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Monday, December 17, 2018

CBS paid ‘Bull’ actress Eliza Dushku $9.5 mn to settle harassment claims

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Monday, December 17, 2018

NEW YORK - US television network CBS paid $9.5 million Eliza Dushku, an actress on primetime drama “Bull,” and wrote her off the show after she claimed the lead actor had harassed her.

Michael Weatherly made several lewd comments or jokes in front of the production team referring to Dushku’s physique, with sexual connotations, according to The New York Times, which first reported the development.

The actor acknowledged having made most of the comments, but insisted that they were not sexual advances.

Dushku shared her discomfort at the remarks with the production team before speaking with Weatherly, and the situation did not improve.

Several days later, the actress learned that she had been written off the show even though the production team had previously told her it was planning to give

her character a recurring role in the series. After weighing taking legal action against CBS, the 37-yearold actress turned to mediation, which led to an agreement. The settlement amount corresponds to the payment she would have received had she fulfilled the entire term of her contract.

The network is reeling from having had to fire its CEO Les Moonves in September over sexual harassment and assault claims.

Last year, star host Charlie Rose was fired after eight women accused him of sexual harassment.

“The allegations in Ms Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far

from done,” CBS said. But no action was taken against the man who since 2016 plays the role of Jason Bull, a psychologist who counsels lawyers during trial.

“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” Weatherly, who was a star of the network’s leading drama NCIS for 13 seasons, told the Times.

“When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized.

“After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate, and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.” (afp)

Uganda’s popstar MP ‘hiding’ from police after raid: lawyer KAMPALA - Ugandan popstar turned opposition lawmaker Bobi Wine is in hiding after police raided a hotel he was staying in ahead of a concert, his lawyer said Sunday.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had been due to perform at a concert in Jinja, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Kampala, on Saturday night.

However he, and his lawyer, said police had launched a raid on his hotel, forcing him into hiding.

Kyagulanyi “has been forced to seek refuge from an unlawful midnight raid by police which has seen many of his supporters and colleagues swept up and detained while others were reportedly beaten,” said a statement from his London-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam.

Kyagulanyi took to Twitter on Saturday night to say police had arrested some of his team.

“So police has raided city hotel where we were resting ahead of the show tonight, arrested many of our team members. As we speak, the police is surrounding the entire neighborhood looking for me!” he wrote.

“They have beaten some of them, arrested & dragged them onto police pick-up cars and driven them to unknown destinations for no offence whatsoever.”

Amsterdam called the raid “a clear and brazen act of targeted political repression by the Uganda authorities aimed at violating Bobi Wine’s human rights” and said the concert was “fully and legally permitted, and the other participating musicians were not targeted.” (afp)

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An indigenous woman holding her son, walks in San Antonio Seacortez -home village of 7-year old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal, who died in a Texas hospital two days after being taken into custody by border patrol agents in a remote stretch of New Mexico desert- in Raxruha municipality Alta Verapaz departament 320 km north Guatemala City on December 15, 2018.

Protests after Jakelin Caal Maquin, 7, dies in US border custody

Jakelin Caal Maquin was among a group of 163 people who handed themselves over to patrol agents on 6 December, and she later died of dehydration and shock.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told The Washington Post that the girl had not had anything to eat or drink in several days and was flown to El Paso hospital in west Texas after she began to have seizures.

That version of events is disputed by her father, Nery Caal, whose lawyer has insisted that he ensured Jakelin was well fed and watered throughout their 2,000 mile journey from their home.

In a statement read out by Ruben Garcia, the director of Texas migrant shelter Annunciation House, the attorney said the family was seeking “an objective and thorough investigation” into why Jakelin died.

“Jakelin and her father came to the US seeking something that thousands have been seeking for years - an escape from the dangerous situation in their home country,” the statement said.

“This was their right under US

and international law. But it is a journey that had resulted in tragedy. Her death has raised further questions about the treatment of those detained at the border, with Democrat politicians and activists having raised concerns regarding the condition of the holding cells.

Record numbers of parents travelling with children are being apprehended trying to cross the border with Mexico, which has been a key part of the hard-line immigration policies employed by US President Donald Trump.

In November, border officers detained 25,172 members of “family

units” - the highest monthly number ever recorded.In a statement responding to the death of Jakelin, the US Department of Homeland Security said: “As we have always said, travelling north illegally is extremely dangerous.

“Drug cartels, human smugglers and the elements pose deadly risks to anyone who comes across the border illegally. “Once again, we are begging parents not to put themselves or their children at risk attempting to enter illegally.”

Mr Caal is reported to still be keen to stay in the US and find work.

Jakelin’s mother, Claudia Maquin,

said her daughter had dreamed of starting a new life with him and being able send money back to their impoverished family back home.

Mr Caal remains in El Paso, having left his home in the povertyridden Raxruha area of Guatemala on 1 December. (afp) News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http:// globalfmbali.listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http:// radioglobalfmbali.com and http:// ustream.tv/channel/global-fm-bali.

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Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

International

AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

Indonesia arrests 5 foreigners in Bali for drug smuggling

Police paraded the citizens of Peru, Britain, China, Malaysia and Germany at a news conference Thursday in Denpasar, the capital of Bali province.

The men were arrested in five separate operations by

customs and police since Nov. 30 in which 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of cocaine as well as marijuana, ecstasy and ketamine were seized.

Indonesia has strict drug laws and dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row. Its last executions were in July 2016, when an Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad.

A police statement said the 4 kilograms of cocaine was smuggled by a Peruvian citizen in the lining of his suitcase and had a value of about 10.2 billion rupiah

($700,000).

A British man was arrested for allegedly receiving nearly 31 kilograms (68 pounds) of cannabis oil in the mail and a German for allegedly trying to smuggle 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of hashish on a flight from Bangkok.

Police said the Chinese citizen was arrested with 200 ecstasy tablets and ketamine powder, and the Malaysian had small quantities of synthetic cannabis and ecstasy. (ap)

Australian tourist caught at Brisbane airport with live Bali squirrels

A pair of live squirrels from Bali was seized by Australian Biosecurity and Border Force (ABF) at Brisbane Airport earlier this month.

The animals were allegedly sneaked in by a holiday-maker who had just returned home from Bali, reports Kompas. Following a tip-off from Border Watch, airport officers searched the man’s suitcase to uncover the two creatures. While the man’s motive is still ambiguous, the Australian Department of Agriculture’s stance is crystal clear.

“The fact that this passenger

would deliberately violate the provisions of our biosecurity and put our country at risk is truly unbelievable,” said Nico Padovan, Head of Biosecurity Operations at Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, as quoted in an article by Tempo.

Padovan stated the spread of rabies, a deadly disease already prevalent in Bali, as one of the possible disastrous outcomes of animal smuggling.

Backing up his colleague’s statement, Terry Price, ABF’s Re-

gional Commander in Queensland, commented via the ABF website, “Wildlife smuggling is not only illegal but also very cruel and inhumane, with the animals often being smuggled for long periods of time without food and in limited space.”

Australia’s maximum penalty for individual wildlife smugglers is a sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to AUD210,000 (US$151,061). The two poor squirrels were euthanized for biosecurity reasons while the Australian resident may face criminal charges. (ant)

Monday, December 17, 2018

15

ANA INTERCONTINENTAL TOKYO HONOURED WITH THREE WORLD LUXURY AWARDS IN 2018

Peruvian Jorge Albornoz Gamarra, center, and German Frank Zeldler, right, sit next to evidence and Indonesian custom officers during a press conference in Bali, Indonesia Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018.

DENPASAR — Indonesian police said some of the five foreigners who have been arrested for alleged drug smuggling on the tourist island of Bali since the end of November face the death penalty if convicted.

Activities

IBP/net

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ANA InterContinental Tokyo is delighted to announce that it has been named as the Luxury City Hotel / Japan in the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2018. In addition, UNKAI – the hotel’s Japanese restaurant – has become the Global Winner of Japanese Cuisine for the second consecutive year, as well as being honoured, for the first time, as the East Asian Regional Winner in the Luxury Hotel Restaurant category in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2018.

Established in 2006, the World Luxury Hotel Awards is a recognised global organisation providing luxury hotels with recognition for their world class facilities and service excellence provided to guests. Meanwhile, the World Luxury Restaurant Awards was set up to inspire excellence and ignite healthy competition within the luxury restaurant industry.

The aim is to highlight the special features of upscale restaurants, thereby increasing competition, attracting food experts, journalists, gourmands and a whole host of visitors from around the globe; ultimately raising the level of food quality and standards of service within the industry.

For over 30 years, ANA InterContinental Tokyo has been a hospitality leader in the Japanese Capital, welcoming guests to its 844 guestrooms, 12 restaurants & bars and 22 event spaces. UNKAI Japanese Restaurant also has a 32-year story that goes back to the establishment of the hotel (the former ANA Hotel Tokyo) in 1986. The restaurant offers traditional ‘Kaiseki’ style Japanese cuisine enriched with sophisticated details including tableware, ingredients, presentation and flavoursome delights.

Upon receiving the awards, Michel Chertouh, General Manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo said, “We are thrilled and truly honoured to receive these three awards, and we will strive to continue serving the very best in hospitality and Japanese cuisine while inspiring all of our customers from around the world to succumb to the pleasure and joy of staying with us. I’m also very proud of our staff; these awards are testament to their commitment, hard work and excellent service.”

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Monday, December 17, 2018

Traveling

International

International

Exploring Girona and surroundings, Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona is Catalonia’s largest and most famous city and I’ve enjoyed exploring it in the past.

This time I pick up a car from the airport, bypass the centre, and head north on the highway. I’m tempted by the turnoffs to the Costa Brava and resorts like Tossa de Mar but

my first stop is going to be another city of culture.

Girona

The Romans arrived in Girona in the first century AD and built a fort called Gerunda, on the road running from the Rome to southern

Spain. Later, Visigoths, Moors and Charlemagne all left their mark.

The old town occupies the steep hill above the River Onyar with later development sprawling across the plain on the other side.

A row of picturesque houses lines the river painted in distinctive pastel shades and the view from any of the bridges is dominated by the cathedral, originally built by the Moors as a mosque and approached by a flight of 86 steps. The medieval quarter is all cobbled streets, shady squares and balconied houses.

It’s worth checking out the Arab Baths, some of the best preserved in Spain, with several rooms each with its own pool. There’s the cold water frigidarium, with columns supporting a central dome, the warmer tepidarium and the steam caldarium, warmed by hot flames below. There was also once a large Jewish presence, a centre of learning for over 500 years, documented in the nearby Museum of Jewish History.

The Romans built the first city walls they were extended and rebuilt under the reign of Peter III the Ceremonious in the second half of the 14th century. You can walk their length, climbing up lookout tow-

ers for panoramic views of Girona and the surrounding countryside.

The student population supports a lively night life and, onthe opposite side of the river, you’ll find vibrant restaurants and bars.

other places that rent rooms plus a selection of cafes, restaurants and bars. When the crowds have left, it feels like a deserted movie set – it’s no surprise that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was filmed here.

Besalú

Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell

Around 40 minutes’ drive north is the town of Besalú whose most striking feature is its medieval bridge spanning the Fluvià river in seven arches and two towers. At its midpoint is the gatehouse where tolls were collected, the major source of its wealth.

The streets, as you enter the town, were once the Jewish quarter and the surviving Miqvé, purification baths, date from the 12th century. The quirky Micromundi Museum of Miniatures on the main square has a selection of shop interiors reduced to 12th scale but to see the Eiffel tower perching on a poppy seed, you’ll need a magnifying glass.

Peratallada

Driving east to the coast, I stop at the medieval walled village of Peratallada. Its narrow streets and stone houses are perfectly preserved and the castle dates from 1065. It’s now a hotel and there are

This section of the Costa Brava is home to a cluster of fishing villages and, although the fishing has long gone, they still retain much of their original character, unspoilt by inappropriate development.

Llafranc is my first port of call and, after dumping my luggage in the seafront front hotel, I head across the sandy beach for a quick dip.

On the headland above the sea is the archaeological site of Sant Sebastià de la Guarda, next to the 19th century lighthouse. Indigenous Iberians lived here between the 6th and 1st centuries BC and you can make out traces of circular huts and a furnace. They traded with the ancient Greeks but, sadly the arrival of the Romans spelt their demise.

The 15th century watchtower, built to warn of pirate attacks, has a museum dealing with the history of the region and of course has stunning sea views.

A dedicated seafront path runs the length of this coast, and a twenty minute walk over the cliffs brings me to the attractive village of Calella de Palafrugell. The tourist office is located in the Sa Perola building, where the fishermen once dyed their nets and there’s also a small museum here. There are still boats on the beach but most of them belong to weekenders from Barcelona. Traditions are still kept alive, however, and every July you can still hear their traditional songs at the Cantada d’havaneres festival.

Following the coastal path further leads to the Botanical Gardens of Cap Roig, twenty acres of cactus, shrubs and Mediterranean forest.

In 1927, white Russian émigré Nicolai Woevodsky and his English aristocrat wife, Dorothy Webster, settled here on land bought from bankrupt vineyard owners. They filled it with plant species from all over the world and pieces of sculpture.

They also began building their own castle, but finances got the better of them and the banks took over in the 1960’s. They managed to finish it and lived here until they died and are buried in the grounds.

The magnificent setting is the venue for a grand summer music festival with major acts like Sting and Bob Dylan on the bill, as well as local artists. (IBP/net)

Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

Bebondresan with the theme “King Agung Asep Proposes Queen Kucita Dewi” is a show initiated by BaliTV in a series of welcoming the Sun 2019.

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IBP/kmb

Welcoming the Sun 2019

Bali TV presents the show “Agung Asep proposing Kucita Dewi” DENPASAR - An art performance by the innovative bondres (gag) mask troupe (STI) Bali was showed off in front of thousands of spectators thronging the Ardha Candra amphitheater of Denpasar Art Center on Saturday night (Dec. 15).

Bebondresan with the theme “King Agung Asep Proposes Queen Kucita Dewi” is a show initiated by BaliTV in a series of welcoming the Sun 2019. Bali TV is a local station in Bali that promotes Balinese art and culture through various local contents.

Other than bebondresan, the show also displayed music and vocal art by involving several Balinese pop singers.

Among them, there were Ayu Dhara, Budi Arsa, Arumi, and Pondal, accompanied by gamelan music of STI Ethnic Music - Kembang Layu.

The bebondresan was started with the opening gamelan composition and resumed with Folk Dance telling the story about the non-prosperous people in the Ojo Lali Kingdom, East Java. This kingdom is led by a king whose daily life is always accompanied by his two noble vice regents, namely Maha Ondo (Rah Ondo) with the senior Maha Gaul (Pekak Gaul).

This king is known as Raden Agung Asep Pancen Oye. He has extraordinary charisma that can make people see him annoyed.

Once upon a time, the king dreamed and told his dreams to both vice regents that he must make a journey to Bali namely to the Maya Kerta Kingdom. In his dream, the king met a beautiful princess named Diah Kucita Dewi, with confidence that the beautiful princess is his soul mate. When the king sits side by side with the princess, he is confident the kingdom will be better.

With various jokes, they made the audience thronging the stands of the Ardha Candra laugh. Maha Ondo and Maha Gaul prepared everything for the departure of the king to Maya Kerta Kingdom located in Bali. In Maya Kerta Kingdom, they met a lady and gentlemen having fun. Accompanied by Kembang Layu Keroncong music, the maids told the beauty of Princess Diah Kucita Dewi.

After hearing the princess’ beauty, King Raden Agung Asep Pancen Oye met Diah Kucita Dewi. The king expressed his desire to propose Diah Kucita Dewi. Here is where the audience was presented with romantic nuances of the couple.

Moreover, this scene was accompanied by the presentation of Balinese pop singer Ayu Dhara with the song entitled Sejujurne (Honestly) making the atmosphere more romantic.

After expressing his love, the princess fell in love with the king. The wedding procession was prepared by the ladies and gentlemen and both vice regents. Peak of the wedding reception featured various types of entertainment with the appearance of several singers. After marriage, what the king dreamed of had came true namely wishing the whole community to live better, more peacefully and there is no conflict.

Ida Bagus Ketut Indra Darmawan acted as King Asep said the meaning of bebondresan show is that women play a central role in controlling the leadership of a leader. The success of a leader is always accompanied by a great woman who controls him. “The woman is the power of men, like Lord Shiva has the shakti of Goddess Parwati. Women can bring in destruction or goodness, for example in the Ramayana story, Ravana is destroyed as having kidnapped Shita, in the Mahabharata the Kauravas are destroyed because of having harassed Queen Drupadi,” he said.

By 2019, Gus Meneer, as he is familiarly addressed, invited all Balinese people to improve themselves and step up better. So, the life is meaningful and useful for all of God’s creation without anyone hurting, insulting, and breaking down. “We must unite, foster mutual compassion and feel happy together,” hoped Agung Asep. (win)

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Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

To build quality and sustainable Bali tourism

“Actually, the determinant factor for the Bali’s economy and for the life of Balinese people is their nature, people and culture,” he stressed.

To build and organize Bali in the future, Koster added that he began to prepare a number of regulations, such as the Regional Bylaw (Perda) concerning customary villages, gubernatorial regulation on the use of Balinese customs, on Balinese languages, scripts and literature, on restriction to one-time plastic use, on waste management from upstream to downstream, on conservation of water resources, promotion of Balinese culture, on the implementation of Bali tourism as a whole, and others.

In line with the government, the AMPB wants to make Bali tourism quality, and sustainable. This was conveyed by Chairman of AMPB, Gusti Kade Sutawa. The AMPB will also support all measures taken by the Bali provincial government.

This is driven by a shared desire to organize Bali tourism. “Many things about Bali tourism need to be resolved in mutual cooperation because the problem is quite complex,” he explained.

Regarding this matter, one of the tourism players, Gede Wirata, added that tourism community in Bali wanted to unite in the face of tourism turmoil. Responding to the statement of the governor of Bali, he admitted that many tourism players are shocked by the program to be implemented by governor of Bali in the future. This will be a commitment to fully supporting the measures in making Bali tourism more qualified. “At least, the tourism in 2019 upwards already has a clear point,” said Gede Wirata. (kmb19)

SYDNEY - Australia’s conservative prime minister on Sunday stood by his decision to recognise west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite criticism from neighbouring Muslim countries.

IBP/kmb

The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) invited millennial generation to take advantage of this economic digital era to create new business field and develop businesses.

HIPMI Bali invites millennial generation to utilize digital economy

DENPASAR - The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) invited millennial generation to take advantage of this economic digital era to create new business field and develop businesses. The economic digital age can also be used to improve Indonesia’s competitiveness.

“This will be the key to increasing competitiveness,” said Dr. I Gusti Nyoman Darma Putra, Chairman of HIPMI Bali on Friday (Dec. 14).

Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster.

IBP/kmb

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Australia reaffirms Israel decision despite backlash

Governor of Bali and AMPB declare cultural tourism DENPASAR - Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, along with the Bali Tourism Community Alliance (AMPB) consisting of various tourism stakeholders and components of the Balinese community declared Balinese cultural tourism on Friday night (Dec. 14) on Bounty Cruise. This is a joint commitment to building more quality and sustainable Bali tourism by preserving the nature and culture of Bali. It is inspired by tourism having become the foundation of the life of Balinese people and the main pillar of the Bali’s economy.

“Tourism really has a very strategic and important position. At the same time, this is a warning for us all because 70 percent of Bali’s economic fate lies in the world of tourism,” said Koster.

According to him, the community and government must jointly maintain the sustainability of tourism sector in Bali. If the tourism sector is disrupted or cannot run sustainably, the economy of Bali will also be disrupted. As a result, it has the impact on the level of people’s welfare because many people depend on their life from the sector.

Accompanied by Bali’s Deputy Governor, Tjokorda Oka Arta Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace), Koster explained that by having a beautiful nature, uniqueness, rich culture, human resources and hospitality, Bali has been named as the world’s favorite tourism destination for several times. Therefore, tourism in Bali must be integrated with nature, humans and culture. It means these three things should not go on their own way, and must be arranged in a system of development patterns, so that Bali tourism can be even better.

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

To enter the top ten of the largest global economy in 2030 what must be done is to increase exports. He also stressed the importance of maintaining inclusive economic growth for all organizational levels and business size. That way, there is no doubt for organizations to reinvent business processes and remain competitive and successful in the market.

At present, Indonesia is utilizing the digital economy era as a solution in increasing national competitiveness, especially in the industrial sector. Moreover, the industrial sector is a mainstay to promote equitable development and public welfare especially B0ali, whose main focus

is on tourism development. This is not just hotel and restaurant development, but also various concepts of the current trends that can be developed. For this reason, the main millennial generation is expected to be able to take advantage of the functions of the emerging digital economic era.

HIPMI will establish a Digital HIPMI. This medium is a real answer in realizing the readiness of HIPMI entrepreneurs in facing the digital economy. “As real evidence, we don’t want to only hold seminars but concrete actions,” said the beauty clinic business entrepreneur during the Digital Economy Seminar at Bank Indonesia Building

of Denpasar on Friday (Dec. 14).

For this reason, his organization is able to bring together digital players with interested regulators and stakeholders.

A member of Division V in charge of Creative and Information Technology of HIPMI Bali, Daniesh Mustofa, as chairman of the committee expected the entrepreneurs to have literacy in digital economics to facilitate finding consumers. The potential for online market share is huge, especially Indonesia, which has 30 million online shoppers. “Besides, the population of Indonesia is 300 million people, while Bali has 3 million,” he added. (kmb42)

Canberra became one of a handful of governments to follow US President Donald Trump’s lead and recognise the contested city as Israel’s capital, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced Saturday.

But a contentious embassy shift from Tel Aviv -- a proposal made during a crucial Sydney by-election that critics said was timed to attract Jewish voters -- will not occur until a peace settlement is achieved.

Australia’s Muslim-majority neighbour Malaysia said Sunday it “strongly opposes” the decision to recognise west Jerusalem.

The announcement was “premature and a humiliation to the Palestinians and their struggle for the right to self-determination,” the government said in a statement advocating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Australia’s immediate neighbour Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, was angered by the embassy move proposal in the run-up to the by-election, and said Saturday it “notes” the decision.

Citing Jakarta’s response, Mor-

rison said Sunday that the international reaction had been “measured” and that his decision would progress a two-state solution.

“I think the responses that we have seen from countries so far has been measured,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

“Australia would continue to respect a two-state outcome that remained our goal as strongly as ever.”

Israel’s embassy in Canberra on Sunday said the decision was a “step in the right direction”.

Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.

Most foreign nations avoided moving embassies there to prevent inflaming peace talks on the city’s final status -- until Trump unilaterally moved the US embassy earlier this year.

Morrison’s embattled coalition slipped into a minority government after losing the Sydney by-election in October, which followed the Liberal party’s ousting of the local member and then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. (afp)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison

SAEED KHAN / AFP

Bethlehem church mosaics sparkle in time for Christmas

BETHLEHEM - Masked for centuries by the soot of candles and lately by scaffolding, the mosaics of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity have been restored to their Crusader-era splendour in time for Christmas.

Over the past 15 months, experts have cleaned and repaired surviv-

ing fragments of the 12th century masterworks, preserving 1,345 square feet (125 square metres) of what was once 21,528 square feet (2,000 square metres) of glittering gold and glass. The rest has been eaten away by wear, humidity, wars and earthquakes.

Now the restored remains shine

THOMAS COEX / AFP

Italian artists clean and restore pebble mosaics at the nave of the Church of the Nativity in the occupied West Bank biblical city of Bethlehem on November 30, 2018.

against the white walls above the heads of visitors to the church in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem that marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Overlooking the nave are seven angels framed in gold who appear to have landed on a carpet of vivid green grass.

Each is placed between windows symbolising divine light. One of the angels was discovered during the restoration work beneath a layer of plaster.

“These mosaics are made of gold leaf placed between two glass plates,” Marcello Piacenti, who supervises the work on behalf of his Italian family restoration firm Piacenti, told AFP. “Only faces and limbs are drawn with small pieces of stone.”

One of the partially destroyed angel figures was restored using different materials to the original so as not to mislead future archaeologists.

Ibrahim Abed Rabbo, a Palestinian Authority (PA) engineer said the transformation caused by the restoration is striking.

“When you entered the church

before, you could not even make out that there were mosaics, it was so black,” he said.

- Spiritually exalted In a rarity for the period, the works were signed by the craftsmen responsible, Abed Rabbo said.

In the choir of the church, the visitor can now see an image of Saint Thomas, incredulous at the resurrection, poking his finger into Christ’s wound from his crucifixion.

Elsewhere there is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

“It’s meticulously detailed, it gives the impression of being brand new,” said Patricia Lieby, 44, a French tourist visiting the church for the first time.

“I have never seen a mosaic like this outside Jerusalem, it’s sublime.”

Father Asbed Balian is the senior cleric of the Armenian church at the basilica, where property rights are shared with the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox faiths.

After seeing the completed restoration, he said, he was “stunned”.

“Spiritually, we feel more exalted,” he added.

On the nave walls, the restorers also gave renewed life to paintings dating from 1127 and the end of the 12th century when wealthy pilgrims commissioned artists to paint their family or home region saints, for display in the holy site.

“These portraits were barely distinguishable, blackened by the years,” Piacenti said.

Now their silhouettes stand out against the church’s reddish columns, although the faces were erased after the Muslim conquest, in keeping with the Islamic ban on portrayal of the human form.

The first Church of the Nativity was built in the fourth century by Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helene.

That original structure was believed to have been destroyed by fire but Piacenti said no trace of burning was found during the restoration work, leading him to think an earthquake was a more likely cause.

The Byzantines rebuilt the basilica in the sixth century and the Crusaders later added to it. (afp)

12

International

Monday, December 17, 2018

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Monday, December 17, 2018

5

Denpasar’s Legong Keraton Dance Denpasar’s Legong Keraton Dance was officially recognition as a World Cultural Heritage

by UNESCO, under the title “Three Genres of Traditional Dances of Bali”. The handing over of the certificate from UNESCO for the ‘Three Genres of Traditional Dances in Bali’ (comprised of traditional, semi-traditional and entertainment) was performed at Setia Dharma House of Mask & Puppet in Ubud recently.

AP Photo/Francisco Seco

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. European Union leaders expressed deep doubts Friday that British Prime Minister Theresa May can live up to her side of their Brexit agreement and they vowed to step up preparations for a potentially-catastrophic no-deal scenario.

EU leaders approve small steps to buttress euro currency FRANKFURT - European leaders agreed Friday to press ahead with work toward a limited, common eurozone budget and took other steps to strengthen the currency union’s resistance to downturns and crises.

The budget proposal leaves its size undefined and it appeared to fall short of more sweeping ideas pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The European Union leaders said that finance ministers would work out the precise features of the budget with an aim to reach an agreement on them by June.

Macron has pushed for a large eurozone budget that could support member states which run into economic trouble. That would help close a key vulnerability of euro

monetary union, which has one currency but 19 different governments.

The euro bloc’s weaknesses in adjusting to trouble were exposed during a financial and economic crisis that threatened to break up the currency union from 2010 to 2012.

The leaders’ statement Friday after a summit in Brussels said the eurozone fund would be part of the overall EU budget, suggesting it is likely to be smaller than Macron’s proposal. He has called for several percentage points of gross domestic

output but the entire EU budget is only about 1 percent of GDP. The leaders’ statement also limits the budget’s purpose as helping to make economies more competitive and similar in the way they function and omits a mention of stabilizing countries in recession — a key lack for the euro.

Proposals for a central budget had been resisted by northern European countries, which are concerned that they will be put on the hook for the troubles of less fiscally disciplined EU governments.

At a post-summit briefing, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the budget “a good contribution” and said that “we have agreed on significant parts of what Emmanuel Macron proposed...

And the French president was certainly very satisfied with that, and so am I.” French officials said the fund was a starting point and the amount could grow gradually.

“If you start by saying I want a trillion-euro budget that does everything, when people are already against the whole idea, then you’ll never get anywhere,” said a French official on customary condition of anonymity.

The leaders also approved giving additional financial firepower to the EU’s fund that would help wind up or restructure failed banks. That would assume, however, sufficient progress in getting shaky European banks to clean up their finances.

There was no outright mention in the statement of progress toward an EU-wide deposit insurance, which aims to strengthen the banking system by reassuring depositors their money is safe even if national backstops fall short. The proposal has also faced a pushback from Germany, which has sought to first ensure that banks purge their finances of hidden losses from bad loans. (ap)

Director General of Cultural Affairs for the Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid, made the public declaration about the determination of the Legong Keraton dance as an intangible world heritage during an event that took place in the lobby of the

Graha Sewaka Dharma in Denpasar on Sunday (Jun. 12). The event was attended and witnessed by the Mayor of Denpasar I.B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra accompanied by Chairperson of the PKK Denpasar Mrs. D. Selly Mantra and Regional Secretary of Denpasar AAN Rai

Iswara and several agency heads from the City of Denpasar.

Farid said that the establishment of Denpasar’s Legong Keraton as an intangible cultural indicates that art and culture can no longer be regarded as simply ornaments for development or supplements to

events but rather as enhancements of the human experience within said community.

“And Bali – particularly Denpasar in this case, stands at on the front lines as evidenced by the City of Denpasar’s service motto: ‘Sewaka Darma’ (serving is a duty) that is applied to all fields including culture. I think they are on the front lines because not all regions in Indonesia have special agencies dedicated to culture. Hopefully other regions will follow suite. The

city of Denpasar is the avant-guard in Indonesia in terms of informing people about the importance of culture”, said Hilmar Farid.

Mayor Rai Mantra expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Education and Culture and the Directorate General of Cultural Affairs for their struggle to bring the cultural heritage of Denpasar to UNESCO and ultimately have Denpasar’s Legong Keraton become officially recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. (kmb)

Bebek Timbungan, A New Restaurant Serving Balinese Traditional Menus

Haven’t found any classic and delicious traditional menus while traveling in Bali? Simply try dropping in to Bebek Timbungan – a Balinese Heritage Cuisine. It is located on Jalan Sunset Road, Sunset One Dewaruci Shops, Kuta.

The restaurant featuring traditional ambience is very close to the tourist area of ??Kuta and souvenir shops.

Besides, it’s only 10 minute’s drive from Ngurah Rai Airport.

Bebek Timbungan offers various types of traditional menus prepared in accordance with the appetite of tourists. However, the most special menu is Bebek Timbungan, one of the famous duck dishes and the oldest menu in Bali. In the past, this timbungan was only served in Balinese traditional rituals. “In the Dharma Caruban manuscript, one of the most traditional Balinese menus in the ritual ceremony is the timbungan,” said Head Chef Ida Bagus Udiana in the launching of

the Bebek Timbungan on Thursday (Nov. 14).

The word timbungan is derived from embung or timbung meaning bamboo. So, Bebek Timbungan is a duck meat dish cooked with basa genep (Balinese basic seasoning) using bamboo blades. “Bebek Timbungan Restaurant – Balinese Heritage Cuisine wants to introduce the Duck Timbungan as a prominent menu. “The presence of this restaurant originates from a desire to continuously preserve the philosophy of diversity in Balinese specialties,” he added.

Vice President of Secret Garden Village, Ana Dewi Permana, said the high demand for the Bebek Timbungan menu at the previous restaurant located at Secret Garden Village Bali was the background for the opening of this Bebek Timbungan – Balinese Heritage Cuisine restaurant. “We are ready to serve quality traditional foodies, so that

Duck Timbungan is opened every day from 10:00 through 23:00 local time,” she explained.

As a restaurant that upholds the ancestral heritage, Bebek Timbungan is committed to serving a special menu served by maintaining the composition and processing method in accordance with the recipes of the ancient ancestors. It presents a variety of traditional Balinese menus in the nuance of modern Balinese-style interiors.

According to Ana Dewi, Bebek Timbungan is a restaurant that should be visited with family, friends or partners. “During the opening of this new outlet, Bebek Timbungann – Balinese Heritage Cuisine provides a special promotion for visitors in the form of ‘age-appropriate discount’ that lasts until the end of 2018. Just by presenting ID card, visitors can enjoy discounts according to the

age listed,” she said.

Bebek Timbungan presents the genuine Balinese atmosphere. The interior is designed with a natural atmosphere both in color and material. The building complies with the character of Balinese showing off warm, humble and has an elegant vivacity. “This two-floored res-

taurant is equipped with meeting facilities accommodating 215 seats.

Other facilities include a sound system and special lower floor to enjoy various menus. Eating here will feel really Balinese ambience because all the ornaments are in accordance with nature,” concluded Ana Dewi. (kmb)

6

Monday, December 17, 2018

W

RLD

WANG Zhao / AFP

This picture taken on November 7, 2018 shows a general view of Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province.

Shenzhen, China’s reform pioneer, leads tech revolution

International

International

While this economic model used to be “very popular, it is no longer viable today,” he said.

He now leads his own electronics firm, MeegoPad, which boasts an annual turnover of $28 million making products such as miniature PCs. “We are now very attached to intellectual property and patents,” Wu said.

- ‘Made in China 2025’ -

Shenzhen, which lived off fishing and rice paddies, became a testing ground for Deng’s reforms when it was designated as the country’s first Special Economic Zone in 1980.

It grew into a massive manufacturing centre, with factories churning out gadgets, computers and phones for foreign firms, which today include Apple and Samsung.

Today China’s own global corporations, such as telecom company Huawei and internet giant Tencent, have made Shenzhen their headquarters and the city of tens of thousands of factories is dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Hardware”.

The metropolis is now seeking to reinvent itself as the home of Chinese innovation, in line with

Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan to dominate key hi-tech industries such as robotics, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

“China is becoming a world leader in this field,” Wu said.

“Shenzhen is turning into a meeting point for creative engineers from around the world.”

Now talent from abroad is flocking to Shenzhen.

Meng Jie, who is French and in his 30s, left California’s Silicon Valley in 2017 to create Maybe, a company that makes smart speakers that help people learn Mandarin.

“Silicon Valley is still way ahead in artificial intelligence. But you can find the electronic or mechanical component you need three times faster in Shenzhen,” Meng said.

“It’s like going from a road to a motorway,” he said.

Pointing to the skyscrapers outside his office, he said: “People see Silicon Valley as the tech Mecca.

They underestimate Shenzhen a lot because they don’t know what’s happening here.”

“This place was just sand and water 20 years ago. In 10 years, Shenzhen will be a very important world city. It will be the capital of innovation,” he said. (afp)

11

Cambodia seizes record 3-tonne haul of African ivory PHNOM PENH - Cambodia seized more than 3.2 tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in a storage container sent from Mozambique, a customs official said Sunday, marking the country’s largest ivory bust.

The discovery Thursday of 1,026 tusks at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port followed a tip from the US embassy, the official said, and highlights Cambodia’s emergence as a key regional transit point for the multibillion dollar trade in illicit wildlife.

“The elephant tusks were hidden among marble in a container that was abandoned,” Sun Chhay, director of the Customs and Excise Office at the port, told AFP. He said the ivory was sent from the southern African nation of Mozambique and arrived at the port last year.

The unidentified owner of the shipment did not arrive to pick up the cargo.

Pictures of the massive haul showed long rows of confiscated tusks spread out on the ground at the port.

Sun Chhay said he did not know

whether the shipment was destined for markets in other countries.

Demand from China and Vietnam has fuelled the growth of illegal wildlife trafficking via Cambodia.

Weak law enforcement and corruption attract wildlife smugglers, especially at a time when neighbouring Thailand is cracking down on the banned trade.

Ivory is prized for its beauty while the market in traditional medicine has led to the smuggling of rhino horn and pangolin scales.

Cambodia has a miniscule elephant population but its emergence as a new trafficking hub has resulted in several headline-grabbing busts over the past five years.

The largest before this week occured in 2014, when Cambodian customs seized about three tonnes of ivory hidden in a container of beans at the southwestern port of Sihanoukville.

Last year, Cambodia also seized nearly a tonne of ivory hidden in hollowed-out logs discovered inside an abandoned container, owned by a company based in Mozambique. (afp)

AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana

In this Oct. 23, 2018, photo, Sister Laurentina leads a prayer in a church in Fatukoko village of West Timor, Indonesia. Laurentina is one of the few people in West Timor trying to track migrant workers who have gone missing. Since 2012, she has traveled to villages across the island to run educational meetings about the dangers of traffickers.

Lost girls of Indonesia among 61k dead and missing migrants

SHENZHEN - The southern city of Shenzhen is the symbol of the transformative reforms launched by China 40 years ago: former fishing villages that morphed into a global manufacturing hub.

Today Shenzhen is again at the heart of a new policy aimed at turning China into a hi-tech innovator and shed its reputation as an assembly line for foreign companies or -- worse -- an imitator.

Modern skyscrapers housing corporations and ambitious startups tower over the mega-city of 13 million people -- among them is Wu Yebin, 35, who runs his own tech firm from his 35th floor office.

His own story mirrors those of countless others who have risen from modest backgrounds following the reforms spearheaded by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, which the Communist Party ratified on December 18, 1978.

The son of poor farmers, Wu arrived in the city in 2005 and over the years he assembled devices similar to Apple’s iPad or MacBook, joining Shenzhen’s army of people making “shanzhai” -- creative knock-offs of foreign electronics affordable for local population.

“Germany, the United States, Japan, South Korea... All developed countries have done this to develop their manufacturing industry,” Wu said. “You have to do that to gain experience.”

Monday, December 17, 2018

BAN CHORK / AFP

This photo taken on December 13, 2018 shows Cambodian Customs and Excise Officials looking at ivory seized from a shipping container at the Phnom Penh port.

FATUKOKO — The stranger showed up at the girl’s door one night with a tantalizing job offer: Give up your world, and I will give you a future.

It was a chance for 16-year-old Marselina Neonbota to leave her isolated village in one of the poorest parts of Indonesia for neighboring Malaysia, where some migrant workers can earn more in a few years than in a lifetime at home.

A way out for a girl so hungry for a life beyond subsistence farming that she walked 22 kilometers (14 miles) every day to the schoolhouse and back. She grabbed the opportunity — and disappeared.

The cheerful child known to her family as Lina joined the army of Indonesians who migrate every year to wealthier countries in Asia and the Middle East for work.

Thousands come home in coffins, or vanish. Among them, possibly hundreds of trafficked girls have quietly disappeared from the im-

poverished western half of Timor island and elsewhere in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.

The National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers has counted more than 2,600 cases of dead or missing Indonesian migrants since 2014. And even those numbers mostly leave out people like Lina who are recruited illegally -- an estimated 30 percent of Indonesia’s 6.2 million migrant workers.

On that night in 2010, Lina didn’t seem to sense the danger posed by the stranger named Sarah.

But Lina’s great-aunt and greatuncle, who had raised her, were hesitant.

Sarah insisted they could trust her; she was related to the village chief. And Lina would only be gone two years.

Lina’s aunt, Teresia Tasoin, knew a Malaysian salary could support the whole family. Her

husband — fighting both a teenager’s excitement and a crushing headache — doubted he could stop Lina from going.

Still, the couple wanted to hold a Catholic prayer service for Lina before she left. Sarah promised she would only take Lina to the provincial capital of Kupang for one night to organize her paperwork, then bring her back the next day.

It was a lie.

Less than one hour after Sarah walked into their home, she walked back out with Lina. And just like that, their girl was gone.

Looking back on it now, Tasoin crumbles under the weight of whatifs. “I regret it,” she says through tears.

“I regret letting her go.” When it comes to tracking the fate of migrants, Asia is the blackest of black holes.

It has more migrants than any region on earth, with millions traveling within Asia and to the

Mideast for work. Yet it has the least data on those who vanish. In an exclusive tally, The Associated Press found more than 8,000 cases of dead and missing migrants in Asia and the Mideast since 2014, in addition to the 2,700 listed by the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration. More than 2,000 unearthed by the AP were from the Philippines alone. And countless other cases are never reported.

These workers reflect part of the hidden toll of global migration.

An AP investigation documented at least 61,135 migrants dead or missing worldwide over the same period, a tally that keeps rising .

That’s more than double the number found by the IOM, the only group that has tried to count them.

While it’s not clear how many left for jobs, in general workers make up about two-thirds of international migrants, according to the International Labor Organization;

the rest are fleeing everything from drug violence to war and famine.

Migrants may die on perilous journeys through deserts or at sea, while many others like Lina disappear into networks that traffic in people.

In deeply Christian East Nusa Tenggara, the church has become one of the few advocates for the dead and disappeared. With the impoverished province home to the highest number of trafficking cases in the country, nuns and priests have transformed themselves into counter-trafficking crusaders.

Inside a little church across from Lina’s house, Sister Laurentina is praying before a riveted crowd.

Slight and soft-spoken, the nun — who like many Indonesians goes by only one name — is nonetheless a giant presence before the parishioners. There is danger in trusting illegal recruiters, she warns. There is death. (ap)

10

Destination

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

Alvarez overwhelms Fielding in third for supermiddlweight title

NEW YORK - Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez brutally overpowered England’s Rocky Fielding with a dominant display on his New York City debut Saturday to become a three-weight world champion.

Busungbiu Rice Terrace

SINGARAJA - Busungbiu Rice Terrace is a beautiful rice terrace set in the deep valley offering amazing panoramic view of rice terrace and natures surround it. It is situated in the tranquility of Kekeran village, Busungbiu district, Buleleng Regency, Singaraja Bali. Busungbiu Rice Terrace is secluded rice field with pure natures surround it including green hills. The amazing panorama can be viewed from the top of hill apposite to the long green view to the sea. It is strategically set beside of the main road from Pupuan to Singaraja or just about 30 kilometers south of Singaraja Town. It is an amazing site blessed by fresh atmosphere, peaceful ambiance and natural stunning view those can interpretative it. You will

view the whole natural panoramic view from the mountain until the end of hills in long distance. The rice paddy planted on the rice terrace will add the value of this place to visit. This rice terrace has been well known among the tourists who visit Bali Island in particular for those who visit Singaraja Town.

The atmosphere of Busungbiu Rice Terrace is very quiet and calm, far from the city and crowds as well as pollutions, offers a peaceful ambiance.

There are gazebos provided for visitors, it is very comfortable for relaxing and having a picnic. For visitors who like trekking, it is recommended to have a trek in this beautiful rice field.

Visitors would see a clear fresh river flowing as the irrigation and also have a chance to see the farmers’ activities

from a close distance. It is a great place to have a rest after a long journey from Denpasar, or on the way back from Lovina Beach.

Rice Paddies trekking to explore the beautiful rice field is one of the activities can be done at Busungbiu Rice Terrace. You can discover the pure natures of rice fields, beautiful river and meet farmers working in the rice field. You will understand about Subak Irrigation System executed at this site. When visiting Singaraja and passing through Pupuan District then you will have the opportunity to visit this site since it just located beside the main road.

From the top of the hill, you can see the amazing panoramic view of rice terrace Kekeran rainforest and green hills surround it. (IBP/net)

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Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

Rocky Fielding fights Canelo Alvarez during their WBA Super Middleweight title bout at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2018 in New York City.

Badminton gold at last for India’s indefatigable Sindhu

SHANGHAI - P.V. Sindhu celebrated gold at last after the Indian defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara to win badminton’s season-ending World Tour Finals on Sunday.

The 23-year-old has suffered a series of near-misses in recent years, winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and again at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games this year.

The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year’s season

finale.

But she put all that heartbreak behind her in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, beating the fifthranked Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in the women’s final in just over an hour.

Sindhu, who was always in control of the match, sealed the championship with a forehand smash, before collapsing to the court floor on her hands and knees.

The men’s final later Sunday tees up the two top players in the world, top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan against number two and home star Shi Yuqi. (afp)

Alvarez, who is the reigning World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association middleweight world champion following his thrilling victory over Gennady Golovkin in September, had little trouble in moving up in weight class and defeating Fielding, who held a second tier version of the WBA’s super-middleweight title.

Alvarez sent Fielding to the canvas in the very first round with a crunching body shot and remained in complete control. He delivered a similar punch in the second which was also too much for the Englishman to take before the fight was stopped towards the end of the third following two further knock-downs.

“I thought he would use his distance but luckily he didn’t,” Alvarez said in the ring after becoming the ninth Mexican fighter to be a champion in three different weight divisions.

“He came to attack and I did my thing.

The plan was to hit the body. That was the result.”

It was, ultimately, a total mismatch.

Fielding just didn’t have the power to compete, and when he went down twice in the third, referee Ricky Gonzalez correctly stopped the fight with 22 seconds left of the round.

It was a brave effort from the 31-yearold from Liverpool, who deserves great credit for accepting the task of entering the ring against the brilliant flame-haired Mexican, who extended his record to 51-1-2 with 35 knockouts in his first appearance since signing a record-breaking 11-fight, $365 million contract with sports streaming service DAZN. This was Alvarez’s first bout at supermiddleweight. He fought Julio Chavez junior at a 164-pound catch-weight in a non-title match-up in 2017, and although he is set to move back down to

160 pounds for his next fight in 2019, his performance in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd was evidence of his ability to perform whatever the weight class.

“I felt good and strong. I want the best fights, and to make sure my name is held up high,” Alvarez said.

Fielding, coming into the bout with just one defeat from 28, had won his previous six fights, including a memorable victory over Germany’s Tyron Zeuge in July which brought him world title glory.

Yet the proud and rangy Liverpudlian, who possessed a five-inch height and reach advantage, was unable to cope with his opponent’s supreme speed and punch power.

Fighting in the famed New York City arena for the first time in front of a vocal pro-Mexican crowd, Alvarez didn’t disappoint. The 28-year-old wasted no time in making his mark and when Fielding fell to his knees following a left to the body in the first there only looked like being one winner.

Fielding enjoyed some success but wasn’t using his height to his advantage.

Alvarez soaked everything up before sending his opponent down once more in the second with another crunching blow to the ribs.

Towards the end of the third, Fielding was back on his knees and when he returned there once again soon after there was no way back as crowd of 20,112 roared its approval.

The Mexican, competing in his second fight since completing a six-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance in March, has vowed to drop back down to middleweight next year, which could see a potential third fight with Golovkin become an exciting reality. (afp)

8

Monday, December 17, 2018

Real Madrid, Atletico close in on Barcelona

Karim Benzema shot Real Madrid to within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona with the winner in a scrappy 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, while countryman Antoine Griezmann fired a brace in a 3-2 win over Real Valladolid to take Atletico Madrid level with Barca.

Benzema’s 13th-minute strike was enough for Real to move up to third on 29 points, two behind Barca, who travel to Levante on Sunday evening, and second-placed Atleti. Sevilla have the chance to move back above Real and level with the leading pair when they host mid-table Girona early on Sunday.

However they were made to sweat for the victory points by plucky Rayo, who are second-from-bottom but would have snatched a point in stoppage time had Sergio Ramos not cleared the second of Thibaut Courtois’ double saves, from Alex Alegria and Emiliano Velazquez, off the line.

“That’s football,” said relieved Madrid coach Santiago Solari.

“That’s why it’s such a beautiful game. When you’re not playing great, when nothing’s going right, you have to be prepared to suffer.”

Little was seen from Real stars such as Luka Modric, who was presented with his Ballon d’Or ahead of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, and fans showed their displeasure at the end of an uninspiring contest.

“In the second half we could have added to our score, Marco (Asensio) had a clear chance and we didn’t see anything from them until their chance at the end,” added Solari.

“We didn’t give much away to Rayo and we created quite a few chances. With all respect to Rayo, who are a great side, I think we should have scored more.”

Earlier, Griezmann struck the winner for Diego Simeone’s Atleti 10 minutes from the end after Valladolid had fought back from a two goal half-time deficit.

The Frenchman had played a key role in building the early lead. The World Cup winner laid on Nikola Kalinic’s second goal of the season in the 26th minute with a superb through ball, then put his side two up on the stroke of halftime.

After Kiko Olivas handled Griezmann’s long-range shot, and referee Undiano Mallenco pointed to the spot after a video review, the Frenchman slotted home a neat penalty .

The hosts came roaring back in the second half, twice forcing fine saves from Jan Oblak before Fernando Calero scored for the hosts from a 56th-minute corner.

Saul Niguez then inadvertently pushed Enes Unal’s header into his own net nine minutes later, and Valladolid pushed for victory. However Griezmann stole the three points in a frantic finale, cooly steering home the winner after a scramble in the box following a corner. (afp)

Monday, December 17, 2018

Ronaldo penalty sees off Torino, Icardi gets Inter back winning

Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Italian Serie A football match Torino vs Juventus on December 15, 2018 at the Olympic stadium in Turin.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot as unbeaten Italian champions Juventus saw off city rivals Torino 1-0 to hammer home their domination in Serie A on Saturday.

Juventus travelled to the Stadio Olimpico after their year-long unbeaten record away from home ended with a shock 2-1 Champions League defeat by Young Boys in Bern.

Ronaldo slotted in his 11th league goal this season, and 5,000th for Juventus in Serie A, after 70 minutes after Torino goalkeeper Salvador Ichazo fouled Mario Mandzukic.

Juventus are now 11 points ahead of second-placed Napoli, who travel to Cagliari on Sunday, with Inter Milan 14 points behind the leaders after captain Mauro Icardi scored from the spot in a 1-0 win over Udinese. “It was a complicated game, played on a difficult pitch and against a tough opponent,” said Ronaldo.

“We put in a good performance, played better than Torino, had more scoring opportunities and deserved the victory. “The 5,000th goal? I’m happy, but the important thing was to help the team.”

Torino’s hopes of a rare ‘Derby della Mole’ victory took a knock when goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu hobbled off with a hip injury after 20 minutes, to be replaced by Ichazo.

And the match was decided by a poor backpass from Simone Zaza to Ichazo which resulted in the Torino goalkeeper fouling the onrushing Mandzukic.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot, despite Ichazo getting his hand to the ball, with the pair locking horns afterwards with the Portuguese striker receiving a yellow card.

“He did well to get a hand to it, but I hit it hard and it

went in. That’s the most important thing,” said Ronaldo, who joined Serie A’s top scorer Krzysztof Piatek of Genoa on 11 goals.

Croatian World Cup runner-up Mandzukic thought he had scored a second four minutes later when he had the ball in the back of the net, but was ruled offside.

It was the seventh straight league win for unbeaten Juventus since being held by Genoa.

“Today was a great victory to keep Napoli at a distance,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. “We played three days after the Champions League a derby against a team that are coming off a strong period of form on a difficult pitch.”

Torino stay sixth, four points off the Champions League berths, after their fourth defeat of the season.

- Icardi gets Inter back winning -

Earlier, Icardi got third-placed Inter Milan back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Udinese. Luciano Spalletti’s side were reeling after their midweek Champions League exit and falling 1-0 to Juventus last weekend in Turin.

But Icardi slotted in after 76 minutes at the San Siro with a cheeky ‘Panenka’ into the centre of goal after a penalty was awarded for a Seko Fofano handball.

It was the 25-year-old’s ninth league goal this season and 120th for the club, and pulled Inter to within three points of second-placed Napoli. The Argentine also hit the back of the net with a second goal after 89 minutes but it was ruled offside.

“It’s the signal we had to give after Tuesday’s game,” said Icardi. “The disappointment can be forgotten by winning, we have to finish this year in the best way we can.”

Spalletti has been under increasing pressure after Inter let slip their chance to advance in the Champions League with a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.

“Icardi completes the work of the team as the perfect centre-forward,” said Spalletti.

“We should have scored earlier, to be a great time we neet this killer instinct.

“Apart from the start of the second half, when we got a bit unbalanced in a bid to break the deadlock and send a signal this game had to be won, we otherwise controlled the match.” (afp)

Qatar unveils 2022 World Cup final stadium design Qatar on Saturday revealed the design for the stadium that will in four years’ time host the first ever World Cup finals game to be played in the Middle East.

The 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium -- also the venue for the 2022 World Cup final -- was revealed in an elaborate ceremony attended by the country’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and other dignitaries, including the United Nations’ secretarygeneral, Antonio Guterres.

Hassan al-Thawadi, the head of the country’s World Cup organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, called the unveiling a “significant milestone”. “Every milestone for us is always important,” he said.

“The announcement of the design of the stadium is very, very important... it’s the last stadium as well.”

The Lusail Stadium is the eighth and final venue to be revealed for the Qatar World Cup. Designed by British architects Foster and Partners, the stadium is said to take its inspiration from Arab craftmanship, said the committee. It also stands close to the site of the former home of Qatar’s founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani al-Thani.

The stadium sits in the completely new city of Lusail, a $45 billion (40 billion euro) project located 15 kilometres (nine miles) north of the capital Doha.

It is one of the largest infra-

structure schemes undertaken

by Qatar, which is undergoing enormous transformation for the World Cup. Construction work, in the shape of a Qatari/Chinese joint project, is set to finish in 2020.

The unveiling of Lusail comes as world football’s governing body FIFA is still considering whether to expand the tournament from 32 teams to 48.

If that expansion occurs -there is currently a feasibility study underway -- it is likely that tournament games will be shared among other countries in the region.

“Ultimately the decision (on expansion) will be made with FIFA and Qatar,” said Thawadi. (afp)

9

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Monday, December 17, 2018

Real Madrid, Atletico close in on Barcelona

Karim Benzema shot Real Madrid to within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona with the winner in a scrappy 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, while countryman Antoine Griezmann fired a brace in a 3-2 win over Real Valladolid to take Atletico Madrid level with Barca.

Benzema’s 13th-minute strike was enough for Real to move up to third on 29 points, two behind Barca, who travel to Levante on Sunday evening, and second-placed Atleti. Sevilla have the chance to move back above Real and level with the leading pair when they host mid-table Girona early on Sunday.

However they were made to sweat for the victory points by plucky Rayo, who are second-from-bottom but would have snatched a point in stoppage time had Sergio Ramos not cleared the second of Thibaut Courtois’ double saves, from Alex Alegria and Emiliano Velazquez, off the line.

“That’s football,” said relieved Madrid coach Santiago Solari.

“That’s why it’s such a beautiful game. When you’re not playing great, when nothing’s going right, you have to be prepared to suffer.”

Little was seen from Real stars such as Luka Modric, who was presented with his Ballon d’Or ahead of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, and fans showed their displeasure at the end of an uninspiring contest.

“In the second half we could have added to our score, Marco (Asensio) had a clear chance and we didn’t see anything from them until their chance at the end,” added Solari.

“We didn’t give much away to Rayo and we created quite a few chances. With all respect to Rayo, who are a great side, I think we should have scored more.”

Earlier, Griezmann struck the winner for Diego Simeone’s Atleti 10 minutes from the end after Valladolid had fought back from a two goal half-time deficit.

The Frenchman had played a key role in building the early lead. The World Cup winner laid on Nikola Kalinic’s second goal of the season in the 26th minute with a superb through ball, then put his side two up on the stroke of halftime.

After Kiko Olivas handled Griezmann’s long-range shot, and referee Undiano Mallenco pointed to the spot after a video review, the Frenchman slotted home a neat penalty .

The hosts came roaring back in the second half, twice forcing fine saves from Jan Oblak before Fernando Calero scored for the hosts from a 56th-minute corner.

Saul Niguez then inadvertently pushed Enes Unal’s header into his own net nine minutes later, and Valladolid pushed for victory. However Griezmann stole the three points in a frantic finale, cooly steering home the winner after a scramble in the box following a corner. (afp)

Monday, December 17, 2018

Ronaldo penalty sees off Torino, Icardi gets Inter back winning

Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Italian Serie A football match Torino vs Juventus on December 15, 2018 at the Olympic stadium in Turin.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot as unbeaten Italian champions Juventus saw off city rivals Torino 1-0 to hammer home their domination in Serie A on Saturday.

Juventus travelled to the Stadio Olimpico after their year-long unbeaten record away from home ended with a shock 2-1 Champions League defeat by Young Boys in Bern.

Ronaldo slotted in his 11th league goal this season, and 5,000th for Juventus in Serie A, after 70 minutes after Torino goalkeeper Salvador Ichazo fouled Mario Mandzukic.

Juventus are now 11 points ahead of second-placed Napoli, who travel to Cagliari on Sunday, with Inter Milan 14 points behind the leaders after captain Mauro Icardi scored from the spot in a 1-0 win over Udinese. “It was a complicated game, played on a difficult pitch and against a tough opponent,” said Ronaldo.

“We put in a good performance, played better than Torino, had more scoring opportunities and deserved the victory. “The 5,000th goal? I’m happy, but the important thing was to help the team.”

Torino’s hopes of a rare ‘Derby della Mole’ victory took a knock when goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu hobbled off with a hip injury after 20 minutes, to be replaced by Ichazo.

And the match was decided by a poor backpass from Simone Zaza to Ichazo which resulted in the Torino goalkeeper fouling the onrushing Mandzukic.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot, despite Ichazo getting his hand to the ball, with the pair locking horns afterwards with the Portuguese striker receiving a yellow card.

“He did well to get a hand to it, but I hit it hard and it

went in. That’s the most important thing,” said Ronaldo, who joined Serie A’s top scorer Krzysztof Piatek of Genoa on 11 goals.

Croatian World Cup runner-up Mandzukic thought he had scored a second four minutes later when he had the ball in the back of the net, but was ruled offside.

It was the seventh straight league win for unbeaten Juventus since being held by Genoa.

“Today was a great victory to keep Napoli at a distance,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. “We played three days after the Champions League a derby against a team that are coming off a strong period of form on a difficult pitch.”

Torino stay sixth, four points off the Champions League berths, after their fourth defeat of the season.

- Icardi gets Inter back winning -

Earlier, Icardi got third-placed Inter Milan back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Udinese. Luciano Spalletti’s side were reeling after their midweek Champions League exit and falling 1-0 to Juventus last weekend in Turin.

But Icardi slotted in after 76 minutes at the San Siro with a cheeky ‘Panenka’ into the centre of goal after a penalty was awarded for a Seko Fofano handball.

It was the 25-year-old’s ninth league goal this season and 120th for the club, and pulled Inter to within three points of second-placed Napoli. The Argentine also hit the back of the net with a second goal after 89 minutes but it was ruled offside.

“It’s the signal we had to give after Tuesday’s game,” said Icardi. “The disappointment can be forgotten by winning, we have to finish this year in the best way we can.”

Spalletti has been under increasing pressure after Inter let slip their chance to advance in the Champions League with a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.

“Icardi completes the work of the team as the perfect centre-forward,” said Spalletti.

“We should have scored earlier, to be a great time we neet this killer instinct.

“Apart from the start of the second half, when we got a bit unbalanced in a bid to break the deadlock and send a signal this game had to be won, we otherwise controlled the match.” (afp)

Qatar unveils 2022 World Cup final stadium design Qatar on Saturday revealed the design for the stadium that will in four years’ time host the first ever World Cup finals game to be played in the Middle East.

The 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium -- also the venue for the 2022 World Cup final -- was revealed in an elaborate ceremony attended by the country’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and other dignitaries, including the United Nations’ secretarygeneral, Antonio Guterres.

Hassan al-Thawadi, the head of the country’s World Cup organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, called the unveiling a “significant milestone”. “Every milestone for us is always important,” he said.

“The announcement of the design of the stadium is very, very important... it’s the last stadium as well.”

The Lusail Stadium is the eighth and final venue to be revealed for the Qatar World Cup. Designed by British architects Foster and Partners, the stadium is said to take its inspiration from Arab craftmanship, said the committee. It also stands close to the site of the former home of Qatar’s founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani al-Thani.

The stadium sits in the completely new city of Lusail, a $45 billion (40 billion euro) project located 15 kilometres (nine miles) north of the capital Doha.

It is one of the largest infra-

structure schemes undertaken

by Qatar, which is undergoing enormous transformation for the World Cup. Construction work, in the shape of a Qatari/Chinese joint project, is set to finish in 2020.

The unveiling of Lusail comes as world football’s governing body FIFA is still considering whether to expand the tournament from 32 teams to 48.

If that expansion occurs -there is currently a feasibility study underway -- it is likely that tournament games will be shared among other countries in the region.

“Ultimately the decision (on expansion) will be made with FIFA and Qatar,” said Thawadi. (afp)

9

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Destination

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

Alvarez overwhelms Fielding in third for supermiddlweight title

NEW YORK - Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez brutally overpowered England’s Rocky Fielding with a dominant display on his New York City debut Saturday to become a three-weight world champion.

Busungbiu Rice Terrace

SINGARAJA - Busungbiu Rice Terrace is a beautiful rice terrace set in the deep valley offering amazing panoramic view of rice terrace and natures surround it. It is situated in the tranquility of Kekeran village, Busungbiu district, Buleleng Regency, Singaraja Bali. Busungbiu Rice Terrace is secluded rice field with pure natures surround it including green hills. The amazing panorama can be viewed from the top of hill apposite to the long green view to the sea. It is strategically set beside of the main road from Pupuan to Singaraja or just about 30 kilometers south of Singaraja Town. It is an amazing site blessed by fresh atmosphere, peaceful ambiance and natural stunning view those can interpretative it. You will

view the whole natural panoramic view from the mountain until the end of hills in long distance. The rice paddy planted on the rice terrace will add the value of this place to visit. This rice terrace has been well known among the tourists who visit Bali Island in particular for those who visit Singaraja Town.

The atmosphere of Busungbiu Rice Terrace is very quiet and calm, far from the city and crowds as well as pollutions, offers a peaceful ambiance.

There are gazebos provided for visitors, it is very comfortable for relaxing and having a picnic. For visitors who like trekking, it is recommended to have a trek in this beautiful rice field.

Visitors would see a clear fresh river flowing as the irrigation and also have a chance to see the farmers’ activities

from a close distance. It is a great place to have a rest after a long journey from Denpasar, or on the way back from Lovina Beach.

Rice Paddies trekking to explore the beautiful rice field is one of the activities can be done at Busungbiu Rice Terrace. You can discover the pure natures of rice fields, beautiful river and meet farmers working in the rice field. You will understand about Subak Irrigation System executed at this site. When visiting Singaraja and passing through Pupuan District then you will have the opportunity to visit this site since it just located beside the main road.

From the top of the hill, you can see the amazing panoramic view of rice terrace Kekeran rainforest and green hills surround it. (IBP/net)

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Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

Rocky Fielding fights Canelo Alvarez during their WBA Super Middleweight title bout at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2018 in New York City.

Badminton gold at last for India’s indefatigable Sindhu

SHANGHAI - P.V. Sindhu celebrated gold at last after the Indian defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara to win badminton’s season-ending World Tour Finals on Sunday.

The 23-year-old has suffered a series of near-misses in recent years, winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and again at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games this year.

The world number six, renowned for her never-say-die attitude, has also twice lost in the final of the World Championships and was runner-up in last year’s season

finale.

But she put all that heartbreak behind her in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, beating the fifthranked Okuhara 21-19, 21-17 in the women’s final in just over an hour.

Sindhu, who was always in control of the match, sealed the championship with a forehand smash, before collapsing to the court floor on her hands and knees.

The men’s final later Sunday tees up the two top players in the world, top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan against number two and home star Shi Yuqi. (afp)

Alvarez, who is the reigning World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association middleweight world champion following his thrilling victory over Gennady Golovkin in September, had little trouble in moving up in weight class and defeating Fielding, who held a second tier version of the WBA’s super-middleweight title.

Alvarez sent Fielding to the canvas in the very first round with a crunching body shot and remained in complete control. He delivered a similar punch in the second which was also too much for the Englishman to take before the fight was stopped towards the end of the third following two further knock-downs.

“I thought he would use his distance but luckily he didn’t,” Alvarez said in the ring after becoming the ninth Mexican fighter to be a champion in three different weight divisions.

“He came to attack and I did my thing.

The plan was to hit the body. That was the result.”

It was, ultimately, a total mismatch.

Fielding just didn’t have the power to compete, and when he went down twice in the third, referee Ricky Gonzalez correctly stopped the fight with 22 seconds left of the round.

It was a brave effort from the 31-yearold from Liverpool, who deserves great credit for accepting the task of entering the ring against the brilliant flame-haired Mexican, who extended his record to 51-1-2 with 35 knockouts in his first appearance since signing a record-breaking 11-fight, $365 million contract with sports streaming service DAZN. This was Alvarez’s first bout at supermiddleweight. He fought Julio Chavez junior at a 164-pound catch-weight in a non-title match-up in 2017, and although he is set to move back down to

160 pounds for his next fight in 2019, his performance in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd was evidence of his ability to perform whatever the weight class.

“I felt good and strong. I want the best fights, and to make sure my name is held up high,” Alvarez said.

Fielding, coming into the bout with just one defeat from 28, had won his previous six fights, including a memorable victory over Germany’s Tyron Zeuge in July which brought him world title glory.

Yet the proud and rangy Liverpudlian, who possessed a five-inch height and reach advantage, was unable to cope with his opponent’s supreme speed and punch power.

Fighting in the famed New York City arena for the first time in front of a vocal pro-Mexican crowd, Alvarez didn’t disappoint. The 28-year-old wasted no time in making his mark and when Fielding fell to his knees following a left to the body in the first there only looked like being one winner.

Fielding enjoyed some success but wasn’t using his height to his advantage.

Alvarez soaked everything up before sending his opponent down once more in the second with another crunching blow to the ribs.

Towards the end of the third, Fielding was back on his knees and when he returned there once again soon after there was no way back as crowd of 20,112 roared its approval.

The Mexican, competing in his second fight since completing a six-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance in March, has vowed to drop back down to middleweight next year, which could see a potential third fight with Golovkin become an exciting reality. (afp)

6

Monday, December 17, 2018

W

RLD

WANG Zhao / AFP

This picture taken on November 7, 2018 shows a general view of Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province.

Shenzhen, China’s reform pioneer, leads tech revolution

International

International

While this economic model used to be “very popular, it is no longer viable today,” he said.

He now leads his own electronics firm, MeegoPad, which boasts an annual turnover of $28 million making products such as miniature PCs. “We are now very attached to intellectual property and patents,” Wu said.

- ‘Made in China 2025’ -

Shenzhen, which lived off fishing and rice paddies, became a testing ground for Deng’s reforms when it was designated as the country’s first Special Economic Zone in 1980.

It grew into a massive manufacturing centre, with factories churning out gadgets, computers and phones for foreign firms, which today include Apple and Samsung.

Today China’s own global corporations, such as telecom company Huawei and internet giant Tencent, have made Shenzhen their headquarters and the city of tens of thousands of factories is dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Hardware”.

The metropolis is now seeking to reinvent itself as the home of Chinese innovation, in line with

Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan to dominate key hi-tech industries such as robotics, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

“China is becoming a world leader in this field,” Wu said.

“Shenzhen is turning into a meeting point for creative engineers from around the world.”

Now talent from abroad is flocking to Shenzhen.

Meng Jie, who is French and in his 30s, left California’s Silicon Valley in 2017 to create Maybe, a company that makes smart speakers that help people learn Mandarin.

“Silicon Valley is still way ahead in artificial intelligence. But you can find the electronic or mechanical component you need three times faster in Shenzhen,” Meng said.

“It’s like going from a road to a motorway,” he said.

Pointing to the skyscrapers outside his office, he said: “People see Silicon Valley as the tech Mecca.

They underestimate Shenzhen a lot because they don’t know what’s happening here.”

“This place was just sand and water 20 years ago. In 10 years, Shenzhen will be a very important world city. It will be the capital of innovation,” he said. (afp)

11

Cambodia seizes record 3-tonne haul of African ivory PHNOM PENH - Cambodia seized more than 3.2 tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in a storage container sent from Mozambique, a customs official said Sunday, marking the country’s largest ivory bust.

The discovery Thursday of 1,026 tusks at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port followed a tip from the US embassy, the official said, and highlights Cambodia’s emergence as a key regional transit point for the multibillion dollar trade in illicit wildlife.

“The elephant tusks were hidden among marble in a container that was abandoned,” Sun Chhay, director of the Customs and Excise Office at the port, told AFP. He said the ivory was sent from the southern African nation of Mozambique and arrived at the port last year.

The unidentified owner of the shipment did not arrive to pick up the cargo.

Pictures of the massive haul showed long rows of confiscated tusks spread out on the ground at the port.

Sun Chhay said he did not know

whether the shipment was destined for markets in other countries.

Demand from China and Vietnam has fuelled the growth of illegal wildlife trafficking via Cambodia.

Weak law enforcement and corruption attract wildlife smugglers, especially at a time when neighbouring Thailand is cracking down on the banned trade.

Ivory is prized for its beauty while the market in traditional medicine has led to the smuggling of rhino horn and pangolin scales.

Cambodia has a miniscule elephant population but its emergence as a new trafficking hub has resulted in several headline-grabbing busts over the past five years.

The largest before this week occured in 2014, when Cambodian customs seized about three tonnes of ivory hidden in a container of beans at the southwestern port of Sihanoukville.

Last year, Cambodia also seized nearly a tonne of ivory hidden in hollowed-out logs discovered inside an abandoned container, owned by a company based in Mozambique. (afp)

AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana

In this Oct. 23, 2018, photo, Sister Laurentina leads a prayer in a church in Fatukoko village of West Timor, Indonesia. Laurentina is one of the few people in West Timor trying to track migrant workers who have gone missing. Since 2012, she has traveled to villages across the island to run educational meetings about the dangers of traffickers.

Lost girls of Indonesia among 61k dead and missing migrants

SHENZHEN - The southern city of Shenzhen is the symbol of the transformative reforms launched by China 40 years ago: former fishing villages that morphed into a global manufacturing hub.

Today Shenzhen is again at the heart of a new policy aimed at turning China into a hi-tech innovator and shed its reputation as an assembly line for foreign companies or -- worse -- an imitator.

Modern skyscrapers housing corporations and ambitious startups tower over the mega-city of 13 million people -- among them is Wu Yebin, 35, who runs his own tech firm from his 35th floor office.

His own story mirrors those of countless others who have risen from modest backgrounds following the reforms spearheaded by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, which the Communist Party ratified on December 18, 1978.

The son of poor farmers, Wu arrived in the city in 2005 and over the years he assembled devices similar to Apple’s iPad or MacBook, joining Shenzhen’s army of people making “shanzhai” -- creative knock-offs of foreign electronics affordable for local population.

“Germany, the United States, Japan, South Korea... All developed countries have done this to develop their manufacturing industry,” Wu said. “You have to do that to gain experience.”

Monday, December 17, 2018

BAN CHORK / AFP

This photo taken on December 13, 2018 shows Cambodian Customs and Excise Officials looking at ivory seized from a shipping container at the Phnom Penh port.

FATUKOKO — The stranger showed up at the girl’s door one night with a tantalizing job offer: Give up your world, and I will give you a future.

It was a chance for 16-year-old Marselina Neonbota to leave her isolated village in one of the poorest parts of Indonesia for neighboring Malaysia, where some migrant workers can earn more in a few years than in a lifetime at home.

A way out for a girl so hungry for a life beyond subsistence farming that she walked 22 kilometers (14 miles) every day to the schoolhouse and back. She grabbed the opportunity — and disappeared.

The cheerful child known to her family as Lina joined the army of Indonesians who migrate every year to wealthier countries in Asia and the Middle East for work.

Thousands come home in coffins, or vanish. Among them, possibly hundreds of trafficked girls have quietly disappeared from the im-

poverished western half of Timor island and elsewhere in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.

The National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers has counted more than 2,600 cases of dead or missing Indonesian migrants since 2014. And even those numbers mostly leave out people like Lina who are recruited illegally -- an estimated 30 percent of Indonesia’s 6.2 million migrant workers.

On that night in 2010, Lina didn’t seem to sense the danger posed by the stranger named Sarah.

But Lina’s great-aunt and greatuncle, who had raised her, were hesitant.

Sarah insisted they could trust her; she was related to the village chief. And Lina would only be gone two years.

Lina’s aunt, Teresia Tasoin, knew a Malaysian salary could support the whole family. Her

husband — fighting both a teenager’s excitement and a crushing headache — doubted he could stop Lina from going.

Still, the couple wanted to hold a Catholic prayer service for Lina before she left. Sarah promised she would only take Lina to the provincial capital of Kupang for one night to organize her paperwork, then bring her back the next day.

It was a lie.

Less than one hour after Sarah walked into their home, she walked back out with Lina. And just like that, their girl was gone.

Looking back on it now, Tasoin crumbles under the weight of whatifs. “I regret it,” she says through tears.

“I regret letting her go.” When it comes to tracking the fate of migrants, Asia is the blackest of black holes.

It has more migrants than any region on earth, with millions traveling within Asia and to the

Mideast for work. Yet it has the least data on those who vanish. In an exclusive tally, The Associated Press found more than 8,000 cases of dead and missing migrants in Asia and the Mideast since 2014, in addition to the 2,700 listed by the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration. More than 2,000 unearthed by the AP were from the Philippines alone. And countless other cases are never reported.

These workers reflect part of the hidden toll of global migration.

An AP investigation documented at least 61,135 migrants dead or missing worldwide over the same period, a tally that keeps rising .

That’s more than double the number found by the IOM, the only group that has tried to count them.

While it’s not clear how many left for jobs, in general workers make up about two-thirds of international migrants, according to the International Labor Organization;

the rest are fleeing everything from drug violence to war and famine.

Migrants may die on perilous journeys through deserts or at sea, while many others like Lina disappear into networks that traffic in people.

In deeply Christian East Nusa Tenggara, the church has become one of the few advocates for the dead and disappeared. With the impoverished province home to the highest number of trafficking cases in the country, nuns and priests have transformed themselves into counter-trafficking crusaders.

Inside a little church across from Lina’s house, Sister Laurentina is praying before a riveted crowd.

Slight and soft-spoken, the nun — who like many Indonesians goes by only one name — is nonetheless a giant presence before the parishioners. There is danger in trusting illegal recruiters, she warns. There is death. (ap)

12

International

Monday, December 17, 2018

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

Monday, December 17, 2018

5

Denpasar’s Legong Keraton Dance Denpasar’s Legong Keraton Dance was officially recognition as a World Cultural Heritage

by UNESCO, under the title “Three Genres of Traditional Dances of Bali”. The handing over of the certificate from UNESCO for the ‘Three Genres of Traditional Dances in Bali’ (comprised of traditional, semi-traditional and entertainment) was performed at Setia Dharma House of Mask & Puppet in Ubud recently.

AP Photo/Francisco Seco

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. European Union leaders expressed deep doubts Friday that British Prime Minister Theresa May can live up to her side of their Brexit agreement and they vowed to step up preparations for a potentially-catastrophic no-deal scenario.

EU leaders approve small steps to buttress euro currency FRANKFURT - European leaders agreed Friday to press ahead with work toward a limited, common eurozone budget and took other steps to strengthen the currency union’s resistance to downturns and crises.

The budget proposal leaves its size undefined and it appeared to fall short of more sweeping ideas pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The European Union leaders said that finance ministers would work out the precise features of the budget with an aim to reach an agreement on them by June.

Macron has pushed for a large eurozone budget that could support member states which run into economic trouble. That would help close a key vulnerability of euro

monetary union, which has one currency but 19 different governments.

The euro bloc’s weaknesses in adjusting to trouble were exposed during a financial and economic crisis that threatened to break up the currency union from 2010 to 2012.

The leaders’ statement Friday after a summit in Brussels said the eurozone fund would be part of the overall EU budget, suggesting it is likely to be smaller than Macron’s proposal. He has called for several percentage points of gross domestic

output but the entire EU budget is only about 1 percent of GDP. The leaders’ statement also limits the budget’s purpose as helping to make economies more competitive and similar in the way they function and omits a mention of stabilizing countries in recession — a key lack for the euro.

Proposals for a central budget had been resisted by northern European countries, which are concerned that they will be put on the hook for the troubles of less fiscally disciplined EU governments.

At a post-summit briefing, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the budget “a good contribution” and said that “we have agreed on significant parts of what Emmanuel Macron proposed...

And the French president was certainly very satisfied with that, and so am I.” French officials said the fund was a starting point and the amount could grow gradually.

“If you start by saying I want a trillion-euro budget that does everything, when people are already against the whole idea, then you’ll never get anywhere,” said a French official on customary condition of anonymity.

The leaders also approved giving additional financial firepower to the EU’s fund that would help wind up or restructure failed banks. That would assume, however, sufficient progress in getting shaky European banks to clean up their finances.

There was no outright mention in the statement of progress toward an EU-wide deposit insurance, which aims to strengthen the banking system by reassuring depositors their money is safe even if national backstops fall short. The proposal has also faced a pushback from Germany, which has sought to first ensure that banks purge their finances of hidden losses from bad loans. (ap)

Director General of Cultural Affairs for the Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid, made the public declaration about the determination of the Legong Keraton dance as an intangible world heritage during an event that took place in the lobby of the

Graha Sewaka Dharma in Denpasar on Sunday (Jun. 12). The event was attended and witnessed by the Mayor of Denpasar I.B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra accompanied by Chairperson of the PKK Denpasar Mrs. D. Selly Mantra and Regional Secretary of Denpasar AAN Rai

Iswara and several agency heads from the City of Denpasar.

Farid said that the establishment of Denpasar’s Legong Keraton as an intangible cultural indicates that art and culture can no longer be regarded as simply ornaments for development or supplements to

events but rather as enhancements of the human experience within said community.

“And Bali – particularly Denpasar in this case, stands at on the front lines as evidenced by the City of Denpasar’s service motto: ‘Sewaka Darma’ (serving is a duty) that is applied to all fields including culture. I think they are on the front lines because not all regions in Indonesia have special agencies dedicated to culture. Hopefully other regions will follow suite. The

city of Denpasar is the avant-guard in Indonesia in terms of informing people about the importance of culture”, said Hilmar Farid.

Mayor Rai Mantra expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Education and Culture and the Directorate General of Cultural Affairs for their struggle to bring the cultural heritage of Denpasar to UNESCO and ultimately have Denpasar’s Legong Keraton become officially recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. (kmb)

Bebek Timbungan, A New Restaurant Serving Balinese Traditional Menus

Haven’t found any classic and delicious traditional menus while traveling in Bali? Simply try dropping in to Bebek Timbungan – a Balinese Heritage Cuisine. It is located on Jalan Sunset Road, Sunset One Dewaruci Shops, Kuta.

The restaurant featuring traditional ambience is very close to the tourist area of ??Kuta and souvenir shops.

Besides, it’s only 10 minute’s drive from Ngurah Rai Airport.

Bebek Timbungan offers various types of traditional menus prepared in accordance with the appetite of tourists. However, the most special menu is Bebek Timbungan, one of the famous duck dishes and the oldest menu in Bali. In the past, this timbungan was only served in Balinese traditional rituals. “In the Dharma Caruban manuscript, one of the most traditional Balinese menus in the ritual ceremony is the timbungan,” said Head Chef Ida Bagus Udiana in the launching of

the Bebek Timbungan on Thursday (Nov. 14).

The word timbungan is derived from embung or timbung meaning bamboo. So, Bebek Timbungan is a duck meat dish cooked with basa genep (Balinese basic seasoning) using bamboo blades. “Bebek Timbungan Restaurant – Balinese Heritage Cuisine wants to introduce the Duck Timbungan as a prominent menu. “The presence of this restaurant originates from a desire to continuously preserve the philosophy of diversity in Balinese specialties,” he added.

Vice President of Secret Garden Village, Ana Dewi Permana, said the high demand for the Bebek Timbungan menu at the previous restaurant located at Secret Garden Village Bali was the background for the opening of this Bebek Timbungan – Balinese Heritage Cuisine restaurant. “We are ready to serve quality traditional foodies, so that

Duck Timbungan is opened every day from 10:00 through 23:00 local time,” she explained.

As a restaurant that upholds the ancestral heritage, Bebek Timbungan is committed to serving a special menu served by maintaining the composition and processing method in accordance with the recipes of the ancient ancestors. It presents a variety of traditional Balinese menus in the nuance of modern Balinese-style interiors.

According to Ana Dewi, Bebek Timbungan is a restaurant that should be visited with family, friends or partners. “During the opening of this new outlet, Bebek Timbungann – Balinese Heritage Cuisine provides a special promotion for visitors in the form of ‘age-appropriate discount’ that lasts until the end of 2018. Just by presenting ID card, visitors can enjoy discounts according to the

age listed,” she said.

Bebek Timbungan presents the genuine Balinese atmosphere. The interior is designed with a natural atmosphere both in color and material. The building complies with the character of Balinese showing off warm, humble and has an elegant vivacity. “This two-floored res-

taurant is equipped with meeting facilities accommodating 215 seats.

Other facilities include a sound system and special lower floor to enjoy various menus. Eating here will feel really Balinese ambience because all the ornaments are in accordance with nature,” concluded Ana Dewi. (kmb)

4

Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

To build quality and sustainable Bali tourism

“Actually, the determinant factor for the Bali’s economy and for the life of Balinese people is their nature, people and culture,” he stressed.

To build and organize Bali in the future, Koster added that he began to prepare a number of regulations, such as the Regional Bylaw (Perda) concerning customary villages, gubernatorial regulation on the use of Balinese customs, on Balinese languages, scripts and literature, on restriction to one-time plastic use, on waste management from upstream to downstream, on conservation of water resources, promotion of Balinese culture, on the implementation of Bali tourism as a whole, and others.

In line with the government, the AMPB wants to make Bali tourism quality, and sustainable. This was conveyed by Chairman of AMPB, Gusti Kade Sutawa. The AMPB will also support all measures taken by the Bali provincial government.

This is driven by a shared desire to organize Bali tourism. “Many things about Bali tourism need to be resolved in mutual cooperation because the problem is quite complex,” he explained.

Regarding this matter, one of the tourism players, Gede Wirata, added that tourism community in Bali wanted to unite in the face of tourism turmoil. Responding to the statement of the governor of Bali, he admitted that many tourism players are shocked by the program to be implemented by governor of Bali in the future. This will be a commitment to fully supporting the measures in making Bali tourism more qualified. “At least, the tourism in 2019 upwards already has a clear point,” said Gede Wirata. (kmb19)

SYDNEY - Australia’s conservative prime minister on Sunday stood by his decision to recognise west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite criticism from neighbouring Muslim countries.

IBP/kmb

The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) invited millennial generation to take advantage of this economic digital era to create new business field and develop businesses.

HIPMI Bali invites millennial generation to utilize digital economy

DENPASAR - The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) invited millennial generation to take advantage of this economic digital era to create new business field and develop businesses. The economic digital age can also be used to improve Indonesia’s competitiveness.

“This will be the key to increasing competitiveness,” said Dr. I Gusti Nyoman Darma Putra, Chairman of HIPMI Bali on Friday (Dec. 14).

Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster.

IBP/kmb

13

Australia reaffirms Israel decision despite backlash

Governor of Bali and AMPB declare cultural tourism DENPASAR - Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, along with the Bali Tourism Community Alliance (AMPB) consisting of various tourism stakeholders and components of the Balinese community declared Balinese cultural tourism on Friday night (Dec. 14) on Bounty Cruise. This is a joint commitment to building more quality and sustainable Bali tourism by preserving the nature and culture of Bali. It is inspired by tourism having become the foundation of the life of Balinese people and the main pillar of the Bali’s economy.

“Tourism really has a very strategic and important position. At the same time, this is a warning for us all because 70 percent of Bali’s economic fate lies in the world of tourism,” said Koster.

According to him, the community and government must jointly maintain the sustainability of tourism sector in Bali. If the tourism sector is disrupted or cannot run sustainably, the economy of Bali will also be disrupted. As a result, it has the impact on the level of people’s welfare because many people depend on their life from the sector.

Accompanied by Bali’s Deputy Governor, Tjokorda Oka Arta Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace), Koster explained that by having a beautiful nature, uniqueness, rich culture, human resources and hospitality, Bali has been named as the world’s favorite tourism destination for several times. Therefore, tourism in Bali must be integrated with nature, humans and culture. It means these three things should not go on their own way, and must be arranged in a system of development patterns, so that Bali tourism can be even better.

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

To enter the top ten of the largest global economy in 2030 what must be done is to increase exports. He also stressed the importance of maintaining inclusive economic growth for all organizational levels and business size. That way, there is no doubt for organizations to reinvent business processes and remain competitive and successful in the market.

At present, Indonesia is utilizing the digital economy era as a solution in increasing national competitiveness, especially in the industrial sector. Moreover, the industrial sector is a mainstay to promote equitable development and public welfare especially B0ali, whose main focus

is on tourism development. This is not just hotel and restaurant development, but also various concepts of the current trends that can be developed. For this reason, the main millennial generation is expected to be able to take advantage of the functions of the emerging digital economic era.

HIPMI will establish a Digital HIPMI. This medium is a real answer in realizing the readiness of HIPMI entrepreneurs in facing the digital economy. “As real evidence, we don’t want to only hold seminars but concrete actions,” said the beauty clinic business entrepreneur during the Digital Economy Seminar at Bank Indonesia Building

of Denpasar on Friday (Dec. 14).

For this reason, his organization is able to bring together digital players with interested regulators and stakeholders.

A member of Division V in charge of Creative and Information Technology of HIPMI Bali, Daniesh Mustofa, as chairman of the committee expected the entrepreneurs to have literacy in digital economics to facilitate finding consumers. The potential for online market share is huge, especially Indonesia, which has 30 million online shoppers. “Besides, the population of Indonesia is 300 million people, while Bali has 3 million,” he added. (kmb42)

Canberra became one of a handful of governments to follow US President Donald Trump’s lead and recognise the contested city as Israel’s capital, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had announced Saturday.

But a contentious embassy shift from Tel Aviv -- a proposal made during a crucial Sydney by-election that critics said was timed to attract Jewish voters -- will not occur until a peace settlement is achieved.

Australia’s Muslim-majority neighbour Malaysia said Sunday it “strongly opposes” the decision to recognise west Jerusalem.

The announcement was “premature and a humiliation to the Palestinians and their struggle for the right to self-determination,” the government said in a statement advocating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Australia’s immediate neighbour Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, was angered by the embassy move proposal in the run-up to the by-election, and said Saturday it “notes” the decision.

Citing Jakarta’s response, Mor-

rison said Sunday that the international reaction had been “measured” and that his decision would progress a two-state solution.

“I think the responses that we have seen from countries so far has been measured,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

“Australia would continue to respect a two-state outcome that remained our goal as strongly as ever.”

Israel’s embassy in Canberra on Sunday said the decision was a “step in the right direction”.

Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.

Most foreign nations avoided moving embassies there to prevent inflaming peace talks on the city’s final status -- until Trump unilaterally moved the US embassy earlier this year.

Morrison’s embattled coalition slipped into a minority government after losing the Sydney by-election in October, which followed the Liberal party’s ousting of the local member and then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. (afp)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison

SAEED KHAN / AFP

Bethlehem church mosaics sparkle in time for Christmas

BETHLEHEM - Masked for centuries by the soot of candles and lately by scaffolding, the mosaics of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity have been restored to their Crusader-era splendour in time for Christmas.

Over the past 15 months, experts have cleaned and repaired surviv-

ing fragments of the 12th century masterworks, preserving 1,345 square feet (125 square metres) of what was once 21,528 square feet (2,000 square metres) of glittering gold and glass. The rest has been eaten away by wear, humidity, wars and earthquakes.

Now the restored remains shine

THOMAS COEX / AFP

Italian artists clean and restore pebble mosaics at the nave of the Church of the Nativity in the occupied West Bank biblical city of Bethlehem on November 30, 2018.

against the white walls above the heads of visitors to the church in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem that marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Overlooking the nave are seven angels framed in gold who appear to have landed on a carpet of vivid green grass.

Each is placed between windows symbolising divine light. One of the angels was discovered during the restoration work beneath a layer of plaster.

“These mosaics are made of gold leaf placed between two glass plates,” Marcello Piacenti, who supervises the work on behalf of his Italian family restoration firm Piacenti, told AFP. “Only faces and limbs are drawn with small pieces of stone.”

One of the partially destroyed angel figures was restored using different materials to the original so as not to mislead future archaeologists.

Ibrahim Abed Rabbo, a Palestinian Authority (PA) engineer said the transformation caused by the restoration is striking.

“When you entered the church

before, you could not even make out that there were mosaics, it was so black,” he said.

- Spiritually exalted In a rarity for the period, the works were signed by the craftsmen responsible, Abed Rabbo said.

In the choir of the church, the visitor can now see an image of Saint Thomas, incredulous at the resurrection, poking his finger into Christ’s wound from his crucifixion.

Elsewhere there is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

“It’s meticulously detailed, it gives the impression of being brand new,” said Patricia Lieby, 44, a French tourist visiting the church for the first time.

“I have never seen a mosaic like this outside Jerusalem, it’s sublime.”

Father Asbed Balian is the senior cleric of the Armenian church at the basilica, where property rights are shared with the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox faiths.

After seeing the completed restoration, he said, he was “stunned”.

“Spiritually, we feel more exalted,” he added.

On the nave walls, the restorers also gave renewed life to paintings dating from 1127 and the end of the 12th century when wealthy pilgrims commissioned artists to paint their family or home region saints, for display in the holy site.

“These portraits were barely distinguishable, blackened by the years,” Piacenti said.

Now their silhouettes stand out against the church’s reddish columns, although the faces were erased after the Muslim conquest, in keeping with the Islamic ban on portrayal of the human form.

The first Church of the Nativity was built in the fourth century by Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helene.

That original structure was believed to have been destroyed by fire but Piacenti said no trace of burning was found during the restoration work, leading him to think an earthquake was a more likely cause.

The Byzantines rebuilt the basilica in the sixth century and the Crusaders later added to it. (afp)

14

Monday, December 17, 2018

Traveling

International

International

Exploring Girona and surroundings, Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona is Catalonia’s largest and most famous city and I’ve enjoyed exploring it in the past.

This time I pick up a car from the airport, bypass the centre, and head north on the highway. I’m tempted by the turnoffs to the Costa Brava and resorts like Tossa de Mar but

my first stop is going to be another city of culture.

Girona

The Romans arrived in Girona in the first century AD and built a fort called Gerunda, on the road running from the Rome to southern

Spain. Later, Visigoths, Moors and Charlemagne all left their mark.

The old town occupies the steep hill above the River Onyar with later development sprawling across the plain on the other side.

A row of picturesque houses lines the river painted in distinctive pastel shades and the view from any of the bridges is dominated by the cathedral, originally built by the Moors as a mosque and approached by a flight of 86 steps. The medieval quarter is all cobbled streets, shady squares and balconied houses.

It’s worth checking out the Arab Baths, some of the best preserved in Spain, with several rooms each with its own pool. There’s the cold water frigidarium, with columns supporting a central dome, the warmer tepidarium and the steam caldarium, warmed by hot flames below. There was also once a large Jewish presence, a centre of learning for over 500 years, documented in the nearby Museum of Jewish History.

The Romans built the first city walls they were extended and rebuilt under the reign of Peter III the Ceremonious in the second half of the 14th century. You can walk their length, climbing up lookout tow-

ers for panoramic views of Girona and the surrounding countryside.

The student population supports a lively night life and, onthe opposite side of the river, you’ll find vibrant restaurants and bars.

other places that rent rooms plus a selection of cafes, restaurants and bars. When the crowds have left, it feels like a deserted movie set – it’s no surprise that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was filmed here.

Besalú

Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell

Around 40 minutes’ drive north is the town of Besalú whose most striking feature is its medieval bridge spanning the Fluvià river in seven arches and two towers. At its midpoint is the gatehouse where tolls were collected, the major source of its wealth.

The streets, as you enter the town, were once the Jewish quarter and the surviving Miqvé, purification baths, date from the 12th century. The quirky Micromundi Museum of Miniatures on the main square has a selection of shop interiors reduced to 12th scale but to see the Eiffel tower perching on a poppy seed, you’ll need a magnifying glass.

Peratallada

Driving east to the coast, I stop at the medieval walled village of Peratallada. Its narrow streets and stone houses are perfectly preserved and the castle dates from 1065. It’s now a hotel and there are

This section of the Costa Brava is home to a cluster of fishing villages and, although the fishing has long gone, they still retain much of their original character, unspoilt by inappropriate development.

Llafranc is my first port of call and, after dumping my luggage in the seafront front hotel, I head across the sandy beach for a quick dip.

On the headland above the sea is the archaeological site of Sant Sebastià de la Guarda, next to the 19th century lighthouse. Indigenous Iberians lived here between the 6th and 1st centuries BC and you can make out traces of circular huts and a furnace. They traded with the ancient Greeks but, sadly the arrival of the Romans spelt their demise.

The 15th century watchtower, built to warn of pirate attacks, has a museum dealing with the history of the region and of course has stunning sea views.

A dedicated seafront path runs the length of this coast, and a twenty minute walk over the cliffs brings me to the attractive village of Calella de Palafrugell. The tourist office is located in the Sa Perola building, where the fishermen once dyed their nets and there’s also a small museum here. There are still boats on the beach but most of them belong to weekenders from Barcelona. Traditions are still kept alive, however, and every July you can still hear their traditional songs at the Cantada d’havaneres festival.

Following the coastal path further leads to the Botanical Gardens of Cap Roig, twenty acres of cactus, shrubs and Mediterranean forest.

In 1927, white Russian émigré Nicolai Woevodsky and his English aristocrat wife, Dorothy Webster, settled here on land bought from bankrupt vineyard owners. They filled it with plant species from all over the world and pieces of sculpture.

They also began building their own castle, but finances got the better of them and the banks took over in the 1960’s. They managed to finish it and lived here until they died and are buried in the grounds.

The magnificent setting is the venue for a grand summer music festival with major acts like Sting and Bob Dylan on the bill, as well as local artists. (IBP/net)

Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

Bebondresan with the theme “King Agung Asep Proposes Queen Kucita Dewi” is a show initiated by BaliTV in a series of welcoming the Sun 2019.

3

IBP/kmb

Welcoming the Sun 2019

Bali TV presents the show “Agung Asep proposing Kucita Dewi” DENPASAR - An art performance by the innovative bondres (gag) mask troupe (STI) Bali was showed off in front of thousands of spectators thronging the Ardha Candra amphitheater of Denpasar Art Center on Saturday night (Dec. 15).

Bebondresan with the theme “King Agung Asep Proposes Queen Kucita Dewi” is a show initiated by BaliTV in a series of welcoming the Sun 2019. Bali TV is a local station in Bali that promotes Balinese art and culture through various local contents.

Other than bebondresan, the show also displayed music and vocal art by involving several Balinese pop singers.

Among them, there were Ayu Dhara, Budi Arsa, Arumi, and Pondal, accompanied by gamelan music of STI Ethnic Music - Kembang Layu.

The bebondresan was started with the opening gamelan composition and resumed with Folk Dance telling the story about the non-prosperous people in the Ojo Lali Kingdom, East Java. This kingdom is led by a king whose daily life is always accompanied by his two noble vice regents, namely Maha Ondo (Rah Ondo) with the senior Maha Gaul (Pekak Gaul).

This king is known as Raden Agung Asep Pancen Oye. He has extraordinary charisma that can make people see him annoyed.

Once upon a time, the king dreamed and told his dreams to both vice regents that he must make a journey to Bali namely to the Maya Kerta Kingdom. In his dream, the king met a beautiful princess named Diah Kucita Dewi, with confidence that the beautiful princess is his soul mate. When the king sits side by side with the princess, he is confident the kingdom will be better.

With various jokes, they made the audience thronging the stands of the Ardha Candra laugh. Maha Ondo and Maha Gaul prepared everything for the departure of the king to Maya Kerta Kingdom located in Bali. In Maya Kerta Kingdom, they met a lady and gentlemen having fun. Accompanied by Kembang Layu Keroncong music, the maids told the beauty of Princess Diah Kucita Dewi.

After hearing the princess’ beauty, King Raden Agung Asep Pancen Oye met Diah Kucita Dewi. The king expressed his desire to propose Diah Kucita Dewi. Here is where the audience was presented with romantic nuances of the couple.

Moreover, this scene was accompanied by the presentation of Balinese pop singer Ayu Dhara with the song entitled Sejujurne (Honestly) making the atmosphere more romantic.

After expressing his love, the princess fell in love with the king. The wedding procession was prepared by the ladies and gentlemen and both vice regents. Peak of the wedding reception featured various types of entertainment with the appearance of several singers. After marriage, what the king dreamed of had came true namely wishing the whole community to live better, more peacefully and there is no conflict.

Ida Bagus Ketut Indra Darmawan acted as King Asep said the meaning of bebondresan show is that women play a central role in controlling the leadership of a leader. The success of a leader is always accompanied by a great woman who controls him. “The woman is the power of men, like Lord Shiva has the shakti of Goddess Parwati. Women can bring in destruction or goodness, for example in the Ramayana story, Ravana is destroyed as having kidnapped Shita, in the Mahabharata the Kauravas are destroyed because of having harassed Queen Drupadi,” he said.

By 2019, Gus Meneer, as he is familiarly addressed, invited all Balinese people to improve themselves and step up better. So, the life is meaningful and useful for all of God’s creation without anyone hurting, insulting, and breaking down. “We must unite, foster mutual compassion and feel happy together,” hoped Agung Asep. (win)

2

Bali News

Monday, December 17, 2018

International

International

AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

Indonesia arrests 5 foreigners in Bali for drug smuggling

Police paraded the citizens of Peru, Britain, China, Malaysia and Germany at a news conference Thursday in Denpasar, the capital of Bali province.

The men were arrested in five separate operations by

customs and police since Nov. 30 in which 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of cocaine as well as marijuana, ecstasy and ketamine were seized.

Indonesia has strict drug laws and dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row. Its last executions were in July 2016, when an Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad.

A police statement said the 4 kilograms of cocaine was smuggled by a Peruvian citizen in the lining of his suitcase and had a value of about 10.2 billion rupiah

($700,000).

A British man was arrested for allegedly receiving nearly 31 kilograms (68 pounds) of cannabis oil in the mail and a German for allegedly trying to smuggle 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of hashish on a flight from Bangkok.

Police said the Chinese citizen was arrested with 200 ecstasy tablets and ketamine powder, and the Malaysian had small quantities of synthetic cannabis and ecstasy. (ap)

Australian tourist caught at Brisbane airport with live Bali squirrels

A pair of live squirrels from Bali was seized by Australian Biosecurity and Border Force (ABF) at Brisbane Airport earlier this month.

The animals were allegedly sneaked in by a holiday-maker who had just returned home from Bali, reports Kompas. Following a tip-off from Border Watch, airport officers searched the man’s suitcase to uncover the two creatures. While the man’s motive is still ambiguous, the Australian Department of Agriculture’s stance is crystal clear.

“The fact that this passenger

would deliberately violate the provisions of our biosecurity and put our country at risk is truly unbelievable,” said Nico Padovan, Head of Biosecurity Operations at Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, as quoted in an article by Tempo.

Padovan stated the spread of rabies, a deadly disease already prevalent in Bali, as one of the possible disastrous outcomes of animal smuggling.

Backing up his colleague’s statement, Terry Price, ABF’s Re-

gional Commander in Queensland, commented via the ABF website, “Wildlife smuggling is not only illegal but also very cruel and inhumane, with the animals often being smuggled for long periods of time without food and in limited space.”

Australia’s maximum penalty for individual wildlife smugglers is a sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to AUD210,000 (US$151,061). The two poor squirrels were euthanized for biosecurity reasons while the Australian resident may face criminal charges. (ant)

Monday, December 17, 2018

15

ANA INTERCONTINENTAL TOKYO HONOURED WITH THREE WORLD LUXURY AWARDS IN 2018

Peruvian Jorge Albornoz Gamarra, center, and German Frank Zeldler, right, sit next to evidence and Indonesian custom officers during a press conference in Bali, Indonesia Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018.

DENPASAR — Indonesian police said some of the five foreigners who have been arrested for alleged drug smuggling on the tourist island of Bali since the end of November face the death penalty if convicted.

Activities

IBP/net

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ANA InterContinental Tokyo is delighted to announce that it has been named as the Luxury City Hotel / Japan in the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2018. In addition, UNKAI – the hotel’s Japanese restaurant – has become the Global Winner of Japanese Cuisine for the second consecutive year, as well as being honoured, for the first time, as the East Asian Regional Winner in the Luxury Hotel Restaurant category in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2018.

Established in 2006, the World Luxury Hotel Awards is a recognised global organisation providing luxury hotels with recognition for their world class facilities and service excellence provided to guests. Meanwhile, the World Luxury Restaurant Awards was set up to inspire excellence and ignite healthy competition within the luxury restaurant industry.

The aim is to highlight the special features of upscale restaurants, thereby increasing competition, attracting food experts, journalists, gourmands and a whole host of visitors from around the globe; ultimately raising the level of food quality and standards of service within the industry.

For over 30 years, ANA InterContinental Tokyo has been a hospitality leader in the Japanese Capital, welcoming guests to its 844 guestrooms, 12 restaurants & bars and 22 event spaces. UNKAI Japanese Restaurant also has a 32-year story that goes back to the establishment of the hotel (the former ANA Hotel Tokyo) in 1986. The restaurant offers traditional ‘Kaiseki’ style Japanese cuisine enriched with sophisticated details including tableware, ingredients, presentation and flavoursome delights.

Upon receiving the awards, Michel Chertouh, General Manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo said, “We are thrilled and truly honoured to receive these three awards, and we will strive to continue serving the very best in hospitality and Japanese cuisine while inspiring all of our customers from around the world to succumb to the pleasure and joy of staying with us. I’m also very proud of our staff; these awards are testament to their commitment, hard work and excellent service.”

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

16 Pages Number 1 11th year

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

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Monday, December 17, 2018

CBS paid ‘Bull’ actress Eliza Dushku $9.5 mn to settle harassment claims

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

Monday, December 17, 2018

NEW YORK - US television network CBS paid $9.5 million Eliza Dushku, an actress on primetime drama “Bull,” and wrote her off the show after she claimed the lead actor had harassed her.

Michael Weatherly made several lewd comments or jokes in front of the production team referring to Dushku’s physique, with sexual connotations, according to The New York Times, which first reported the development.

The actor acknowledged having made most of the comments, but insisted that they were not sexual advances.

Dushku shared her discomfort at the remarks with the production team before speaking with Weatherly, and the situation did not improve.

Several days later, the actress learned that she had been written off the show even though the production team had previously told her it was planning to give

her character a recurring role in the series. After weighing taking legal action against CBS, the 37-yearold actress turned to mediation, which led to an agreement. The settlement amount corresponds to the payment she would have received had she fulfilled the entire term of her contract.

The network is reeling from having had to fire its CEO Les Moonves in September over sexual harassment and assault claims.

Last year, star host Charlie Rose was fired after eight women accused him of sexual harassment.

“The allegations in Ms Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far

from done,” CBS said. But no action was taken against the man who since 2016 plays the role of Jason Bull, a psychologist who counsels lawyers during trial.

“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” Weatherly, who was a star of the network’s leading drama NCIS for 13 seasons, told the Times.

“When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized.

“After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate, and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.” (afp)

Uganda’s popstar MP ‘hiding’ from police after raid: lawyer KAMPALA - Ugandan popstar turned opposition lawmaker Bobi Wine is in hiding after police raided a hotel he was staying in ahead of a concert, his lawyer said Sunday.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had been due to perform at a concert in Jinja, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Kampala, on Saturday night.

However he, and his lawyer, said police had launched a raid on his hotel, forcing him into hiding.

Kyagulanyi “has been forced to seek refuge from an unlawful midnight raid by police which has seen many of his supporters and colleagues swept up and detained while others were reportedly beaten,” said a statement from his London-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam.

Kyagulanyi took to Twitter on Saturday night to say police had arrested some of his team.

“So police has raided city hotel where we were resting ahead of the show tonight, arrested many of our team members. As we speak, the police is surrounding the entire neighborhood looking for me!” he wrote.

“They have beaten some of them, arrested & dragged them onto police pick-up cars and driven them to unknown destinations for no offence whatsoever.”

Amsterdam called the raid “a clear and brazen act of targeted political repression by the Uganda authorities aimed at violating Bobi Wine’s human rights” and said the concert was “fully and legally permitted, and the other participating musicians were not targeted.” (afp)

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JOHAN ORDONEZ / AFP

An indigenous woman holding her son, walks in San Antonio Seacortez -home village of 7-year old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal, who died in a Texas hospital two days after being taken into custody by border patrol agents in a remote stretch of New Mexico desert- in Raxruha municipality Alta Verapaz departament 320 km north Guatemala City on December 15, 2018.

Protests after Jakelin Caal Maquin, 7, dies in US border custody

Jakelin Caal Maquin was among a group of 163 people who handed themselves over to patrol agents on 6 December, and she later died of dehydration and shock.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told The Washington Post that the girl had not had anything to eat or drink in several days and was flown to El Paso hospital in west Texas after she began to have seizures.

That version of events is disputed by her father, Nery Caal, whose lawyer has insisted that he ensured Jakelin was well fed and watered throughout their 2,000 mile journey from their home.

In a statement read out by Ruben Garcia, the director of Texas migrant shelter Annunciation House, the attorney said the family was seeking “an objective and thorough investigation” into why Jakelin died.

“Jakelin and her father came to the US seeking something that thousands have been seeking for years - an escape from the dangerous situation in their home country,” the statement said.

“This was their right under US

and international law. But it is a journey that had resulted in tragedy. Her death has raised further questions about the treatment of those detained at the border, with Democrat politicians and activists having raised concerns regarding the condition of the holding cells.

Record numbers of parents travelling with children are being apprehended trying to cross the border with Mexico, which has been a key part of the hard-line immigration policies employed by US President Donald Trump.

In November, border officers detained 25,172 members of “family

units” - the highest monthly number ever recorded.In a statement responding to the death of Jakelin, the US Department of Homeland Security said: “As we have always said, travelling north illegally is extremely dangerous.

“Drug cartels, human smugglers and the elements pose deadly risks to anyone who comes across the border illegally. “Once again, we are begging parents not to put themselves or their children at risk attempting to enter illegally.”

Mr Caal is reported to still be keen to stay in the US and find work.

Jakelin’s mother, Claudia Maquin,

said her daughter had dreamed of starting a new life with him and being able send money back to their impoverished family back home.

Mr Caal remains in El Paso, having left his home in the povertyridden Raxruha area of Guatemala on 1 December. (afp) News can also be heard in “Bali Image” at Global Radio FM 96.5 from 9.30 until 10.00 am. Listen to Global Radio FM at http:// globalfmbali.listen2myradio.com or live video streaming at http:// radioglobalfmbali.com and http:// ustream.tv/channel/global-fm-bali.