the Catur Muka statue, passengers are taken to return to the BPPD Building. “Foreign tourists also often ride a gig, but not on Sundays,” said one of the coaches commonly called Pak Ketut (rejecting to mention his surname). (kmb)

are fond of this sambel pangi,” he said happily.

How to make pangium condiment? It starts with choosing some types of spices, namely onion and chili. The onion and chili are thinly sliced ??and mixed with pangium (kluwek), then cooking oil is added.

After that, it is served on mixed rice or purple rice. Some parts of the pangium condiment is also used to make beef dish that complements this purple rice.

Purple rice, is a color concept of the resort that houses the Lembah Ayung Restaurant. However, the presentation of purple rice uses brown rice. “At first, we had time to use purple rice from purple sweet potatoes, but the quality was not good, especially after being left alone. So, we then decided to use brown rice which has many benefits for the human body,” he admitted. (kmb)

Purple Rice Served with Sambel Pangi

6

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

W

International

RLD

Ghost ships of Lagos, a haven of crime

LAGOS - The two men in the motorised wooden canoe look around warily as they leave a towering shipwreck in the Lagos lagoon, with the barrels of oil on board barely concealed under rags.

The rusting hulk of iron and peeling paint has been battered by the elements and is half submerged in the water. Sprouts of green shoots on deck indicate how long it has been abandoned.

But on closer inspection, the wreck is a working storage facility for stolen or “bunkered” oil, as it is known in Nigeria.

“Oladele”, a 30-year-old who did not want to publicise his real name, has plied the waters on his boat since he was 15.

He says it’s not the only wreck that stores illegally imported oil brought into the port by the huge tankers delivering petrol and gas, then sold on in neighbouring Be-

nin and Togo.

“Every ship does it. They will declare 10 tonnes but bring in 12,” he told AFP. “We will store them in the tanks, deep inside the wrecks, then at night usually, it will be picked up.”

Middle men could typically make at least $80 to $200 (70 to 180 euros) a trip for several years.

“It’s big business,” he said.

- Marine cemetery Scores of shipwrecks in Lagos’ waterways, coastal waters and on the shores of its beaches have turned parts of its shoreline into a marine cemetery.

In Kiri-Kiri, the lagoon corri-

dor, scores of wrecks and discarded ship scrap provide useful cover to hide illicit goods and barrels of oil and gas.

From there, the waters offer an easy route up the Lagos coast to Benin and beyond. Expensive scrap metal culled from unmanned wrecks can be sold for thousands of dollars.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, churning out about two million barrels a day.

But a lack of fully functioning refineries means crude is exported, processed and then imported for use.

Much of it is shipped through the narrow ma- rine corridor into

Lagos. Hundreds of ships wait for days on the horizon of the Gulf of Guinea to get into the port and discharge their goods.

On the way in and out they pass the skeletons of scuttled and abandoned ships, some of which have capsized because of the effects on the tides of the wrecks.

Yet there are also suspicions that amidst lax marine regulation, companies treat Lagos’ waters as a ship refuse site, avoiding incurring the expense of disposing of old vessels.

Experts say the wrecks act as groynes, halting the flow of sand downshore and accelerating erosion.

Lack of regulation on the waters has also helped illicit activity thrive, turning the ghost ships into hideouts for sea criminals.

Small groups of former crew

lounge on several of the wrecks, lodging in dim, disused cabins, keeping watch for anyone seeking to strip the ships of valuable scrap.

One crew member, who asked not to be identified, said he and three others had worked shifts to stay in the cabin all day and night for 15 months since the ship capsized.

Copper and bronze and the brass from the ship’s propeller could be sold for as much as 20,000,000 naira ($55,000), he said.

“People will come and steal valuables that are still here,” he added. (afp)

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN

11

ELECTION 2019 An Indonesian election

worker on horseback, assisted by police officials, transports ballot boxes

and election material to a remote village in Jember, East Java on April 15, 2019. Some 192 million Indonesians are set to cast their ballots April 17 in the world’s thirdbiggest democracy, with a record 245,000 candidates vying for positions from the presidency and parliamentary seats all the way down to local council jobs.

Minister lends assurance of full security arrangements during election

American Airlines to cancel 115 flights daily over 737 MAX WASHINGTON - American Airlines announced Sunday it would scrap some 115 flights per day in the coming months because its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes is being grounded until August 19.

America’s leading airline had previously only planned to keep the planes out of commission until June 5, with Boeing facing intense scrutiny after 157 people died in an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash on March 10 -- the second deadly

crash involving the aircraft in five months.

The global fleet of 737 MAX planes has been barred from flying since mid-March.

“These 115 flights represent approximately 1.5 percent of American’s total flying each day this summer,” American Airlines chairman and CEO Doug Parker said in a statement.

But he stressed his confidence in the aircraft overall.

“Based upon our ongoing work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, we are highly confident that the MAX will be recertified prior to this time (August 19),” he said.

“By extending our cancellations through the summer, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans.

“Once the MAX is recertified,

IBP/net

American Airlines announced Sunday it would scrap some 115 flights per day in the coming months because its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes is being grounded until August 19.

we anticipate bringing our MAX aircraft back on line as spares to supplement our operation as needed during the summer.”

American Airlines had lowered one of its first quarter indicators in light of the Boeing 737 MAX

8 planes being grounded, along with the partial US government shutdown and technical challenges.

Earlier this week, competitor Southwest Airlines said it would operate its 34 aircraft of the same model starting August 5. (afp)

Indonesia...

From page 1

This time round Subianto has sought to portray himself as a defender of the nation who will boost military spending, and has accused Widodo of selling the mineral-rich country to foreign interests, including China.

He has courted hardline Islamist groups and -- despite being vastly wealthy himself -- railed against the country’s elites, claiming they are exploiting the poor.

Some commentators say that the overseas-educated 67-year-old believes he is destined to lead Indonesia.

Others have questioned his hunger for the job, suggesting he is running to help his Gerindra party at the polls and to supply a platform for younger running mate Sandiaga Uno. Uno, a 49-year-old former financier who is reported to have spent about $100 million of his own fortune on the campaign, has been popular with millennials and housewives, possibly paving the way for a tilt at Indonesia’s top job in 2024. (afp)

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has made assurance of security during the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections held across Indonesia’s 34 provinces on April 17, 2019.

“We have to hold the process in a peaceful, smooth, and successful manner,” Wiranto, the Indonesian Defense Forces’ (TNI’s) ex-commander, remarked while chairing a meeting held to discuss final preparations for security arrangements during the voting day, here, Monday.

The minister believes that those planning to cast their ballot must be guaranteed protection on Wednesday.

Those eligible for voting should have free and safe access to polling stations, he emphasized.

Those tasked with executing the election should be able to optimally fulfill their tasks across polling stations in Indonesia. “This is also applicable for preparations for the results of vote counting,” he stated.

A election is deemed successful when it can produce top leadership across all levels to take the country forward to realize a brighter future in

the coming five years, he reiterated.

Wiranto believes peaceful elections can assist in holding the elections smoothly and ultimately be contributing to their successful outcomes.

The minister has appealed to all election stakeholders to ascertain that the election process is implemented in a peaceful, smooth, and successful manner.

TNI Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto; National Police Chief Gen-

eral Tito Karnavian; General Election Commission (KPU) Chairman Arief Budiman; Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) Chairman Abhan; National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Head Budi Gunawan; Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force, Army, and Navy; Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo; and Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, were some of the attendees at the meeting held at Wiranto’s office.

The 2019 race will be a re-play of the contentious 2014 presidential election that exposed the nation’s divide, as Joko Widodo (Jokowi)

One vote can determine the future of the nation, do not abstain Sixth Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) participated in the parliamentary and presidential elections at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore along with tens of thousands of Indonesian citizens in the neighboring country on Saturday.

SBY used his right to vote in

Singapore because he is accompanying his wife who is being treated at Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH).

The former president who had served for two periods arrived at the Indonesian Embassy on Chatsworth Road at 16.30 local time, accompanied by Rocky Gerung and several other colleagues.

On that occasion, SBY said

he was happy to still be able to channel his voting right even though he is abroad.

“Personally, the voting process went smoothly, and I am also happy to see the enthusiasm of our brothers and sisters, the Indonesian people with the great enthusiasm to channel their voting rights,” he said.

SBY said that the spirit of Indonesian citizens in guarding

Singapore’s democratic festivity must be maintained, because the nation’s future is in the hands of its people. “One vote can determine the future of the nation, do not abstain,” he said.

SBY said, even though she is sick, Ani Yudhoyono also continued to channel her political rights from the hospital.

“Ms. Ani is aware of the importance of her voting right.

faced retired general Prabowo Subianto. Incumbent Jokowi has picked well-known cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate, while Subianto has paired with successful, young businessman Sandiaga Uno. The KPU made a recent announcement that eligible voters on the Officially Voters’ List (DPT) totaled 192,866,254 people, comprising 190,779,969 across Indonesia and 2,086,285 Indonesians overseas.

KPU Chairman Arief Budiman stated on April 8, 2019, that the commission had set up 809,699 polling stations across 34 Indonesian provinces.(ant)

Therefore, even though she is sick, she continued to vote,” he said. SBY on the occasion also asked for a prayer for his wife’s recovery.

SBY also advised that Indonesian citizens who have been registered in the permanent voter list (locally known as the abbreviation of DPT) channel their voting rights on 17 April 2019.(ant)

Former president Yudhoyono to vote in Singapore

10

Destination

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Pemecutan: Palace of the whip DENPASAR - The seldomvisited Pemecutan Palace lies in the very thick of the old city on the corner of Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Hasanuddin. This is the granddaddy of hundreds of other smaller pemecutan palaces across the island. There are over 35 vassal princes (moncol) in the Denpasar area alone, all royal custodians of numerous important temples.

I had always wanted to meet the celebrated raja, so on a recent trip into Denpasar I noticed that palace gates were open, so we impulsively drove into the spacious parking lot. On the left, an aging fleet of cars, jeeps and land rovers were parked under the shade of two long carports.

The palace complex is divided into two main compounds: the pemerajan (place of worship) to the north and the family’s living quarters to the south. A majestic four-tiered kulkul bell tower with its hollow wooden drum and eight small raksasa statues stood on the south side of the parking area.

Chinese porcelain plates decorated the topmost tier. Leaning against the tower were two giant campaign posters picturing the raja’s aristocratic wife Anak Agung Ayu Suryaningsih who is running for a seat in the regional legislature (Bali DPRD).

Symbolizing the holy Mount Meru of Hindu mythology, the imposing Kori Agung split-gates, brightened with several banten flower offerings, towered just meters from the fumes and cacophony of the capital’s midday traffic. But when we climbed the steps and

walked into the palace we left the profane environs of the city and emerged into the more sacred space of the puri.

In this inner courtyard of open pavilions, caged roosters and sleeping quarters, groups of families, children and men in black t-shirts lunged and milled about. Entrance was free. I asked one of the men if I may present myself to the king.

While waiting, I took photographs from a low wooden fence, which surrounded a grand pavilion (bale) directly to the front.

Every now and then I glanced over to where the king was holding audience to see if one of the seats had opened up. Crowned in 1986, the present Ida Cokorda Pemecutan XI is known for his generosity, his gregarious offbeat nature, his healthy appreciation of the opposite sex and for tooling a formidable black military-style Land Cruiser around town.

Still highly revered, his influence stemming from his position and wealth as a top-ranking liege lord, the Cokorda was receiving subjects, politicians, businessmen, well-wishers, people owed or collecting favors, all waiting their turn.

In spite of Badung’s royal residences – Denpasar, Pemecutan, Kesiman and Satria – becoming disenfranchised of all political power when Indonesia became a republic in 1950, their descendants are in fact still quite influential in many of the political, social and cultural matters that involve Denpasar’s residents.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Rins wins Grand Prix of the Americas as Marquez crashes

LOS ANGELES - Spain’s Alex Rins swept to victory in the Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday, claiming his first career MotoGP win after compatriot Marc Marquez crashed out of contention.

A Pioneer of Palace Tourism Pemecutan was the first of Denpasar’s royal houses to open its doors to visitors. In 1969, in order to cash in on the lucrative tourist trade, the puri began staging cultural and musical shows, giving foreign visitors the opportunity to appreciate the architectural beauty of the buildings, as well as the daily life of the royal family. Old guidebooks recommended the Pemecutan Palace Hotel within the palace precincts as a place to stay “for backpackers and travelers.”

Though the hotel is now closed, the Denpasar Cultural Agency organizes regular field trips to the palace so students are able to learn about the history of their municipality. The site is also included in Jelajah Pusaka, a governmentinitiated tour package designed for history-conscious visitors during the annual four-day Denpasar Festival. The tour starts from Puri Pemecutan, then heads along the Jl. Gajah Mada shopping street, finishing at Puri Satria.

The most striking features of the lavish open pavilion directly to the front, now used only for important meetings, exhibitions and receptions, are the gold-lacquered ceiling, gilded wooden pillars and displays of old weapons, stuffed tigers, antique vases, large black

and white photographs of dignified royal personages past and present.

But the piece de resistance is an exceptional xylophonic orchestra, which survived the colonial army’s attack on the original puri in 1906 because it was submerged underwater in the palace’s reflecting pool. Known affectionately as gamelan mas (Golden Gong), this extravagant gamelan was made in the instrument maker’s village of Tihingan over 100 years ago and is revered for its age, its beautifully carved cases and its sound characteristics.

Cokorda Pemecutan XI considers the orchestra a symbol of his royal status, a living component of a modern 21st century Balinese royal palace. It is played only on occasion of the once yearly Purnama Kesepuluh festival, which took place this year on April 14th. For more than 30 years, this historic ensemble was on display in the Bali Museum.

As the story goes, after Bali gained its sovereignty in 1948, members of the royal family “borrowed” the gamelan from the museum on the occasion of a special odalan ceremony. According to the royals, the gamelan was not borrowed but only “came home” (mudol) to its proper place within the palace.

This puri is credited with starting

the fashion of wearing black clothing at funerary rites. Inspired by a televised grand cremation by the palace in 1985, the Balinese were struck by the powerful visual effect of hundreds of attendees dressed in black kebaya and black shirts. By the mid-1990s, the chic fashion had been adopted all over the island and had even become de riguer everyday dress of the males.

One of the black shirts asked that I take one of the empty chairs. After three nattily dressed men departed, I introduced myself. The Cokorda and I talked of history, traditions and mutual friends. May I take photos of some of the heirlooms? No, he replied, all are sacred and kept safely in storage. Do you actually use all those vehicles in the outer courtyard? He regaled me with a story of an overland expedition to Sumatra.

The Cokorda invited me to have a meal with him. We carried on the conversation, but the constant stream of visitors pressed him for time. Taking my leave and exchanging business cards, on the way out I thanked a black-shirted man named Wayan for making a place for me in line. As we shook hands, he advised me that if I ever got into trouble, just show the raja’s black business card. “Just say you know the Cokorda,” he said. (IBP/ net)

Suzuki rider Rins held off a ferocious challenge from Italy’s Valentino Rossi over the closing stages to take the chequered flag at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

Australia’s Jack Miller on a Ducati finished third.

Rins’ maiden win brought Honda rider Marquez’s long reign of dominance in Austin to an end.

Marquez, who started on pole, had scored six consecutive victories in the Texan city heading into this weekend’s event, the third leg of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship.

But his challenge ended when he crashed on turn 12 of the ninth lap while leading.

Rins meanwhile was left to celebrate after becoming the first man to win in Texas in all three categories. He won the Moto3 race in Austin in 2013 and the Moto2 event at the circuit in 2016.

“I am so happy I don’t have words to describe how I feel. When I crossed the finish line my emo-

tions exploded,” the 23-year-old said afterwards.

“Suzuki has done a great job, and created a wonderful motorbike.

And to beat Valentino, who was my idol when I was a kid, is incredible for me,” he added.

Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso, who finished fourth on Sunday, moved to the top of the overall standings with 54 points, followed by Rossi (51), Rins (49) and Marquez (45).

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get the win,” Rossi said afterwards. “When I saw that Marquez had fallen, I thought it was possible. But in the end Rins was just too good.

“It’s a shame because I have not won in a long time but we will keep trying,” added Rossi.

Earlier, Marquez had looked to be surging towards a seventh straight win in Austin after rapidly opening up a decent gap from his pursuers.

But with Marquez three seconds clear after completing eight laps, disaster struck when he fell, leaving Rossi in the lead.

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Rins meanwhile gradually closed on Rossi and overtook the Italian with four laps to go.

That set the stage for a thrilling duel over the closing stages, before Rins held on to cross first.

Earlier, Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi of the Kalex team won the

Moto2 race, finishing ahead of Germany’s Marcel Schrotter in second and Spain’s Jorge Navarro in third.

In the Moto3 event, Aron Canet took the line honours after taking advantage of a late crash from Japan’s Tatsuki Suzuki.

Suzuki had looked poised to claim first but crashed with five laps to go to allow KTM rider Canet to take the honours.

Canet completed the 17-lap race in 39min 6.761sec, with compatriot Jaume Masia finishing second and Italy’s Andrea Migno third. (afp)

All hail Woods! Trump, Serena, Nicklaus join Tiger Twitter frenzy

AUGUSTA - President Donald Trump and Barack Obama were among those hailing Tiger Woods on social media after his 11-year major drought was ended by a thrilling and emotional Masters victory on Sunday.

“Congratulations to @Tiger-

Woods,” tweeted the US president Trump, who played a round of golf with Woods earlier this year. “A truly Great Champion!”

“Congratulations, Tiger!” former president Obama tweeted. “To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a

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Alex Rins, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of the Americas motorcycle race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Austin, Texas.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP

Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt to win during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia.

testament to excellence, grit, and determination.”

As Woods went on a charge on the back nine at Augusta National with birdies at 13, 15 and 16 to win by a stroke and claim his 15th major and fifth Masters, social media lit up in a frenzy of congratulations.

“I am literally in tears watching @TigerWoods this is Greatness like no other,” tweeted 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams.

“Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today?

Wow Congrats a million times! I am so inspired thank you buddy.”

Fellow golfers and former greats of the game were also quick to hail Woods’ achievement in returning to the summit of the sport after multiple surgeries and a string of off-course problems since his 14th major win at the 2008 US Open.

Just two years ago his back pain was so bad Woods thought he might never play again, let alone win another major.

“Very few people really know what @TigerWoods has been thru to get back to this point,” tweeted

four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 21st on Sunday.

“So cool seeing him with Tida, Sam, Charlie, Erica and the rest of the team behind 18 green. Couldn’t be happier for him! What a great day for golf!” added McIlroy after an emotional Woods hugged his mother, children and partner Erica Herman after his winning putt.

- ‘Simply unbelievable’ Aged 43, Woods became the second-oldest Masters winner, trailing only Jack Nicklaus who won 46 in 1986.

“A big ‘well done’ from me to @TigerWoods!,” said Nicklaus on social media. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is just fantastic!”

Woods also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14 years since his last win in 2005 eclipsing the old mark set by South African Gary Player who won his second Augusta crown in 1961 and his third in 1974.

“For most an impossible task.

But not for you,” said South African legend Player on Twitter.

“Congratulations Tiger. So special

for you and your family. So great for the game of golf. Simply unbelievable.”

Other US Sports stars were quick to join in on Twitter. “A big BIG congratulations to @TigerWoods for winning the Masters!!”

NBA icon Magic Johnson tweeted.

“The roar of the Tiger is back!”

“Congrats Tiger! What a performance,” the New England Patriots’ six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady said.

“Greatest comeback story in sports!” said three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry. “Congrats @TigerWoods Let me hold one of those 5 jackets one time!”

Woods finally found time to respond to all his well-wishers late on Sunday night.

“I can’t thank my family, friends and fans enough for their support.

Having my family by my side today is something I will never forget,” he posted on his Twitter feed, @ TigerWoods, along with a picture of him wearing his newest of five green jackets.

“To not only be able to play again, but to be able to win again, is something I will forever be grateful for. (afp)

8

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

9

Quarter-final curse looms as Barca and Messi look to set record straight

Four years have passed since Lionel Messi last reached a Champions League semi-final and his drought has become a source of unease for Barcelona ahead of their latest attempt on Tuesday.

Manchester United are the ones looking to emulate Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Roma by sending Barca out in the quarters for a fourth year running but for the Catalans, another failure would be unforgivable, not least because of the implications for their captain.

“Last season we did the double but we all felt bad about how it went in the Champions League,” Messi said in August. “We promise this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful cup back to Camp Nou.” Barcelona’s dominance in Spain has been shaped by Messi, who only this month overtook Iker Casillas as the player with the most La Liga victories, 335, in its history.

Those wins have helped them capture seven of the last 10 league titles, a figure that will surely become eight from 11 next month, given their ninepoint lead at the top of the table.

There could be an historic fifth consecutive Copa del Rey too if Ernesto Valverde’s side beat Valencia on May 25.

But in Europe, Barca would appear under-marked, with only one success in the last seven years, three in 10 since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2008 and set in motion what has felt, in playing terms at least, like an iconic era.

The list of clubs etched onto the cup hoisted at the Wanda Metropolitano on June 1 will instead show a decade swallowed up by Real Madrid, whose domestic failings in that period have been exonerated by four Champions League triumphs in five years.

“Obviously it’s infuriating,” Luis Suarez said. “Madrid have made history and it’s a thorn in our side.”

- Rome pain still raw Messi’s record is similarly unbalanced. He has nine La Liga titles and is by a distance the competition’s top scorer, with an astonishing 414 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo, closest in second, has 311.

But in the Champions League, Messi has lifted the trophy four times, a relatively modest return given it puts him on a par with 11 current Real Madrid players alone, including Nacho, Casemiro and Dani Carvajal. This year, Ronaldo is hunting his sixth.

And while Messi dwarfs the Portuguese for goals in La Liga, the opposite is true in Europe, where Ronaldo has 125 goals to his 108.

The game’s most illustrious pair could yet meet in this year’s final, should Barca capitalise on their 1-0 first-leg win over United and then overcome either Liverpool or Porto in the semis.

Ronaldo and Juventus, meanwhile, would have to beat Ajax, and then either Manchester City or Tottenham.

A showdown in Madrid would throw an even brighter glare on Messi’s record compared to Ronaldo, whose sensational hat-trick against Atletico Madrid last month only enhanced the sense this tournament belongs to him.

Messi is not one to complain, particularly given he cannot be blameless in Barca’s underachievements in Europe.

But the fans are frustrated, with last season’s double doing little to ease the disappointment of the collapse against Roma.

And his teammates feel it too, the weight of history on

their shoulders from a need to square arguably the game’s greatest ever player with a Champions League haul that befits that status. “It is an important trophy,” Suarez said after following up the league title by winning the Copa del Rey last season. “But this does not hide what happened in Rome.” .(afp)

FIFA head wants refs to end soccer games if racism persists

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for a crackdown on racism at soccer games after several high-profile incidents, and encouraged referees to abandon matches in the worst cases.

“We will not hesitate to do everything in our power to eradicate racism, and any other form of discrimination, from football, at any level and anywhere in the world,” the head of world soccer’s governing body said in a statement on Saturday.

Infantino referred to the “three-step procedure” at tournaments, a measure that was brought in at the 2017 Confederations Cup and which allows a referee to stop a game, suspend a game and ultimately abandon a game if discriminatory behavior persists.

“FIFA urges all member associations, leagues, clubs and disciplinary bodies to adopt the same procedure, as well as a zero-tolerance approach to incidents of racism in football, and to apply harsh sanctions for any such kind of behavior,” Infantino said. “Racism has no place in football, just as it has no place in society either.”

Infantino’s intervention comes one day after Amiens’ French league game at Dijon was temporarily halted after the visiting side’s captain Prince Gouano was subjected to racist insults.

“I heard monkey noises,” said Gouano, who asked the referee to stop the game. The French league said the alleged perpetrator was subsequently identified and arrested.

FIFA says it fully supports Gouano, as well as players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose, who were also subjected to racist abuse. Tottenham defender Rose went so far as to say he was looking forward to retiring from the game in the future because of ongoing racism and a lack of action from authorities.

Rose was among England players targeted with monkey chants in Montenegro last month while playing in a European Championship qualifier.

“In recent days, it has been very sad to see a number of racist incidents in football,” Infantino said. “This is really not acceptable.”

FIFA disbanded its anti-racism task force early in Infantino’s presidency in 2016, saying it had “completely fulfilled its temporary mission.”

Later Saturday, Premier League club West Ham said it will ban any fans who were filmed chanting anti-Semitic abuse about rival Tottenham ahead of West Ham’s game at Manchester United. West Ham said it was “disgusted” by the video circulating on Twitter.(ap)

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates his goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 6, 2019.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 29th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, April 6, 2019. The Asian Football Confederation holds its presidential election on Saturday.

SAID KHATIB / AFP

Palestinian amputees using crutches participate in a football training overseen by Irish coach Simon Baker, general secretary of the European Amputee Football Federation, Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 11, 2019.

Gaza amputees tackle trauma with football

When 12-year-old Abdel Rahman Nofel was shot in the leg near the Gaza border, he thought he would never play football again. But on an artificial pitch in the coastal enclave, the young amputee controlled the ball, leaned heavily on his crutches and took a shot.

He is one of dozens of players preparing for kick-off Saturday in Gaza’s first football tournament for amputees.

More than 6,500 people have been shot by Israeli forces during a year of weekly mass protests along the Gaza border, according to Palestinian figures.

More than 125 have had amputations and many others are permanently disabled.

Nofel, the youngest in his team, said he was shot during a kick-about near where protestors were clashing with Israeli forces.

He was transferred to the occupied West Bank for treatment and eventually given an artificial limb.

“I hadn’t thought of playing again,” he said. But his father received a phone call from a member of the team. “They told him there’s a match for people with amputations,” Nofel said.

Gaza’s first football team for amputees pre-dates the protests, with most players either born disabled or losing limbs in the three wars between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas.

But interest has grown strongly since the start of the protests.

Protestors launched weekly rallies in March 2018 demanding Israel lift its crippling blockade of Gaza and allow refugees to return to homes their families fled in the late 1940s as the Jewish state was born.

Some have burned tyres and thrown rocks and explosive devices at Israeli forces, who have responded with live ammunition.

At least 264 Palestinians have been killed, along with two Israeli soldiers. Israel has been widely criticised for what rights groups say is a heavy-handed response.

Simon Baker, head of the European Amputee Football Federation who was visiting Gaza to train the six teams taking part in Saturday’s tournament, said he aimed to keep

politics out of his work.

“None of these players have talked about what happened to them and I haven’t asked them, because we are here to play football,” he said.

Baker, who himself lost a leg in a building site accident, said sport can help sufferers of trauma to recover.

“Any sport... is a great way to rehabilitate people and get people back into society,” he told AFP. “Just because you have lost your leg, it doesn’t mean you are disabled, it doesn’t mean you are useless.”

He was sweating after hours of training in the spring sunshine ahead of the event, backed by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israel has maintained

a crippling blockade of Gaza for more than a decade, arguing it is necessary to isolate Hamas.

Critics say it amounts to collective punishment of the strip’s two million residents. Coach Khaled al-Mabhooh, 32, said he was angered by the number of people injured in the protests.

Officials say the teams suffer from limited resources, including a shortage of high-quality crutches and a lack of sports fields in cramped Gaza.

But despite that, 27-year-old team captain Naji Naji, wounded during 2007 clashes, said participation had grown from a few players to six teams across Gaza.

“We are building a miracle,” he said.(afp)

8

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

9

Quarter-final curse looms as Barca and Messi look to set record straight

Four years have passed since Lionel Messi last reached a Champions League semi-final and his drought has become a source of unease for Barcelona ahead of their latest attempt on Tuesday.

Manchester United are the ones looking to emulate Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Roma by sending Barca out in the quarters for a fourth year running but for the Catalans, another failure would be unforgivable, not least because of the implications for their captain.

“Last season we did the double but we all felt bad about how it went in the Champions League,” Messi said in August. “We promise this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful cup back to Camp Nou.” Barcelona’s dominance in Spain has been shaped by Messi, who only this month overtook Iker Casillas as the player with the most La Liga victories, 335, in its history.

Those wins have helped them capture seven of the last 10 league titles, a figure that will surely become eight from 11 next month, given their ninepoint lead at the top of the table.

There could be an historic fifth consecutive Copa del Rey too if Ernesto Valverde’s side beat Valencia on May 25.

But in Europe, Barca would appear under-marked, with only one success in the last seven years, three in 10 since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2008 and set in motion what has felt, in playing terms at least, like an iconic era.

The list of clubs etched onto the cup hoisted at the Wanda Metropolitano on June 1 will instead show a decade swallowed up by Real Madrid, whose domestic failings in that period have been exonerated by four Champions League triumphs in five years.

“Obviously it’s infuriating,” Luis Suarez said. “Madrid have made history and it’s a thorn in our side.”

- Rome pain still raw Messi’s record is similarly unbalanced. He has nine La Liga titles and is by a distance the competition’s top scorer, with an astonishing 414 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo, closest in second, has 311.

But in the Champions League, Messi has lifted the trophy four times, a relatively modest return given it puts him on a par with 11 current Real Madrid players alone, including Nacho, Casemiro and Dani Carvajal. This year, Ronaldo is hunting his sixth.

And while Messi dwarfs the Portuguese for goals in La Liga, the opposite is true in Europe, where Ronaldo has 125 goals to his 108.

The game’s most illustrious pair could yet meet in this year’s final, should Barca capitalise on their 1-0 first-leg win over United and then overcome either Liverpool or Porto in the semis.

Ronaldo and Juventus, meanwhile, would have to beat Ajax, and then either Manchester City or Tottenham.

A showdown in Madrid would throw an even brighter glare on Messi’s record compared to Ronaldo, whose sensational hat-trick against Atletico Madrid last month only enhanced the sense this tournament belongs to him.

Messi is not one to complain, particularly given he cannot be blameless in Barca’s underachievements in Europe.

But the fans are frustrated, with last season’s double doing little to ease the disappointment of the collapse against Roma.

And his teammates feel it too, the weight of history on

their shoulders from a need to square arguably the game’s greatest ever player with a Champions League haul that befits that status. “It is an important trophy,” Suarez said after following up the league title by winning the Copa del Rey last season. “But this does not hide what happened in Rome.” .(afp)

FIFA head wants refs to end soccer games if racism persists

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for a crackdown on racism at soccer games after several high-profile incidents, and encouraged referees to abandon matches in the worst cases.

“We will not hesitate to do everything in our power to eradicate racism, and any other form of discrimination, from football, at any level and anywhere in the world,” the head of world soccer’s governing body said in a statement on Saturday.

Infantino referred to the “three-step procedure” at tournaments, a measure that was brought in at the 2017 Confederations Cup and which allows a referee to stop a game, suspend a game and ultimately abandon a game if discriminatory behavior persists.

“FIFA urges all member associations, leagues, clubs and disciplinary bodies to adopt the same procedure, as well as a zero-tolerance approach to incidents of racism in football, and to apply harsh sanctions for any such kind of behavior,” Infantino said. “Racism has no place in football, just as it has no place in society either.”

Infantino’s intervention comes one day after Amiens’ French league game at Dijon was temporarily halted after the visiting side’s captain Prince Gouano was subjected to racist insults.

“I heard monkey noises,” said Gouano, who asked the referee to stop the game. The French league said the alleged perpetrator was subsequently identified and arrested.

FIFA says it fully supports Gouano, as well as players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose, who were also subjected to racist abuse. Tottenham defender Rose went so far as to say he was looking forward to retiring from the game in the future because of ongoing racism and a lack of action from authorities.

Rose was among England players targeted with monkey chants in Montenegro last month while playing in a European Championship qualifier.

“In recent days, it has been very sad to see a number of racist incidents in football,” Infantino said. “This is really not acceptable.”

FIFA disbanded its anti-racism task force early in Infantino’s presidency in 2016, saying it had “completely fulfilled its temporary mission.”

Later Saturday, Premier League club West Ham said it will ban any fans who were filmed chanting anti-Semitic abuse about rival Tottenham ahead of West Ham’s game at Manchester United. West Ham said it was “disgusted” by the video circulating on Twitter.(ap)

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates his goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 6, 2019.

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 29th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, April 6, 2019. The Asian Football Confederation holds its presidential election on Saturday.

SAID KHATIB / AFP

Palestinian amputees using crutches participate in a football training overseen by Irish coach Simon Baker, general secretary of the European Amputee Football Federation, Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 11, 2019.

Gaza amputees tackle trauma with football

When 12-year-old Abdel Rahman Nofel was shot in the leg near the Gaza border, he thought he would never play football again. But on an artificial pitch in the coastal enclave, the young amputee controlled the ball, leaned heavily on his crutches and took a shot.

He is one of dozens of players preparing for kick-off Saturday in Gaza’s first football tournament for amputees.

More than 6,500 people have been shot by Israeli forces during a year of weekly mass protests along the Gaza border, according to Palestinian figures.

More than 125 have had amputations and many others are permanently disabled.

Nofel, the youngest in his team, said he was shot during a kick-about near where protestors were clashing with Israeli forces.

He was transferred to the occupied West Bank for treatment and eventually given an artificial limb.

“I hadn’t thought of playing again,” he said. But his father received a phone call from a member of the team. “They told him there’s a match for people with amputations,” Nofel said.

Gaza’s first football team for amputees pre-dates the protests, with most players either born disabled or losing limbs in the three wars between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas.

But interest has grown strongly since the start of the protests.

Protestors launched weekly rallies in March 2018 demanding Israel lift its crippling blockade of Gaza and allow refugees to return to homes their families fled in the late 1940s as the Jewish state was born.

Some have burned tyres and thrown rocks and explosive devices at Israeli forces, who have responded with live ammunition.

At least 264 Palestinians have been killed, along with two Israeli soldiers. Israel has been widely criticised for what rights groups say is a heavy-handed response.

Simon Baker, head of the European Amputee Football Federation who was visiting Gaza to train the six teams taking part in Saturday’s tournament, said he aimed to keep

politics out of his work.

“None of these players have talked about what happened to them and I haven’t asked them, because we are here to play football,” he said.

Baker, who himself lost a leg in a building site accident, said sport can help sufferers of trauma to recover.

“Any sport... is a great way to rehabilitate people and get people back into society,” he told AFP. “Just because you have lost your leg, it doesn’t mean you are disabled, it doesn’t mean you are useless.”

He was sweating after hours of training in the spring sunshine ahead of the event, backed by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israel has maintained

a crippling blockade of Gaza for more than a decade, arguing it is necessary to isolate Hamas.

Critics say it amounts to collective punishment of the strip’s two million residents. Coach Khaled al-Mabhooh, 32, said he was angered by the number of people injured in the protests.

Officials say the teams suffer from limited resources, including a shortage of high-quality crutches and a lack of sports fields in cramped Gaza.

But despite that, 27-year-old team captain Naji Naji, wounded during 2007 clashes, said participation had grown from a few players to six teams across Gaza.

“We are building a miracle,” he said.(afp)

10

Destination

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Pemecutan: Palace of the whip DENPASAR - The seldomvisited Pemecutan Palace lies in the very thick of the old city on the corner of Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Hasanuddin. This is the granddaddy of hundreds of other smaller pemecutan palaces across the island. There are over 35 vassal princes (moncol) in the Denpasar area alone, all royal custodians of numerous important temples.

I had always wanted to meet the celebrated raja, so on a recent trip into Denpasar I noticed that palace gates were open, so we impulsively drove into the spacious parking lot. On the left, an aging fleet of cars, jeeps and land rovers were parked under the shade of two long carports.

The palace complex is divided into two main compounds: the pemerajan (place of worship) to the north and the family’s living quarters to the south. A majestic four-tiered kulkul bell tower with its hollow wooden drum and eight small raksasa statues stood on the south side of the parking area.

Chinese porcelain plates decorated the topmost tier. Leaning against the tower were two giant campaign posters picturing the raja’s aristocratic wife Anak Agung Ayu Suryaningsih who is running for a seat in the regional legislature (Bali DPRD).

Symbolizing the holy Mount Meru of Hindu mythology, the imposing Kori Agung split-gates, brightened with several banten flower offerings, towered just meters from the fumes and cacophony of the capital’s midday traffic. But when we climbed the steps and

walked into the palace we left the profane environs of the city and emerged into the more sacred space of the puri.

In this inner courtyard of open pavilions, caged roosters and sleeping quarters, groups of families, children and men in black t-shirts lunged and milled about. Entrance was free. I asked one of the men if I may present myself to the king.

While waiting, I took photographs from a low wooden fence, which surrounded a grand pavilion (bale) directly to the front.

Every now and then I glanced over to where the king was holding audience to see if one of the seats had opened up. Crowned in 1986, the present Ida Cokorda Pemecutan XI is known for his generosity, his gregarious offbeat nature, his healthy appreciation of the opposite sex and for tooling a formidable black military-style Land Cruiser around town.

Still highly revered, his influence stemming from his position and wealth as a top-ranking liege lord, the Cokorda was receiving subjects, politicians, businessmen, well-wishers, people owed or collecting favors, all waiting their turn.

In spite of Badung’s royal residences – Denpasar, Pemecutan, Kesiman and Satria – becoming disenfranchised of all political power when Indonesia became a republic in 1950, their descendants are in fact still quite influential in many of the political, social and cultural matters that involve Denpasar’s residents.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Rins wins Grand Prix of the Americas as Marquez crashes

LOS ANGELES - Spain’s Alex Rins swept to victory in the Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday, claiming his first career MotoGP win after compatriot Marc Marquez crashed out of contention.

A Pioneer of Palace Tourism Pemecutan was the first of Denpasar’s royal houses to open its doors to visitors. In 1969, in order to cash in on the lucrative tourist trade, the puri began staging cultural and musical shows, giving foreign visitors the opportunity to appreciate the architectural beauty of the buildings, as well as the daily life of the royal family. Old guidebooks recommended the Pemecutan Palace Hotel within the palace precincts as a place to stay “for backpackers and travelers.”

Though the hotel is now closed, the Denpasar Cultural Agency organizes regular field trips to the palace so students are able to learn about the history of their municipality. The site is also included in Jelajah Pusaka, a governmentinitiated tour package designed for history-conscious visitors during the annual four-day Denpasar Festival. The tour starts from Puri Pemecutan, then heads along the Jl. Gajah Mada shopping street, finishing at Puri Satria.

The most striking features of the lavish open pavilion directly to the front, now used only for important meetings, exhibitions and receptions, are the gold-lacquered ceiling, gilded wooden pillars and displays of old weapons, stuffed tigers, antique vases, large black

and white photographs of dignified royal personages past and present.

But the piece de resistance is an exceptional xylophonic orchestra, which survived the colonial army’s attack on the original puri in 1906 because it was submerged underwater in the palace’s reflecting pool. Known affectionately as gamelan mas (Golden Gong), this extravagant gamelan was made in the instrument maker’s village of Tihingan over 100 years ago and is revered for its age, its beautifully carved cases and its sound characteristics.

Cokorda Pemecutan XI considers the orchestra a symbol of his royal status, a living component of a modern 21st century Balinese royal palace. It is played only on occasion of the once yearly Purnama Kesepuluh festival, which took place this year on April 14th. For more than 30 years, this historic ensemble was on display in the Bali Museum.

As the story goes, after Bali gained its sovereignty in 1948, members of the royal family “borrowed” the gamelan from the museum on the occasion of a special odalan ceremony. According to the royals, the gamelan was not borrowed but only “came home” (mudol) to its proper place within the palace.

This puri is credited with starting

the fashion of wearing black clothing at funerary rites. Inspired by a televised grand cremation by the palace in 1985, the Balinese were struck by the powerful visual effect of hundreds of attendees dressed in black kebaya and black shirts. By the mid-1990s, the chic fashion had been adopted all over the island and had even become de riguer everyday dress of the males.

One of the black shirts asked that I take one of the empty chairs. After three nattily dressed men departed, I introduced myself. The Cokorda and I talked of history, traditions and mutual friends. May I take photos of some of the heirlooms? No, he replied, all are sacred and kept safely in storage. Do you actually use all those vehicles in the outer courtyard? He regaled me with a story of an overland expedition to Sumatra.

The Cokorda invited me to have a meal with him. We carried on the conversation, but the constant stream of visitors pressed him for time. Taking my leave and exchanging business cards, on the way out I thanked a black-shirted man named Wayan for making a place for me in line. As we shook hands, he advised me that if I ever got into trouble, just show the raja’s black business card. “Just say you know the Cokorda,” he said. (IBP/ net)

Suzuki rider Rins held off a ferocious challenge from Italy’s Valentino Rossi over the closing stages to take the chequered flag at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

Australia’s Jack Miller on a Ducati finished third.

Rins’ maiden win brought Honda rider Marquez’s long reign of dominance in Austin to an end.

Marquez, who started on pole, had scored six consecutive victories in the Texan city heading into this weekend’s event, the third leg of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship.

But his challenge ended when he crashed on turn 12 of the ninth lap while leading.

Rins meanwhile was left to celebrate after becoming the first man to win in Texas in all three categories. He won the Moto3 race in Austin in 2013 and the Moto2 event at the circuit in 2016.

“I am so happy I don’t have words to describe how I feel. When I crossed the finish line my emo-

tions exploded,” the 23-year-old said afterwards.

“Suzuki has done a great job, and created a wonderful motorbike.

And to beat Valentino, who was my idol when I was a kid, is incredible for me,” he added.

Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso, who finished fourth on Sunday, moved to the top of the overall standings with 54 points, followed by Rossi (51), Rins (49) and Marquez (45).

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get the win,” Rossi said afterwards. “When I saw that Marquez had fallen, I thought it was possible. But in the end Rins was just too good.

“It’s a shame because I have not won in a long time but we will keep trying,” added Rossi.

Earlier, Marquez had looked to be surging towards a seventh straight win in Austin after rapidly opening up a decent gap from his pursuers.

But with Marquez three seconds clear after completing eight laps, disaster struck when he fell, leaving Rossi in the lead.

Please contact Gugiek : 08123840500

Rins meanwhile gradually closed on Rossi and overtook the Italian with four laps to go.

That set the stage for a thrilling duel over the closing stages, before Rins held on to cross first.

Earlier, Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi of the Kalex team won the

Moto2 race, finishing ahead of Germany’s Marcel Schrotter in second and Spain’s Jorge Navarro in third.

In the Moto3 event, Aron Canet took the line honours after taking advantage of a late crash from Japan’s Tatsuki Suzuki.

Suzuki had looked poised to claim first but crashed with five laps to go to allow KTM rider Canet to take the honours.

Canet completed the 17-lap race in 39min 6.761sec, with compatriot Jaume Masia finishing second and Italy’s Andrea Migno third. (afp)

All hail Woods! Trump, Serena, Nicklaus join Tiger Twitter frenzy

AUGUSTA - President Donald Trump and Barack Obama were among those hailing Tiger Woods on social media after his 11-year major drought was ended by a thrilling and emotional Masters victory on Sunday.

“Congratulations to @Tiger-

Woods,” tweeted the US president Trump, who played a round of golf with Woods earlier this year. “A truly Great Champion!”

“Congratulations, Tiger!” former president Obama tweeted. “To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a

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Alex Rins, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of the Americas motorcycle race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Austin, Texas.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP

Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt to win during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia.

testament to excellence, grit, and determination.”

As Woods went on a charge on the back nine at Augusta National with birdies at 13, 15 and 16 to win by a stroke and claim his 15th major and fifth Masters, social media lit up in a frenzy of congratulations.

“I am literally in tears watching @TigerWoods this is Greatness like no other,” tweeted 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams.

“Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today?

Wow Congrats a million times! I am so inspired thank you buddy.”

Fellow golfers and former greats of the game were also quick to hail Woods’ achievement in returning to the summit of the sport after multiple surgeries and a string of off-course problems since his 14th major win at the 2008 US Open.

Just two years ago his back pain was so bad Woods thought he might never play again, let alone win another major.

“Very few people really know what @TigerWoods has been thru to get back to this point,” tweeted

four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 21st on Sunday.

“So cool seeing him with Tida, Sam, Charlie, Erica and the rest of the team behind 18 green. Couldn’t be happier for him! What a great day for golf!” added McIlroy after an emotional Woods hugged his mother, children and partner Erica Herman after his winning putt.

- ‘Simply unbelievable’ Aged 43, Woods became the second-oldest Masters winner, trailing only Jack Nicklaus who won 46 in 1986.

“A big ‘well done’ from me to @TigerWoods!,” said Nicklaus on social media. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is just fantastic!”

Woods also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14 years since his last win in 2005 eclipsing the old mark set by South African Gary Player who won his second Augusta crown in 1961 and his third in 1974.

“For most an impossible task.

But not for you,” said South African legend Player on Twitter.

“Congratulations Tiger. So special

for you and your family. So great for the game of golf. Simply unbelievable.”

Other US Sports stars were quick to join in on Twitter. “A big BIG congratulations to @TigerWoods for winning the Masters!!”

NBA icon Magic Johnson tweeted.

“The roar of the Tiger is back!”

“Congrats Tiger! What a performance,” the New England Patriots’ six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady said.

“Greatest comeback story in sports!” said three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry. “Congrats @TigerWoods Let me hold one of those 5 jackets one time!”

Woods finally found time to respond to all his well-wishers late on Sunday night.

“I can’t thank my family, friends and fans enough for their support.

Having my family by my side today is something I will never forget,” he posted on his Twitter feed, @ TigerWoods, along with a picture of him wearing his newest of five green jackets.

“To not only be able to play again, but to be able to win again, is something I will forever be grateful for. (afp)

6

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

W

International

RLD

Ghost ships of Lagos, a haven of crime

LAGOS - The two men in the motorised wooden canoe look around warily as they leave a towering shipwreck in the Lagos lagoon, with the barrels of oil on board barely concealed under rags.

The rusting hulk of iron and peeling paint has been battered by the elements and is half submerged in the water. Sprouts of green shoots on deck indicate how long it has been abandoned.

But on closer inspection, the wreck is a working storage facility for stolen or “bunkered” oil, as it is known in Nigeria.

“Oladele”, a 30-year-old who did not want to publicise his real name, has plied the waters on his boat since he was 15.

He says it’s not the only wreck that stores illegally imported oil brought into the port by the huge tankers delivering petrol and gas, then sold on in neighbouring Be-

nin and Togo.

“Every ship does it. They will declare 10 tonnes but bring in 12,” he told AFP. “We will store them in the tanks, deep inside the wrecks, then at night usually, it will be picked up.”

Middle men could typically make at least $80 to $200 (70 to 180 euros) a trip for several years.

“It’s big business,” he said.

- Marine cemetery Scores of shipwrecks in Lagos’ waterways, coastal waters and on the shores of its beaches have turned parts of its shoreline into a marine cemetery.

In Kiri-Kiri, the lagoon corri-

dor, scores of wrecks and discarded ship scrap provide useful cover to hide illicit goods and barrels of oil and gas.

From there, the waters offer an easy route up the Lagos coast to Benin and beyond. Expensive scrap metal culled from unmanned wrecks can be sold for thousands of dollars.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, churning out about two million barrels a day.

But a lack of fully functioning refineries means crude is exported, processed and then imported for use.

Much of it is shipped through the narrow ma- rine corridor into

Lagos. Hundreds of ships wait for days on the horizon of the Gulf of Guinea to get into the port and discharge their goods.

On the way in and out they pass the skeletons of scuttled and abandoned ships, some of which have capsized because of the effects on the tides of the wrecks.

Yet there are also suspicions that amidst lax marine regulation, companies treat Lagos’ waters as a ship refuse site, avoiding incurring the expense of disposing of old vessels.

Experts say the wrecks act as groynes, halting the flow of sand downshore and accelerating erosion.

Lack of regulation on the waters has also helped illicit activity thrive, turning the ghost ships into hideouts for sea criminals.

Small groups of former crew

lounge on several of the wrecks, lodging in dim, disused cabins, keeping watch for anyone seeking to strip the ships of valuable scrap.

One crew member, who asked not to be identified, said he and three others had worked shifts to stay in the cabin all day and night for 15 months since the ship capsized.

Copper and bronze and the brass from the ship’s propeller could be sold for as much as 20,000,000 naira ($55,000), he said.

“People will come and steal valuables that are still here,” he added. (afp)

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

INDONESIAN INDONESIAN

11

ELECTION 2019 An Indonesian election

worker on horseback, assisted by police officials, transports ballot boxes

and election material to a remote village in Jember, East Java on April 15, 2019. Some 192 million Indonesians are set to cast their ballots April 17 in the world’s thirdbiggest democracy, with a record 245,000 candidates vying for positions from the presidency and parliamentary seats all the way down to local council jobs.

Minister lends assurance of full security arrangements during election

American Airlines to cancel 115 flights daily over 737 MAX WASHINGTON - American Airlines announced Sunday it would scrap some 115 flights per day in the coming months because its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes is being grounded until August 19.

America’s leading airline had previously only planned to keep the planes out of commission until June 5, with Boeing facing intense scrutiny after 157 people died in an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash on March 10 -- the second deadly

crash involving the aircraft in five months.

The global fleet of 737 MAX planes has been barred from flying since mid-March.

“These 115 flights represent approximately 1.5 percent of American’s total flying each day this summer,” American Airlines chairman and CEO Doug Parker said in a statement.

But he stressed his confidence in the aircraft overall.

“Based upon our ongoing work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, we are highly confident that the MAX will be recertified prior to this time (August 19),” he said.

“By extending our cancellations through the summer, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans.

“Once the MAX is recertified,

IBP/net

American Airlines announced Sunday it would scrap some 115 flights per day in the coming months because its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes is being grounded until August 19.

we anticipate bringing our MAX aircraft back on line as spares to supplement our operation as needed during the summer.”

American Airlines had lowered one of its first quarter indicators in light of the Boeing 737 MAX

8 planes being grounded, along with the partial US government shutdown and technical challenges.

Earlier this week, competitor Southwest Airlines said it would operate its 34 aircraft of the same model starting August 5. (afp)

Indonesia...

From page 1

This time round Subianto has sought to portray himself as a defender of the nation who will boost military spending, and has accused Widodo of selling the mineral-rich country to foreign interests, including China.

He has courted hardline Islamist groups and -- despite being vastly wealthy himself -- railed against the country’s elites, claiming they are exploiting the poor.

Some commentators say that the overseas-educated 67-year-old believes he is destined to lead Indonesia.

Others have questioned his hunger for the job, suggesting he is running to help his Gerindra party at the polls and to supply a platform for younger running mate Sandiaga Uno. Uno, a 49-year-old former financier who is reported to have spent about $100 million of his own fortune on the campaign, has been popular with millennials and housewives, possibly paving the way for a tilt at Indonesia’s top job in 2024. (afp)

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has made assurance of security during the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections held across Indonesia’s 34 provinces on April 17, 2019.

“We have to hold the process in a peaceful, smooth, and successful manner,” Wiranto, the Indonesian Defense Forces’ (TNI’s) ex-commander, remarked while chairing a meeting held to discuss final preparations for security arrangements during the voting day, here, Monday.

The minister believes that those planning to cast their ballot must be guaranteed protection on Wednesday.

Those eligible for voting should have free and safe access to polling stations, he emphasized.

Those tasked with executing the election should be able to optimally fulfill their tasks across polling stations in Indonesia. “This is also applicable for preparations for the results of vote counting,” he stated.

A election is deemed successful when it can produce top leadership across all levels to take the country forward to realize a brighter future in

the coming five years, he reiterated.

Wiranto believes peaceful elections can assist in holding the elections smoothly and ultimately be contributing to their successful outcomes.

The minister has appealed to all election stakeholders to ascertain that the election process is implemented in a peaceful, smooth, and successful manner.

TNI Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto; National Police Chief Gen-

eral Tito Karnavian; General Election Commission (KPU) Chairman Arief Budiman; Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) Chairman Abhan; National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Head Budi Gunawan; Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force, Army, and Navy; Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo; and Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, were some of the attendees at the meeting held at Wiranto’s office.

The 2019 race will be a re-play of the contentious 2014 presidential election that exposed the nation’s divide, as Joko Widodo (Jokowi)

One vote can determine the future of the nation, do not abstain Sixth Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) participated in the parliamentary and presidential elections at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore along with tens of thousands of Indonesian citizens in the neighboring country on Saturday.

SBY used his right to vote in

Singapore because he is accompanying his wife who is being treated at Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH).

The former president who had served for two periods arrived at the Indonesian Embassy on Chatsworth Road at 16.30 local time, accompanied by Rocky Gerung and several other colleagues.

On that occasion, SBY said

he was happy to still be able to channel his voting right even though he is abroad.

“Personally, the voting process went smoothly, and I am also happy to see the enthusiasm of our brothers and sisters, the Indonesian people with the great enthusiasm to channel their voting rights,” he said.

SBY said that the spirit of Indonesian citizens in guarding

Singapore’s democratic festivity must be maintained, because the nation’s future is in the hands of its people. “One vote can determine the future of the nation, do not abstain,” he said.

SBY said, even though she is sick, Ani Yudhoyono also continued to channel her political rights from the hospital.

“Ms. Ani is aware of the importance of her voting right.

faced retired general Prabowo Subianto. Incumbent Jokowi has picked well-known cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate, while Subianto has paired with successful, young businessman Sandiaga Uno. The KPU made a recent announcement that eligible voters on the Officially Voters’ List (DPT) totaled 192,866,254 people, comprising 190,779,969 across Indonesia and 2,086,285 Indonesians overseas.

KPU Chairman Arief Budiman stated on April 8, 2019, that the commission had set up 809,699 polling stations across 34 Indonesian provinces.(ant)

Therefore, even though she is sick, she continued to vote,” he said. SBY on the occasion also asked for a prayer for his wife’s recovery.

SBY also advised that Indonesian citizens who have been registered in the permanent voter list (locally known as the abbreviation of DPT) channel their voting rights on 17 April 2019.(ant)

Former president Yudhoyono to vote in Singapore

12

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

5

Castro warns Cubans to brace for shortages HAVANA - Communist Party leader Raúl Castro warned Cubans on Wednesday that they should brace for worsening shortages due to Trump administration policies, but said the island won’t return to the extreme deprivation of the post-Soviet period.

In his first speech to the nation in more than three months, Castro said that U.S. pressure on Venezuela and Cuba could lead to serious shortages increasing sharply in coming months.

It has become hard to find basic goods such as chicken, cooking oil, eggs and flour throughout Cuba this year, due largely to a lack of hard currency to buy imported goods or equipment to process domestic products. State-run newspapers cut their page count last week due to shortages of newsprint, and Castro indicated that the government would engage in further cutbacks due to cash shortfalls.

“We’ve taken a series of decision to focus the development of the economy, and to resist and overcome the new obstacles imposed by the hardening of the economic siege,” Castro said. “We need to be aware of growing problems, and the situation could grow worse in the next few months.”

Cuba’s centrally planned economy has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in income in recent months due to problems in deals with leftist allies and former allies. Brazil’s new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro canceled a contract employing thousands of Cuban doctors late last year. The collapse of Venezuela’s economy is believed to cost additional hundreds of millions in cutbacks to aid to Cuba, although neither country releases figures.

Castro spoke at a ceremony in which a new constitution, approved in a February referendum, went into effect. The National Assembly is now expected to pass a series of laws updating elements of the Cuban state, ranging from the electoral system to the family code. Cuban officials say there are no major economic reforms pending for one of the world’s last Soviet-style systems, despite the increasingly tough situation.

While he warned of worsening shortages, Castro said that the hunger and desperation that hit Cuba after the fall of its Soviet patron in 1991 would not return, thanks to Cuba’s diversified economy — with nearly 5 million tourists a year and direct investment from Europe, Asia and Latin America.

“It’s not about returning to the harshest phase of the Special Period of the ‘90s,” Castro said. “Today it’s a different scenario in terms of the diversification of the economy, although we do have to be prepared for the worst.”

Along with sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba’s closest ally and economic patron, the Trump administration has made it harder to visit Cuba and has threatened to allow U.S. lawsuits against foreign investors here.

Despite the pressure, Castro said Cuba would not abandon President Nicolás Maduro and his administration.

“We will never abandon our duty to act in solidarity with Venezuela, or renounce a single one of our principles, and we energetically reject all pressure and blackmail,” Castro said. (ap)

AP Photo/Michael Probst

President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi speaks during a press conference following the Governing Council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

Europe hurt by US trade threats, central bank says

FRANKFURT - The head of the European Central Bank warned that global friction over trade — such as U.S. threats to impose more tariffs — is holding back the economy as he underlined the bank’s readiness to deploy more stimulus if needed.

Mario Draghi said Wednesday that an improving jobs market and rising wages were helping the economy in the 19 countries that use the euro but uncertainties like trade disputes and Brexit are hurting it.

“Global headwinds continue to weigh on euro area growth,” he told a news conference after the central bank kept its key interest rates and policy promises on hold.

Draghi was speaking hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to pile tariffs on another $11 billion worth of goods from the European Union, ratcheting up tensions as the two sides negotiate trade terms.

“The fact that these threats are being voiced with some frequency is certainly undermining confidence,” Draghi said.

The 19-country eurozone, which relies heavily on exports, has also suffered from uncertainty created by a separate U.S. dispute with China over trade. Trump has

targeted countries that sell more to the U.S. than they buy, saying he is protecting American companies and jobs.

Yet the trade disputes have unsettled the global economy. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its growth outlook for this year to 3.3% from 3.5% and its chief economist said the global economy was at “a delicate moment.”

Britain’s looming departure from the EU - with leaders meeting Wednesday to discuss proposals for a delay - has further created concerns about new barriers to trade in Europe.

The eurozone economy has sagged under the pressure of the uncertainty stemming from those ongoing concerns.

One-off factors have also hurt activity, including troubles in the auto industry.

The European Commission forecasts eurozone growth of 1.3% for all of 2019, from 1.8% last year. Unemployment is down to 7.8% from a peak of 12.1% in 2013, helping domestic demand for

goods and services. Draghi said that the ECB, the chief monetary authority for the European Union member countries that use the euro currency, was ready to use all its policies to help the economy, should it be needed.

The ECB, which only at the end of 2018 wrapped up a major monetary stimulus program, has had to shift its stance and offer the economy more help.

In March it extended the date for the earliest interest rate increase to the end of the year. It also promised a new round of cheap loans to banks to help them lend to business and support growth.

The ECB has joined the U.S. Federal Reserve in pausing the withdrawal of stimulus measures deployed over a decade to bounce back from the global financial crisis, as central bankers around the world ponder which way the economy is headed. The Fed has already started raising rates but has backed off plans for further rate increases in 2019. (ap)

Come on, Ride Free Gig in Denpasar City

Have you ever ridden a gig? Once upon a time, try to enjoy the attraction of riding a free gig prepared by the Denpasar municipality. The location is at the office of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD) of Denpasar, the former building of the Denpasar Tourism Office, precisely on Jalan Raya Surapati, north of Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar.

Gig is a traditional means of transportation taking advantage of the horse power. To be able to enjoy the atmosphere of Denpasar city through gig rides for free, just come on Saturday and Sunday at the office of the BPPD Denpasar.

This attraction starts at 9:00 until

15:00. However, passengers should fill out the participant’s log book put at the entrance of the office.

When riding a gig, guests can invite their sister, brother or parents.

By all means, there are eight gigs that always line up while waiting for the public or tourists to enjoy

the atmosphere of the city. A gig must not be ridden by more than four people. After getting enough passenger, the driver of the gig then drive to the center of the Bali’s capital. “My children are very happy to be invited to ride a gig,” said Ni Made Suparmi, a mother

of 2 sons from Karangasem living at Penatih.

The route in the city of Denpasar is passed through for around 18-20 minutes. The journey starts from the office of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), moving towards the left via Jalan Surapati, turn right towards Jalan Kapten Agung, turn right towards Jalan Baliton and then turn right towards Jalan Udayana.

The journey continues to pass

Trevelling in Bali, what menu have you not been enjoyed? As a world tourist destination, people on this Island of the Gods are very rich in culinary delights coming with delicious traditional menus.

The menus are not only presented with classic style, but also prepared and packaged in a modern way, so that they can be enjoyed by the tongues of various countries.

Well, of course it is the result of the

development of Bali tourism based on culture.

Mixed rice, for instance, is one of the most popular traditional menus. Chef of restaurants or hotels prepare it and then arrange it more interestingly. One of them is the Chef of Lembah Ayung Restaurant, Pramana Watukurung Resort Ubud, I Wayan Jayantika. This creative man managed to arrange ‘Purple Rice’ inspired by mixed rice. With various innovations poured into the culinary servings, it can attract the public interest.

This purple rice is delicious and unique. Apart from having distinctive taste and presentation, the additional ingredients also make it attractive. One serving of purple rice comes with rice in the form of a cone, vegetable with spicy sauce, fish satay, chicken soup, chicken egg and fried beans with grated coconut. Served with raw

condiment, it is added with sambel pangi or pangium condiment. The latter is served in one serving of mixed rice. “We intentionally add sambel pangi in the presentation of purple rice,” said Chef I Wayan Jayantika.

Perhaps sambel pangi is not widely known by people at this time, especially among the millennial generations that have started to switch to international-style food. Well, this sambel pangi is introduced to foreign tourists by the Lembah Ayung Restaurant located in Pramana Watukurung Resort in Ubud area.

This restaurant does serve sambel pangi in purple rice. In addition to providing a unique taste sensation, pangium condiment is also intended to introduce foods usually consumed by Balinese people. “We are also happy because tourists’ response is positive where many

in the area of ??the Catur Muka Statue, go to Jalan Veteran at Inna Bali Hotel and then move towards Jalan Gatot Kaca, turn left passing Jalan Arjuna and then enter Jalan Gajah Mada. After crossing the area of ??the Catur Muka statue, passengers are taken to return to the BPPD Building. “Foreign tourists also often ride a gig, but not on Sundays,” said one of the coaches commonly called Pak Ketut (rejecting to mention his surname). (kmb)

are fond of this sambel pangi,” he said happily.

How to make pangium condiment? It starts with choosing some types of spices, namely onion and chili. The onion and chili are thinly sliced ??and mixed with pangium (kluwek), then cooking oil is added.

After that, it is served on mixed rice or purple rice. Some parts of the pangium condiment is also used to make beef dish that complements this purple rice.

Purple rice, is a color concept of the resort that houses the Lembah Ayung Restaurant. However, the presentation of purple rice uses brown rice. “At first, we had time to use purple rice from purple sweet potatoes, but the quality was not good, especially after being left alone. So, we then decided to use brown rice which has many benefits for the human body,” he admitted. (kmb)

Purple Rice Served with Sambel Pangi

4

Bali News

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

People complain about damaged roads often claiming tourist victims

GIANYAR - Being well-known as an art town visited by thousands of tourists every day, it does not necessarily make Gianyar district free from damaged roads. Moreover, the badly damaged roads have long been complained by residents of Keliki village and Kendran village, Tegallalang subdistrict. The road damage has been going on for a long time, but until now there has been no follow-up from the local government. Moreover, after rainy season the damage to a number of roads at these two villages is getting worse.

A local resident, I Wayan Diana, stated that 1.7-kilometer of road from Pejengaji to Gagah hamlet, Keliki, are in damaged condition.

This condition is very much regretted by residents crossing the location. “It used to be measured.

But after being submitted, the repair was only promised along 1 km. Until now, there has been no realization,” said Wayan Diana.

He explained it is also taken advantage as alternative route if there is a diversion in the Ceking region.

“Initially, it was an independentlymade road, but it was then taken advantage for shortcut to Ceking,” he explained.

If there is a diversion, this road section is often passed through by

large vehicles like trucks. The section has been used as alternative road since 1996. The last hot mixed asphalt was applied to road section around 2011. It was followed with regular asphalt for about three times. “Around 3 months ago, it was patched with concrete financed by fund from some donors. But now the road is cracked again,” he explained.

Even though this road section is located in the countryside, the district road belongs to tourism access.

Almost every time this road section is passed through by cycling adventure and used as access to a number of tourist attractions. Sadly, a number of tourists often have got accidents due to falling down while crossing the damaged road. “It is a pity that tourists wishing to take a vacation actually experience an incident just because the government does not seriously fix the infrastructure,” he said.

Similar comment was expressed by another resident, I Ketut Narwa.

This badly damaged road is right in front of his house. “The damage also happens to the road right in front of my house, so that guests often fall down. Not long ago, there was a German guests falling down and had to be rushed to hospital,” he said. (kmb35)

Academics concerned about Singapore’s ‘fake news’ law

JIJI PRESS / AFP

In this picture taken on April 14, 2019 Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant as he stands in front of the reactor number 2 (L) and number 3 (R) buildings in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture.

IBP/kmb40

The body of the statue has the same size as a calf covered with several pieces of black cloth. In front of it, there is a small concrete table used to place canang offerings and incense stick.

Ox statue of Tamanbali royal heritage

Believed to be a place to invoke cattle healing

BANGLI - Several heritages of the Tamanbali kingdom can still be found at Tamanbali village, Bangli. One of them is an ox statue. The stone statue is said to be the king’s place to poop. By the local community, the statue is currently taken advantage as a place to invoke recovery of livestock.

IBP/kmb35

The road damage has been going on for a long time, but until now there has been no follow-up from the local government.

13

This ox statue is located in front of the Bangli Public Health Center 1, precisely in the southwest corner of the health center. The statue surrounded by compound walls looks quite well maintained. There are no other buildings in the area, except for the ox statue with the two broken horns. The body of the statue has the same size as a calf covered with several pieces of black cloth.

In front of it, there is a small concrete table used to place canang offerings and incense stick.

Dewa Made Manacika, a community leader of Tamanbali village, when met recently revealed the ox statue is one of the several heritages owned by the king of Tamanbali remaining to exist today, following the collapse of the Tamanbali kingdom in 1829. As the history he knows for generations, the ox statue is said to be a toilet used by the king to defecate. “In the past, this location was a royal family area. Location of the current public health center and vocational school are the royal area,” he said accompanied by Sang Kompyang Suji, a local community.

It is unknown exactly how the king formerly used the statue. Obviously, the ox statue has a number of holes connected to one channel in it. The holes are on the back, mouth and lower back of the ox.

He said that around the 1980s, after organizing Maligia Lajur ritual at Tamanbali village, the people of Tamanbali village wished to lift the ox statue from its present position and then put it back on a higher place. It is meant as an expression of respect, so the position of the ox statue can be parallel to the existing buildings around it. However, the desire failed to be carried out because the statue could not be lifted by people even though it was held in tatters. “At that time, around 40 people tried to lift the statue. Moreover, it was already made a carrying rope. Unfortunately, it could not be lifted,” he explained.

Local community believes that the royal heritage is sacred. Since it is considered sacred, so far the people of Tamanbali village often put canang and banten offerings on the statue, especially on Tumpek Landep celebration. “Pursuant to the

belief of local community, people will invoke holy water when their cattle, pigs or other animals get sick.

The water is believed to be able to help cure their livestock,” he said.

Dewa Made Manacika who once served as headman of Tamanbali in 1970-1982 said that in addition to the ox statue, the heritage of the Tamanbali kingdom remaining to be found today at Tamanbali village include a royal bathing place namely Taman Narmada Bali Raja, Bale Mas and a number of largesized statues. Meanwhile, when remaining to serve as a headman, he claimed to have a desire to make some of the heritages into historical tourist attraction.

Moreover, there is a desire to set up a museum as a place to store and showcase the heritages of the Tamanbali kingdom. “Until now, the desire of Tamanbali village to become a historical tourism village and the establishment of the museum remains to exist. Now, it depends on the village to disseminate and ask for agreement from the local community,” he concluded. (kmb40)

Nuclear fuel removed from crippled Japan plant

TOKYO - The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima power plant on Monday began removing atomic fuel from inside a building housing one of the reactors that melted down in 2011.

The delicate operation represents the first time the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has pulled out fuel rods from inside a highly contaminated building containing the melted-down reactor, and comes four years behind schedule.

Due to high radiation levels, technicians used remote-controlled equipment to haul fuel from a “storage pool” inside the building.

Operations were briefly suspended early Monday afternoon after a problem with the equipment removing the fuel, but resumed shortly afterwards.

“We finally started this work. We will spend two years removing 566 units of fuel from reactor three,” said Takahiro Kimoto, a TEPCO spokesman. TEPCO removed four units as planned on Monday, with workers continuing to remove debris that have fallen inside the pool and other areas, Kimoto told reporters.

“Factors such as removal of debris and various troubles have caused delays, which we realise have caused significant worries to people in the region and others,” Kimoto said.

“Putting safety as our priority, we will carefully continue this work,” he promised.

Engineers have had to contend with clearing earthquake debris in-

side the building and an array of other technical challenges, said TEPCO spokeswoman Yuka Matsubara.

“We had to proceed carefully (to remove debris), and we needed to take measures as dust would waft up and increase radiation readings,” she told AFP. TEPCO engineers will not yet attempt to extract molten nuclear fuel that remains deep inside the mangled reactor. This is considered the most difficult part of the massive cleanup operation and is not expected to begin until 2021.

- ‘Reconstruction plan’ In February, TEPCO sent a remote-controlled probe to pick up pebble-sized pieces of the melted fuel in a bid to find out whether the material could be moved.

The next step in that painstaking process will be to remove some of the fuel as a sample, which is scheduled to happen by March 2020.

The company also faces other difficult challenges, including working out how to dispose of large quantities of contaminated water stored in containers at the plant site.

In the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986, reactors one, two and three at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant melted down after a

deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011.

The tsunami killed around 18,000 people and caused widespread devastation, and the nuclear meltdown forced the evacuation of areas near the plant. Reactors four through six were offline at the time of the disaster for inspections and did not suffer meltdowns, though reactor four was damaged by an explosion in the days after the tsunami.

In December 2014, TEPCO finished removing all 1,535 units of nuclear fuel kept inside the storage pool at reactor four.

The company aims to conduct the same operations for the buildings for reactor one and two by 2023 as part of a four-decade plan to dismantle the entire Fukushima plant.

Japan’s government has pushed a reconstruction plan for the surrounding region that includes decontaminating affected areas and removing topsoil. This month, an evacuation order was lifted for part of Okuma, one of two towns where the nuclear plant is located.

But regions affected by the disaster have struggled to attract back residents who fled in the wake of the meltdown, with many still concerned about radiation despite government assurances. (afp)

SINGAPORE - Nearly 100 academics worldwide have expressed concern over Singapore’s proposed law against “fake news”, warning it could threaten academic freedom and hurt the city-state’s ambition to become a global education hub.

The government this month unveiled a bill containing tough measures, including powers for ministers to order sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter to put warnings next to posts authorities deem false, and extreme cases, to take them down.

If an action is deemed malicious and damaging to Singapore’s interests, companies could be hit with fines of up to Sg$1 million ($740,000), while individuals could face jail terms of up to 10 years.

Authorities in the tightly-controlled country insist the measures are necessary to prevent online falsehoods sowing social divisions, but the move has sparked anger from press freedom groups and tech giants such as Facebook and Google.

Now ninety-seven academics from around the world with expertise in Singapore and Asia have signed a letter warning the proposed legislation “may deter scholarship and set precedents harmful to global academia”.

“We are concerned that the proposed legislation will have unintended detrimental consequences for scholars and research in Singapore,” said the group, who included academics from Harvard and Yale, as well as institutions in Britain, Australia, and parts of Asia.

The letter, released at the weekend, also warned the law could compromise “Singapore’s notable efforts to develop itself into an internationally-recognised hub for excellence in higher education”.

Singapore is home to several leading higher education institutes, which attract academics from around the world.

The group, called Academics Against Disinformation, also said they wrote to the education ministry to express their concerns.

The ministry was cited in local media as saying the draft law does not restrict opinion and will not affect academic research work, but the academics said they could not accept the response as a guarantee.

Singapore is among several countries seeking to legislate against fake news, and the bill is expected to pass easily through parliament, which is dominated by the long-ruling People’s Action Party. (afp)

IBP/net

Authorities in the tightly-controlled country insist the measures are necessary to prevent online falsehoods sowing social divisions, but the move has sparked anger from press freedom groups and tech giants such as Facebook and Google.

14

Science

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Bali News

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

3

Photography

Glamor of blurs in macro photography

IBP/net

Ketamine cultivates new nerve cell connections in mice Ketamine may work by encouraging nerve cells (illustrated) in the brain to make new connections, a mouse study finds.

CONNECTICUT - Ketamine banishes depression by slowly coaxing nerve cells to sprout new connections, a study of mice suggests. The finding, published in the April 12 Science, may help explain how the hallucinogenic anesthetic can ease some people’s severe depression.

The results are timely, coming on the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s March 5 approval of a nasal spray containing a form of ketamine called esketamine for hard-to-treat depression. But lots of questions remain about the drug.

“There is still a lot of mystery in terms of how ketamine works in the brain,” says neuroscientist Alex Kwan of Yale University. The new study adds strong evidence that newly created nerve cell connections are involved in ketamine’s antidepressant effects, he says.

While typical antidepressants can take weeks to begin working,

ketamine can make people feel better in hours. Scientists led by neuroscientist Conor Liston suspected that ketamine might quickly be remodeling the brain by spurring new nerve cell connections called synapses. “As it turned out, that wasn’t true, not in the way we expected, anyway,” says Liston, of Cornell University.

Newly created synapses aren’t involved in ketamine’s immediate effects on behavior, the researchers found. But the nerve cell connections do appear to help sustain the drug’s antidepressant benefits over the longer term.

To approximate depression in people, researchers studied mice that had been stressed for weeks, either by being restrained daily in mesh tubes, or by receiving injections of the stress hormone corticosterone. These mice began showing signs of despair, such as losing their taste for sweet water and giving up a struggle when dangled by their tails.

Three hours after a dose of ketamine, the mice’s behavior righted, as the researchers expected. But the team found no effects of the drug on nerve cells’ dendritic spines — tiny signal-receiving

blebs that help make new neural connections. So the creation of new synapses couldn’t be responsible for ketamine’s immediate effects on behavior, “because the behavior came first,” Liston says.

When the researchers looked over a longer time span, though, they found that these new synapses were key. About 12 hours after ketamine treatment, new dendritic spines began to pop into existence on nerve cells in part of the mice’s prefrontal cortex, the brain area responsible for complex thinking.

These dendritic spines seemed to be replacing those lost during the period of stress, often along the same stretch of neuron.

To test if these newly created spines were important for the

mice’s improved behavior, the researchers destroyed the spines with a laser a day after the ketamine treatment. That effectively erased ketamine’s effects, and the mice again exhibited behavior resembling depression, including struggling less when held by their tails. (The mice kept their regained sugar preference.)

Research on humans has also suggested that depressed people have diminished synapses, says Ronald S. Duman, a neuroscientist at Yale University not involved in the study. The new work adds more support to those findings by showing that destroying new synapses can block ketamine’s behavioral effects. “That’s a huge contribution and advance,” Duman says. (net)

FLORIDA - Israel’s first lunar lander, Beresheet, appears to have crash-landed on the moon.

The spacecraft, launched by the Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL, was scheduled to touch down on the lunar surface on April 11.

But in the final few minutes of its descent, the spacecraft’s engine stalled. Mission control reset Beresheet to bring its engine back online, but then communication with the lander cut out. “#Beresheet’s main engine fail! Spacecraft failed landing.

Appeared to have crashed on the moon’s surface!” the Israel Space Agency tweeted at 3:30 p.m. EDT. “We didn’t make it, but we definitely tried,” said SpaceIL Chairman Morris Kahn in an

online livestream of the landing.

“I think we can be proud.”

Had Beresheet arrived safely, Israel would have become the fourth country — following the United States, the former Soviet Union and China — to stick a lunar landing (SN: 11/24/18, p.

14). Still, Israel has now claimed seventh place in sending a spacecraft into orbit around the moon.

Launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., onboard a SpaceX rocket in February, Beresheet orbited Earth until meeting up with the moon in early April. After several lunar orbits, the spacecraft was set to park in the Sea of Serenity — a volcanic plain on the moon’s nearside, close to where Apollo 17 astronauts planted a

flag in 1972.

Beresheet carried a handful of scientific instruments onboard, including cameras and a device to measure magnetic fields. But science was only SpaceIL’s No. 2 priority for their small, scrappy spacecraft. The primary goal of Beresheet was a successful landing that would help create an “Apollo Effect” to inspire Israeli students to pursue science and engineering. The mission even inspired a children’s book, The Little Spacecraft.

This isn’t the end for an Israeli mission to the moon, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “If at first you don’t succeed, you try again.” (afp)

Israel’s first moon mission lost moments before landing

IBP/net

The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet snapped this selfie during its final approach to the moon, just minutes before the spacecraft failed.

THE WORLD of photography always moves dynamically and never stagnates. New ideas, innovations and fresh creativity always emerge making the world of photography even more interesting to pursue. This matter also applies to macro photography, a genre in photography that specifically explores the beauty of small objects. One of them is presenting blur nuance around the main object or point of interest to strengthen the characters and stories presented in the macro photography works. Here are practical tips for presenting amazing blur in macro photography from Andiyan Lufti.

According to this Indonesian photographer whose macro photography works have won various awards at national and international photography competition, the lenses used to present blur nuances depend on what type of blur they want. He said that each lens has its own character. In the photos displayed in this edition, the photographer domiciling in Bogor uses a mirrorless Fuji camera with an XF 80mm Macro lens and Meyer

Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm F2.8 lens.

Both lenses produce two different types of blur. With the XF 80mm Macro lens, the blur acquired shows evenly the highlighted circles (Photo: Golden Snail).

Meanwhile, with the Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan, the blur produced highlights on the side of the circle only, so it is often called bubble blur (Photo: Pearl Nets).

Sufficient magnification To produce blur, Andiyan Lutfi suggested the use of macro lenses with sufficient magnification. If using the Meyer Gorlitz lens that is not a macro lens, it will require extension tube to increase the magnification of the object. When shooting, there must be a light source from behind or back lighting. “Blur originates from light reflection. In the photos of this edition, I use light reflections of water beads. The water beads are placed around the object both foreground and background,” he said.

Andiyan Lutfi added, in Fuji macro lenses, the diaphragm used

freely depends on the distance of the object from the background, the size of the object and the light conditions when shooting. Meanwhile, with the Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan lens, it is obligatory to use the largest diaphragm on the lens, namely F / 2.8 to produce bubble blur. If you use the diaphragm on it, the bubble blur will not appear. “On the Fuji XF80mm Macro lens, the resulted blur both foreground and background have the same type.

Meanwhile, in the use of Meyer

Gorlitz Domiplan Lens, the blur type on the foreground and background is very different. Blur in the background will be perfectly formed while the foreground looks irregular,” he said.

So, what about the speed and ISO settings? Andiyan Lutfi gave emphasis that the use of speed and ISO is very much dependent on light when shooting. However, he suggested setting the speed should be more than the focal length of the lens to avoid shaking when shoot-

ing. For example, if the lens used is 80mm, then the speed must be more than 1/80.

He added that still or moving slowly objects become the top priority in shooting macro photography if wishing to raise the feel of blur such as mushrooms, small flowers, snails, spiders and so on.

“I tend to choose objects that are silent or have slow movements.

Fast-moving objects tend to make us difficult to execute in areas having been set,” he explained. (ian)

2

Bali News

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

International

Activities

International

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

15

Bali-Japan relations must remain sustainable

ASIDE from tourism, there is also established cooperation in other field. With a long history, the relationship between Bali and Japan must be sustainable. It is the essence of meeting held by the Denpasar-Fukuoka Brotherhood taking place at Bali Coffee Warung 63 on Jalan Veterans no long ago.

“It does not only cover the Denpasar area but also the region across Bali. The field does not only include tourism, culture and education, but if possible it can be further expanded by generations or other community components,” said senior figure of the brotherhood, I Gusti Kompyang Pujawan.

All this time, explained Nagaoka Shoji, a lot has been done but it must be sustainable. When looking back, continued the man who is now also expanding the cooperation to the early child education (PAUD), after the implementation of several agendas such as education. Some teachers, students and other academicians are given the opportunity to study in Japan for free.

Periodically, some pupils, college students and people of various professions come to Bali and teach Japanese at Mataken Gakko for free. In the field of culture, the brotherhood members are invited and participated in the Dontaku Festival in Fukuoka.

Meanwhile, Prof. Rumawan Salain commented that what has been carried out by this nonprofit institution is certainly monitored by the government. “We are very much supported by the Denpasar city government and of course by the Japanese government through its General Consulate in Denpasar,” he said.

Morale support of IJI is very important considering the mission carried out is a universal matter for the advancement of both parties. “Every cultural event held by the Consulate, we are always invited and vice versa,” said Rumawan, a senior architect.

As Japanese in Bali, Nagaoka Shoji also sees the movement of the IJI institution is very positive by cooperating with various groups to bridge the two sides.

“Obviously, this institution will continuously participate in the progress of both parties. Bali-Japan, Denpasar-Fukuoka has a long history. We will continuously write with everything that we hope to bring in better thing,” concluded Pujawan. (055)

IBP/Pak pal

The discussion about the relationship between Bali and Japan

Enforcement of admission ticket to Waterblow

MOU required between Badung district govt and ITDC

MANGUPURA - The Waterblow area located on Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua, crowded with tourists, is now being tested in connection with the plan to enforce admission ticket. It is considering that Waterblow area has been designated as a Badung tourist destination.

However, the Badung Tourism Office hoped that before the admission ticket is officially enforced, there must be MoU between the Badung district government and the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

Head of the Badung Tourism Office, Made Badra, said since it was established as a tourist destination a year ago, indeed tourist visits to the Waterblow continued to increase. The trial conducted at this time, said Badra, is good enough to disseminate the existence of the new Waterblow having been arranged. Particularly, it is related to the procedures and how to get a ticket to enter into the area.

He affirmed that ticket admission should be implemented permanently after the MoU is signed with his office at the Badung district government. In the cooperation agreement will be arranged the technique of applying the ticket and the amount of the tariff to be charged. Discussion regarding the MOU, said Badra, will be carried out

after the election (Apr. 17). “Later, there must be MoU first before the ticket enforcement. Otherwise, the trial can be extended,” he said when contacted on Sunday (Apr. 14).

Meanwhile, Managing Director of ITDC Nusa Dua, IGN Ardita, said that conceptually this has also been communicated with the Badung Tourism Office in accordance with the plan for implementing the Waterblow as the Badung tourist attraction. For this stage of the process, he has also communicated and disseminated to the community around the area, and all parties already supported. “We also prepare the issues of safety, cleanliness and information about the object,” he added.

In an effort to increase tourist visits to Nusa Dua area, various international events are ready to be held in 2019. There are 6 international tourism events planned to be held on Peninsula Island, The Nusa Dua. Ardita added the events are also held as an effort to promote the Peninsula

Island, namely an island facing the Indian Ocean as one of the tourist destinations in Bali. “This activity aims to add tourist attractions in the area of The Nusa Dua, especially culture tourism, to increase interest and visit of tourists to Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general,” he said recently.

All of the planned events are the Sundown Dancing Lesson held every Sunday at 17:00 on the Peninsula Island. The Bebalihan (traditional show) involving a number of art studios in the ITDC buffer zone will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at Puja Mandala Temple, The Nusa Dua. The third event is the Nusa Dua Light Festival to be held on May 30-July 14, 2019.

Meanwhile, for music lovers, Bali Blues Festival will be prepared on June 13-14, 2019 and for sports there will be an International Night Run on October 13, 2019 and the Pesona Nusa Dua Fiesta will be held on October 25-27, 2019. (kmb23)

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

Bangli: Swasrina, Buleleng: Mudiarta, Gianyar: Manik Astajaya, Karangasem: Eka Parananda, Klungkung: Bagiarta. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp. (0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

MELIA BALI – BUILDING A CARING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PLANET

At Melia Bali, we are embracing our role as custodians of our fragile earth. To honour our commitment to its ongoing care, we have established the Melia Bali Sustainability Program, an initiative that has won a number of awards in recent years including the UNWTO EarthCheck Master Achievement Award in 2018.

The most important relationship that we all have is with the planet that gives us life. In our fast-paced, modern world it is all too easy to take our planet and its resources

for granted and such complacency risks devastating consequences for the future. We are only just starting to really understand that our planet weaves its life-giving magic through a multitude of finely balanced environmental systems, systems that we depend upon for our very survival.

The Melia Bali Sustainability Program introduces strategies to reduce the impact of our operations on the earth, and the latest phase of this program tackles the use of

damaging plastics by eliminating them from our services wherever possible.

The use of single-use plastic water bottles and drinking straws are significant causes of plastic pollution across the world, to address these restaurants use glass bottles instead of plastic ones, our guests can purchase reusable personal steel drinking bottles and our new biodegradable drinking straws are made from corn and cassava. This is only the start and

further initiatives in the program are: • We are using reusable materials to line the wooden trash bins in our guest rooms.

• Eco-friendly materials are being used instead of plastic for our picnic boxes • We are using eco cups in the spa, kid’s club and the fitness and sports centre.

• Our room slippers are now being made from woven bamboo • We no longer serve butter in

portion control plastic pots but in ceramic dishes.

• Plastic coasters have been replaced by wood.

• The gardeners now use reusable pillowcases to replace plastic bags for collecting leaves and other garden waste.

We are the ancestors of the future and will be remembered for the health of the environment we pass on to future generations, come and join us in building a loving, caring relationship with our planet.

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

16 Pages Number 77 11th year

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

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Game Of Thrones star Pilou Asbaek: ‘Villains are the best - heroes are boring’ GAME Of Thrones does a baddie better than any other show. First up: Joffrey, the loathsome boy king who ordered Ned Stark’s beheading in season one and, eight years later, remains arguably the show’s most hated character.

Considering his competition, it’s quite a title. Walder Frey, Ramsay Bolton, Littlefinger, Cersei Lannister… the list goes on.

We also have Euron Greyjoy, the pirate villain who nails bodies to ships, but is also actually quite… charming? In this, the final series, many fans will be rooting for inadvertent heir and brooding hero Jon Snow to claim the Iron Throne, but there will surely be just as many who want to see the ruthless Cersei crowned queen, or the evil White Walkers triumph.

Game Of Thrones is not about traditional goodies and baddies (with the exception of lovable underdog Samwell Tarly, and a few cases of pure unadulterated evil);

the complex characters fans love to hate are one of the great things about the epic show.

Speaking to Sky News at the premiere of season eight in Belfast, Pilou Asbaek, who plays Greyjoy, said he would always choose to play the bad guy.

Asked what he would miss most about his character now the show has ended, he said: “Him being so brutal and relentless and that he has no limits. I’m gonna miss that.

“You’re working so much [on this show] and you’re so much away from your family that it needs to be fun. With Euron Greyjoy he’s such a fun character that even though I was away from my family it didn’t feel so wrong because I had such fun doing it.

“Villains are always the best.

You never want to be the hero; the heroes are boring, they always have to be politically correct. When you create a villain you’ve got to make them human.” (net)

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Dexter Fletcher

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for CinemaCon/AFP

After saving ‘Rhapsody,’ Dexter Fletcher stitches Elton John memories

LAS VEGAS - Elton John’s memories of his nearly fivedecade career might not be perfectly clear, but they are his nonetheless.

IBP/net

Euron Greyjoy, the pirate villain who nails bodies to ships.

And now, having been weaved together by director Dexter Fletcher, the world is going to see them.

After swooping in last minute to save “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Oscars and two Golden Globes, the British director is moving on to another tale of musical legend: that of John in

“Rocketman.”

Fletcher arrived on set for the Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic in late 2017, after original directer Bryan Singer -- accused of sexual misconduct -- was fired two weeks before wrapping up filming.

“It was coincidence, really,” Fletcher, 53, told AFP.

“I worked on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody ‘a few years before: that version didn’t happen,” he added.

Fletcher was originally brought on as director in 2013 -- but was let go over creative differences a year later.

“If things had gone the way they should have gone, we wouldn’t be talking about it... I did what I had to do but really my focus is always ‘Rocketman,’” said Fletcher. (afp)

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AP Photo

This combination photo taken on Saturday, April 13, 2019, left, and Sunday, April 7, 2019, right, show Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and his challenger in the upcoming election Prabowo Subianto during their campaign rallies in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesia presidential race pits heavy metal against the general

Indonesia’s heavy metal-loving leader Joko Widodo faces off against ex-military general Prabowo Subianto in the race to lead the world’s third-biggest democracy Wednesday, a re-run of the 2014 election contest narrowly won by Widodo.

A record 245,000 candidates are running for public office from the presidency down to local legislator positions, including an Olympic gold medallist, a pop diva, a frontman who lost his bandmates and wife in a killer tsunami and even a late dictator’s son convicted of masterminding a judge’s murder.

- Joko Widodo Widodo’s landmark 2014 victory capped a remarkable rise for the down-to-earth outsider in a political scene dominated by political dynasties from the era of Indonesia’s late dictator Suharto.

A one-time furniture exporter, the 57-year-old shot to prominence when he was elected governor of

the capital Jakarta in 2012 after a successful stint as mayor of his hometown Solo.

Raised in a bamboo shack in a riverside slum, his humble demeanour and love for headbangers Metallica proved a hit with voters fed up with a graft-prone elite.

But the father of three -- popularly known as Jokowi -- carries a mixed track record into the polls.

He championed an ambitious drive to build much-needed roads, airports and other infrastructure across the sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, including Jakarta’s first mass rapid transit system.

He also ushered in or expanded popular health and social develop-

ment schemes, including cash for the rural poor. But his rights record has come under scrutiny, with an uptick in discriminatory attacks on Indonesia’s small LGBT community during his tenure, and highprofile cases of intolerance directed at religious minority groups in the Muslim majority nation.

He has also been accused of creeping authoritarianism following arrests of opposition campaigners and a revised law that let Jakarta ban mass organisations. Viewed as weak and out of his depth in his first year in office, Widodo consolidated power in part by appointing Suharto-era army generals with chequered pasts to key posts.

He has further isolated moderate

voters by picking conservative Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin -- known for his disparaging views of minorities -- as his vice presidential nominee.

Widening inequality and a slump in the rupiah currency have sparked criticism of Widodo’s economic stewardship, despite annual growth of about five percent and low inflation. His big-ticket infrastructure projects have also been knocked for offering little benefit to tens of millions of poor Indonesians.

- Prabowo Subianto Subianto lost by a whisker five years ago, cutting Widodo’s oncehuge lead to just a few points by polling day.

The ex-general -- and ex-husband of one Suharto’s daughters -- faces another uphill battle in 2019, trailing by double digits in most opinion polls.

Prabowo has tried and failed to win high office several times over the past 15 years, including an unsuccessful 2009 run for the vice presidency.

But his ambitions have been dogged by ties to the Suharto family and a dark past -- Subianto ordered the abduction of democracy activists in the dying days of the dictator’s rule in 1998 and has been accused of committing atrocities in East Timor. He was dismissed from the military over the kidnappings.

Continued to page 6

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