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Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Science
International
U.S., Russian, Japanese crew blasts off for space station KAZAKHSTAN - A trio of U.S. and Japanese astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut blasted off from Kazakhstan on Sunday for a two-day trip to the International Space Station, a NASA TV broadcast showed. Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and flight engineers Norishige Kanai of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Scott Tingle of NASA lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:21 p.m. local time (0721 GMT/0221 EST). The crew will gradually approach the station, which
orbits about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, for two days before docking. Shkaplerov, Kanai and Tingle will join Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos and Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA, who have been aboard the orbital outpost since September. Onboard cameras showed crew members making thumbs-up gestures after the blast-off. Also visible was a stuffed dog toy chosen by Shkaplerov’s daughter to be the spacecraft’s zero-gravity indicator. Soyuz was safely in orbit about 10 minutes after the launch. (rtr)
REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
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Adversity of Bali tourism
Achievement of national target may be disrupted
DENPASAR — The adversity of Bali tourism due to Mount Agung eruption disaster potentially destabilizes the national economy. The targets set by central government may be disrupted. Therefore, the attention of central government is very much expected to find the best solution.
IBP/net
The Pentagon is less clear about whether the UFO program continues to hover somewhere in the vast universe of the US defense establishment.
Does Pentagon still have a UFO program? The answer is a bit mysterious
The Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft carrying the crew of Norishige Kanai of Japan, Anton Shkaplerov of Russia and Scott Tingle of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan December 17, 2017.
Bali News
International
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon acknowledged on Saturday that its long-secret UFO investigation program ended in 2012, when U.S. defense officials shifted attention and funding to other priorities. But as to whether the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program has continued to investigate UFO sightings since its funding ended five years ago could rank as an unexplained phenomenon. The New York Times reported on Saturday that the hush-hush program, tasked with investigating sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, ran from 2007 to 2012 with $22 million in annual funding secretly tucked away in U.S. Defense Department budgets worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Its initial funding came largely at the request of former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat long known for his enthusiasm for space phenomena, the newspaper said. Yet according to its backers, the program remains in existence and officials continue to investigate UFO episodes brought to their attention by service members, the newspaper said. The Pentagon openly acknowledged the fate of the program in response to a Reuters query.
“The Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program ended in the 2012 timeframe,” Pentagon spokeswoman Laura Ochoa said in an email. “It was determined that there were other, higher priority issues that merited funding and it was in the best interest of the DoD to make a change,” she said. But the Pentagon was less clear about whether the UFO program continues to hover somewhere in the vast universe of the U.S. defense establishment. “The DoD takes seriously all threats and potential threats to our people, our assets, and our mission and takes action whenever credible information is developed,” Ochoa said. What is less in doubt is former senator Reid’s enthusiasm for UFOs and his likely role in launching the Pentagon initiative to identify advanced aviation threats. “If you’ve talked to Harry Reid for > 60 seconds then it’s the least surprising thing ever that he loves UFOs and got an earmark to study them,” former Reid spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said in a message on Twitter. Or as Reid himself said in a tweet that linked to the Times’ story: “The truth is out there. Seriously.” (rtr)
“When Chairman and we in Commission II accepted the Bali Tourism Society Alliance yesterday, there was a discourse to ask for the attention of central government on the possibility of economic shocks having an impact on the national targets without immediate action according to conditions and reality during this eruption disaster,” said a member of Commission II of the Bali House of Representatives, A.A. Ngurah Adhi Ardhana, when confirmed on Friday (Dec.15). According to Adhi Ardhana, central government needs to evaluate the previous planning according to the current situation. It is meant to save the Bali’s economy and national target as the basis for consideration. As representative of Commission II, he also encouraged the Bali House of Representatives to make recommendation and encourage local government to do something in order to address this situation. “There are four things certainly requiring the help of central government. Firstly, preparation of the implementation of funds related to social networks including tourism that we have indeed planned and set to be prepared in the Regional Budget Plan 2018,” he explained. Therefore, continued Adhi Ardhana, local government can organize and coordinate the problems caused by the eruption disaster. This includes the convenience and diversion of transport for tourists. Secondly, it is related to technical implementation and the same standards related to the delivery of reliable information. “For example, the aviation security standards should use the data of the National Weather Service (BMKG) rather than that of Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG). As currently happened, many parties equated the alert level 4 of Mount Agung (issued by PVMBG—Ed) to the air flight situation,” explained this PDI-P politician. Thirdly, continued Adhi Ardhana, it is creating security and survival of tourism industry hit by the eruptions by creating fiscal space, namely providing concession policy related to banking affairs. Fourthly, it is creating the sense of security and comfort for potential tourists that want to come to Bali. “Certainly it can be done by conducting or directing the national and international scale activities as a
form of proof of security and comfort during this disaster condition,” he said. Previously, Chairman of the Bali Tourism Society Alliance, Gusti Kade Sutawa, said the alliance wants a safe and convenient overland transportation to take tourists to the nearest airport especially in case the Ngurah Rai Airport is closed again due to volcanic ashes of Mount Agung. It includes the technical matters because condition of Mengwi Terminal is considered inadequate and not representative. “We also appeal to the provision of crisis center which prepares all the possibilities with SOPs so there will be no
longer sporadic, panic, and other movements,” he added. Sutawa also asked the governor to give a statement to the national and international media regarding the actual conditions of Mount Agung. It includes inviting the airlines and Consul General to inform that Bali remains safe to be visited. The public in particular is also asked to help spread positive news related to the eruptions and participate in promotional measure entitled “Bali Safe” in print, electronic and social media. “This must be attempted so that tourist-supplying countries could invoke their travel ban or travel warning issued,” he explained. (kmb32)
IBP/kmb
Local government can organize and coordinate the problems caused by the eruption disaster. This includes the convenience and diversion of transport for tourists.
Tourism players: Christmas and New Year holiday uncertain to boost tourist visit
BANGLI — Tourist visit to Bangli during the upcoming holiday season of Christmas and New Year is predicted to be not as busy as last year. This is considering the current condition of tourism in Bali that suffers from the impact of Mount Agung eruption in Karangasem. “We’re not very optimistic. Overall, Bali is currently experiencing a decline in tourist arrivals,” said this owner of Klumpu Bali, Putu Winastra, on Friday (Dec. 15). The man who is also Deputy Head of Promotion at the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Bangli predicted that tourist visit to Bangli particularly to Kintamani possibly remains to exist. However, the number is not as much as before. The tourist visit, added Winastra, is dominated by
domestic tourists. Meanwhile, the visit of foreign tourists, especially from Europe, will be probably a little because during the period of December-January is low season. During these months, most European tourists prefer to spend Christmas and New Year holidays in their home country. Winastra said, when compared to the same period last year, the current tourist visit is experiencing a drastic decline. In the mid of this December, there are usually 1-2 tourists or groups who stay at the hotel under his management. “Now, there is really no guest. It is none from November,” he said. In the midst of lonely tourist visit, Winastra added that currently he would like to take advantage of the time to make improvement to the existing tourist facilities at his
business premises. He put a great hope that Penglipuran Festival activities to be held at Penglipuran customary village in the near future can bring in new hope to the tourism of Bangli. The condition of Mount Agung remaining on warning alert level is also expected not to experience turmoil again and can be normal so that tourism in Bangli and Bali in general can be recovered. To draw the interest of tourists, Winastra admitted that his organization will make promotion in the near future. “For example, we will try to give promotion to tourists for three-night stay but pay only two nights. So, we will make a promotion that can attract tourists,” added the man who is also the Secretary of the ASITA Bali. (kmb40)