Edisi 21 July 2017 | Internasional Bali Post

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

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

16 Pages Number 135 9th year

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Friday, July 21, 2017

Fans flood San Diego Comic-Con at Wednesday’s preview night

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Friday, July 21, 2017

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Convention Center was packed with people as soon as it opened its doors for ComicCon. Fans with four-day passes to the annual pop-culture convention were treated to a preview of the showroom floor Wednesday night: 460,000 square feet of TV, film and video game displays, along with toys, art and comic books for sale.

Panels, presentations, screenings and celebrity appearances begin Thursday and continue through Sunday.

Forty-nine-year-old Tony Saxon bee-lined it for the Hasbro booth, where he loaded up on two massive bags of collectible toys. “I spent $700, and that’s just the beginning,” said Saxon, who has been coming to Comic-Con since 1993. “I’m going to be broke by Sunday.”

Besides being packed with thousands of fans, Comic-Con’s showroom floor was alight with flashing screens and giant character displays touting the latest shows, movies, games and toys.

The Mattel booth boasted a lifesize replica of the new Batmobile from “Justice League,” which looks like a tank crossed with a sports car. Sanrio’s booth showed Hello Kitty reimagined as Sonic the Hedgehog. “The Walking Dead” booth was crawling with zombies. And players were so engrossed in their games at the Yu-Gi-Oh! booth, it was like they couldn’t tell Comic-Con was happening all around them.

“I just got here and it’s crowded,” said Miles Messenger, 35, as he waited in line to buy an exclusive toy at the Nickelodeon booth.

“But I keep coming back because I really enjoy the atmosphere and the community, and being with people who share the same interests.”

What started as a comic-book convention with 300 participants in 1970 has grown into a corporateheavy media showcase that draws more than 130,000 attendees.

Netflix, Warner Bros., Fox, HBO and Marvel Studios are among

the companies hosting large-scale presentations with top-name talent.

But while Hollywood has raised Comic-Con’s profile, comic book enthusiasts say it keeps edging out the book buyers and sellers at the heart of the event.

“I think the biggest story about Comic-Con this year is that Chuck Rozanski and Mile High Comics isn’t attending... He is THE guy in terms of retail comics and he cannot afford to do the setup that he would usually do because he just doesn’t get the sales that he used to get at Comic-Con,” said Harry Knowles, founder of the fan site Ain’t It Cool News and a Comic-Con regular since 1971. “The sadness that’s going on is the people that really made Comic-Con worth going to from the very beginning are being squeezed out by the entire corporate structure of Hollywood, of the industry that is creating so much awesome stuff for us to obsess about.”

Among the fan obsessions on view this year: “Stranger Things 2” and “Marvel’s The Defenders” from Netflix, which also promises a surprise screening Thursday night; HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld”; “Justice League” and “Blade Runner 2049” from Warner Bros., along with an anticipated appearance by Steven Spielberg showcasing his adaptation of “Ready Player One.” Jamie Newbold, who’s been attending Comic-Con since 1972 and selling comic books there for more than 20 years, said that as big entertainment companies have seized on

REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, the interior minister, arrives to a military parade in preparation for the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca September 5, 2016.

Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Power Ranger characters strike a pose for Comic-Con attendees during Preview Night of the 2017 Comic-Con International on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, in San Diego, Calif. the convention’s fan base, the cost of exhibit space on the showroom floor has become prohibitive for small vendors.

The owner of Southern California Comics in San Diego still plans to bring about 15,000 books to the convention, but he used to take triple that. “I have a lot of friends who do what I do, and when they look around and see the booths on either side of them are corporate booths, they’re big businesses, and we’re just little guys from LA or Colorado or New Orleans,” Newbold said. “It would be nice for us to see some form of compensation to keep us there since we’re the seeds that

sprouted this massive tree.”

His wish? That Comic-Con would make its 50th anniversary a celebration of rare and vintage comic books.

Jud Meyers, co-founder of Blastoff Comics in Los Angeles, remembers when comic book sellers dominated the convention center showroom. Now big studio and video game exhibits are front and center, with booksellers are in the back. “I don’t think we can blame Hollywood,” he said.

“Dedicated comic book stores are at a low we’ve never seen... The comic book world is not just about comic books.”

That may be most clear at Comic-Con, where fans of sci-fi, superheroes and other genre fare can connect with their favorite characters through movies, TV, toys or cosplay, as well as comics.

Knowles, also a producer of the 2011 documentary “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope,” said Comic-Con isn’t a battle between Hollywood and comic books.

“It’s not about who’s out to win Comic-Con,” he said. “The people who are going to win Comic-Con are the ones who paid for tickets to arrive to Comic-Con. They’re going to have the greatest time ever.”(ap)

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Addiction and intrigue: Inside the Saudi palace coup

ON Tuesday June 20 Mohammed bin Nayef, a powerful figure in Saudi Arabia’s security apparatus for the past two decades and the next in line to the throne, was summoned to meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the fourth floor of the royal palace in Mecca.

There, according to a source close to MbN, as he is known, the king ordered him to step aside in favour of the king’s favourite son, Mohammed bin Salman. The reason: an addiction to painkilling drugs was clouding MbN’s judgment.

“The king came to meet MbN and they were alone in the room. He told him: ‘I want you to step down, you didn’t listen to the advice to get treatment for your addiction which dangerously affects your decisions’,” said the source close to MbN. The new details about the extraordinary meeting between the king and MbN that touched off the de facto palace coup help to explain

the events that are reshaping the leadership of the world’s biggest oil exporting nation.

Reuters could not independently confirm MbN’s addiction issues.

A senior Saudi official said the account was totally “unfounded and untrue in addition to being nonsense”.

“The story depicted here is a complete fantasy worthy of Hollywood,” the official said in a statement to Reuters, which did not refer to MbN’s alleged use of drugs.

The official said MbN had been removed in the national interest and had not experienced any “pressure or disrespect”. Reasons for his dismissal were “confidential”.

Sources with knowledge of the

situation said however that the king was determined to elevate his son to be heir to the throne and used MbN’s drug problem as a pretext to push him aside.

Three royal insiders, four Arab officials with links to the ruling house of Saud, and diplomats in the region, told Reuters that MbN was surprised to be ordered to step aside.

“It was a big shock to MbN,” said a Saudi political source close to MbN. “It was a coup. He wasn’t prepared.”

The sources said MbN did not expect to be usurped by the often impulsive Mohammed bin Salman, who MbN considered to have made a number of policy blunders, such as his handling of the Yemen con-

flict and cutting financial benefits to civil servants.

The high-stakes power grab has placed sweeping powers in the hands of the 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, and appears designed to speed his accession to the throne.

Should he get the job, the young prince will preside over a kingdom facing tough times from depressed oil prices, the conflict in Yemen, rivalry with an emboldened Iran and a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

The source close to MbN acknowledged that he had health issues, which were aggravated after an al Qaeda attacker tried to blow himself up in front of him in his palace in 2009. The health issues were corroborated by three other sources in Saudi Arabia and Arab official sources with links to the royal family.

An Arab source with close Saudi links also provided a similar account of the meeting at which King Salman asked MbN to step down because of his alleged drug addiction. These sources said MbN had shrapnel in his body that could not be removed and he depended on drugs such as morphine to alleviate the pain. One source said MbN had been treated in clinics in Switzerland on three occasions in recent years. Reuters was unable to confirm this independently.

Continued to page 6 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

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Penglipuran village

IBP/file

Many tourism villages underdeveloped

Regent: it happens as they have minimal vivacity

BANGLI — All this time Bangli district has 27 tourism villages. However, among all the existing tourism villages, only a few that seems to develop such as the Penglipuran, Guliang Kangin and Suter village.

In the meantime, the remaining villages are mostly still ‘dormant.’ Related to the large number of tourism villages remaining dormant, the Regent of Bangli, I Made Gianyar, argued that such condition does not happen due to lack of government’s attention. Rather it is caused by the lack of vivacity owned by the villages in building and developing their tourism potential.

When met on a recent occasion, Made Gianyar claimed to be an innocent regent in issuing a decree of tourism village. He admitted to deliberately facilitate the village to get the status as a tourism village. It is meant to provide the opportunities for villages to be more advanced. “If I make standardization with many conditions to be met, I am confident there are no villages that can become a tourism village,” he said.

According to Made Gianyar, the number of ‘dormant’ tourism villages is not a government’s mistake.

Actually it happens because the villages are less viva-

cious to develop the tourism potential owned. In addition, many of them do not have a clear management.

“We have provided an opportunity to move forward.

To move forward, it highly depends on the vivacity of the village itself, do not blame the government.

If analogized to an education, the best university in Indonesia is the Badung Institute of Technology (ITB). If someone is studying at the ITB and can get a diploma but cannot get a job, please do not blame on the ITB,” he said.

In order that more and more tourism villages develop in the future in Bangli like the Penglipuran, Gianyar also asked for the tourism village remaining ‘dormant’ to start moving and have vivacity to develop the potential owned. Moreover, currently the funds managed by village are large enough, both sourcing from the village fund allocation (ADD) and village fund (DD). District government, said Gianyar, is ready to assist the construction of facilities such as parking lot and others provided that there are no constraints on the status of land ownership where to build.

“Now, the tourism village, whether developed or underdeveloped, will highly depends on the village itself,” he concluded. (kmb40)

market can be developed in the future. In addition to providing really hygienic fishery product, it can also become a tourist object.

Previously, Kedonganan fish market was planned to be revitalized. The fish market is expected to be really functioned as a hygienic market. “It is expected to provide assurance that fishery products to be sold or purchased by the public are really hygienic,” he concluded.

Related to the abrasion that occurred at Kedonganan, he said it naturally happens in particular seasons, and it always happens.

Moreover, the southernmost beach area can run out of its coastline.

The sand can run out to the base of the building and so can in the northern area. Until now, his organization has not submitted formally to the government regarding that condition. So far, the café management at the location is still able to control, although there are indeed one or two cafés affected.

“Among the 24 existing cafés, most of them have no problem with the abrasion. Hopefully, in the future, the government, especially that of Badung district, can help,” he added. (kmb23)

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the young and energetic Davin Indrawan is a graduate of a three-year diploma program in hospitality management and culinary arts from the Swiss College of Hospitality Management Lenk (SHML). Originally from Tangerang on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, Davin is a member in good standing of the Indonesian Chef Association dating from his return to his homeland in 2015. In addition to his native Indonesian, the young culinary professional is also fluent in English, Spanish and French. Prior to becoming part of the team at The Ayodya Resort Bali, Davin Indrawan worked as an Executive Chef at a leading restaurant and entertainment complex in Yogyakarta and Chef de Partie at 16 Art Bar & Restaurant in Saanen, Switzerland.

Executive Sous Chef - Ni Luh Sutini

Junior Sous Chef - Davin Indrawan

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9:30AM-1PM Sunday Market @ Warung Sopa Jl. Sugriwas no36, Padang Tegal, Ubud

IBP/file

The Ayodya Resort Bali has announced two key appointments to its culinary team in support its 7 restaurants and bars at the 537-room property within the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) at Nusa Dua A native of Bali, Ni Luh Sutini was appointed as Executive Sous Chef. After completing her professional kitchen training in 1995, Sutini has worked in a number of leading hotels, villas and restaurants in both Bali and Lombok. Those appointments include stints in lead culinary roles at the Semara Villa Uluwatu, Mantra Sakala Bali, Grand Aston Bali Resort and Spa and the Lamak Restaurant in Ubud.

Joining The Ayodya Resort Bali as Junior Sous Chef,

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Kedonganan Beach

Friday, July 21, 2017

Ayodya Resort Bali Appoints Key Professionals to Culinary Team

On Kedonganan Beach, tourism activities need to be developed

MANGUPURA — Kedonganan Beach, which is identical with fish market and café where to eat, actually remains to have tremendous potentials. However, the potentials owned are still not maximally discovered.

This was conveyed by the Chief of Kedonganan Coastal Tourism Management Agency (BPKP2K), I Wayan Mertha, on Wednesday (Jul. 19). According to him, at Kedonganan, there are many tourist activities that can be undertaken in addition to café activities. For instance, local seawater is so good, but there is no activity whatsoever. “It means, it has the potential, but surely needs facilities, capital, human resources and so on,” he said.

If other activities will be developed in the future, he hoped it is not developed the water sport products like at Tanjung Benoa.

“When talking about water sport, people will go to Tanjung Benoa ... Here, perhaps it is appropriate to develop non-machine activities, like wind surfing,” he hoped.

Related to hygienic fish market management plan in the area, he claimed to be making coordination with the regent of Badung. So far, the fish market has not been well managed. Hopefully, the

Activities

International

10AM-6PM, Mercure,last sunday of every month, jl. ,Mertasari, Sanur, fashion food and and kids activities The Coffee Spot, Jalan Peigenet 888X,Seminyak, last Sunday of every month, garage sale clothing, books, and hand-made jewellery

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Friday, July 21, 2017

Fashion

International

Retailers, brands see green for back-to-school shopping

NEW YORK — For the back-to-school season, many parents and their kids are thinking green.

Concerns about the environment have them looking for secondhand clothing or fashions made from reused material — but price still rules. Shoppers want quality and style in backpacks, jeans and the like without spending a lot more money.

Retailers like H&M, Target and J.C. Penney are coming out with more clothes that use waste from all sorts of sources, like recycled denim or leather, nylon waste, remnants of old garments, or even plastic bottles.

J.C. Penney is delivering three styles of jeans this fall made from 20 percent polyester created from bottles under its Arizona brand, after seeing what it believes to be teen customers searching for “recycled jeans” on its site, the company said. Target started offering fashions made of polyester created from recycled plastic bottles with last year’s launch of its children’s brand Cat & Jack after focus groups of parents and children expressed interest in eco-friendly products.

James Reinhart, CEO and founder of the online used clothing marketplace Thredup, says he’s finding that many of the site’s shoppers aren’t motivated just by price the way they used to be, but also because of environmental concerns.

“If I was deciding between two items, I would pick up something more eco-friendly,” said Ellen Abramson, the mother of an 11-year-old girl and 16-year-old twin boys.

“But the price has to be comparable, and it has to be done

in a fun, cool way.”

Abramson, of Sandwich, Massachusetts, buys eco-friendly cleaning products and recycles plastic bottles. Her daughter Emma says she likes to help the environment by recycling, not littering, and bringing a thermos to school. She says she would be interested in recycled clothing.

“If it looks the same, and it is better for the environment, I would want to buy it,” said Emma, who likes to shop at Macy’s, Justice and Old Navy.

Many retailers are recycling. At Nike, 71 percent of its footwear and clothing contains recycled materials, and it says more than 31 million pairs of used shoes and 36,000 tons of rubber and foam have been reborn into high-performance products since 2010.

H&M, which is offering jeans this fall made from recycled fabric, says more than 26 percent of its clothing comes from sustainable sources like organic cotton or recycled materials like leather and denim. By 2030, the goal is for all its products to be eco-friendly, the company said.

Deborah Weinswig, managing director at research firm Fung Global Retail & Technology, says she expects to see more major names introduce more sustainable products.

However, she says the trend must be kept in context.

“Back-to-school shopping remains driven, in large part, by frugality,” she says. “So, retailers must continue to offer low prices alongside more sustainable product.”

But people’s style and quality expectations put pressure on retailers to keep prices the same, even though manufacturing

through the recycling process can be more expensive.

C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, says 38 percent of 1,000 millennial shoppers polled in April said they would “respond positively” to environmentally friendly products. But they would spend, on average, just 3 percent more. Another survey by Deloitte Services found that parents of school-aged children would spend no more than 4 percent extra on “green” products for the back-to-school shopping season.

Penney says the recycled Arizona jeans cost from $36 to $42, comparable to other jeans in that collection.

“Value is important to the J.C. Penney customer, especially during the back-to-school shopping season, so we knew the jeans had to be affordable,” said spokeswoman Sarah Holland.

In cases when companies use remnants of old garments, keeping prices down is easier.

“Using old garments and textile leftovers, when making new clothes, means we can both save on raw materials and stop old clothes from going to waste,” said Pernilla Wohlfahrt, head of design and creative director at H&M. H&M’s jeans of recycled fabrics are priced from $29.99 to $49.99, the same range as its regular jeans.

But recycling plastic bottles into fiber is more costly. Unifi Inc.’s Repreve business, which works with 250 companies including Target, Roxy and Fossil, says the recycled fiber sells at a 25 percent to 30 percent premium to non-recycled fiber.

A pair of men’s dress pants or jeans can use up to six plastic bottles, says Jay Hertwig, vice president of global brand sales, marketing and product development.

The added cost comes from the collection, cleaning and converting to flakes and then to recycled polymer chips, Hertwig says.

Marketing the green products can be tricky.

Target uses tags that say “Responsible Style” and “Better for All.” It also provides information including how much of the fabric content incorporates Repreve, which varies from 20 percent to 90 percent. During the back-to-school season, store signs will better highlight the Cat & Jack products that use Repreve. Cat & Jack pieces that include Repreve are sold at the same price as the rest of the collection.

“It’s not terribly overt,” said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. “We’re not trying to pat ourselves on the back.

What we try to do is provide awareness of what goes into the garment.”

Carry Gear Solutions produces backpacks and lunch bags made of recycled water bottles for store brands and most recently for Lego. After testing some bags and backpacks for Lego last year, it expanded the collection for fall and did focus groups with children and adults. The end result: a tag featuring an illustration of eight water bottles that add up to a backpack.

“We wanted to know, how much do they want to know about the process and how much do they understand,” said Jennifer Carroll, general manager at Carry Gear for Lego Bags. “There’s a fine line.” (ap)

Bali News

International

3

Friday, July 21, 2017

Tendentious, sales of young coconut leaf to Bali must have permit

DENPASAR — Sales of young coconut leaf must be licensed as agreed in the results of discussion on Coconut Plant Protection Bill by the Banyuwangi House of Representatives got response from Bali authorities. The executives in Bali provincial government hoped there will be no turmoil when the bill has been enacted into regional bylaw (Perda). In reality, the need for young coconut leaf in Bali is much supplied from East Java, especially Banyuwangi.

“Let’s wait. Hopefully, there’s no turmoil. Surely, they (the government of Banyuwangi—Ed) want to arrange the sales and then they apparently want to be more orderly.

It seems so. Until now, there are still no impacts on us. Later on, we have to coordinate,” said the Head of Bali Trade and Industry Agency, Ni Wayan Kusumawathi, when confirmed on Wednesday (Jul. 19).

Kusumawathi admitted that she will continuously monitor the progress, including seeing the presence or absence of decreased supply of young coconut leaf to Bali from East Java. The measures of interisland cooperation will also be undertaken so that Bali is not short of supply, though young coconut leaf actually is not classified into

the needs of basic commodities and other important materials in accordance with the rules of the minister of trade. However, many Balinese people use young coconut leaf for the needs of Hindu religious ceremonies.

“It does not need to be worried because I think every region can regulate its region. It has something to do with resources. We do not know, for example, if the leaves of coconut tree are trimmed, it certainly can disrupt the fruits,” he said.

In the meantime, the circle of legislators in the Bali House of Representatives actually less appreciated to the bill discussed by the Banyuwangi House of Representatives. A member of Commis-

sion II, A.A. Ngurah Adhi Ardhana, assessed the regional bylaw bill on coconut intended for the protection of coconut plants is very tendentious. Indeed, the needs of Bali for young coconut leaf are very high where the regulation requires the sales of young coconut leaf to be licensed. Otherwise, it will be fined at IDR 50 million or six-month imprisonment.

“What if Bali also imposes the same regulation on tourists that want to visit Banyuwangi must also with permission? In this matter, Bali also has to protect its tourism industry that has been growing for a long time as the reason? Surely, Banyuwangi will object and experience a decrease in tourist visits,” said this PDI-P politician.

Adhi Ardhana added that the regional bylaw bill is still relevant if only connected to certain species of coconut plant for its sustainability. However, the coconut plant is actually a common and unprotected plantation product.

As reported previously, the Banyuwangi parliament was discussing regional bylaw bill on

Protection of Coconut Plants denoting a revision of Regional Bylaw No.5/1996 (Bali Post, Jul. 19). Later on, every merchant of young coconut leaf must have a special permit. Taking the young

coconut leaf is also mandatory to have a permit. Consequently, the trade of young coconut leaf from Banyuwangi to Bali will not be able to be easy like today. (kmb32)

IBP/eka

The need for young coconut leaf in Bali is much supplied from East Java, especially Banyuwangi.

APV car wreck hauled to district police station

Tourists visiting Terunyan advised to use crossing service BANGLI — After the APV car accident that killed three tourists in Lake Batur, Kintamani, the land route to Terunyan village is temporarily closed to outsiders.

Tourists wishing to visit the Trunyan tourism village are advised to pass through the crossing at Kedisan Pier to anticipate the occurrence of similar incidents.

Chief of Bangli Police Traffic Affairs, Gusti Agung Ayu Udayani Addi, said on Wednesday that after the APV car accident holding seven tourists occurred on Monday afternoon (Jul. 17) she has coordinated with the Bangli transportation agency. In the coordination, she suggested that tourists wishing to visit Terunyan village to be temporarily directed through the crossing at the pier. It is made considering that for the time being the land route to Terunyan is passed by vehicles undertaking evacuation.

According to Udayani, the road at Terunyan village has not been representative for tourist route. Aside from being in narrow and steep conditions, especially in the area of Cemara Landung, along the road section to the tourism village also has minimal traffic signs, and is not equipped with guard rails and lights.

“For the local community, perhaps it does not matter.

They have often crossed it and already known well the terrain. If tourists, they rarely pass it. To that end, we direct them to cross via the crossing service,” she explained.

She continued that after the evacuation of the car wreck from the bottom of the lake by the joint team on Tuesday afternoon, police brought the APV car in wrecked condition to Bangli police headquarters. It was done to find out the exact causes of the accident claiming three fatalities.

Besides, her authorities also installed warning banners so that motorists passing the lane to Terunyan can always be careful. The banners are installed at several points such

as the intersection of Kedisan village and on the road to Cemara Landung area, Terunyan.

When contacted separately, the Head of the Bangli Transportation Agency, Gede Arta, admitted that his agency has coordinated with traffic affairs unit after the incident. For the time being, his agency urges tourists wishing to visit Terunyan should pass through crossing service at Kedisan Pier. The appeal was issued considering the road conditions are still not good to be passed.

“We are not prohibiting, but appealing to tourists wishing to visit Terunyan attractions that they would be better to pass through the crossing service,” he explained.

To anticipate the occurrence of such accidents in the pathway, he stated the government of Bangli will soon make improvement. In addition to doing the installation of traffic signs, the district government through relevant agencies will also make improvement to the quality of the road. (kmb40)

IBP/kmb40

Police brought the APV car in wrecked condition to Bangli police headquarters.

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Bali News

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Not taken out to mainland, fish carcasses spread stench

BANGLI — Thousands of fish carcasses that died from sulfuric bursts floated on the surface of Lake Batur, precisely in the area of Abang Batudinding village and Terunyan village. The fish carcasses originating from floating fish cage were deliberately disposed of by the owner. As a result, the condition causes Lake Batur to spread stench and to look slum.

As DenPost monitoring on Tuesday (Jul. 18), the fish has began to die since last Thursday due to sulfuric bursts in the bottom of Lake Batur. Then, the floating fish cages (KJA) whose fish were dead were not taken out nor discard to mainland, but the owner preferred to dispose of the carcasses into the lake so that they were floating to fill in the lake in the area of Abang Batudinding and Terunyan village.

Since the fish carcasses are not buried, they spread stench along the area of Lake Batur. Besides, the fish has also begun to be poked around by flies so that along the lake looked slum.

Regent of Bangli, Made Gianyar, when asked for his confirmation, deplored the fish carcasses thrown into the lake. To prevent them from polluting the lake, he claimed to have ordered the head of relevant agencies to educate the community in order to immediately transport the fish carcasses. Lake Batur is going to be cleaned thoroughly where one of the targets is the fish carcasses thrown away by people from their floating fish cage.

“People must be made aware. If fish carcasses are not cleaned up, they will exude

The fish has began to die since last Thursday due to sulfuric bursts in the bottom of Lake Batur. stench,” said Regent Made Gianyar when met at Terunyan village last Tuesday.

Gianyar revealed if the people’s behavior does not change, they themselves will be exposed to sickness as affected by such condition.

Fish carcasses should be buried and made into fertilizer so as not to disrupt the lake. At least, next Friday Lake Batur will be cleaned up.

In the meantime, to arrange the existence of floating fish cage currently spreading at many locations, the government is going to make a zoning where one village is only allowed to create a floating fish cage. In order to provide welfare for the community, it will be managed through village-owned enterprise (BUMDes).

IBP/kmb41

To avoid the ongoing losses every year, the regent requested that fingerling restocking should be arranged. Until May, fish farmers should have harvested. “During the period of June to July, the fish cage must be emptied and start to do fingerling restocking.

Thus, the pollution rate can also be reduced,” he said. (kmb41)

Observer: will not affect Golkar Bali in the allegation corruption case of the national electronic identity card (e-KTP) project and has a little more influence on the image of the banyan tree (Golkar) party.

However, the circle of political

Setya Novanto

13

After Mosul, Islamic State digs in for guerrilla warfare

MOSUL - Islamic State militants began reinventing themselves months before U.S.-backed Iraqi forces ended their three-year reign of terror in Mosul, putting aside the dream of a modern-day caliphate and preparing the ground for a different fight.

Intelligence and local officials said that, a few months ago, they noticed a growing stream of commanders and fighters flowing out of the city to the Hamrin mountains in northeast Iraq which offer hideouts and access to four Iraqi provinces.

Setya Novanto named a suspect DENPASAR — The greatness of the Golkar Party is now being tested by the determination of suspect status on its Chairman, Setya Novanto (Setnov). As reported, Setnov is also entangled

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

IBP/file

observers assessed the tortured image of Golkar Party will not much impact on the Golkar Party of Bali, primarily ahead of the Bali gubernatorial election 2018 that carries Ketut Sudikerta as the candidate for governor.

“People have also known about the track record of Golkar politicians from central to regional administrators. Even though there is such a case in central administrator, people have already known. So, it does not really affect the electoral pattern of the people in Bali on Golkar candidates nominated in Bali,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Studies (FISIP), Udayana University, GPB Suka Arjawa, when confirmed on Tuesday (Jul. 18).

According to Suka Arjawa, the electoral pattern of Balinese society is highly dependent on the candidate itself. It is how the candidates of Golkar Party are campaigning and acting before the public. On

the other hand, Golkar also still has many fanatical supporters. Golkar cells are still quite potential to contribute even though the Golkar general chairman in the central executive board is in the vortex of corruption cases.

“Many fanatical supporters of Golkar are at villages. Maybe they cannot be changed even though Setnov is in such condition,” he said.

Chairman of the Golkar Party of Bangli Chapter, I Wayan Gunawan, said that he respects to the legal process running on Setnov. Psychologically, it does have an effect, but the Golkar Party remains solid.

It happens because the party is not dependent on one figure only.

“In terms of conduciveness, we in the party organization can still conduct the program of activities on regular basis, there is no problem,” said Chairman of this Golkar Party Faction in the Bali House of Representatives.

Gunawan added that Setnov case actually builds internal motivation of Golkar Party Bali in welcoming the gubernatorial election in 2018. Considering, this party will be carrying its own gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidate.

When confirmed separately, Secretary of Golkar Party of Bali Chapter, Nyoman Sugawa Korry, said that his administrators remain consistent to maintain party solidity in Bali after determination of Setnov as a suspect. He had confidence the challenges faced

by Golkar Party will be resolved properly.

“All this time Golkar Party has been well tested by various challenges, and we are in the ranks of the cadres underneath are confident that all kinds of challenges faced

by Golkar Party will be overcome well,” said this Deputy Chairman of the Bali House of Representatives. (kmb32)

Some were intercepted but many evaded security forces and began setting up bases for their new operations. What comes next may be a more complex and daunting challenge for Iraqi security forces once they finish celebrating a hardwon victory in Mosul, the militants’ biggest stronghold.

Intelligence and security officials are bracing for the kind of devastating insurgency al Qaeda waged following the 2003 U.S.led invasion, pushing Iraq into a sectarian civil war which peaked in 2006-2007.

“They are digging in. They have easy access to the capital,” Lahur Talabany, a top Kurdish counter-terrorism official, told Reuters. As part of the U.S.-led coalition, he is at the forefront of efforts to eliminate Islamic State.

“I believe we have tougher days coming.”

Some Iraqi Islamic State fighters have roots dating back to al Qaeda’s campaign of car and suicide bombs that exploded by the dozens each day and succeeded in fueling a sectarian bloodbath in Iraq, a major oil producer and key U.S. ally.

When a U.S.-funded tribal initiative crushed al-Qaeda, the hardcore regrouped in the desert between Iraq and Syria. They reappeared with a new jihadist brand that took the world by surprise: Islamic State.

Shortly after its lighting sweep through Mosul, the group outdid al Qaeda’s brutality, carrying out mass beheadings and executions as it imposed its ultra-hardline ideology. Unlike al-Qaeda, it seized a third of Iraqi territory, gaining knowledge of land that could come in handy as it hits back at Iraqi security forces.

REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Iraqi Army’s 9th Armoured Division are photographed with an Islamic State flag, claimed after fighting with Islamic State militants in western Mosul, Iraq June 17, 2017.

SADDAM’S INTELLIGENCE AGENTS Former Iraq intelligence officers who served under Saddam Hussein joined forces with Islamic State in an alliance of convenience. These shrewd military strategists from his Baath Party are expected to be the new generation of Islamic State leaders, Talabany and other security officials said. Instead of trying to create a caliphate, a concept which attracted recruits from disaffected fellow Sunni Muslims, Islamic State leaders will focus on far less predictable guerrilla warfare, Iraqi and Kurdish security officials said.

Iraqi forces have come a long way since they collapsed in the face of the Islamic State advance in 2014, throwing down their weapons and removing their military uniforms in panic. They fought for nearly nine months to seize Mosul, with steady help from U.S.led airstrikes that flattened entire neighbourhoods.

The key question is whether an

army that is far more comfortable with conventional warfare can take on an insurgency with sleeper cells and small units of militants who pop out of deserts and mountains, carry out attacks and melt away.

“They’ll try to hide with the population. Their cells will get smaller – instead of companies and platoons, they’ll go to squads and cells, much smaller elements hiding in the population,” LieutenantGeneral Steve Townsend, commander of the U.S.-led coalition, told reporters.

“Our Iraqi security force partners will have to engage in counterinsurgency style operations at some point and we’re already making efforts now to start shaping their training towards that next ISIS tactic.” History suggests training may not be enough. The United States spent $25 billion on the Iraqi military during the American occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and triggered an insurgency that included al Qaeda.

That did not prepare the army

for the long-haired Islamic State militants who sped into Mosul in pickup trucks with weapons stolen from retreating Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces can certainly point to successes in Mosul and the cities of Falluja and Ramadi in Anbar province, once held by Islamic State.

But local officials say the cities remain vulnerable to attacks from the vast desert nearby mastered by militants. “Security operations will be useless unless security forces control the desert,” said Anbar official Emad Dulaimi, adding that the desert had become a safe haven for Islamic State. “It is not present as an organization in cities but it carries out attacks by individuals. Car bombs. Suicide bombers. People fear Islamic State will come back.

There are attacks every day.” Tareq Youssef al-Asal, leader of a tribal force, shares those concerns and complains of what he says is a lack of a coordination among numerous local security forces.

“In the end these leaderships have no experience fighting in the

desert,” he said. Some ordinary citizens still do not feel safe despite the Iraqi army’s improved performance. Anbar resident Ahmed alIssawy does not plan on re-opening his restaurant anytime soon. He is afraid it will be destroyed the same way it was in clashes between security forces and Islamic State in 2014. “I am afraid there could be an attack at any second,” he said. Islamic State has not wasted any time in implementing its new strategy despite a major loss in Mosul.

About 30 militants armed with machine guns and mortars crossed the Tigris river in wooden boats, attacked the village of Imam Gharbi, some 70 km (44 miles) south of Mosul in early July and then pulled out, according to security officials.

“The notion of a caliphate is gone. The dream is gone. They will revert back to their old tactics of hit and run attacks,” said senior Kurdish official and former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari. “The hardcore will keep fighting.”(rtr)

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International

Friday, July 21, 2017

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

CHENNAI - The agenda was to improve the conditions for tens of thousands of India’s women garment workers who stitch everything from jeans to jackets for the world’s leading fashion brands. But the strategy was flawed, say critics. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) aimed to gain access to often highly restricted factories in the southern textile centre of Tamil Nadu with a “hygiene awareness” programme and use that as a platform for promoting workers’ rights.

On average the owls released by the TUUT are eight months old.

IBP/kmb24

As natural predator of mouse, 11 heads of owl released

TABANAN — Mouse is one of the pests destroying paddy plants that are difficult to eradicate. High emerging population of mouse today is inseparable from the decline in their natural predator population such as snakes and owls. Mouse handling by preserving natural predators is certainly more eco-friendly than using chemical compounds. To restore the natural mouse predator population, the owl conservation group released 11 owls at Pagi hamlet, Senganan, Penebel, recently.

A vendor selling handags waits for customers at his stall in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2017.

SUSPICION While the ETI has been around since 1998 working on issues like child labour and workers’ rights in countries including South Africa, Thailand and Peru, it began focusing on India’s textile workers in Tamil Nadu in 2012. The region, often dubbed the “Textile Valley of India” - where 400,000 women work in around 2,000 spinning mills and factories - supplies to various European and American retailers.

ETI officials said they knew addressing exploitation of textile workers - from long hours and little freedom of movement to low pay and poor healthcare - was not going to be easy. The $40 billion textile and garment sector is a pillar of India’s economy and moves aimed at improving workers’ rights are often viewed with suspicion by

5

Badung needs 1,760 supermarkets

Fashion brands bring hand-washing but little else to India’s garment workers, say critics

Five years and 485,000 pounds ($630,000) later, the ETI, which brings together labels like H&M, GAP and Burberry with unions, factory owners and civil society groups, has done little more than teach workers hand washing, campaigners say. Trade unions and labour rights charities, some of them partners in the initiative, say its shortcomings show big stores are merely paying lip service to the rights of garment workers.

“It is like image management.

Brands are using the ETI platform to safeguard themselves,” said Nambi Chelliah of non-profit group the Centre for Social Education and Development that was part of the ETI’s initial meetings. Workers’ representatives say employees in textile mills and factories have not benefited, with fair wages, contracts and a workplace free of abuse still elusive for most.

“ETI has not been able to leverage any benefits for the workers from either the brands or the factories, both of whom are members of the alliance,” said a trade union official who requested anonymity.

The ETI denies the claims and says progress has been made in Tamil Nadu through community programmes and peer groups at factories and mills that discuss rights beyond hygiene. “This is the only large-scale initiative that is working within mills to address such issues and to build the trust of all concerned. We are showing such programmes can work to the benefit of all,” Alok Singh, ETI’s South Asia head, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Friday, July 21, 2017

authorities, politicians and management, who see it as a threat to the thriving industry.

“We...need to note that when the programme started there was no appetite for transparency among the mills themselves,” said Singh.

The “Nalam” - meaning “wellbeing” in Tamil - programme was ostensibly to teach women and adolescent girls workers about hygiene and sanitation and has been rolled out in more than 30 mills and factories.

Armed with pamphlets, ETI staff infiltrated high-walled compounds where employees live and work, and went about asking women how often they brush their teeth, when they wash their hands and how much they spend on sanitary towels.

Posters demonstrating the correct way to wash hands were put

up near restrooms and adolescent girls were told to eat more greens and fruit. They were also taught how to deal with menstrual cramps with diet and medication.

“The initiative has contributed to an attitudinal shift within mill managers, who have seen the benefits of treating workers better, and allowing workers to be educated on their rights,” Singh said.

FAILURES But others have a different perspective. “Freedom of association is in (the ETI’s) code, so is assuring fair wages and making sure there is no exploitation. How will workers eat more fruits if they can’t afford to buy it?” said the trade union member who did not want to be named.

Activists and labour rights charities say the ETI has failed to get

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

brands to map and disclose information on supply chains - from the cotton picked in the fields to the buttons stitched on the garments which is key to ending exploitation of workers.

“If they were more transparent about their supply chains, it would make it possible for global advocacy organisations to increase public pressure on companies to take action to ensure respect for labour rights,” said Tim Connor, lecturer at Newcastle Law School in Australia and co-author of a 2016 report on the ETI’s effectiveness. But the ETI’s Singh said transparency would increase as the initiative progressed. “As we move forward to the next five years, we expect that we will have access to clearer supply chain information from participating brands,” he said.(rtr)

The release of those owls was driven by Tyto alba Uma Wali Untuk Tani (TUUT) on Tuesday (Jul. 18). Chairman of the TUUT group of Pagi hamlet, Kadek Jonita, said the birds released were the result of hatching and gift of the community.

The release of last Tuesday was the third time carried out ceremonially.

“In addition to ceremonial way, the release is often undertaken if there are birds in the captivity that are ready to fly,” he said.

Jonita explained that ceremonial release is done so that people know if the owls are important to be guarded. Currently his group still has another bird from Tunjuk village brought on Sunday (Jul. 16) because it remains injured on the wing due to getting exposed to kite rope.

Surveillance for the owls having been released to nature only relies on information from the community. Currently, at Subak Ganggangan there are 14 owl

houses (rubuha). In addition to this Subak Ganggangan, his group also received a good response from surrounding subak community associated with the owl conservation as a natural enemy of the mouse pests in farmland. “In the future, we are going to release birds at Subak Pacung,” he explained.

On average the owls released by the TUUT are eight months old.

Jonita described the owls belonging to the species of Tyto alba can have already reproduced when their age reaches more than a year.

Head of the Tabanan Agriculture Agency, I Nyoman Budana, explained on Wednesday (Jul. 19) that his agency appreciates to the parties participating in maintaining agriculture such as empowering the owls. The release of the bird also known as Serak Jawa was already done in 2002 amounting to two pairs, in 2015 coming to four pairs and 2016 scheduled to release two pairs, but unfortunately the birds

died. From monitoring, the population of the owls released has begun to increase.

In handling mouse pests, in addition to encouraging the preservation of natural mouse predators there are some handling such as fumigation, provision of mouse poison by the agriculture agency and hunting. This action is usually begun by matur piuning ritual by farmers. Although the use of chemical compound can kill mice more effectively, according to Budana, to maintain the sustainability of the natural predators are more aligned to the environment. To that end, he hoped the community, especially farmers, to maintain the natural predator population of the mouse.

“For instance, when encountering large snakes, most people tend to catch and sell them, whereas the snake is one of the natural predators of mice,” added Budana. (kmb24)

MANGUPURA — The government of Badung conducted a study to determine the distance and quota of modern stores in the Badung district. Results of the study involving some academicians indicate that 1,760 supermarkets are required covering 400 units in Kuta Selatan, 389 units in Kuta, 408 units in North Kuta, 264 units in Mengwi and 222 units in Abiansemal as well as 77 units of modern stores in Petang subdistrict.

The policy has been set forth in the regional bylaw bill on the arrangement and coaching of traditional market, shopping mall and supermarket that have been passed into regional bylaw. A member of Commission III of the Badung House of Representatives, IGN Saskara, when met on Wednesday (Jul. 19) said the regional bylaw refers to the issuance of trade minister regulation No.70/2013 suggesting the arrangement of the modern store carried out by the local government.

“In the regional bylaw, the self-managed supermarket has no limitation. This is a chance for local entrepreneurs to make selfimprovement or upgrade themselves into the standard of store services demanded by the people today,” he said.

According to him, the regional bylaw passed on Monday (Jul. 17) also provides an opportunity for traditional market. Therefore, it is necessary to reform because people want a clean market and more accurate scales.

“A number of emerging basic issues will affect the existence of this regional bylaw, one of which is the quota of the national-chained supermarket that will reduce, and local-owned supermarkets will get a great opportunity in the policy,” he said.

Though getting a great opportunity and can protect traditional market in Badung district, this former

chairman of the special committee for the management and development of traditional market, shopping centers and supermarkets, said that his commission sill reminds the management of local supermarkets, stalls and traditional markets of continuously making internal improvement in the management.

“Currently, the government Badung is intent on designing the market revitalization program. It is also a good moment to reform the traditional market, especially its management, so that the market is more advanced,” he explained.

As mentioned, the regional bylaw protects traditional market outside, but the management of traditional market must also be addressed. Therefore, relevant agencies should conduct regular market management training, so that the management of traditional market can compete against the supermarkets.

In the meantime, the Head of the Badung Cooperative, SME and Trade Agency, I Ketut Karpiana, said the implementation of this supermarket quota is solely for the sake of protecting supermarket so that the large number of chained-supermarkets will not be getting rampant. “It’s also meant to protect small stores and traditional market. “Regional bylaw has been passed, so it is just waiting for verification from the governor,” he said.

He said the number of licensed supermarkets in Badung has reached approximately 600 units, while the unlicensed may be more.

Hence, in the future his commission will make data collection the whole entities, so that this regional bylaw is really enforced.

“After this regional bylaw bill can be officially implemented, automatically the area having surpassed the quota for the permit of supermarket will be revoked,” he concluded. (kmb27)

IBP/file

The number of licensed supermarkets in Badung has reached approximately 600 units, while the unlicensed may be more.

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RLD A PALACE COUP...

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Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File

FILE - This July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in North Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs have without doubt come at a severe cost. Even so, the North has managed to march ever closer to having an arsenal capable of attacking targets in the region and _ as demonstrated by its July 4 ICBM test launch _ the United States’ mainland. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this photo.

Less than 1 aircraft carrier? The cost of N. Korea’s nukes

PYONGYANG — When North Korea decided to go nuclear, it committed to a huge investment in a program that would bring severe sanctions and eat up precious resources that could have been spent boosting the nation’s quality of life. Money well spent?

Leader Kim Jong Un seems to think so.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs have without doubt come at a high cost, but the North has managed to march ever closer to having an arsenal capable of attacking targets in the region and — as demonstrated by its July 4 test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile — the United States’ mainland.

Good, solid figures for just about anything in North Korea are hard to find. So what follows should be taken as ballpark guesses, at best. But here’s a look at how much that arsenal might cost the North, and why Kim might think that’s the price he must pay to survive. South Korea has estimated the cost of the North’s nuclear program at $1 billion to $3 billion, with the higher number combining nuclear and missile development.

For context: one nuclear-powered Virginia class attack submarine costs the United States Navy about $2.5 billion. The USS Gerald Ford, America’s newest aircraft carrier, has an $8 billion price tag, not counting development costs.

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense estimated the cost of the first 31 ballistic missiles Kim test-launched from when he took power in late 2011 until July last year at $97 million. It put the price of each Scud at $1 million to $2 million; each Musudan from $3 million to $6 million; and each submarine-launched ballistic missile at $5 million to $10 million. Up until July last year, Kim had launched 16 Scuds, six Rodongs, six Musudans

and three SLBMs. Including the launch this month of its first ICBM, North Korea has conducted 11 tests, launching 17 missiles, so far this year. North Korea’s total defense spending is believed to be around $10 billion a year.

WHERE DOES IT GET THE MONEY?

That’s a matter of heated debate. But the $2 billion it made in exports in 2015 would not begin to cover it. North Korea is also believed to have relied on foreign currency sent by tens of thousands of laborers dispatched abroad, as well as exports of illegal weapons and cybercrime. Its military-spending-to-GDP ratio far exceeds any other country, but in monetary terms it spends much less than its neighbors, including South Korea and Japan, and its budget is absolutely minuscule when compared to the United States.

Curtis Melvin, a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said that if the South Korean nuclear-program estimate is correct it would be a significant — but not necessarily destabilizing — draw on the North’s economy.

“This is expensive, but probably a cost the country can absorb without fomenting much resentment among North Korean elites,” he said. “In fact, North Korean elites would probably feel less secure without a nuclear program even if its costs relative to the economy as a whole were higher.”

Melvin said the economic situation for common North Koreans would have to be in near ruin, with domestic resentment among elites reaching dangerous levels, before North Korea would reconsider its nuclear program. “Current signals indicate that North Korea is nowhere near this breaking point,” he said. (ap)

The King moved ahead of a meeting of the Political and Security Council. The meeting was due to start at 11 pm, but a few hours before that, MbN received what he viewed as a routine phone call from Mohammed bin Salman. According to the source close to MbN, Mohammed bin Salman told MbN that the king wanted to see him.

In the hours that followed the meeting in which MbN was dismissed, the House of Saud’s Allegiance Council, comprising the ruling family’s senior members, were informed of a letter written in the name of the king.

Drafted by palace advisers to MbS, it said MbN had a medical condition - drug addiction - and “we have been trying for over two years to persuade him to seek treatment but to no avail”.

“Because of this dangerous situation we see that he should be relieved of his position and that Mohammed bin Salman be appointed in his place,” the Saudi source close to MbN quoted excerpts of the letter as saying.

The letter was read over the phone to members of the Allegiance Council, while MbN was kept isolated in a room all night, his mobile phone removed, and cut off from contact with his aides.

His bodyguards from elite paramilitary interior ministry units were also replaced.

Envoys were sent to council members to get their signatures. All but three of 34 signed. The coup had worked.

Calls by council members who backed MbN’s removal were recorded and played to him by a palace adviser to demonstrate the strength of the forces against him and to discourage any urge the 57-year-old crown prince might have to resist.

According to two Saudi sources with links to the royal house, only three members of the council opposed his overthrow: Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a former interior minister, Abdulaziz bin Abdallah, a representative of the family of late king Abdallah, and Prince Mohammad bin Saad, a former deputy governor of Riyadh. The three could not immediately be reached for comment.

At dawn MbN gave up. He told a palace adviser that he was ready to see the king. The meeting was short. MbN agreed to step down and signed a document to that effect. When MbN left the king’s quarters, he was surprised to see MbS waiting for him, the adviser said.

MbN was embraced and kissed by MbS while television cameras rolled.

Soon afterward a pre-written statement was released announcing the king’s decision to make his son the next crown prince. This was the clip that would play on all Saudi and Gulf media over the coming hours and days.

HOUSE ARREST

MbN remains under house arrest to keep him out of circulation following his overthrow, with no visitors allowed except close family members. He is not taking calls, the source close to MbN said. In the past week he was only granted permission to visit his elderly mother with the new guards assigned to him.

International The senior Saudi official said, however, that MbN had received guests, including the king and the new crown prince.

The source close to MbN said he would like to take his family to Switzerland or London but the king and MbS had decided that he must stay. “He wasn’t given any choice.”

The White House and CIA declined to comment. A senior administration official said Washington knew that MbS was the favourite of the king but “beyond that it’s very opaque”.

The elevation of MbS had been predicted by some Saudi and Western officials, but it came much sooner than expected with a rushed exit for MbN. Since King Salman’s accession, there had been clear indications that MbS was favoured over MbN, setting the stage for the younger prince to eclipse the formal heir to the throne.

MbS was given unprecedented power by his ailing 81-year-old father, which he used to reorder the top jobs in the political, oil, security, security and intelligence sectors, often without the knowledge of MbN, according to diplomats and Saudi political and security sources.

Since Salman took the helm just over two years ago, MbS has placed his men in key positions. MbS has been interfering in MbN’s interior ministry, appointing, promoting and firing officers without informing him.

The succession quarrel, the sources said, began in 2015 when MbN’s personal court was disbanded and merged with the court of the king, preventing MbN from bestowing independent patronage and cultivating support. This was followed by the sacking of Saad al-Jabri, MbN’s security adviser.

When Donald Trump entered the White House, MbS cultivated contacts in Washington to offset the strong support that MbN had in the U.S. security and intelligence establishment because of his successes against al Qaeda.

The source close to MbN told Reuters the putsch went ahead after MbS struck up a strong relationship with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.

A White House official declined comment when asked about Kushner’s relationship with MbS. The official, referring to MbN’s removal as Crown Prince and MbS’ ascension to the post, said: “The United States government also sought not to intervene or to be seen as intervening in such a sensitive internal matter. We have great respect for the King, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Prince Mohammed bin Salman and we consistently stressed our desire to maintain cooperation with the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and its leadership. This message was communicated at all levels of government.” With MbS’s sudden ascent, there is now speculation among diplomats and Saudi and Arab officials that King Salman is poised to abdicate in favour of his son.

Quoting a witness at the palace, one Saudi source said King Salman this month pre-recorded a statement in which he announces the transfer of the throne to his son. The announcement could be broadcast at any time, perhaps as soon as September. (rtr)

International

Friday, July 21, 2017

11

Japan, China, S. Korea bankroll Indonesia’s coal despite Paris pledge

BANGKOK- Japan, China and South Korea are bankrolling environmentally destructive coal-fired power plants in Indonesia despite their pledges to reduce climate-changing emissions under the Paris climate deal, analysts told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Australia-based environmental finance organisation Market Forces said it analysed 22 coal power deals in Indonesia since January 2010 and found state-run financiers for the three nations were involved in 18 of them.

In all, foreign banks, both commercial and state-owned, are providing 98 percent of the debt finance for the projects, amounting to $16.7 billion. Indonesian banks provided just 2 percent of the financial resources for the projects, according to the Market Forces analysis published this week. Japan, China and South Korea “are on board with the Paris climate change agreement. They make all the right noises politically,” Julien Vincent, executive director of Market Forces, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.

But “these are the same governments underwriting new coal development elsewhere”, he said, calling the actions “egregious”.

The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, which came into force in November, seeks to limit the rise in average world temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times.

Coal is the most polluting of the major fossil fuels and scientists say its use must be rapidly phased out to give the

world a chance of meeting its goals to curb climate change that is stoking more deadly heatwaves, floods and sea level rise around the world. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, is already one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.

Market Forces said the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim) was involved in seven of the coal power deals, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the China Development Bank (CDB) in five deals each, and the Korea Development Bank (KDB) in one deal. The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is also involved in one deal, together with JBIC, it said.

JBIC declined to comment on the projects it is involved in in Indonesia but said in an e-mail that emerging countries are looking to expand their power sources in response to surging demand and are using coal due to its economic efficiency and reliability.

“JBIC, as a policy-based financial institution of Japan, will work in tandem with the Japanese government to financially support projects which leverage on highly-efficient Japanese technology and know-how in line with the host country’s context,” the bank said. Korean Eximbank declined to comment.

Multiple calls to the public relations departments of CDB and China Exim went unanswered. KDB did not respond to emails seeking comment. On their websites, the banks say they have environmental guidelines for projects they fund, and are committed to protecting the environment and supporting green energy.

AGAINST THE TREND

In supporting the coal projects, the banks offer terms that are low-interest and long term, making the projects possible. The plants “would not exist without external funding,” Vincent said.

Globally, many countries are shutting down or putting on hold plans for coal-fired power plants as costs for wind and solar power plummet. China has been leading the charge, in part to limit pollution and climate change - though it has also been financially backing new coal plants in Pakistan. The deals in Indonesia between January 2010 and March 2017 represent 21 coal power projects with a combined capacity of 13.1 gigawatts.

Market Forces said its analysis of Indonesia’s latest Electricity Supply Business Plan from 2017 to 2026 - where coal is the largest source of energy at 50 percent - shows there is likely to be a significant oversupply of energy. Hozue Hatae, a researcher with Friends of the Earth Japan, which has been working with communities in Indonesia, said demand for electricity has not been increasing as much as estimated.

A thorough analysis should be done to determine whether the plants are necessary and whether there are sensible alternatives, Hatae said. Without that, the health and livelihoods of communities in Indonesia would be put at risk for “an exercise in temporarily extending the market for coal mining and coal power generation”, Vincent said.

Kimiko Hirata, international director for Tokyo-based environmental group Kiko Network, agreed. “We have seen lots of human rights violation and environmental impacts caused by (coal-fired power projects) in the past,” Hirata said via email.(rtr)

IBP/net

More suspects in e-ID card corruption case possible: KPK

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Agus Rahardjo has said the antigraft agency would dig deeper into the electronic-ID card corruption case. Agus indicated KPK has not stopped looking for possible more culprits to be included in its list of suspects in the countrys biggest scandal this year. “It is not unlikely,” Agus said here on Wednesday, adding,”We just wait, we wait for the result of investigations in the process of trial. It would provide ground for further steps.”

On Monday, KPK named a political big shot a new suspect -- the

House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto. Agus said based on the indictment against former Director General of Population and Civil Registration of the Home Affairs Ministry Irman and Director of Management of Population Administration Information of the Ministry Sugiharto, quite a number of names had been implicated in the corruption case.

Most of those implicated in the indictment read out by KPK prosecutor in the trial of Irman and Sugiharto were lawmakers and former lawmakers. Implication of the lawmakers by the KPK public pros-

ecutor has led to conflict between the two institutions . The House Commission II demanded KPK to release the result of the recorded investigation of Miryam S. Hariani, a law makers allegedly received bribe money to be distributed to lawmakers, but KPK rejected the request.

The Commission II then formed a Special Committee (Pansus) for inquiry right to inquire the performance of KPK. Setya Nonvanto has been charged with receiving a share from money of Rp2.3 trillion embezzled from Rp5.9 trillion budget for the e-ID card procurement in 2011-2012. He was also accused of

taking part in plotting the embezzlement together with Irman, Sugiharto and businessman Andi Agustinus alias Andi Narogong.

He was chairman of the Golkar faction in the House of Representatives in 2009-2014. He was reelected again for the following term of 2014-2019, and became the party general chairman. He is facing a jail term of up to 20 years with a fine of up to Rp1 billion if found guilty . KPK already named a number of other suspects in the e-ID card case including Irman and Sugiharto, both have been tried at special Corruption Court.

The KPK prosecutor asked the court to punish Irman with a 7 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp500 million. The prosecutor also demand a compensation of US$273,700 , Rp2.248 billion and S.$6,000 otherwise he would stay in jail 2 years longer. The court was asked to mete out a 5-year jail term for Sugiharto plus a fine of Rp400 million . He was also demanded to pay a compensation of Rp500 million or an additional jail term of a year. Miryam and Andi Agustinus and lawmaker Markus Nari have also been in the list of suspects to be brought to court. (ant)

10

Destination

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

U.S. Open to top $50 million in prize money

IBP/net

GIANYAR - Bali Shell Museum closed down in April 2014, but moved to Pengosekan in Ubud.

Among the museums and galleries in Bali, nothing comes close to the Bali Shell Museum, which opened in 2009 as the only establishment in the Indonesian archipelago that houses shell varieties of unimaginable shapes and sizes, including 100-year-old fossilised specimens and items converted into fine art. The three-floor site that occupies over a half of an office building on the Sunset Road in Kuta is unassuming, its insides hinted only by a large stylised signage with starfish and wave motifs above glass windows. Inside is a vast collection of

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Bali Shell Museum seashells from Indonesia and all over the world – the result of dedication and a lifelong passion of its founder.

Whether you’re a conchologist or not, the Bali Shell Museum will keep you amused and amazed for hours.

The first floor is a gorgeously laid out gallery with a trove of lamps, home ware and accessories from shells and mother-of-pearl, and it’s where most of the exquisite items here are available for purchase. Move up to the second floor, the collection expands to display ancient fossils of all sorts and sizes, including extinct Madagascan cephalopods estimated to be over 300 million years old. These, with large specimens of extinct marine inver-

tebrates, ammonites, trilobites and a giant fossil with a diameter that exceeds your arm span (said to be Asia’s largest) make this part of the museum the equivalent of a walk through the triceratops and brontosaurus section of a palaeontology museum.

On the third floor there’s even more colourful and exotic shells to admire, with specimens comprising sea urchins, a multitude of preserved sea creatures including starfish, sharks, and the small and shiny Monetaria moneta or money cowry, which, as its name implies, once served as money in ancient times.

Several glass displays containing the neatly arranged shells look

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like aquariums – without the water.

In total, there are around 10,000 shells and over 100 ancient fossils housed under its roof. You’ll also notice a pair of statues of Rama and Sita, the main characters from the Ramayana epic, made up of an approximate 30,000 tiny shells. Down again on the second floor, you can enjoy documentary screenings in the theatre section, including the story behind the collection.

Room temperature and humidity levels are well kept, and maintenance schedules are met for the upkeep of these delicate pieces.

Even lighting is moderated to avoid discoloration. The collection at the

Bali Shell Museum is continuously growing, especially after its active participation with notable international seashell organisations and societies such as the Conchologists of America (COA), the Association Française de Conchyliologie, and the Belgian Society for Conchology. The museum joins the shell museums around the world such as America’s Sanibel Island, Sablo D’Olonne, Okinawa, Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket), Philippines and China. It provides a great educational alternative to the more common dining, surfing and shopping adventures while in Bali. Admission fees apply. (IBP/net)

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NEW YORK - This year’s U.S. Open will become the first tennis tournament to top $50 million in prize money following a nine percent increase in the total purse, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Tuesday.

Winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles will each earn $3.7 million, while runners-up will pocket $1.825 million from the $50.4 million total pot.

The men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will each earn $675,000, also the highest in U.S. Open history.

The qualifying tournament for the season’s final grand slam will offer more than $2.9 million in prize money, a 49.2 percent increase from 2016.

“Five years ago, we committed to the players that total player com-

pensation for players would reach $50 million at the U.S. Open, and we are honoring that commitment,” USTA President Katrina Adams said in a statement.

“In addition to unprecedented prize money increases, players also will see a host of new amenities at this year’s tournament including upgrades to player dining, a more generous meal allowance, upgrades to all player workout facilities, and additional quiet room space.

“Our goal is to make every experience at the U.S. Open, whether for the players, our fans, or our partners, the best, world-class experience possible.”

The U.S. Open runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York. (ap)

Ginobili indicates he will return to Spurs for 16th season

SAN ANTONIO — As the clock ticked down on the Spurs’ season and Manu Ginobili was pulled from the game, a thunderous roar from the home crowd guided him to the bench.

Ginobili wore an appreciative but quizzical look on his face as he put a warmup shirt back on and prepared to head off into the summer. Clearly, the fans were saying goodbye to one of the most popular players in Spurs history.

Ginobili was not ready to do the same: The Argentinian posted a message on his Twitter account on Wednesday that he is re-signing with San Antonio for another season, which will be his 16th with the Spurs.

“It felt like they wanted me to retire,” Ginobili said with a smile after the Spurs were swept out of the Western Conference finals by the Golden State Warriors. “Like they were giving me sort of a celebration night. And of course, I’m getting closer and closer.” Save those goodbyes for at least another year.

Ginobili averaged 7.5 points and 18.7 minutes per game last season. In 15 seasons with the Spurs, he ranks in the top five in franchise history in points (13,467), games (992), assists (3,835) and steals (1,349).

The 6-foot-6 guard will turn 40 on July 28 and has been a part of four of the Spurs’ five NBA championships. A member of the famed three-player core with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, Ginobili may be the most beloved member of the group. His hearton-his-sleeve approach stands out in a quiet Spurs culture and his flair for the dramatic has been an integral part of the Spurs’ success.

His block of James Harden in overtime helped the Spurs clinch a win over the Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals last season His overall numbers were down, but he remains incredibly important to the Spurs as they try to chase Golden State in the West. In Duncan’s first season

of retirement, coach Gregg Popovich leaned more on Parker and Ginobili to be vocal leaders in the locker room.

“Timmy’s not a big rah-rah guy,” Popovich said in March. “He didn’t wave a towel. He would talk in timeouts. He’d put his arm around people. Manu and Tony have been more vocal in that regard.

They talk to the team more than I do. They talk to individuals. They’ve really taken on that mantle and it’s helped.”

The Spurs won 61 games last season, but were overwhelmed by the Warriors in the conference finals after Kawhi Leonard suffered an ankle injury in Game 1. After missing out on Chris Paul, they re-signed guard Patty Mills, added veteran forward Rudy Gay and summer league standout Brandon Paul, and are expected to bring back Pau Gasol as well to make another run at Golden State.

The understated offseason fits the Spurs more closely than two years ago when they signed LaMarcus Aldridge to a max deal. Given that Parker figures to miss a good chunk of the start of the season with a quadriceps injury suffered in the playoffs and Jonathon Simmons left for a three-year deal with Orlando, Ginobili’s return means even more.

Ginobili averaged 13.8 points in just over 20 minutes per game of that series against the Warriors, hitting 58.8 percent of his shots. He said after the final game that “I do feel like I can still play,” and he got no argument from the eventual champions.

“He kind of worked us pretty good these four games,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Game 4. “So, I think he’s got quite a bit left in the tank. Obviously, it’s up to him how much longer he wants to go. But one thing about it, he’s definitely not a liability on the floor.”(ap)

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File

FILE - In this May 16, 2017, file photo, San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili warms up for Game 2 of the the team’s NBA basketball Western Conference final against the Golden State Warriors, in Oakland, Calif.

8

Friday, July 21, 2017

Friday, July 21, 2017

Sp rt African Cup going out of Africa?

Radical changes proposed

The African Cup might be going out of Africa. The United States, China or Qatar could be asked to host the African Cup of Nations in radical changes proposed Wednesday to give the continent’s biggest soccer tournament the global exposure it craves. The proposals were set out in a presentation to the Confederation of African Football by Philippe Antoine, as the spokesman for the Marketing and TV working group.

Antoine told delegates that “the idea of inviting three or four teams from other continents, in addition to 20 or 21 African teams taking part, was also seen favorably ... as was the hypothesis of a final tournament being staged, exceptionally, in a country of another continent.”

Some of the ideas floated, like taking the African Cup to another continent or inviting non-African teams to participate, might be a little too radical for CAF to implement, at least right away. For one thing, what would happen if a non-African team won? But as CAF executive committee member Danny Jordaan of South Africa said: “If you want to think globally, act globally.”

And one change that is expected to be made is moving the Cup of Nations from the start of the year to the European summer months of June and July. That will avoid it taking place at the height of the European league season, a clash which has often undermined the Cup of Nations by making top African players choose between staying with their European clubs — their employers — at a crucial time for them, or representing their country.

Many, like seven of Cameroon’s top stars at this year’s African Cup in Gabon, choose club over country to the detriment of African

soccer’s showpiece. All the proposals for the future of the African Cup were made at CAF’s two-day meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The meeting, an African soccer “symposium,” was an opportunity for national coaches, former players and CAF officials to share ideas. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also attended.

Any changes would need to be formally approved by CAF’s executive committee, which is expected to meet before CAF’s special general assembly, a decision-making meeting, is held in Rabat on Friday. The move to June and July has widespread support and is expected to be enacted.

Also on the table — and also widely supported and likely to be confirmed — is increasing the number of teams participating from 16 to 24, following the lead of the European Championship, which went to 24 teams last year.

More teams mean more games, and more television and marketing revenue for CAF. The African Cup is by far CAF’s biggest source of income. “The reason we advocated for a 24-team format is very simple,” CAF executive committee member Amaju Pinnick said, adding African soccer should expect a significant increase in revenue. “The more the merrier,” he said.

But an add-on to that increase in teams was the suggestion that the 24 could be made up of 20-21 African teams and 2-3 “invitees” from other continents, while the final tournament could head out of Africa. The focus appeared to be on Qatar, with the committee noting that the 2022 World Cup host country would have all the required infrastructure to hold the Cup of Nations in 2023.

Non-African teams and a non-African host aren’t ideas that are likely to be implemented soon, though, if at all. And CAF has already

decided the hosts for the next three Cup of Nations, including awarding the 2023 tournament to Guinea.

New CAF president Ahmad of Madagascar, who was elected in March to replace long-standing leader Issa Hayatou, promised a review of the Cup of Nations in his election campaign and has appeared open to the most immediate change, moving the three-week tournament from its normal January-February window to June-July. That would schedule it in the European leagues’ offseason, the window used by the World Cup and the European Championship.

Previous opposition to moving the tournament

centered on the African climate, with the middle of the year deemed too hot in North Africa, too cold in southern Africa, and too wet in west and central Africa because of the monsoon months.

But club competitions in Africa are played throughout the year, including June and July. The next African Cup is in Cameroon in 2019.

One thing expected to stay the same is the Cup of Nations being held every two years.

CAF has bucked the trend of every other major soccer event to hold its flagship tournament every two and not four years. With the Cup of Nations CAF’s biggest and most reliable money-earner, the African soccer body appears unwilling to stage it less frequently. (ap)

Everton’s Funes Mori faces nine months out after surgery

Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori is expected to miss a big part of the next Premier League campaign after undergoing further surgery on a knee injury that will sideline him for six-to-nine months, the club said on Wednesday.

The Argentina international played 23 league games for Everton last season but sustained the season-ending injury while on international duty in March.

Any hopes the 26-year-old had of returning early next season were dashed, however, after the defender suffered a serious setback during his recuperation.

“Ramiro Funes Mori has had a problem within his knee and has undergone further surgery in Barcelona which will require prolonged rehabilitation of a minimum of six to nine months,” the club said on their website. (www.evertonfc.com)

Everton’s injury list also includes midfielder Ross Barkley, who underwent surgery for a groin injury, as well as long-term absentees Yannick Bolasie and Seamus Coleman.

The Merseyside club play their final game of the pre-season tour against Belgium’s KRC Genk on Saturday before the first leg of their Europa League qualifier on July 27. (rtr)

Godoy’s own goal gives Costa Rica 1-0 win over Panama

PHILADELPHIA — Anibal Godoy headed David Guzman’s free kick into his own net in the 77th minute, giving Costa Rica a 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday night and a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.

Guzman took a free kick from about 35 yards out, and the ball swerved slightly and went off the side of Godoy’s head and past goalkeeper Jose Calderon for an own goal. Costa Rica plays

the United States on Saturday at Arlington, Texas.

Panama started just five players from the opening lineup for the 0-0 tie at Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier on June 8 and Los Ticos four.

Only a few thousand fans were in Lincoln Financial Field for the start of a doubleheader that featured the U.S.-El Salvador quarterfinal in the late game. (ap) Ramiro Funes Mori

AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File

FILE - A Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 file photo of Cameroon’s Benjamin Moukandjo lifting the trophy after winning the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Egypt and Cameroon at the Stade de l’Amitie, in Libreville, Gabon.

African soccer’s biggest tournament could be moved from the start of the year to the European summer months of June and July, with the number of teams being increased from 16 to 24.

Mkhitaryan eager to help United’s new boys settle in

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan trains.

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is impressed with the Premier League club’s new signings and says the team is keen on helping them adapt quickly to life at Old Trafford ahead of the upcoming season.

United have signed defender Victor Lindelof and striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored his first goal for the club in Tuesday’s friendly win over Real Salt Lake, and Mkhitaryan praised their skills but understands the need to settle in. “They are training well,” Mkhitaryan told the club website. (www.manutd.com) “They are very good guys and we are trying to help them to adapt. It is very important for them and us to get into the team as quickly as they can because we need them for the start of the season. We are doing our best to help them settle.”

Belgium international Lukaku had the second highest tally in the league with 25 goals last season and his national

team mate and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has identified the 24-year-old’s self-belief as his key strength.

“Romelu has got one incredible ability. It is his desire to score goals. A lot of people have commented on Romelu over the years and he has taken a lot of criticism,” Kompany told reporters ahead of Thursday’s friendly between the two sides.

“But his biggest strength is his belief in himself and the ability to always score goals and have that drive constantly.

“I think that is what Manchester United bought...

Therefore they have added a good player to the squad and it is going to increase the competition in the Premier League for the title.”

United and City play their first match in the International Champions Cup against each other before facing Spanish champions Real Madrid on July 23 and 26 respectively. (rtr)

9

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Players from Costa Rica and Panama jump for a penalty kick during a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Philadelphia, Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Costa Rica advanced to the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Panama.

IBP/net

8

Friday, July 21, 2017

Friday, July 21, 2017

Sp rt African Cup going out of Africa?

Radical changes proposed

The African Cup might be going out of Africa. The United States, China or Qatar could be asked to host the African Cup of Nations in radical changes proposed Wednesday to give the continent’s biggest soccer tournament the global exposure it craves. The proposals were set out in a presentation to the Confederation of African Football by Philippe Antoine, as the spokesman for the Marketing and TV working group.

Antoine told delegates that “the idea of inviting three or four teams from other continents, in addition to 20 or 21 African teams taking part, was also seen favorably ... as was the hypothesis of a final tournament being staged, exceptionally, in a country of another continent.”

Some of the ideas floated, like taking the African Cup to another continent or inviting non-African teams to participate, might be a little too radical for CAF to implement, at least right away. For one thing, what would happen if a non-African team won? But as CAF executive committee member Danny Jordaan of South Africa said: “If you want to think globally, act globally.”

And one change that is expected to be made is moving the Cup of Nations from the start of the year to the European summer months of June and July. That will avoid it taking place at the height of the European league season, a clash which has often undermined the Cup of Nations by making top African players choose between staying with their European clubs — their employers — at a crucial time for them, or representing their country.

Many, like seven of Cameroon’s top stars at this year’s African Cup in Gabon, choose club over country to the detriment of African

soccer’s showpiece. All the proposals for the future of the African Cup were made at CAF’s two-day meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The meeting, an African soccer “symposium,” was an opportunity for national coaches, former players and CAF officials to share ideas. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also attended.

Any changes would need to be formally approved by CAF’s executive committee, which is expected to meet before CAF’s special general assembly, a decision-making meeting, is held in Rabat on Friday. The move to June and July has widespread support and is expected to be enacted.

Also on the table — and also widely supported and likely to be confirmed — is increasing the number of teams participating from 16 to 24, following the lead of the European Championship, which went to 24 teams last year.

More teams mean more games, and more television and marketing revenue for CAF. The African Cup is by far CAF’s biggest source of income. “The reason we advocated for a 24-team format is very simple,” CAF executive committee member Amaju Pinnick said, adding African soccer should expect a significant increase in revenue. “The more the merrier,” he said.

But an add-on to that increase in teams was the suggestion that the 24 could be made up of 20-21 African teams and 2-3 “invitees” from other continents, while the final tournament could head out of Africa. The focus appeared to be on Qatar, with the committee noting that the 2022 World Cup host country would have all the required infrastructure to hold the Cup of Nations in 2023.

Non-African teams and a non-African host aren’t ideas that are likely to be implemented soon, though, if at all. And CAF has already

decided the hosts for the next three Cup of Nations, including awarding the 2023 tournament to Guinea.

New CAF president Ahmad of Madagascar, who was elected in March to replace long-standing leader Issa Hayatou, promised a review of the Cup of Nations in his election campaign and has appeared open to the most immediate change, moving the three-week tournament from its normal January-February window to June-July. That would schedule it in the European leagues’ offseason, the window used by the World Cup and the European Championship.

Previous opposition to moving the tournament

centered on the African climate, with the middle of the year deemed too hot in North Africa, too cold in southern Africa, and too wet in west and central Africa because of the monsoon months.

But club competitions in Africa are played throughout the year, including June and July. The next African Cup is in Cameroon in 2019.

One thing expected to stay the same is the Cup of Nations being held every two years.

CAF has bucked the trend of every other major soccer event to hold its flagship tournament every two and not four years. With the Cup of Nations CAF’s biggest and most reliable money-earner, the African soccer body appears unwilling to stage it less frequently. (ap)

Everton’s Funes Mori faces nine months out after surgery

Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori is expected to miss a big part of the next Premier League campaign after undergoing further surgery on a knee injury that will sideline him for six-to-nine months, the club said on Wednesday.

The Argentina international played 23 league games for Everton last season but sustained the season-ending injury while on international duty in March.

Any hopes the 26-year-old had of returning early next season were dashed, however, after the defender suffered a serious setback during his recuperation.

“Ramiro Funes Mori has had a problem within his knee and has undergone further surgery in Barcelona which will require prolonged rehabilitation of a minimum of six to nine months,” the club said on their website. (www.evertonfc.com)

Everton’s injury list also includes midfielder Ross Barkley, who underwent surgery for a groin injury, as well as long-term absentees Yannick Bolasie and Seamus Coleman.

The Merseyside club play their final game of the pre-season tour against Belgium’s KRC Genk on Saturday before the first leg of their Europa League qualifier on July 27. (rtr)

Godoy’s own goal gives Costa Rica 1-0 win over Panama

PHILADELPHIA — Anibal Godoy headed David Guzman’s free kick into his own net in the 77th minute, giving Costa Rica a 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday night and a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.

Guzman took a free kick from about 35 yards out, and the ball swerved slightly and went off the side of Godoy’s head and past goalkeeper Jose Calderon for an own goal. Costa Rica plays

the United States on Saturday at Arlington, Texas.

Panama started just five players from the opening lineup for the 0-0 tie at Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier on June 8 and Los Ticos four.

Only a few thousand fans were in Lincoln Financial Field for the start of a doubleheader that featured the U.S.-El Salvador quarterfinal in the late game. (ap) Ramiro Funes Mori

AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File

FILE - A Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 file photo of Cameroon’s Benjamin Moukandjo lifting the trophy after winning the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Egypt and Cameroon at the Stade de l’Amitie, in Libreville, Gabon.

African soccer’s biggest tournament could be moved from the start of the year to the European summer months of June and July, with the number of teams being increased from 16 to 24.

Mkhitaryan eager to help United’s new boys settle in

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan trains.

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is impressed with the Premier League club’s new signings and says the team is keen on helping them adapt quickly to life at Old Trafford ahead of the upcoming season.

United have signed defender Victor Lindelof and striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored his first goal for the club in Tuesday’s friendly win over Real Salt Lake, and Mkhitaryan praised their skills but understands the need to settle in. “They are training well,” Mkhitaryan told the club website. (www.manutd.com) “They are very good guys and we are trying to help them to adapt. It is very important for them and us to get into the team as quickly as they can because we need them for the start of the season. We are doing our best to help them settle.”

Belgium international Lukaku had the second highest tally in the league with 25 goals last season and his national

team mate and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has identified the 24-year-old’s self-belief as his key strength.

“Romelu has got one incredible ability. It is his desire to score goals. A lot of people have commented on Romelu over the years and he has taken a lot of criticism,” Kompany told reporters ahead of Thursday’s friendly between the two sides.

“But his biggest strength is his belief in himself and the ability to always score goals and have that drive constantly.

“I think that is what Manchester United bought...

Therefore they have added a good player to the squad and it is going to increase the competition in the Premier League for the title.”

United and City play their first match in the International Champions Cup against each other before facing Spanish champions Real Madrid on July 23 and 26 respectively. (rtr)

9

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Players from Costa Rica and Panama jump for a penalty kick during a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Philadelphia, Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Costa Rica advanced to the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Panama.

IBP/net

10

Destination

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

U.S. Open to top $50 million in prize money

IBP/net

GIANYAR - Bali Shell Museum closed down in April 2014, but moved to Pengosekan in Ubud.

Among the museums and galleries in Bali, nothing comes close to the Bali Shell Museum, which opened in 2009 as the only establishment in the Indonesian archipelago that houses shell varieties of unimaginable shapes and sizes, including 100-year-old fossilised specimens and items converted into fine art. The three-floor site that occupies over a half of an office building on the Sunset Road in Kuta is unassuming, its insides hinted only by a large stylised signage with starfish and wave motifs above glass windows. Inside is a vast collection of

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Bali Shell Museum seashells from Indonesia and all over the world – the result of dedication and a lifelong passion of its founder.

Whether you’re a conchologist or not, the Bali Shell Museum will keep you amused and amazed for hours.

The first floor is a gorgeously laid out gallery with a trove of lamps, home ware and accessories from shells and mother-of-pearl, and it’s where most of the exquisite items here are available for purchase. Move up to the second floor, the collection expands to display ancient fossils of all sorts and sizes, including extinct Madagascan cephalopods estimated to be over 300 million years old. These, with large specimens of extinct marine inver-

tebrates, ammonites, trilobites and a giant fossil with a diameter that exceeds your arm span (said to be Asia’s largest) make this part of the museum the equivalent of a walk through the triceratops and brontosaurus section of a palaeontology museum.

On the third floor there’s even more colourful and exotic shells to admire, with specimens comprising sea urchins, a multitude of preserved sea creatures including starfish, sharks, and the small and shiny Monetaria moneta or money cowry, which, as its name implies, once served as money in ancient times.

Several glass displays containing the neatly arranged shells look

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like aquariums – without the water.

In total, there are around 10,000 shells and over 100 ancient fossils housed under its roof. You’ll also notice a pair of statues of Rama and Sita, the main characters from the Ramayana epic, made up of an approximate 30,000 tiny shells. Down again on the second floor, you can enjoy documentary screenings in the theatre section, including the story behind the collection.

Room temperature and humidity levels are well kept, and maintenance schedules are met for the upkeep of these delicate pieces.

Even lighting is moderated to avoid discoloration. The collection at the

Bali Shell Museum is continuously growing, especially after its active participation with notable international seashell organisations and societies such as the Conchologists of America (COA), the Association Française de Conchyliologie, and the Belgian Society for Conchology. The museum joins the shell museums around the world such as America’s Sanibel Island, Sablo D’Olonne, Okinawa, Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket), Philippines and China. It provides a great educational alternative to the more common dining, surfing and shopping adventures while in Bali. Admission fees apply. (IBP/net)

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NEW YORK - This year’s U.S. Open will become the first tennis tournament to top $50 million in prize money following a nine percent increase in the total purse, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Tuesday.

Winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles will each earn $3.7 million, while runners-up will pocket $1.825 million from the $50.4 million total pot.

The men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will each earn $675,000, also the highest in U.S. Open history.

The qualifying tournament for the season’s final grand slam will offer more than $2.9 million in prize money, a 49.2 percent increase from 2016.

“Five years ago, we committed to the players that total player com-

pensation for players would reach $50 million at the U.S. Open, and we are honoring that commitment,” USTA President Katrina Adams said in a statement.

“In addition to unprecedented prize money increases, players also will see a host of new amenities at this year’s tournament including upgrades to player dining, a more generous meal allowance, upgrades to all player workout facilities, and additional quiet room space.

“Our goal is to make every experience at the U.S. Open, whether for the players, our fans, or our partners, the best, world-class experience possible.”

The U.S. Open runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York. (ap)

Ginobili indicates he will return to Spurs for 16th season

SAN ANTONIO — As the clock ticked down on the Spurs’ season and Manu Ginobili was pulled from the game, a thunderous roar from the home crowd guided him to the bench.

Ginobili wore an appreciative but quizzical look on his face as he put a warmup shirt back on and prepared to head off into the summer. Clearly, the fans were saying goodbye to one of the most popular players in Spurs history.

Ginobili was not ready to do the same: The Argentinian posted a message on his Twitter account on Wednesday that he is re-signing with San Antonio for another season, which will be his 16th with the Spurs.

“It felt like they wanted me to retire,” Ginobili said with a smile after the Spurs were swept out of the Western Conference finals by the Golden State Warriors. “Like they were giving me sort of a celebration night. And of course, I’m getting closer and closer.” Save those goodbyes for at least another year.

Ginobili averaged 7.5 points and 18.7 minutes per game last season. In 15 seasons with the Spurs, he ranks in the top five in franchise history in points (13,467), games (992), assists (3,835) and steals (1,349).

The 6-foot-6 guard will turn 40 on July 28 and has been a part of four of the Spurs’ five NBA championships. A member of the famed three-player core with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, Ginobili may be the most beloved member of the group. His hearton-his-sleeve approach stands out in a quiet Spurs culture and his flair for the dramatic has been an integral part of the Spurs’ success.

His block of James Harden in overtime helped the Spurs clinch a win over the Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals last season His overall numbers were down, but he remains incredibly important to the Spurs as they try to chase Golden State in the West. In Duncan’s first season

of retirement, coach Gregg Popovich leaned more on Parker and Ginobili to be vocal leaders in the locker room.

“Timmy’s not a big rah-rah guy,” Popovich said in March. “He didn’t wave a towel. He would talk in timeouts. He’d put his arm around people. Manu and Tony have been more vocal in that regard.

They talk to the team more than I do. They talk to individuals. They’ve really taken on that mantle and it’s helped.”

The Spurs won 61 games last season, but were overwhelmed by the Warriors in the conference finals after Kawhi Leonard suffered an ankle injury in Game 1. After missing out on Chris Paul, they re-signed guard Patty Mills, added veteran forward Rudy Gay and summer league standout Brandon Paul, and are expected to bring back Pau Gasol as well to make another run at Golden State.

The understated offseason fits the Spurs more closely than two years ago when they signed LaMarcus Aldridge to a max deal. Given that Parker figures to miss a good chunk of the start of the season with a quadriceps injury suffered in the playoffs and Jonathon Simmons left for a three-year deal with Orlando, Ginobili’s return means even more.

Ginobili averaged 13.8 points in just over 20 minutes per game of that series against the Warriors, hitting 58.8 percent of his shots. He said after the final game that “I do feel like I can still play,” and he got no argument from the eventual champions.

“He kind of worked us pretty good these four games,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Game 4. “So, I think he’s got quite a bit left in the tank. Obviously, it’s up to him how much longer he wants to go. But one thing about it, he’s definitely not a liability on the floor.”(ap)

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File

FILE - In this May 16, 2017, file photo, San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili warms up for Game 2 of the the team’s NBA basketball Western Conference final against the Golden State Warriors, in Oakland, Calif.

6

Friday, July 21, 2017

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RLD A PALACE COUP...

From page 1

Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File

FILE - This July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in North Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs have without doubt come at a severe cost. Even so, the North has managed to march ever closer to having an arsenal capable of attacking targets in the region and _ as demonstrated by its July 4 ICBM test launch _ the United States’ mainland. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this photo.

Less than 1 aircraft carrier? The cost of N. Korea’s nukes

PYONGYANG — When North Korea decided to go nuclear, it committed to a huge investment in a program that would bring severe sanctions and eat up precious resources that could have been spent boosting the nation’s quality of life. Money well spent?

Leader Kim Jong Un seems to think so.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs have without doubt come at a high cost, but the North has managed to march ever closer to having an arsenal capable of attacking targets in the region and — as demonstrated by its July 4 test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile — the United States’ mainland.

Good, solid figures for just about anything in North Korea are hard to find. So what follows should be taken as ballpark guesses, at best. But here’s a look at how much that arsenal might cost the North, and why Kim might think that’s the price he must pay to survive. South Korea has estimated the cost of the North’s nuclear program at $1 billion to $3 billion, with the higher number combining nuclear and missile development.

For context: one nuclear-powered Virginia class attack submarine costs the United States Navy about $2.5 billion. The USS Gerald Ford, America’s newest aircraft carrier, has an $8 billion price tag, not counting development costs.

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense estimated the cost of the first 31 ballistic missiles Kim test-launched from when he took power in late 2011 until July last year at $97 million. It put the price of each Scud at $1 million to $2 million; each Musudan from $3 million to $6 million; and each submarine-launched ballistic missile at $5 million to $10 million. Up until July last year, Kim had launched 16 Scuds, six Rodongs, six Musudans

and three SLBMs. Including the launch this month of its first ICBM, North Korea has conducted 11 tests, launching 17 missiles, so far this year. North Korea’s total defense spending is believed to be around $10 billion a year.

WHERE DOES IT GET THE MONEY?

That’s a matter of heated debate. But the $2 billion it made in exports in 2015 would not begin to cover it. North Korea is also believed to have relied on foreign currency sent by tens of thousands of laborers dispatched abroad, as well as exports of illegal weapons and cybercrime. Its military-spending-to-GDP ratio far exceeds any other country, but in monetary terms it spends much less than its neighbors, including South Korea and Japan, and its budget is absolutely minuscule when compared to the United States.

Curtis Melvin, a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said that if the South Korean nuclear-program estimate is correct it would be a significant — but not necessarily destabilizing — draw on the North’s economy.

“This is expensive, but probably a cost the country can absorb without fomenting much resentment among North Korean elites,” he said. “In fact, North Korean elites would probably feel less secure without a nuclear program even if its costs relative to the economy as a whole were higher.”

Melvin said the economic situation for common North Koreans would have to be in near ruin, with domestic resentment among elites reaching dangerous levels, before North Korea would reconsider its nuclear program. “Current signals indicate that North Korea is nowhere near this breaking point,” he said. (ap)

The King moved ahead of a meeting of the Political and Security Council. The meeting was due to start at 11 pm, but a few hours before that, MbN received what he viewed as a routine phone call from Mohammed bin Salman. According to the source close to MbN, Mohammed bin Salman told MbN that the king wanted to see him.

In the hours that followed the meeting in which MbN was dismissed, the House of Saud’s Allegiance Council, comprising the ruling family’s senior members, were informed of a letter written in the name of the king.

Drafted by palace advisers to MbS, it said MbN had a medical condition - drug addiction - and “we have been trying for over two years to persuade him to seek treatment but to no avail”.

“Because of this dangerous situation we see that he should be relieved of his position and that Mohammed bin Salman be appointed in his place,” the Saudi source close to MbN quoted excerpts of the letter as saying.

The letter was read over the phone to members of the Allegiance Council, while MbN was kept isolated in a room all night, his mobile phone removed, and cut off from contact with his aides.

His bodyguards from elite paramilitary interior ministry units were also replaced.

Envoys were sent to council members to get their signatures. All but three of 34 signed. The coup had worked.

Calls by council members who backed MbN’s removal were recorded and played to him by a palace adviser to demonstrate the strength of the forces against him and to discourage any urge the 57-year-old crown prince might have to resist.

According to two Saudi sources with links to the royal house, only three members of the council opposed his overthrow: Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a former interior minister, Abdulaziz bin Abdallah, a representative of the family of late king Abdallah, and Prince Mohammad bin Saad, a former deputy governor of Riyadh. The three could not immediately be reached for comment.

At dawn MbN gave up. He told a palace adviser that he was ready to see the king. The meeting was short. MbN agreed to step down and signed a document to that effect. When MbN left the king’s quarters, he was surprised to see MbS waiting for him, the adviser said.

MbN was embraced and kissed by MbS while television cameras rolled.

Soon afterward a pre-written statement was released announcing the king’s decision to make his son the next crown prince. This was the clip that would play on all Saudi and Gulf media over the coming hours and days.

HOUSE ARREST

MbN remains under house arrest to keep him out of circulation following his overthrow, with no visitors allowed except close family members. He is not taking calls, the source close to MbN said. In the past week he was only granted permission to visit his elderly mother with the new guards assigned to him.

International The senior Saudi official said, however, that MbN had received guests, including the king and the new crown prince.

The source close to MbN said he would like to take his family to Switzerland or London but the king and MbS had decided that he must stay. “He wasn’t given any choice.”

The White House and CIA declined to comment. A senior administration official said Washington knew that MbS was the favourite of the king but “beyond that it’s very opaque”.

The elevation of MbS had been predicted by some Saudi and Western officials, but it came much sooner than expected with a rushed exit for MbN. Since King Salman’s accession, there had been clear indications that MbS was favoured over MbN, setting the stage for the younger prince to eclipse the formal heir to the throne.

MbS was given unprecedented power by his ailing 81-year-old father, which he used to reorder the top jobs in the political, oil, security, security and intelligence sectors, often without the knowledge of MbN, according to diplomats and Saudi political and security sources.

Since Salman took the helm just over two years ago, MbS has placed his men in key positions. MbS has been interfering in MbN’s interior ministry, appointing, promoting and firing officers without informing him.

The succession quarrel, the sources said, began in 2015 when MbN’s personal court was disbanded and merged with the court of the king, preventing MbN from bestowing independent patronage and cultivating support. This was followed by the sacking of Saad al-Jabri, MbN’s security adviser.

When Donald Trump entered the White House, MbS cultivated contacts in Washington to offset the strong support that MbN had in the U.S. security and intelligence establishment because of his successes against al Qaeda.

The source close to MbN told Reuters the putsch went ahead after MbS struck up a strong relationship with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.

A White House official declined comment when asked about Kushner’s relationship with MbS. The official, referring to MbN’s removal as Crown Prince and MbS’ ascension to the post, said: “The United States government also sought not to intervene or to be seen as intervening in such a sensitive internal matter. We have great respect for the King, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Prince Mohammed bin Salman and we consistently stressed our desire to maintain cooperation with the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and its leadership. This message was communicated at all levels of government.” With MbS’s sudden ascent, there is now speculation among diplomats and Saudi and Arab officials that King Salman is poised to abdicate in favour of his son.

Quoting a witness at the palace, one Saudi source said King Salman this month pre-recorded a statement in which he announces the transfer of the throne to his son. The announcement could be broadcast at any time, perhaps as soon as September. (rtr)

International

Friday, July 21, 2017

11

Japan, China, S. Korea bankroll Indonesia’s coal despite Paris pledge

BANGKOK- Japan, China and South Korea are bankrolling environmentally destructive coal-fired power plants in Indonesia despite their pledges to reduce climate-changing emissions under the Paris climate deal, analysts told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Australia-based environmental finance organisation Market Forces said it analysed 22 coal power deals in Indonesia since January 2010 and found state-run financiers for the three nations were involved in 18 of them.

In all, foreign banks, both commercial and state-owned, are providing 98 percent of the debt finance for the projects, amounting to $16.7 billion. Indonesian banks provided just 2 percent of the financial resources for the projects, according to the Market Forces analysis published this week. Japan, China and South Korea “are on board with the Paris climate change agreement. They make all the right noises politically,” Julien Vincent, executive director of Market Forces, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.

But “these are the same governments underwriting new coal development elsewhere”, he said, calling the actions “egregious”.

The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, which came into force in November, seeks to limit the rise in average world temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times.

Coal is the most polluting of the major fossil fuels and scientists say its use must be rapidly phased out to give the

world a chance of meeting its goals to curb climate change that is stoking more deadly heatwaves, floods and sea level rise around the world. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, is already one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.

Market Forces said the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim) was involved in seven of the coal power deals, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the China Development Bank (CDB) in five deals each, and the Korea Development Bank (KDB) in one deal. The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is also involved in one deal, together with JBIC, it said.

JBIC declined to comment on the projects it is involved in in Indonesia but said in an e-mail that emerging countries are looking to expand their power sources in response to surging demand and are using coal due to its economic efficiency and reliability.

“JBIC, as a policy-based financial institution of Japan, will work in tandem with the Japanese government to financially support projects which leverage on highly-efficient Japanese technology and know-how in line with the host country’s context,” the bank said. Korean Eximbank declined to comment.

Multiple calls to the public relations departments of CDB and China Exim went unanswered. KDB did not respond to emails seeking comment. On their websites, the banks say they have environmental guidelines for projects they fund, and are committed to protecting the environment and supporting green energy.

AGAINST THE TREND

In supporting the coal projects, the banks offer terms that are low-interest and long term, making the projects possible. The plants “would not exist without external funding,” Vincent said.

Globally, many countries are shutting down or putting on hold plans for coal-fired power plants as costs for wind and solar power plummet. China has been leading the charge, in part to limit pollution and climate change - though it has also been financially backing new coal plants in Pakistan. The deals in Indonesia between January 2010 and March 2017 represent 21 coal power projects with a combined capacity of 13.1 gigawatts.

Market Forces said its analysis of Indonesia’s latest Electricity Supply Business Plan from 2017 to 2026 - where coal is the largest source of energy at 50 percent - shows there is likely to be a significant oversupply of energy. Hozue Hatae, a researcher with Friends of the Earth Japan, which has been working with communities in Indonesia, said demand for electricity has not been increasing as much as estimated.

A thorough analysis should be done to determine whether the plants are necessary and whether there are sensible alternatives, Hatae said. Without that, the health and livelihoods of communities in Indonesia would be put at risk for “an exercise in temporarily extending the market for coal mining and coal power generation”, Vincent said.

Kimiko Hirata, international director for Tokyo-based environmental group Kiko Network, agreed. “We have seen lots of human rights violation and environmental impacts caused by (coal-fired power projects) in the past,” Hirata said via email.(rtr)

IBP/net

More suspects in e-ID card corruption case possible: KPK

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Agus Rahardjo has said the antigraft agency would dig deeper into the electronic-ID card corruption case. Agus indicated KPK has not stopped looking for possible more culprits to be included in its list of suspects in the countrys biggest scandal this year. “It is not unlikely,” Agus said here on Wednesday, adding,”We just wait, we wait for the result of investigations in the process of trial. It would provide ground for further steps.”

On Monday, KPK named a political big shot a new suspect -- the

House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto. Agus said based on the indictment against former Director General of Population and Civil Registration of the Home Affairs Ministry Irman and Director of Management of Population Administration Information of the Ministry Sugiharto, quite a number of names had been implicated in the corruption case.

Most of those implicated in the indictment read out by KPK prosecutor in the trial of Irman and Sugiharto were lawmakers and former lawmakers. Implication of the lawmakers by the KPK public pros-

ecutor has led to conflict between the two institutions . The House Commission II demanded KPK to release the result of the recorded investigation of Miryam S. Hariani, a law makers allegedly received bribe money to be distributed to lawmakers, but KPK rejected the request.

The Commission II then formed a Special Committee (Pansus) for inquiry right to inquire the performance of KPK. Setya Nonvanto has been charged with receiving a share from money of Rp2.3 trillion embezzled from Rp5.9 trillion budget for the e-ID card procurement in 2011-2012. He was also accused of

taking part in plotting the embezzlement together with Irman, Sugiharto and businessman Andi Agustinus alias Andi Narogong.

He was chairman of the Golkar faction in the House of Representatives in 2009-2014. He was reelected again for the following term of 2014-2019, and became the party general chairman. He is facing a jail term of up to 20 years with a fine of up to Rp1 billion if found guilty . KPK already named a number of other suspects in the e-ID card case including Irman and Sugiharto, both have been tried at special Corruption Court.

The KPK prosecutor asked the court to punish Irman with a 7 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp500 million. The prosecutor also demand a compensation of US$273,700 , Rp2.248 billion and S.$6,000 otherwise he would stay in jail 2 years longer. The court was asked to mete out a 5-year jail term for Sugiharto plus a fine of Rp400 million . He was also demanded to pay a compensation of Rp500 million or an additional jail term of a year. Miryam and Andi Agustinus and lawmaker Markus Nari have also been in the list of suspects to be brought to court. (ant)

12

International

Friday, July 21, 2017

Bali News

International

BUSINESS

CHENNAI - The agenda was to improve the conditions for tens of thousands of India’s women garment workers who stitch everything from jeans to jackets for the world’s leading fashion brands. But the strategy was flawed, say critics. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) aimed to gain access to often highly restricted factories in the southern textile centre of Tamil Nadu with a “hygiene awareness” programme and use that as a platform for promoting workers’ rights.

On average the owls released by the TUUT are eight months old.

IBP/kmb24

As natural predator of mouse, 11 heads of owl released

TABANAN — Mouse is one of the pests destroying paddy plants that are difficult to eradicate. High emerging population of mouse today is inseparable from the decline in their natural predator population such as snakes and owls. Mouse handling by preserving natural predators is certainly more eco-friendly than using chemical compounds. To restore the natural mouse predator population, the owl conservation group released 11 owls at Pagi hamlet, Senganan, Penebel, recently.

A vendor selling handags waits for customers at his stall in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2017.

SUSPICION While the ETI has been around since 1998 working on issues like child labour and workers’ rights in countries including South Africa, Thailand and Peru, it began focusing on India’s textile workers in Tamil Nadu in 2012. The region, often dubbed the “Textile Valley of India” - where 400,000 women work in around 2,000 spinning mills and factories - supplies to various European and American retailers.

ETI officials said they knew addressing exploitation of textile workers - from long hours and little freedom of movement to low pay and poor healthcare - was not going to be easy. The $40 billion textile and garment sector is a pillar of India’s economy and moves aimed at improving workers’ rights are often viewed with suspicion by

5

Badung needs 1,760 supermarkets

Fashion brands bring hand-washing but little else to India’s garment workers, say critics

Five years and 485,000 pounds ($630,000) later, the ETI, which brings together labels like H&M, GAP and Burberry with unions, factory owners and civil society groups, has done little more than teach workers hand washing, campaigners say. Trade unions and labour rights charities, some of them partners in the initiative, say its shortcomings show big stores are merely paying lip service to the rights of garment workers.

“It is like image management.

Brands are using the ETI platform to safeguard themselves,” said Nambi Chelliah of non-profit group the Centre for Social Education and Development that was part of the ETI’s initial meetings. Workers’ representatives say employees in textile mills and factories have not benefited, with fair wages, contracts and a workplace free of abuse still elusive for most.

“ETI has not been able to leverage any benefits for the workers from either the brands or the factories, both of whom are members of the alliance,” said a trade union official who requested anonymity.

The ETI denies the claims and says progress has been made in Tamil Nadu through community programmes and peer groups at factories and mills that discuss rights beyond hygiene. “This is the only large-scale initiative that is working within mills to address such issues and to build the trust of all concerned. We are showing such programmes can work to the benefit of all,” Alok Singh, ETI’s South Asia head, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Friday, July 21, 2017

authorities, politicians and management, who see it as a threat to the thriving industry.

“We...need to note that when the programme started there was no appetite for transparency among the mills themselves,” said Singh.

The “Nalam” - meaning “wellbeing” in Tamil - programme was ostensibly to teach women and adolescent girls workers about hygiene and sanitation and has been rolled out in more than 30 mills and factories.

Armed with pamphlets, ETI staff infiltrated high-walled compounds where employees live and work, and went about asking women how often they brush their teeth, when they wash their hands and how much they spend on sanitary towels.

Posters demonstrating the correct way to wash hands were put

up near restrooms and adolescent girls were told to eat more greens and fruit. They were also taught how to deal with menstrual cramps with diet and medication.

“The initiative has contributed to an attitudinal shift within mill managers, who have seen the benefits of treating workers better, and allowing workers to be educated on their rights,” Singh said.

FAILURES But others have a different perspective. “Freedom of association is in (the ETI’s) code, so is assuring fair wages and making sure there is no exploitation. How will workers eat more fruits if they can’t afford to buy it?” said the trade union member who did not want to be named.

Activists and labour rights charities say the ETI has failed to get

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

brands to map and disclose information on supply chains - from the cotton picked in the fields to the buttons stitched on the garments which is key to ending exploitation of workers.

“If they were more transparent about their supply chains, it would make it possible for global advocacy organisations to increase public pressure on companies to take action to ensure respect for labour rights,” said Tim Connor, lecturer at Newcastle Law School in Australia and co-author of a 2016 report on the ETI’s effectiveness. But the ETI’s Singh said transparency would increase as the initiative progressed. “As we move forward to the next five years, we expect that we will have access to clearer supply chain information from participating brands,” he said.(rtr)

The release of those owls was driven by Tyto alba Uma Wali Untuk Tani (TUUT) on Tuesday (Jul. 18). Chairman of the TUUT group of Pagi hamlet, Kadek Jonita, said the birds released were the result of hatching and gift of the community.

The release of last Tuesday was the third time carried out ceremonially.

“In addition to ceremonial way, the release is often undertaken if there are birds in the captivity that are ready to fly,” he said.

Jonita explained that ceremonial release is done so that people know if the owls are important to be guarded. Currently his group still has another bird from Tunjuk village brought on Sunday (Jul. 16) because it remains injured on the wing due to getting exposed to kite rope.

Surveillance for the owls having been released to nature only relies on information from the community. Currently, at Subak Ganggangan there are 14 owl

houses (rubuha). In addition to this Subak Ganggangan, his group also received a good response from surrounding subak community associated with the owl conservation as a natural enemy of the mouse pests in farmland. “In the future, we are going to release birds at Subak Pacung,” he explained.

On average the owls released by the TUUT are eight months old.

Jonita described the owls belonging to the species of Tyto alba can have already reproduced when their age reaches more than a year.

Head of the Tabanan Agriculture Agency, I Nyoman Budana, explained on Wednesday (Jul. 19) that his agency appreciates to the parties participating in maintaining agriculture such as empowering the owls. The release of the bird also known as Serak Jawa was already done in 2002 amounting to two pairs, in 2015 coming to four pairs and 2016 scheduled to release two pairs, but unfortunately the birds

died. From monitoring, the population of the owls released has begun to increase.

In handling mouse pests, in addition to encouraging the preservation of natural mouse predators there are some handling such as fumigation, provision of mouse poison by the agriculture agency and hunting. This action is usually begun by matur piuning ritual by farmers. Although the use of chemical compound can kill mice more effectively, according to Budana, to maintain the sustainability of the natural predators are more aligned to the environment. To that end, he hoped the community, especially farmers, to maintain the natural predator population of the mouse.

“For instance, when encountering large snakes, most people tend to catch and sell them, whereas the snake is one of the natural predators of mice,” added Budana. (kmb24)

MANGUPURA — The government of Badung conducted a study to determine the distance and quota of modern stores in the Badung district. Results of the study involving some academicians indicate that 1,760 supermarkets are required covering 400 units in Kuta Selatan, 389 units in Kuta, 408 units in North Kuta, 264 units in Mengwi and 222 units in Abiansemal as well as 77 units of modern stores in Petang subdistrict.

The policy has been set forth in the regional bylaw bill on the arrangement and coaching of traditional market, shopping mall and supermarket that have been passed into regional bylaw. A member of Commission III of the Badung House of Representatives, IGN Saskara, when met on Wednesday (Jul. 19) said the regional bylaw refers to the issuance of trade minister regulation No.70/2013 suggesting the arrangement of the modern store carried out by the local government.

“In the regional bylaw, the self-managed supermarket has no limitation. This is a chance for local entrepreneurs to make selfimprovement or upgrade themselves into the standard of store services demanded by the people today,” he said.

According to him, the regional bylaw passed on Monday (Jul. 17) also provides an opportunity for traditional market. Therefore, it is necessary to reform because people want a clean market and more accurate scales.

“A number of emerging basic issues will affect the existence of this regional bylaw, one of which is the quota of the national-chained supermarket that will reduce, and local-owned supermarkets will get a great opportunity in the policy,” he said.

Though getting a great opportunity and can protect traditional market in Badung district, this former

chairman of the special committee for the management and development of traditional market, shopping centers and supermarkets, said that his commission sill reminds the management of local supermarkets, stalls and traditional markets of continuously making internal improvement in the management.

“Currently, the government Badung is intent on designing the market revitalization program. It is also a good moment to reform the traditional market, especially its management, so that the market is more advanced,” he explained.

As mentioned, the regional bylaw protects traditional market outside, but the management of traditional market must also be addressed. Therefore, relevant agencies should conduct regular market management training, so that the management of traditional market can compete against the supermarkets.

In the meantime, the Head of the Badung Cooperative, SME and Trade Agency, I Ketut Karpiana, said the implementation of this supermarket quota is solely for the sake of protecting supermarket so that the large number of chained-supermarkets will not be getting rampant. “It’s also meant to protect small stores and traditional market. “Regional bylaw has been passed, so it is just waiting for verification from the governor,” he said.

He said the number of licensed supermarkets in Badung has reached approximately 600 units, while the unlicensed may be more.

Hence, in the future his commission will make data collection the whole entities, so that this regional bylaw is really enforced.

“After this regional bylaw bill can be officially implemented, automatically the area having surpassed the quota for the permit of supermarket will be revoked,” he concluded. (kmb27)

IBP/file

The number of licensed supermarkets in Badung has reached approximately 600 units, while the unlicensed may be more.

4

Bali News

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Not taken out to mainland, fish carcasses spread stench

BANGLI — Thousands of fish carcasses that died from sulfuric bursts floated on the surface of Lake Batur, precisely in the area of Abang Batudinding village and Terunyan village. The fish carcasses originating from floating fish cage were deliberately disposed of by the owner. As a result, the condition causes Lake Batur to spread stench and to look slum.

As DenPost monitoring on Tuesday (Jul. 18), the fish has began to die since last Thursday due to sulfuric bursts in the bottom of Lake Batur. Then, the floating fish cages (KJA) whose fish were dead were not taken out nor discard to mainland, but the owner preferred to dispose of the carcasses into the lake so that they were floating to fill in the lake in the area of Abang Batudinding and Terunyan village.

Since the fish carcasses are not buried, they spread stench along the area of Lake Batur. Besides, the fish has also begun to be poked around by flies so that along the lake looked slum.

Regent of Bangli, Made Gianyar, when asked for his confirmation, deplored the fish carcasses thrown into the lake. To prevent them from polluting the lake, he claimed to have ordered the head of relevant agencies to educate the community in order to immediately transport the fish carcasses. Lake Batur is going to be cleaned thoroughly where one of the targets is the fish carcasses thrown away by people from their floating fish cage.

“People must be made aware. If fish carcasses are not cleaned up, they will exude

The fish has began to die since last Thursday due to sulfuric bursts in the bottom of Lake Batur. stench,” said Regent Made Gianyar when met at Terunyan village last Tuesday.

Gianyar revealed if the people’s behavior does not change, they themselves will be exposed to sickness as affected by such condition.

Fish carcasses should be buried and made into fertilizer so as not to disrupt the lake. At least, next Friday Lake Batur will be cleaned up.

In the meantime, to arrange the existence of floating fish cage currently spreading at many locations, the government is going to make a zoning where one village is only allowed to create a floating fish cage. In order to provide welfare for the community, it will be managed through village-owned enterprise (BUMDes).

IBP/kmb41

To avoid the ongoing losses every year, the regent requested that fingerling restocking should be arranged. Until May, fish farmers should have harvested. “During the period of June to July, the fish cage must be emptied and start to do fingerling restocking.

Thus, the pollution rate can also be reduced,” he said. (kmb41)

Observer: will not affect Golkar Bali in the allegation corruption case of the national electronic identity card (e-KTP) project and has a little more influence on the image of the banyan tree (Golkar) party.

However, the circle of political

Setya Novanto

13

After Mosul, Islamic State digs in for guerrilla warfare

MOSUL - Islamic State militants began reinventing themselves months before U.S.-backed Iraqi forces ended their three-year reign of terror in Mosul, putting aside the dream of a modern-day caliphate and preparing the ground for a different fight.

Intelligence and local officials said that, a few months ago, they noticed a growing stream of commanders and fighters flowing out of the city to the Hamrin mountains in northeast Iraq which offer hideouts and access to four Iraqi provinces.

Setya Novanto named a suspect DENPASAR — The greatness of the Golkar Party is now being tested by the determination of suspect status on its Chairman, Setya Novanto (Setnov). As reported, Setnov is also entangled

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

IBP/file

observers assessed the tortured image of Golkar Party will not much impact on the Golkar Party of Bali, primarily ahead of the Bali gubernatorial election 2018 that carries Ketut Sudikerta as the candidate for governor.

“People have also known about the track record of Golkar politicians from central to regional administrators. Even though there is such a case in central administrator, people have already known. So, it does not really affect the electoral pattern of the people in Bali on Golkar candidates nominated in Bali,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Studies (FISIP), Udayana University, GPB Suka Arjawa, when confirmed on Tuesday (Jul. 18).

According to Suka Arjawa, the electoral pattern of Balinese society is highly dependent on the candidate itself. It is how the candidates of Golkar Party are campaigning and acting before the public. On

the other hand, Golkar also still has many fanatical supporters. Golkar cells are still quite potential to contribute even though the Golkar general chairman in the central executive board is in the vortex of corruption cases.

“Many fanatical supporters of Golkar are at villages. Maybe they cannot be changed even though Setnov is in such condition,” he said.

Chairman of the Golkar Party of Bangli Chapter, I Wayan Gunawan, said that he respects to the legal process running on Setnov. Psychologically, it does have an effect, but the Golkar Party remains solid.

It happens because the party is not dependent on one figure only.

“In terms of conduciveness, we in the party organization can still conduct the program of activities on regular basis, there is no problem,” said Chairman of this Golkar Party Faction in the Bali House of Representatives.

Gunawan added that Setnov case actually builds internal motivation of Golkar Party Bali in welcoming the gubernatorial election in 2018. Considering, this party will be carrying its own gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidate.

When confirmed separately, Secretary of Golkar Party of Bali Chapter, Nyoman Sugawa Korry, said that his administrators remain consistent to maintain party solidity in Bali after determination of Setnov as a suspect. He had confidence the challenges faced

by Golkar Party will be resolved properly.

“All this time Golkar Party has been well tested by various challenges, and we are in the ranks of the cadres underneath are confident that all kinds of challenges faced

by Golkar Party will be overcome well,” said this Deputy Chairman of the Bali House of Representatives. (kmb32)

Some were intercepted but many evaded security forces and began setting up bases for their new operations. What comes next may be a more complex and daunting challenge for Iraqi security forces once they finish celebrating a hardwon victory in Mosul, the militants’ biggest stronghold.

Intelligence and security officials are bracing for the kind of devastating insurgency al Qaeda waged following the 2003 U.S.led invasion, pushing Iraq into a sectarian civil war which peaked in 2006-2007.

“They are digging in. They have easy access to the capital,” Lahur Talabany, a top Kurdish counter-terrorism official, told Reuters. As part of the U.S.-led coalition, he is at the forefront of efforts to eliminate Islamic State.

“I believe we have tougher days coming.”

Some Iraqi Islamic State fighters have roots dating back to al Qaeda’s campaign of car and suicide bombs that exploded by the dozens each day and succeeded in fueling a sectarian bloodbath in Iraq, a major oil producer and key U.S. ally.

When a U.S.-funded tribal initiative crushed al-Qaeda, the hardcore regrouped in the desert between Iraq and Syria. They reappeared with a new jihadist brand that took the world by surprise: Islamic State.

Shortly after its lighting sweep through Mosul, the group outdid al Qaeda’s brutality, carrying out mass beheadings and executions as it imposed its ultra-hardline ideology. Unlike al-Qaeda, it seized a third of Iraqi territory, gaining knowledge of land that could come in handy as it hits back at Iraqi security forces.

REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Iraqi Army’s 9th Armoured Division are photographed with an Islamic State flag, claimed after fighting with Islamic State militants in western Mosul, Iraq June 17, 2017.

SADDAM’S INTELLIGENCE AGENTS Former Iraq intelligence officers who served under Saddam Hussein joined forces with Islamic State in an alliance of convenience. These shrewd military strategists from his Baath Party are expected to be the new generation of Islamic State leaders, Talabany and other security officials said. Instead of trying to create a caliphate, a concept which attracted recruits from disaffected fellow Sunni Muslims, Islamic State leaders will focus on far less predictable guerrilla warfare, Iraqi and Kurdish security officials said.

Iraqi forces have come a long way since they collapsed in the face of the Islamic State advance in 2014, throwing down their weapons and removing their military uniforms in panic. They fought for nearly nine months to seize Mosul, with steady help from U.S.led airstrikes that flattened entire neighbourhoods.

The key question is whether an

army that is far more comfortable with conventional warfare can take on an insurgency with sleeper cells and small units of militants who pop out of deserts and mountains, carry out attacks and melt away.

“They’ll try to hide with the population. Their cells will get smaller – instead of companies and platoons, they’ll go to squads and cells, much smaller elements hiding in the population,” LieutenantGeneral Steve Townsend, commander of the U.S.-led coalition, told reporters.

“Our Iraqi security force partners will have to engage in counterinsurgency style operations at some point and we’re already making efforts now to start shaping their training towards that next ISIS tactic.” History suggests training may not be enough. The United States spent $25 billion on the Iraqi military during the American occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and triggered an insurgency that included al Qaeda.

That did not prepare the army

for the long-haired Islamic State militants who sped into Mosul in pickup trucks with weapons stolen from retreating Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces can certainly point to successes in Mosul and the cities of Falluja and Ramadi in Anbar province, once held by Islamic State.

But local officials say the cities remain vulnerable to attacks from the vast desert nearby mastered by militants. “Security operations will be useless unless security forces control the desert,” said Anbar official Emad Dulaimi, adding that the desert had become a safe haven for Islamic State. “It is not present as an organization in cities but it carries out attacks by individuals. Car bombs. Suicide bombers. People fear Islamic State will come back.

There are attacks every day.” Tareq Youssef al-Asal, leader of a tribal force, shares those concerns and complains of what he says is a lack of a coordination among numerous local security forces.

“In the end these leaderships have no experience fighting in the

desert,” he said. Some ordinary citizens still do not feel safe despite the Iraqi army’s improved performance. Anbar resident Ahmed alIssawy does not plan on re-opening his restaurant anytime soon. He is afraid it will be destroyed the same way it was in clashes between security forces and Islamic State in 2014. “I am afraid there could be an attack at any second,” he said. Islamic State has not wasted any time in implementing its new strategy despite a major loss in Mosul.

About 30 militants armed with machine guns and mortars crossed the Tigris river in wooden boats, attacked the village of Imam Gharbi, some 70 km (44 miles) south of Mosul in early July and then pulled out, according to security officials.

“The notion of a caliphate is gone. The dream is gone. They will revert back to their old tactics of hit and run attacks,” said senior Kurdish official and former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari. “The hardcore will keep fighting.”(rtr)

14

Friday, July 21, 2017

Fashion

International

Retailers, brands see green for back-to-school shopping

NEW YORK — For the back-to-school season, many parents and their kids are thinking green.

Concerns about the environment have them looking for secondhand clothing or fashions made from reused material — but price still rules. Shoppers want quality and style in backpacks, jeans and the like without spending a lot more money.

Retailers like H&M, Target and J.C. Penney are coming out with more clothes that use waste from all sorts of sources, like recycled denim or leather, nylon waste, remnants of old garments, or even plastic bottles.

J.C. Penney is delivering three styles of jeans this fall made from 20 percent polyester created from bottles under its Arizona brand, after seeing what it believes to be teen customers searching for “recycled jeans” on its site, the company said. Target started offering fashions made of polyester created from recycled plastic bottles with last year’s launch of its children’s brand Cat & Jack after focus groups of parents and children expressed interest in eco-friendly products.

James Reinhart, CEO and founder of the online used clothing marketplace Thredup, says he’s finding that many of the site’s shoppers aren’t motivated just by price the way they used to be, but also because of environmental concerns.

“If I was deciding between two items, I would pick up something more eco-friendly,” said Ellen Abramson, the mother of an 11-year-old girl and 16-year-old twin boys.

“But the price has to be comparable, and it has to be done

in a fun, cool way.”

Abramson, of Sandwich, Massachusetts, buys eco-friendly cleaning products and recycles plastic bottles. Her daughter Emma says she likes to help the environment by recycling, not littering, and bringing a thermos to school. She says she would be interested in recycled clothing.

“If it looks the same, and it is better for the environment, I would want to buy it,” said Emma, who likes to shop at Macy’s, Justice and Old Navy.

Many retailers are recycling. At Nike, 71 percent of its footwear and clothing contains recycled materials, and it says more than 31 million pairs of used shoes and 36,000 tons of rubber and foam have been reborn into high-performance products since 2010.

H&M, which is offering jeans this fall made from recycled fabric, says more than 26 percent of its clothing comes from sustainable sources like organic cotton or recycled materials like leather and denim. By 2030, the goal is for all its products to be eco-friendly, the company said.

Deborah Weinswig, managing director at research firm Fung Global Retail & Technology, says she expects to see more major names introduce more sustainable products.

However, she says the trend must be kept in context.

“Back-to-school shopping remains driven, in large part, by frugality,” she says. “So, retailers must continue to offer low prices alongside more sustainable product.”

But people’s style and quality expectations put pressure on retailers to keep prices the same, even though manufacturing

through the recycling process can be more expensive.

C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, says 38 percent of 1,000 millennial shoppers polled in April said they would “respond positively” to environmentally friendly products. But they would spend, on average, just 3 percent more. Another survey by Deloitte Services found that parents of school-aged children would spend no more than 4 percent extra on “green” products for the back-to-school shopping season.

Penney says the recycled Arizona jeans cost from $36 to $42, comparable to other jeans in that collection.

“Value is important to the J.C. Penney customer, especially during the back-to-school shopping season, so we knew the jeans had to be affordable,” said spokeswoman Sarah Holland.

In cases when companies use remnants of old garments, keeping prices down is easier.

“Using old garments and textile leftovers, when making new clothes, means we can both save on raw materials and stop old clothes from going to waste,” said Pernilla Wohlfahrt, head of design and creative director at H&M. H&M’s jeans of recycled fabrics are priced from $29.99 to $49.99, the same range as its regular jeans.

But recycling plastic bottles into fiber is more costly. Unifi Inc.’s Repreve business, which works with 250 companies including Target, Roxy and Fossil, says the recycled fiber sells at a 25 percent to 30 percent premium to non-recycled fiber.

A pair of men’s dress pants or jeans can use up to six plastic bottles, says Jay Hertwig, vice president of global brand sales, marketing and product development.

The added cost comes from the collection, cleaning and converting to flakes and then to recycled polymer chips, Hertwig says.

Marketing the green products can be tricky.

Target uses tags that say “Responsible Style” and “Better for All.” It also provides information including how much of the fabric content incorporates Repreve, which varies from 20 percent to 90 percent. During the back-to-school season, store signs will better highlight the Cat & Jack products that use Repreve. Cat & Jack pieces that include Repreve are sold at the same price as the rest of the collection.

“It’s not terribly overt,” said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. “We’re not trying to pat ourselves on the back.

What we try to do is provide awareness of what goes into the garment.”

Carry Gear Solutions produces backpacks and lunch bags made of recycled water bottles for store brands and most recently for Lego. After testing some bags and backpacks for Lego last year, it expanded the collection for fall and did focus groups with children and adults. The end result: a tag featuring an illustration of eight water bottles that add up to a backpack.

“We wanted to know, how much do they want to know about the process and how much do they understand,” said Jennifer Carroll, general manager at Carry Gear for Lego Bags. “There’s a fine line.” (ap)

Bali News

International

3

Friday, July 21, 2017

Tendentious, sales of young coconut leaf to Bali must have permit

DENPASAR — Sales of young coconut leaf must be licensed as agreed in the results of discussion on Coconut Plant Protection Bill by the Banyuwangi House of Representatives got response from Bali authorities. The executives in Bali provincial government hoped there will be no turmoil when the bill has been enacted into regional bylaw (Perda). In reality, the need for young coconut leaf in Bali is much supplied from East Java, especially Banyuwangi.

“Let’s wait. Hopefully, there’s no turmoil. Surely, they (the government of Banyuwangi—Ed) want to arrange the sales and then they apparently want to be more orderly.

It seems so. Until now, there are still no impacts on us. Later on, we have to coordinate,” said the Head of Bali Trade and Industry Agency, Ni Wayan Kusumawathi, when confirmed on Wednesday (Jul. 19).

Kusumawathi admitted that she will continuously monitor the progress, including seeing the presence or absence of decreased supply of young coconut leaf to Bali from East Java. The measures of interisland cooperation will also be undertaken so that Bali is not short of supply, though young coconut leaf actually is not classified into

the needs of basic commodities and other important materials in accordance with the rules of the minister of trade. However, many Balinese people use young coconut leaf for the needs of Hindu religious ceremonies.

“It does not need to be worried because I think every region can regulate its region. It has something to do with resources. We do not know, for example, if the leaves of coconut tree are trimmed, it certainly can disrupt the fruits,” he said.

In the meantime, the circle of legislators in the Bali House of Representatives actually less appreciated to the bill discussed by the Banyuwangi House of Representatives. A member of Commis-

sion II, A.A. Ngurah Adhi Ardhana, assessed the regional bylaw bill on coconut intended for the protection of coconut plants is very tendentious. Indeed, the needs of Bali for young coconut leaf are very high where the regulation requires the sales of young coconut leaf to be licensed. Otherwise, it will be fined at IDR 50 million or six-month imprisonment.

“What if Bali also imposes the same regulation on tourists that want to visit Banyuwangi must also with permission? In this matter, Bali also has to protect its tourism industry that has been growing for a long time as the reason? Surely, Banyuwangi will object and experience a decrease in tourist visits,” said this PDI-P politician.

Adhi Ardhana added that the regional bylaw bill is still relevant if only connected to certain species of coconut plant for its sustainability. However, the coconut plant is actually a common and unprotected plantation product.

As reported previously, the Banyuwangi parliament was discussing regional bylaw bill on

Protection of Coconut Plants denoting a revision of Regional Bylaw No.5/1996 (Bali Post, Jul. 19). Later on, every merchant of young coconut leaf must have a special permit. Taking the young

coconut leaf is also mandatory to have a permit. Consequently, the trade of young coconut leaf from Banyuwangi to Bali will not be able to be easy like today. (kmb32)

IBP/eka

The need for young coconut leaf in Bali is much supplied from East Java, especially Banyuwangi.

APV car wreck hauled to district police station

Tourists visiting Terunyan advised to use crossing service BANGLI — After the APV car accident that killed three tourists in Lake Batur, Kintamani, the land route to Terunyan village is temporarily closed to outsiders.

Tourists wishing to visit the Trunyan tourism village are advised to pass through the crossing at Kedisan Pier to anticipate the occurrence of similar incidents.

Chief of Bangli Police Traffic Affairs, Gusti Agung Ayu Udayani Addi, said on Wednesday that after the APV car accident holding seven tourists occurred on Monday afternoon (Jul. 17) she has coordinated with the Bangli transportation agency. In the coordination, she suggested that tourists wishing to visit Terunyan village to be temporarily directed through the crossing at the pier. It is made considering that for the time being the land route to Terunyan is passed by vehicles undertaking evacuation.

According to Udayani, the road at Terunyan village has not been representative for tourist route. Aside from being in narrow and steep conditions, especially in the area of Cemara Landung, along the road section to the tourism village also has minimal traffic signs, and is not equipped with guard rails and lights.

“For the local community, perhaps it does not matter.

They have often crossed it and already known well the terrain. If tourists, they rarely pass it. To that end, we direct them to cross via the crossing service,” she explained.

She continued that after the evacuation of the car wreck from the bottom of the lake by the joint team on Tuesday afternoon, police brought the APV car in wrecked condition to Bangli police headquarters. It was done to find out the exact causes of the accident claiming three fatalities.

Besides, her authorities also installed warning banners so that motorists passing the lane to Terunyan can always be careful. The banners are installed at several points such

as the intersection of Kedisan village and on the road to Cemara Landung area, Terunyan.

When contacted separately, the Head of the Bangli Transportation Agency, Gede Arta, admitted that his agency has coordinated with traffic affairs unit after the incident. For the time being, his agency urges tourists wishing to visit Terunyan should pass through crossing service at Kedisan Pier. The appeal was issued considering the road conditions are still not good to be passed.

“We are not prohibiting, but appealing to tourists wishing to visit Terunyan attractions that they would be better to pass through the crossing service,” he explained.

To anticipate the occurrence of such accidents in the pathway, he stated the government of Bangli will soon make improvement. In addition to doing the installation of traffic signs, the district government through relevant agencies will also make improvement to the quality of the road. (kmb40)

IBP/kmb40

Police brought the APV car in wrecked condition to Bangli police headquarters.

2

Bali News

Friday, July 21, 2017

International

Penglipuran village

IBP/file

Many tourism villages underdeveloped

Regent: it happens as they have minimal vivacity

BANGLI — All this time Bangli district has 27 tourism villages. However, among all the existing tourism villages, only a few that seems to develop such as the Penglipuran, Guliang Kangin and Suter village.

In the meantime, the remaining villages are mostly still ‘dormant.’ Related to the large number of tourism villages remaining dormant, the Regent of Bangli, I Made Gianyar, argued that such condition does not happen due to lack of government’s attention. Rather it is caused by the lack of vivacity owned by the villages in building and developing their tourism potential.

When met on a recent occasion, Made Gianyar claimed to be an innocent regent in issuing a decree of tourism village. He admitted to deliberately facilitate the village to get the status as a tourism village. It is meant to provide the opportunities for villages to be more advanced. “If I make standardization with many conditions to be met, I am confident there are no villages that can become a tourism village,” he said.

According to Made Gianyar, the number of ‘dormant’ tourism villages is not a government’s mistake.

Actually it happens because the villages are less viva-

cious to develop the tourism potential owned. In addition, many of them do not have a clear management.

“We have provided an opportunity to move forward.

To move forward, it highly depends on the vivacity of the village itself, do not blame the government.

If analogized to an education, the best university in Indonesia is the Badung Institute of Technology (ITB). If someone is studying at the ITB and can get a diploma but cannot get a job, please do not blame on the ITB,” he said.

In order that more and more tourism villages develop in the future in Bangli like the Penglipuran, Gianyar also asked for the tourism village remaining ‘dormant’ to start moving and have vivacity to develop the potential owned. Moreover, currently the funds managed by village are large enough, both sourcing from the village fund allocation (ADD) and village fund (DD). District government, said Gianyar, is ready to assist the construction of facilities such as parking lot and others provided that there are no constraints on the status of land ownership where to build.

“Now, the tourism village, whether developed or underdeveloped, will highly depends on the village itself,” he concluded. (kmb40)

market can be developed in the future. In addition to providing really hygienic fishery product, it can also become a tourist object.

Previously, Kedonganan fish market was planned to be revitalized. The fish market is expected to be really functioned as a hygienic market. “It is expected to provide assurance that fishery products to be sold or purchased by the public are really hygienic,” he concluded.

Related to the abrasion that occurred at Kedonganan, he said it naturally happens in particular seasons, and it always happens.

Moreover, the southernmost beach area can run out of its coastline.

The sand can run out to the base of the building and so can in the northern area. Until now, his organization has not submitted formally to the government regarding that condition. So far, the café management at the location is still able to control, although there are indeed one or two cafés affected.

“Among the 24 existing cafés, most of them have no problem with the abrasion. Hopefully, in the future, the government, especially that of Badung district, can help,” he added. (kmb23)

Saturday, July 21 5PM Vernissage Art D Asia Taiwan-Singapore Indonesia Art exchange project Arma Museum

Jalan Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Sunday, July 22 Nu Moopn Celebration Sounds of Union Akasha:Restaurant &Juice Bar Jln. Sinta, Tegallalang

EVERY MONDAY Movie Monday19:00-21:00 Genius Cafe- Home to the entrepreneur Beach CLub Mertasari Beach (Next to Mercure), Sanur EVERY TUESDAY Ecstatic contact dance: Transformative journey Paradiso Ubud, Jalan Goutama Selatan, Ubud 100k includes dinner

15

SUNDAY MARKETS 10AM 1PM Sunday Market at Batu Jimbar Jl. Danau Tablingan , Sanur

9AM-2PM Samadi Sunday Market Jalan. Padang Linjong 39, Canggu, 9AM-2PM Wednesday and Sunday Ubud Organik Market Jl. Raya Pengosekan across from Zens Hotel Tebesaya, Ubud 12PM-10PM Sunday Food Festival & Bazaar Byrdhouse Beach Club, Sanur

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the young and energetic Davin Indrawan is a graduate of a three-year diploma program in hospitality management and culinary arts from the Swiss College of Hospitality Management Lenk (SHML). Originally from Tangerang on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, Davin is a member in good standing of the Indonesian Chef Association dating from his return to his homeland in 2015. In addition to his native Indonesian, the young culinary professional is also fluent in English, Spanish and French. Prior to becoming part of the team at The Ayodya Resort Bali, Davin Indrawan worked as an Executive Chef at a leading restaurant and entertainment complex in Yogyakarta and Chef de Partie at 16 Art Bar & Restaurant in Saanen, Switzerland.

Executive Sous Chef - Ni Luh Sutini

Junior Sous Chef - Davin Indrawan

EVERY THURSDAY African Drums with Catur SAng Klang Wijaya 16:00-18:00 Experience the healing power of drumming, all levels welcome

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9:30AM-1PM Sunday Market @ Warung Sopa Jl. Sugriwas no36, Padang Tegal, Ubud

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The Ayodya Resort Bali has announced two key appointments to its culinary team in support its 7 restaurants and bars at the 537-room property within the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) at Nusa Dua A native of Bali, Ni Luh Sutini was appointed as Executive Sous Chef. After completing her professional kitchen training in 1995, Sutini has worked in a number of leading hotels, villas and restaurants in both Bali and Lombok. Those appointments include stints in lead culinary roles at the Semara Villa Uluwatu, Mantra Sakala Bali, Grand Aston Bali Resort and Spa and the Lamak Restaurant in Ubud.

Joining The Ayodya Resort Bali as Junior Sous Chef,

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Kedonganan Beach

Friday, July 21, 2017

Ayodya Resort Bali Appoints Key Professionals to Culinary Team

On Kedonganan Beach, tourism activities need to be developed

MANGUPURA — Kedonganan Beach, which is identical with fish market and café where to eat, actually remains to have tremendous potentials. However, the potentials owned are still not maximally discovered.

This was conveyed by the Chief of Kedonganan Coastal Tourism Management Agency (BPKP2K), I Wayan Mertha, on Wednesday (Jul. 19). According to him, at Kedonganan, there are many tourist activities that can be undertaken in addition to café activities. For instance, local seawater is so good, but there is no activity whatsoever. “It means, it has the potential, but surely needs facilities, capital, human resources and so on,” he said.

If other activities will be developed in the future, he hoped it is not developed the water sport products like at Tanjung Benoa.

“When talking about water sport, people will go to Tanjung Benoa ... Here, perhaps it is appropriate to develop non-machine activities, like wind surfing,” he hoped.

Related to hygienic fish market management plan in the area, he claimed to be making coordination with the regent of Badung. So far, the fish market has not been well managed. Hopefully, the

Activities

International

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

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Price: Rp 3.000,-

Friday, July 21, 2017

Fans flood San Diego Comic-Con at Wednesday’s preview night

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Friday, July 21, 2017

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Convention Center was packed with people as soon as it opened its doors for ComicCon. Fans with four-day passes to the annual pop-culture convention were treated to a preview of the showroom floor Wednesday night: 460,000 square feet of TV, film and video game displays, along with toys, art and comic books for sale.

Panels, presentations, screenings and celebrity appearances begin Thursday and continue through Sunday.

Forty-nine-year-old Tony Saxon bee-lined it for the Hasbro booth, where he loaded up on two massive bags of collectible toys. “I spent $700, and that’s just the beginning,” said Saxon, who has been coming to Comic-Con since 1993. “I’m going to be broke by Sunday.”

Besides being packed with thousands of fans, Comic-Con’s showroom floor was alight with flashing screens and giant character displays touting the latest shows, movies, games and toys.

The Mattel booth boasted a lifesize replica of the new Batmobile from “Justice League,” which looks like a tank crossed with a sports car. Sanrio’s booth showed Hello Kitty reimagined as Sonic the Hedgehog. “The Walking Dead” booth was crawling with zombies. And players were so engrossed in their games at the Yu-Gi-Oh! booth, it was like they couldn’t tell Comic-Con was happening all around them.

“I just got here and it’s crowded,” said Miles Messenger, 35, as he waited in line to buy an exclusive toy at the Nickelodeon booth.

“But I keep coming back because I really enjoy the atmosphere and the community, and being with people who share the same interests.”

What started as a comic-book convention with 300 participants in 1970 has grown into a corporateheavy media showcase that draws more than 130,000 attendees.

Netflix, Warner Bros., Fox, HBO and Marvel Studios are among

the companies hosting large-scale presentations with top-name talent.

But while Hollywood has raised Comic-Con’s profile, comic book enthusiasts say it keeps edging out the book buyers and sellers at the heart of the event.

“I think the biggest story about Comic-Con this year is that Chuck Rozanski and Mile High Comics isn’t attending... He is THE guy in terms of retail comics and he cannot afford to do the setup that he would usually do because he just doesn’t get the sales that he used to get at Comic-Con,” said Harry Knowles, founder of the fan site Ain’t It Cool News and a Comic-Con regular since 1971. “The sadness that’s going on is the people that really made Comic-Con worth going to from the very beginning are being squeezed out by the entire corporate structure of Hollywood, of the industry that is creating so much awesome stuff for us to obsess about.”

Among the fan obsessions on view this year: “Stranger Things 2” and “Marvel’s The Defenders” from Netflix, which also promises a surprise screening Thursday night; HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld”; “Justice League” and “Blade Runner 2049” from Warner Bros., along with an anticipated appearance by Steven Spielberg showcasing his adaptation of “Ready Player One.” Jamie Newbold, who’s been attending Comic-Con since 1972 and selling comic books there for more than 20 years, said that as big entertainment companies have seized on

REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, the interior minister, arrives to a military parade in preparation for the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca September 5, 2016.

Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Power Ranger characters strike a pose for Comic-Con attendees during Preview Night of the 2017 Comic-Con International on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, in San Diego, Calif. the convention’s fan base, the cost of exhibit space on the showroom floor has become prohibitive for small vendors.

The owner of Southern California Comics in San Diego still plans to bring about 15,000 books to the convention, but he used to take triple that. “I have a lot of friends who do what I do, and when they look around and see the booths on either side of them are corporate booths, they’re big businesses, and we’re just little guys from LA or Colorado or New Orleans,” Newbold said. “It would be nice for us to see some form of compensation to keep us there since we’re the seeds that

sprouted this massive tree.”

His wish? That Comic-Con would make its 50th anniversary a celebration of rare and vintage comic books.

Jud Meyers, co-founder of Blastoff Comics in Los Angeles, remembers when comic book sellers dominated the convention center showroom. Now big studio and video game exhibits are front and center, with booksellers are in the back. “I don’t think we can blame Hollywood,” he said.

“Dedicated comic book stores are at a low we’ve never seen... The comic book world is not just about comic books.”

That may be most clear at Comic-Con, where fans of sci-fi, superheroes and other genre fare can connect with their favorite characters through movies, TV, toys or cosplay, as well as comics.

Knowles, also a producer of the 2011 documentary “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope,” said Comic-Con isn’t a battle between Hollywood and comic books.

“It’s not about who’s out to win Comic-Con,” he said. “The people who are going to win Comic-Con are the ones who paid for tickets to arrive to Comic-Con. They’re going to have the greatest time ever.”(ap)

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Addiction and intrigue: Inside the Saudi palace coup

ON Tuesday June 20 Mohammed bin Nayef, a powerful figure in Saudi Arabia’s security apparatus for the past two decades and the next in line to the throne, was summoned to meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the fourth floor of the royal palace in Mecca.

There, according to a source close to MbN, as he is known, the king ordered him to step aside in favour of the king’s favourite son, Mohammed bin Salman. The reason: an addiction to painkilling drugs was clouding MbN’s judgment.

“The king came to meet MbN and they were alone in the room. He told him: ‘I want you to step down, you didn’t listen to the advice to get treatment for your addiction which dangerously affects your decisions’,” said the source close to MbN. The new details about the extraordinary meeting between the king and MbN that touched off the de facto palace coup help to explain

the events that are reshaping the leadership of the world’s biggest oil exporting nation.

Reuters could not independently confirm MbN’s addiction issues.

A senior Saudi official said the account was totally “unfounded and untrue in addition to being nonsense”.

“The story depicted here is a complete fantasy worthy of Hollywood,” the official said in a statement to Reuters, which did not refer to MbN’s alleged use of drugs.

The official said MbN had been removed in the national interest and had not experienced any “pressure or disrespect”. Reasons for his dismissal were “confidential”.

Sources with knowledge of the

situation said however that the king was determined to elevate his son to be heir to the throne and used MbN’s drug problem as a pretext to push him aside.

Three royal insiders, four Arab officials with links to the ruling house of Saud, and diplomats in the region, told Reuters that MbN was surprised to be ordered to step aside.

“It was a big shock to MbN,” said a Saudi political source close to MbN. “It was a coup. He wasn’t prepared.”

The sources said MbN did not expect to be usurped by the often impulsive Mohammed bin Salman, who MbN considered to have made a number of policy blunders, such as his handling of the Yemen con-

flict and cutting financial benefits to civil servants.

The high-stakes power grab has placed sweeping powers in the hands of the 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, and appears designed to speed his accession to the throne.

Should he get the job, the young prince will preside over a kingdom facing tough times from depressed oil prices, the conflict in Yemen, rivalry with an emboldened Iran and a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

The source close to MbN acknowledged that he had health issues, which were aggravated after an al Qaeda attacker tried to blow himself up in front of him in his palace in 2009. The health issues were corroborated by three other sources in Saudi Arabia and Arab official sources with links to the royal family.

An Arab source with close Saudi links also provided a similar account of the meeting at which King Salman asked MbN to step down because of his alleged drug addiction. These sources said MbN had shrapnel in his body that could not be removed and he depended on drugs such as morphine to alleviate the pain. One source said MbN had been treated in clinics in Switzerland on three occasions in recent years. Reuters was unable to confirm this independently.

Continued to page 6 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.