Edisi 23 Desember 2014 | International 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 5 7th year

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Entertainment

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Elton John, David Furnish marry in England LONDON — Entertainer Elton John and longtime mate David Furnish officially married Sunday on the ninth anniversary of the day they entered into a civil partnership.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File

The couple converted their civil bond under new laws implemented in England earlier this year that allow same-sex marriages.

On Sunday the couple posted an Instagram picture of themselves preparing to sign official documents. “That’s the legal bit done.

Now on to the ceremony!” they wrote.

John and Furnish planned a celebration at their estate near Windsor Castle west of London. An A-list crowd is expected — even if the festivities are likely to be much more sedate than the parties in John’s hellraising rock ‘n’ roll days.

The singer — known for an impressive string of hits dating back decades — promised to post pictures of the festivities to fans around the

world.

The nuptials came as no surprise: John had tweeted about his plans earlier in the week, and earlier in the year had praised England for embracing same-sex marriage. He said there had been a remarkable change in a country where homosexual acts had long been deemed criminal offenses.

John said the wedding would be a joyous occasion shared with the couple’s two sons, Zachary and Elijah.

The menu was traditional and posh, featuring wild mushroom soup with truffle cream, beef short rib with caramelized onion pie and warm chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert, according to a photo of the menu posted by

Brooklyn Beckham, son of soccer start David Beckham and designer Victoria Beckham.

The champagne was LaurentPerrier.

In his post, Brooklyn Beckham offered congratulations to “Uncle Elton and Uncle David.”

John said earlier this year that he and Furnish planned to take advantage of the changes to the law, even though they already had a civil bond recognized by the courts.

“We shouldn’t just say, ‘Oh well, we have a civil partnership, we’re not going to bother to get married,” he said.

John and Furnish met in 1993.

Both have been active in a number of charities, with John focusing on efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 in recognition of his charitable works. (ap)

Fantasy epic ‘The Hobbit’ casts spell on box office LOS ANGELES - Tolkien epic “The Hobbit” weaved its magic at the North American box office this weekend, signaling a farewell to the blockbuster fantasy franchise, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The last of six films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books by Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” took $56.2 million on its debut weekend in the United States and Canada, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The success of “The Hobbit” flattened the competition in the final weekend before the Christmas holiday period.

Second spot went to “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” the third film in the Ben Stiller family comedy franchise based on the popular 1993 children’s book.

The movie, which sees Stiller reprise his role as the security guard trying to keep a track on exhibits which come to life at the New York Museum of Natural History, took $17.3 million.

In third place was another debutant, “Annie,” the rebooted big-screen adaptation of the famous Broadway musical about the adventures of an orphan girl which also spawned film versions in 1982 and 1999.

The latest version, starring Quvenzhane Wallis

in the title role and Jamie Foxx as the tycoon who takes her under his wing, took $16.3 million.

Ridley Scott’s historical blockbuster “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” starring Christian Bale as Moses, meanwhile fell to fourth spot with $8.1 million.

Another sequel, “Hunger Games: Mockingjay,” slipped to fifth with $7.8 million, pushing its earnings to $289.2 million after five weeks.

Jumping four spots to sixth was Reese Witherspoon drama “Wild” about a woman grappling personal demons on a grueling three-month solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.

The film, which has vaulted Witherspoon into contention for best actress honors in Hollywood’s awards season, took $3.75 million.

Seventh spot was occupied by Chris Rock’s “Top Five” about a comedian trying to become a serious actor while grappling with his reality TV star fiancee about broadcasting their wedding. The film took $3.6 million on its second weekend.

In eighth place was Disney animated hit “Big Hero 6” with $3.56 million, with another animated movie, “Penguins of Madagascar” in ninth with $3.5 million.

AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Mark Pokorny Rounding out the top 10 was new entrant In this image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Orlando Bloom, left, and “P.K.,” an Indian comedy from Bollywood star Evangeline Lilly appear in a scene from “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Aamir Khan, with $3.5 million. (afp) Armies.”

WEATHER FORECAST Dps

23 - 32

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

Tuesday, December 23, 2014 SKorea holds N-plant drills against cyber threats

Page 6

Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico’s 4-1 win at Bilbao

Page 8

Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers

Page 13

Prevent disasters through Nangluk Merana

Hundreds of Hindus throng Lebih Beach

GIANYAR - Although the heat of the sun was so intense, it did not discourage the vivacity of Gianyar people to carry out Nangluk Merana ceremony on the new moon of the sixth month in Balinese calendar on Lebih Beach, Sunday (Dec 21).

The ceremony was usually done as an effort to anticipate the coming disasters often accompanying the rainy season.

As observation on Lebih Beach on Sunday morning, the arrival of thousands of pilgrims had been visible from 05:00 a.m. Even, the ceremony was performed from the morning till night. As a result, the traffic condition at the intersection of Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra was

stagnating. Moreover, thousands of motorcycles and cars filled the Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra to get to the Lebih area.

Even though it was very hot and crowded, it did not discourage hundreds of people to say prayers together. The ceremony held every

sixth month in Balinese calendar especially in Gianyar was meant to maintain the neutrality of nature.

The month was often considered identical to the coming of disaster and disease outbreaks.

“This time the whole family comes to pray in order to avoid unwanted disasters. In addition, today is also a holiday so that we take the whole family to enjoy the beauty of the beach,” said one of the residents, I Wayan Budiarthawan, from Sema hamlet, Bitera.

Similar comment was also

delivered by the Assistant II of Gianyar government, I Ketut Suweta. To that end, the Gianyar government was involved in saying prayers en masse, tawur padanan and mulang pakelem or animal sacrifice in the form of black duck and black chicken. The ceremony was held once a year and officiated over by Ida Pedanda Istri from Griya Kesian, Lebih, Gianyar. “It is organized in the new moon of Balinese sixth month because when it is believed to be the season of plagues and natural

disasters such as landslide, flood or others,” said I Ketut Suweta met after the ceremony.

This ceremony was expected to reject any outbreak of diseases, either the diseases on human, agriculture, plantations or others.

“That’s why the Gianyar government with the community appeals to God in his manifestation as Lord Varuna in order to be provided with safety and success in agriculture.

Thus, this ceremony is termed to reject disasters and miserables,” he said. (kmb35)

Although the heat of the sun was so intense, it did not discourage the vivacity of Gianyar people to carry out Nangluk Merana ceremony on the new moon of the sixth month in Balinese calendar on Lebih Beach, Sunday (Dec 21).

IBP/Manik

2

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bali News

Rainy season, farmers difficult to sell grain

SEMARAPURA - The life of farmers is increasingly erratic. When dry season comes, they scream as shortage of water, but when rainy season comes, they should face difficulty to sell grain. This condition makes them complain whereas the harvest this month is pretty good.

As expressed by Wayan Sudiarta, a farmer of Subak Toya Hee at Gelgel village, Klungkung, Sunday (Dec 21), all the farmers in the subak area were distraught.

The harvest amidst the rain of high intensity caused no body to bid their grain. Actually, previously during dry season many middlemen and buyers were looking for farmers to nook and cranny of the land to make an offer. “Since entering the rainy season, the situation is so quiet.

Buyers seem to be afraid of buying grain of farmers harvested during rainy season,” said a farmer from Kamasan village. Since the harvest a few weeks ago, he claimed not to be able to dry out his grain to make it drier.

Persistent rain every day made him and friends more difficult to dry out their grain. As a result, such conditions caused the price of grain at Subak Toya Hee to slump. Coming buyers only dared to bid at IDR 3,000 to IDR 4,000 per kilogram. Actually, under normal circumstance, the price could reach IDR 4,500 to IDR 5,000 per kilogram. Buyers were said to worry as in the situa-

tion of rainy season the grain was very prone to damage because it could grow. If it was allowed, the damage could be more severe and farmers would make a total loss. Actually, the last harvest was very good reaching 4 tons for half a hectare of agricultural land.

Likewise, he did not dare to sell in the form of rice. Before it could be processed into rice, the grain should be dried out for a few days. Meanwhile, the drying could not be done due to limited land and in the rainy season condition. Against this situation, he admitted to surrender. He still hoped there would be sunny days to convince the buyers to buy his grain or perform drying to process it into rice. The last option to avoid a total loss was by selling it at cheap price. He would take this option if there would be no buyers bidding his grain.

Different case was presented by another farmer, Wayan Yadnya, from the local subak group.

He told that too frequent rain caused his yellowing paddy to be attacked by many diseases ranging from stem borer disease,

IBP/Sri Wiadnyana

The farmers are trying to dry the grain during this rainy season. locusts, empty fascicle and various other diseases. The attacks were very difficult to overcome because they were pretty much immediately after the rainfall in recent weeks.

“Grasshoppers are the most dif-

ficult to overcome because their presence in large numbers cannot be effectively sprayed,” said Yadnya when encountered at his paddy field.

Farmers at Subak Toya Hee hoped the high intensity rainfall could immedi-

ately end. In addition, they also asked for a solution to local government so that they could sell their grain and the effort to cope with a variety of diseases attacking the paddy plants in rainy season. (kmb31)

Jumbled sidewalk, residents complain BANGLI - Condition of the sidewalk on Jalan Nusantara in Bangli is very apprehensive. Due to heavy rainfall flushing Bangli recently, the sidewalk was jumbled. The sidewalk was detached and drain cover was opened. They showed off poor look of the town. According to one of the residents, Ketut Sanih, Sunday (Dec 21), the sidewalk had been damaged for a long time, approximately from twenty days ago.

“It already collapsed around twenty days ago and so far it has not been

repaired,” he said.

The sidewalk located right at the traffic light of Tembuku-Kintamani surely caused residents who opened shop around the area to complain.

Sanih added when it rained, the water in the drains overflowed onto the shop courtyard. Other than water, it was also accompanied by smelling mud. “When it rains, the water overflows into my shop so that I become uncomfortable,” she complained.

When asked about any improve-

ment, Sanih also explained that no officer came to dealing with the problem. Similarly, it could also be seen in the absence of building materials used for the repair.

“No officer came here, from the beginning it remains like this,” she added.

Sanih hoped the damaged sidewalk could be addressed so that the water would not overflow again.

“Please help address this problem as it has lasted for a long time.

Please do not allow continuing like

this,” she asked.

Similar condition also occurred at Kubu village because when it rained, the drains were not able to accommodate the incoming water flow. As a result, the road shoulder backfilled with sand finally got eroded. The sand was seen to scatter in the middle of the road due to swept away by rainwater.

One of the residents said the swift water flow at Kubu village was flash flood from Kayu Biyi and Kayang. Some time ago, the

Activities

International

water from Kayu Biyi and Kayang was transferred to Kubu village. “It is flash flood from Kayu Biyi and Kayang. So, the water flowing here is getting larger, while the drain is small. Ultimately, the water flows onto the street,” he explained. Other than small drains, it was also made difficult by the condition where at some places the drain was in higher position than the road surface. Of course, it caused the water to flow onto the road shoulder and eroded some sand. (sos)

 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti  Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Suasrina, Buleleng: Dewa kusuma, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bagiarta. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp.

(0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

15

Favehotel opens at Palembang JAKARTA – With Sumatra becoming an ever-popular destination for both business and leisure travel, Archipelago International made a favehotel debut on the flourishing island with the opening of favehotel Palembang on 15 December, 2014; the latest favehotel location that will cater to Pelembang’s growing demand for budget business hotels.

Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province; the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan and the seventh largest city in Indonesia. The recent spike in commercial development in Palembang has brought a substantial increase in business travelers to the area, thereby triggering a high demand for cost-effective accommodation that directly services the MICE market. favehotel Palembang will therefore target South Sumatra’s corporate business travelers whilst simultaneously being budget-sensitive and providing a cost-effective alternative. favehotel Palembang boasts a strategic location half way between the Sultan Mahmud Badarudin Airport and Palembang’s Central Business District.

Its close proximity to the Palembang Trade Center Mall further makes favehotel Palembang an ideal base for business and leisure travelers alike.

Archipelago International is dedicated to establishing favehotel Palembang as the preferred hotel in the area and a truly unique business hotel experience.

Despite the budget price-tag, the 7-story hotel features a stunning open-air swimming pool and a high-tech gymnasium, together with delicious dining experiences that include the eclectic signature

Profile

restaurant and the lounge bar that offers a robust culinary journey across the world.

The hotel’s 163 stylish rooms are modern, functional and super clean offering edgy interior designs decked out with LED TVs, security key card systems, air conditioning, in room safes and top of the line beds with high knot count cotton linens.

The wide range of business facilities include the hotel’s swimming pool for adults and kids, Gym, Wellness Spa, ample parking space, 6 modern meeting rooms and ballroom for training, workshops, product launches, exhibitions and other social events, as well as truly high-speed WiFi throughout the entire hotel, making this “fave” the best in class amongst the area’s economy hotels.

“We have been keen to introduce our favehotel brand to Sumatra for some time, so we are delighted to be opening favehotel Palembang this December at a time when affordable business hotels are in high demand. We hope that with our presence, Palembang’s MICE market will continue to grow, establishing Sumatra as the next best destination for Indonesia’s business travelers.” Said John Flood, Archipelago International’s President & CEO. (r)

IBP/Courtesy of Archipelago International

Balinese Temple Ceremony

Dewa Putu Makapagal

Emphasizes on responsibility Working in the field of hospitality should not be halfhearted but accompanied with responsibility as its foundation. It was revealed

by Corporate General Manager of The Living Kusemas Hospitality, Dewa Putu Makapagal. The man of Jembrana-born is now managing two units of property in the company. They are Royal Eighteen Resort & Spa and Grand La Villais Hotel & Villa.

He expressed that emphasizing the responsibility to each employee could have a positive impact on the attitude of the employees themselves. Responsibility would result in maximal working process and results. “Two of our hotel properties are renowned for their service. This is one of the evidences if we are responsible,” he said.

The way to improve the responsibility, said Makapagal, could be

made by directing the goal of the company in accordance with the right management. For example, the goal was intended to increase the financial earnings, customers and potential employees. “For employees, we provided them with skills and general training in terms of both ethics and sanitation,” he said friendly.

In addition, added Makapagal, maintaining relationships was also a part of the responsibility. There were two relationships that should be nurtured internally with the employees such as employee relations, employee with employer and employee with the surrounding environment.

While external relationships went with stakeholders and guests. “Fostering the relationship is extremely important because it is the part of the philosophy of the Tri Hita Karana in Bali,”he said. (ocha)

IBP/Ocha

Dewa Putu Makapagal

Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land.

Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

14

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Science

International

International

Rosetta comet-landing is Science’s 2014 breakthrough

MIAMI - The top scientific breakthrough of 2014 was the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft’s rendez-vous with a comet, the US journal Science said.

After leaving Earth in 2004, the Rosetta spacecraft caught up with the comet known as 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko in August, then sent its Philae lander down for the first-ever soft landing on the comet itself.

While the probe soon went dark, hopes are high that it will reawaken next year and send back more scientific data about conditions at the comet.

“Philae’s landing was an amazing feat and got the world’s attention,” said Tim Appenzeller, news editor of the journal Science.

“But the whole Rosetta mission is the breakthrough. It’s giving scientists a ringside seat as a comet warms up, breathes, and evolves.” (afp)

US Journal annual top 10 issue: - A series of papers on how certain dinosaurs evolved to become birds.

- Research that showed blood from a young mouse can rejuvenate the muscles and brains of older mice, leading to a clinical trial in humans with Alzheimer’s disease.

- Teams of termite-inspired robots that collaborate to get a task done without human supervision.

- The development led by IBM of computer chips that mimic the architecture of a human brain.

- New ways of growing cells that closely resemble beta cells, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, as a new avenue for studying diabetes.

- The discovery that Indonesian cave stencils and animal paintings, once thought to be 10,000 years old, were actually between 35,000 and 40,000 years old.

- Advances in manipulating the memories of mice using optogenetics, or beams of light.

- Cheap satellites with sides that are just 10 centimeters (four inches) squared, called CubeSats, were hailed for their foray into “real science.”

- The engineering of synthetic E. coli bacteria that harbors two additional nucleotides -- X and Y -- in addition to the normal G, T, C and A that make up the standard building blocks of DNA.

AP Photo/Michael Probst

MANGUPURA - A total of 1,000 travelers per day would visit the Timeless Indonesia Festival (TIF) organized by Konderatu. The target was very enthusiastic as delivered by Nyoman Kandia, a member of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), Saturday (Dec 21).

Mangku Kandia also becoming the part of the TIF committee was very optimistic to bring in 1,000 travelers to the TIF. He also explained how to achieve the targets. Considering Bali had many five-star hotels, his party was also making cooperation with the hotels to help make the TIF event successful. “We ask every hotel to lead their guests to visit the TIF,” he said.

The TIF is a unique festival because it provides a wealth of culinary treasures of the archipelago, architecture, traditional and contemporary dance, crafts and antiques so that the festival is very different from the other festivals. “It is expected to attract travelers to make a visit,” said Herlinda Siahaan, President Director of PT Konderatu Duta Nusantara. (may)

AP Photo/ESA

WASHINGTON - After nearing extinction in Europe in the early 20th century because of hunting and shrinking habitats, large carnivores like the gray wolf, brown bear, lynx and wolverine are thriving once more.

So say the results of a study carried out across the continent, except Russia and Belarus, by an international team whose report was published Thursday in the US journal Science.

“The total area with a permanent presence of at least one large carnivore species in Europe covers 1,529,800 square kilometers (roughly one-third of mainland Europe), and the area of occasional presence is expanding,” the authors wrote.

The study involved 76 scientists examining 26 countries.

Brown bears were the most numerous of the four species, with nearly 17,000 specimens and a permanent presence in 22 countries.

The gray wolf came next, with a population of more than 12,000 scattered across 28 countries, followed by the Eurasian lynx, 9,000 of which were to be found in 23 countries.

Wolverines were the scarcest of the four, with an estimated 1,250 of the cold-climate creatures found in three Nordic countries: Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Although most populations of these large predators have been on the rise or stable in recent years, some are on the verge of extinction, such as the gray wolves of Spain’s Sierra Morena region, the Pyrenees bears or the lynx found in

the Vosges region of France.

All four species of carnivores live and reproduce mostly outside protected areas, such as national parks, in humandominated landscapes.

Their numbers suggest that they can coexist with humans in areas dominated by the latter, testifying to the success of European Union conservation policies, the authors wrote.

For instance, Europe today has twice as many wolves as the United States even though its territory is half the size of North America and its population twice as dense.

“Our results are not the first to reveal that large carnivores can coexist with people but they show that the land-sharing model for large carnivores (coexistence model) can be successful on a continental scale,” the study stated.

In the US, by contrast, protected species often live far from human-inhabited ones, such as wolves of Yellowstone National Park.

The researchers said several factors explained the vitality of Europe’s populations of large carnivores, including the replenishing of stocks of prey such as deer and wild boars, which provides them with ample food.

They also cited an exodus of people from rural areas in the 20th century, which allowed wolves, bears and lynxes to expand their territories.

But the report mainly attributed the success to laws aimed at preserving species of wild animals and their habitats, such as the Berne convention of 1979.

So far, tourist arrival to Indonesia is not evenly distributed. In some provinces, such as in Bali and Java Island, the tourist arrival is high enough. However, some other provinces having beautiful nature and culture that are not inferior to the provinces mostly visited by travelers are even rarely visited by travelers.

This concern encourages a successful businesswoman, Herlinda Siahaan, to initiate an event featuring diverse cultural attraction and characteristics of the 34 provinces in Indonesia at a single venue. The activity designed like a cultural, art and culinary festival is then called the Timeless Indonesia Festival (TIF).

This President Director of PT Konderatu Duta Nusantara said the festival provided space for each province in Indonesia to showcase their art and cultural richness to international community. “The festival aims to help increase the number of tourist arrival to other provinces in Indonesia,” said the woman who had been successfully working on various famous property projects.

Bali, according to Herlinda, was chosen as the venue considering that it had high number of tourist arrival, both domestic and foreign travelers. As planned, this tourism event would be organized regularly every six months.

For the first implementation, the TIF would highlight cultural and tourism potential of seven provinces, namely the East Java, North Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi and Bali.

Meanwhile, the cultural performance would be held on December 25-31 on the K-land Beach, Jimbaran. A variety of activities would be presented not only the art show at night but also at day time including water sports, children’s competitions, traditional games, exhibition of antiquities at Kon-

deratu gallery, Jalan Uluwatu II Jimbaran and culinary exhibition of 7 provinces.

According to the woman that was born at Pematang Siantar,

IBP/Wawan

Herlinda Siahaan

the activity she initiated was an event to feature cultural and tourism potential of each participant.

This woman who celebrated birthday every December 2 said it had been in accordance with the vision and mission of Konderatu to introduce, promote and advance the cultural potential of the archipelago to international community. “Our target market is well-known hotel guests in Bali which have the ability to resume their trip from Bali to various corners of the country. Hopefully, this event could increase the saleability of tourism, culture and commodities of all the provinces in Indonesia,” said Herlinda.

Konderatu

In December of 2012 Herlinda started building the Konderatu Suites. In August, 2013 she opened the Konderatu restaurant, gallery, and spa and followed with the opening of Konderatu House of Prayer on the 28th of September.

Late in 2013 Herlinda started her journey in cultural events with promoting Minahasa Sulawesi

3

IBP/Eka Adhiyasa

Fishermen of Kelan Beach prepared their traditional ship before catching fish.

Kelan Beach will become the venue of Timeless Indonesia Festival that organized by Konderatu. Around 1,000 tourists expected to visit this cultural event that held for seven days, from December 24 to 31.

Help increase tourist arrival

The image comprised of four images taken with the navigation camera on Rosetta and released by the European Space Agency ESA on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 shows comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Nov. 17, 2014 from a distance of 42 km (26 miles) from the center of the comet.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

1,000 travelers expected to visit TIF

He said that Kelan was the venue selected to host the TIF 2014, where three years before the location was nothing more than a landfill.

However, Konderatu was trying to make the location a new tourist destination. “I am very interested in this TIF because I have been working in tourism industry for 30 years but have not done anything yet,” he said.

Once-threatened wolves, bears and lynx now plentiful in Europe

In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, a European wolf is pictured in a wildlife park in Hanau, Germany. Scientists studying populations of bears, wolves, Eurasian lynx and wolverines found they have flourished on the continent, decades after being driven almost to extinction by hunting and the destruction of their habitat.

Timelees Indonesia Festifal

followed by Nusa Tenggara Timur.

This cultural promotion as a main mission of Konderatu will continue every month for each of the 34 provinces of Indonesia.

Herlinda grew up on a palm oil plantation where her father worked for a government firm, managed by a Dutch company at that time.

In 1973, she went to Jakarta to continue her high school studies where she studied interior design at Trisakti University and graduated in 1981. With much success and to her great content, she established her first design studio in 1986 called PT Intra Adisthana.

She says, “In 1987, I was very lucky and won the tender to do the design and building of interior work by the big corporation PT Tugu Pratama Insurance, owned

by Bapak Bob Hasan, and our former president Bapak Suharto.

From that point on, my studio was flooded with good projects and I was able to build my first workshop in Jakarta in 1988 and I continued with several workshops thereafter.”

In 1989, Herlinda’s company got its first hotel project in Bali called Puri Ratih, followed by Bali Padma Hotel, Hotel Nusa Indah, The Sheraton Bali, and many hotel projects in Bali, Jakarta, Lombok, and Surabaya ever since. She decided to move the head office and interior showroom to Bali in 1998 when the economic crisis hit Indonesia and furthermore, all of Asia.

Herlinda continues, “It was a difficult time, during 1998 to 2000, however, I managed to start my first Konderatu Ethnic Textile Gallery in 2001 and continued my business by supplying furniture to showrooms in Paris, Guam, Fukuoka, and Los Angeles. We designed and built projects in Saipan, Palao, and Guam such as the Daichi Hotel, Westin Hotel, Outrigger, Hyatt, Hilton, etc. During the difficult times in 1998-2000, a friend in the

Schedule of TIF December 24 - 31, 2014

------------------------------------------------------------Event

Date

Time

------------------------------------------------------------Opening of TIF Performance from Bali Performance from NTB Performance from South Sulawesi Performance from East Kalimantan Performance from North Sulawesi Performance from East Java Performance from North Sumatra

furniture business in LA reached out to me and was very kind to introduce me to big company called Ethan Allen. It was a successful venture which then saw me supplying Ethan Allen with handicraft from all over Indonesia. I travelled to many islands like Kalimantan, Lombok, Padang, Lampung, and many more. During that period I was motivated to do a promotion of Indonesian provinces, which was not as fortunate as Bali in the tourism industry. During 20022005, my partner and I exhibited at a furniture showroom in Reading, England. In 2004 we designed and realized a project for Istana President Tampak Siring which was renovated for the Asian Summit in 2004. In 2005, we designed and built the Marriot Courtyard Hotel in Kauai, Hawaii and thereafter we opened a furniture showroom in Honolulu and supplied many hotels there until 2008.”

“In 2006, my partner and I started our first restaurant business in Kerobokan, Bali called Aurora and opened Konderatu Spa and Gallery in Kemang, Jakarta. By the end of 2011, again in order to accomplish my mission of promoting Indonesian culture and heritage, I started working on the design of condotel as an additional facility to our Konderatu Restaurant and Gallery. Having the accommodation facility made it easier to do the work of promoting Indonesian culture and heritage in a professional

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm

way. I engaged Miles Humprey as the international architect for Konderatu Suites and Residences and my own design company to do the interior design work. At the same time we also renovated the existing building to make it the common area of the condotel.” (iah)

4

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bali News

International

International

W

Freshwater fish farming becomes fishing tourist destination on holiday

RLD

GIANYAR - Gianyar has huge potential.

When used properly, it can become a tourist destination like the presence of freshwater fish farming in the area of Pande hamlet, Tulikup village, Gianyar. The fish farming belonging to Mr. Dolah poses an alternative tourist destination during school holidays.

In addition to Dolah stall, in Gianyar County there are many fishing tourist attractions as well freshwater fish farming as at the Pinda region, Saba village and in the area of Medahan village, Blahbatuh. Similarly, at Pering village almost every week is held a fishing contest.

However, the presence of this fishing pond is experiencing the ups and down. Based on the data on the potential of fishing pond in Gianyar County as mentioned in the profile of the Gianyar 2011, the potential reached 1,473 tons.

Meanwhile, on Sunday (Dec 21), the Mr. Dolah fishing pond was visited by a number of children.

Together with parents, many children had a fishing tour. In addition, they could also enjoy a meal of fresh fish cultivated by the man from the Pande hamlet, Tulikup.

Nyoman Mustana alias Poleng, one of the employees who is also a relative of the owner of the Dolah freshwater fishing pond said the small business owned by Mr. Dolah was started in 2012.

With the existing three fishing ponds, the fishing visitors were not only from Gianyar.

Those who came were from various regions such as Klungkung, Bangli and Denpasar. Even, the fishing pond was also equipped with stall facilities at the edge of the pond that could also be used to make a gathering. “Many visitors came during school holidays and feast day,” he said.

For the availability of fish, most fishing pond businesses in Gianyar still bring in fish from the area of Kintamani, Bangli. The fish were of various types ranging from pomfret, tilapia to catfish.

“At least, the fishing pond can sell 10 kilograms of fish per day,” he said. (kmb16)

AP Photo/Saurabh Das

In this Sept. 13, 2014 photo, children play on a farmland destroyed by asbestos sediments in Roro, India.

An asbestos mine, abandoned nearly three decades ago still affects the people around it and 18 were diagnosed with asbestosis in 2012.

Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers

IBP/Gungdar

The families are enjoying their time by fishing

Docking of roro vessel delayed

Nusa Penida residents disappointed SEMARAPURA - The promise of Klungkung Transportation, Communications and Informatics Agency to bring in the roro vessel before Galungan could not be realized. Up to Sunday (Dec 21), in fact the vessel could not serve the crossing. This condition made the people of Nusa Penida disappointed. Actually, the surge of passengers always occurred before and after Galungan.

Chief of the Nusa Penida Headman Forum, I Nyoman Murta, highly deplored the delay in the service of roro vessel, Sunday. This kind of problem nearly occurred every Galungan feast day. Local government was assessed to never learn

from previous incidents. Murta requested the local government to immediately bring in the roro vessel to serve the backflow of Galungan from Nusa Penida to mainland Bali.

“It should be encouraged. During the docking process, all the basic needs have gone up. At least three days before Kuningan, it must already be operated,” he urged.

Delayed docking schedule of the roro vessel did not only reap some protests, but also kindled the surge in the price of groceries.

The Nusa Jaya Abadi roro vessel owned by Klungkung government was very important for the community of Nusa Penida. It had been repaired since November 16.

Ideally, after a month-long docking, precisely on December 16, the local government-owned vessel had been in operation. For this delay, the people of Nusa Penida were very disappointed because ahead of Kuningan, the roro vessel was not yet operated.

One of the residents, I Dewa Made Suarjana, said on Sunday that when there was any delay in services due to docking at Surabaya shipyard, it should be informed properly to the public. He also asked the government not to repeat the same mistakes without ever going to learn from the previous ones.

Similar disappointment was also delivered by headman of Kutampi,

I Made Martawan. He did not want the adverse effects occurred to Nusa Penida just because the roro vessel arrived late from the initial docking schedule.

The Head of Klungkung Transportation Agency, Nengah Sukasta, when contacted on Sunday admitted if the docking schedule of roro vessel was delayed. It should have been in operation on December 16 to serve the crossing from Padangbai Harbor to Nusa Penida.

However, his party ensured if the roro vessel had departed from the Surabaya shipyard to Nusa Penida Port. Starting on Monday (Dec 22), the roro vessel could have served the crossing as before. Previously,

Sukasta estimated the roro vessel would start to serve the crossing from Tuesday (Dec 16).

However, the departure from Surabaya to Nusa Penida was forced to be postponed because it could not get the certificate of the Indonesian Classification Board (BKI). He asserted the roro vessel docking was already completed on Saturday (Dec 13). However, because the next day was a holiday, the BKI was said to be unable to do a final check. After the last check, it would issue a certificate on the vessel conditions required by local governments before the roro vessel sailed to Nusa Penida Port. (kmb31)

RORO VILLAGE, India — Asbestos waste spills in a gray gash down the flank of a lush green hill above tribal villages that are home to thousands in eastern India. Three decades after the mines were abandoned, nothing has been done to remove the enormous, hazardous piles of broken rocks and powdery dust left behind.

In Roro Village and nearby settlements, people who never worked in the mines are dying of lung disease.

Yet in a country that treats asbestos as a savior that provides cheap building materials for the poor, no one knows the true number and few care to ask. “I feel weak, drained all the time,” Baleman Sundi gasped, pushing the words out before she lost her breath. “But I must work.”

The 65-year-old paused, inhaled. “I don’t have a choice.” Another gasp.

“I have to eat.”

Sundi and 17 others from a clutch of impoverished villages near the abandoned hilltop mines were diagnosed in 2012 with asbestosis, a fatal lung disease. One has since died. Tens of thousands more, some of them former mine workers, remain untested and at risk. Asbestos makes up as much as 14.3 percent of the soil around Roro Village, analysis of samples

gathered by The Associated Press showed.

Few have done anything to help people such as Sundi. The villagers have no money for doctors or medical treatment, and cannot afford to move. Neither the government nor the Indian company that ran the mines from 1963 to 1983 has made any move to clean up the estimated 700,000 tons of asbestos tailings left scattered across several kilometers (miles) of hilly mining area.

The mine’s operator, Hyderabad Asbestos Cement Products Ltd., nowadays known as HIL Ltd., says it has done nothing illegal.

“The company had followed all rules and procedures for closure of a mine and had complied with the provisions of the law, as in force in 1983,” it said in a statement released to the AP. Sundi and the others are suing in the country’s environmental

court for cleanup, compensation and a fund for future victims of asbestos-related disease. If they win, the case would set precedents for workplace safety and corporate liability, subjects often ignored or dismissed in developing India.

“There will be justice only if we win,” Sundi rasped. “Whoever did this must pay.” India placed a moratorium on asbestos mining in 1986, acknowledging that the fibrous mineral was hazardous to the miners.

But that was the government’s last decision curtailing the spread of asbestos. It has since embraced the mineral as a cheap building material. Today India is the world’s fastest-growing market for asbestos.

In the last five years, India’s asbestos imports shot up 300 percent.

The government helps the $2 billion asbestos manufacturing industry with low tariffs on imports. It has also blocked asbestos from being listed as a hazardous substance under the international Rotterdam Convention governing how dangerous chemicals are handled. (ap)

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

13

Killer of 2 NYC officers had long criminal history

NEW YORK — The gunman who fatally ambushed two police officers in their squad car had a long criminal record, a hatred for police and the government, and an apparent history of mental instability that included an attempt to hang himself a year ago, authorities said. Moments before opening fire, Ismaaiyl Brinsley approached people on the street in Brooklyn and asked them to follow him on Instagram, then told them, “Watch what I’m going to do,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

A portrait of the Brooklynborn gunman emerged as big-city police departments and union leaders around the U.S. warned officers to change their routines and insist on extra backup a day after Brinsley carried out what he portrayed online as retaliation for the slayings of black men at the hands of white police officers.

Brinsley was black; the slain officers were ethnically Asian and Hispanic.

The slayings come at a tense time. Police across have been criticized for months for their tactics, following Eric Garner’s death in a New York officer’s chokehold and Michael Brown’s fatal shooting

in Ferguson, Missouri. Protests erupted in recent weeks after grand juries declined to charge the white officers involved.

Investigators were trying to determine if Brinsley had taken part in any protests over the deaths of Brown and Garner, whose names he invoked in his online threat, or simply latched on to the cause for the final act in a violent rampage.

They said he traveled frequently between the South and New York, where he fathered a child in Brooklyn, and had been in the city earlier in the week.

Brinsley, 28, had at least 19 arrests in Georgia and Ohio, spent two years in prison for gun possession and had a troubled childhood so violent that his mother was afraid of him, police said. He ranted online about police and the government and expressed “selfdespair and anger at himself and where his life was,” Boyce said.

Boyce said Brinsley’s mother believed he had undiagnosed mental problems and may have been on medication at some point, but detectives were still trying to determine if he had a mental illness.(ap)

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Lucy Ramos, aunt of Rafael Ramos, attends a news conference with members of the Ramos family in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014. Just minutes before a wanted poster for Ismaaiyl Brinsley arrived in the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center, he ambushed two officers in their patrol car in broad daylight, fatally shooting them before killing himself inside a subway station.

12

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

BUSINESS

South Korea trims 2015 growth forecast

SEOUL - South Korea on Monday trimmed its economic growth forecast for 2015 to 3.8 percent from 4.0 percent as it vowed to continue expansionary policies aimed at spurring domestic consumption.

The revised projection comes after the country’s central bank this month warned its own 3.9 percent growth forecast would be “difficult” to maintain as domestic demand alternated between positive and negative territories and a weak yen hurt the price competitiveness of South Korean firms against Japanese rivals abroad.

The finance ministry said Monday that, in addition to the 2015 growth forecast being lowered, its estimate for this year’s economic growth was also revised down to 3.4 percent from 3.7 percent. South Korea’s economy grew 3.0 percent last year.

“We must maintain our expansionary macroeconomic and fiscal policies so that people AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon can feel the effect of economic recovery,” Sale signs are displayed at Seoul shopping district, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 22, President Park Geun-Hye said at a meeting 2014. South Korea on Monday trimmed its economic growth forecast for 2015 to of economic ministers on Monday.

3.8 percent from 4.0 percent as it vowed to continue expansionary policies aimed Consumer spending has recovered at a at spurring domestic consumption. slower-than-expected pace this year despite a

government stimulus package and a series of cuts in the Bank of Korea’s key interest rate, which now stands at 2.0 percent.

The ministry said domestic demand may pick up next year, helped by lower oil prices.

“Our economy will pick up gradually thanks to our expansionary macroeconomic policy, lower international oil prices and an expected global economic recovery,” Finance Minister Choi Kyung-Hwan said.

But economic weakness in China and Europe, as well as the US Federal Reserve’s expected policy tightening, might weigh on South Korea’s growth, the ministry said.

It also said consumer prices are expected to rise about 2.0 percent next year, faster than this year’s estimated 1.3 percent rate.

The country’s current-account surplus for 2015 may fall to $82 billion in 2015 from $89 billion this year, it added. (afp)

Gulf oil producers stand firm on OPEC output ABU DHABI - Oil-rich Arab Gulf countries stood firm against non-OPEC crude producers on Sunday, vowing they will not cut output nor hold an emergency cartel meeting to support slumping prices.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said they would not cut production even if non-OPEC members reduce their output, while the United Arab Emirates and Iraq shrugged off calls for an emergency meeting of the group.

“If they (non-OPEC countries) want to cut production they are welcome. We are not going to cut, certainly Saudi Arabia is not going to cut,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told reporters on the sidelines of an energy conference in the United Arab Emirates.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali alOmair agreed.

“I don’t think we need to cut. We gave a chance to others and they were not willing to do so,” Omair said, in a clear reference to shale and sand oil producers from North America and elsewhere.

“OPEC will not cut. Nothing will happen until June and there is no emergency meeting,” he said.

The global oil market has become increasingly competitive in recent years with the surge in shale and sand oil production from

countries outside the decades-old alliance of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

World oil prices have fallen almost 50 percent since June, mainly due to a supply glut, the weak global economy and a strong US dollar. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei was emphatic that OPEC, which pumps a third of global crude supplies, will not make any move soon to shore up the market.

“We will not interfere with market fundamentals and do something that is a short fix,” he said.

“We need at least six months” to assess the market and “even if nothing happens when we meet after six months, we will not change our position,” Mazrouei said.

Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdulmahdi also ruled out calls for an OPEC emergency session.

“We have to wait and see the reactions of the oil markets and other countries,” Abdulmahdi said, adding that he believes oil prices will stabilise around $60 a barrel.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq pump around 20 million barrels a day, or two-thirds of OPEC output.

The cartel decided last month to maintain its production unchanged AP Photo/Desmond Boylan at 30 million barrels per day, which Oil-rich Arab Gulf countries stood firm against non-OPEC crude producers on Sunday, vowing they will led to a slump in oil prices. (afp) not cut output nor hold an emergency cartel meeting to support slumping prices.

International

Bali News

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

5

Ganesha Statue, a remover of evil power

DENPASAR - If you are slightly attentive, today many people display the statue of Lord Ganesha, whether at private home, office, businesses or others. Why? The elephant-headed god is usually placed in the front yard, right at aling-aling or divider of courtyard and entrance gate space. At Taman Punggul, Abiansemal - Badung, for instance, virtually every home has a Ganesha statue. Aside from functioning as decorative work, it is also functioned as shrine.

Ganesha statue was believed

by Hindu community in Bali as a remover of any obstacles (evil intent). It was placed in front of the house as an entry guard. Ganesha as the son of Lord Shiva serves as ganeswara believed to remove all the obstacles.

As the gods of wisdom and intelligence, Ganesha statue was placed in schools. Its vehicle was a mouse symbolizing a great wisdom and could al-

ways suppress the cunning of mouse.

Broken fang of Ganesha symbolizes if he has been able to eliminate the internal enemy, so that he can also defeat the external enemy.

According to Semaradahana palmleaf manuscript told about the birth of Ganesha originating from the powerful ogre that disrupted heaven. Lord Shiva then meditated, so that it was born a god (elephant-headed human).

Ganesha baby then fought against the ogre. He was willing to break the fangs to beat the powerful ogre.

Balinese people also commonly place a Ganesha statue in haunted places. To place the statue did not require special offerings, but depended on the people’s capability. There was no requirement to place a Ganesha statue, but Hindu community

believed in its strength. To make it more secure, around the statue was also planted with broadleaf lady palm and holy basil that also functioned to remove evil spirits.

The power of the Lord Ganesha was also evidenced by rishi gana ritual where it was equipped with the installation of Ganesha pennant so that the environment was free from evil spirits.

Wayan Balik, a sculptor of Sura Patung in Batubulan said that a Ganesha statue could be made from any materials provided that they were sturdy. Some sculptors used stone, clay, concrete, wood, jewelry or gold.

In keeping with the increasingly rampant placement of the decorative sculpture, Balik suggested to pay attention that the statue should be placed honorably. So, it would not be placed haphazardly because it functioned as decoration. (kmb)

IBP/File Photo

Segara Temple:

Historical evidence of Singaraja

IBP/File Photo

SINGARAJA - Another historical evidence of Singaraja town is now still standing firmly namely the Segara Temple venerated by 4,887 residents of Buleleng customary village, Buleleng subdistrict. Characteristic of the temple is indicated by design of the entrance gates and the doors were carved with typical ornamental style of Buleleng. Besides, the wall of the entrance gates composed of several round stones neatly arranged gives unique impression to the beachfront temple.

There were no definite evidences regarding the age of the temple located in the heart of Singaraja town. However, in reference to the village bylaw it was known if the temple belonged to khayangan tiga or trinity temple.

Since it was established, the temple was introduced by the King of Buleleng as neo-geological temple. In the passage of time, function of the temple was converted into territorial temple. With the new status as a territorial temple, it became a historical evidence of Buleleng Regency that had become the Lesser Sunda Regency and the birth of Singaraja town. As the time went by, the temple buildings were damaged and renovated in 1846. The renovation itself was made by the royal family of AA

Made Karangasem.

The bylaw predetermined the temple anniversary (piodalan) held with the togetherness of residents.

Based on the convention (prarem) stipulated, within the period of three years it was held five times small-scale anniversary, while in the same period was held once grandiose anniversary. For the ceremony in the Segara Temple, the residents in charge to prepare everything had been determined.

They were taken from the five customary hamlets consisting of the Kampung Baru, Kampung Anyar, Kaliuntu, Bali and Banjar Jawa.

Meanwhile, the temple priest officiating over the ceremony was taken from the Buleleng customary village.

Aside from doing maintenance, the group also often organized psalmodic activities in the temple.

In addition, the Buleleng customary village also hired an attendant to oversee the temple area.

Because of the old age and location within the area of Buleleng Harbor attraction, the temple was frequently visited by foreign tourists. Temple attendant would recommend visitors to wear scarves and not allow entering for those in temporary impure condition (due to family’s death or menstruation). (kmb)

6

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

W

RLD

International

Tunisia awaits election final, press hails Essebsi

TUNIS — Newspapers in Tunisia have followed exit polls in proclaiming an 88-year-old former minister the winner of the presidential election.

Official results are expected later Monday but polls immediately after voting ended gave Beji Caid Essebsi around 55 percent of the vote.

The election ends four years of transition to democracy after Tunisians overthrew their long-ruling dictator. The Tunisian observer group Mourakiboun on Tuesday gave similar estimates to Essebsi, who served as a minister under Tunisia’s first president.

His competitor, human rights activist and outgoing interim president Moncef Marzouki, has yet to concede the election, however.

Voting was largely pronounced free and fair with a participation rate of 59 percent, less than the nearly 70 percent in the previous round and legislative elections in October. (ap)

Australia family found after 10 days in wilderness

AP Photo/Nick Ut, File

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2014 file photo, cars enter Sony Pictures Entertainment headquarters in Culver City, Calif. North Korea released a statement Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014 that clearly relished a cyberattack on Sony Pictures, which is producing an upcoming film that depicts an assassination plot against Pyongyang’s supreme leader.

SKorea holds N-plant drills against cyber threats

SEOUL — South Korea’s monopoly nuclear power company said it began drills Monday against possible cyberattacks after online threats of attack against its plants. State-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. said the two-day drills are meant to prepare workers in the event of hacking attacks aimed at disabling the plants’ controlling systems.

The company and the energy ministry said that even though the controlling system is safe from hacking, they are holding the exercises to assure public safety.

Last week, documents including layouts of nuclear facilities and personal information of nuclear workers were published online. Local media said the unidentified user who posted images of the stolen nuclear documents imprinted with “WHO AM I?” on a South Korean blog were hackers. The company said the documents were not confidential and that the safety of the nuclear power plants was not affected.

A Korea Hydro official said investigators were still looking into whether the data were stolen by hackers who breached into its

computer systems or if they were leaked by employees. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter, the official said the company had not yet determined how the documents were leaked.

But Hauri Inc., an anti-virus company based in Seoul, said it alerted the company earlier this month after detecting malicious computer codes that were attached in emails to the nuclear c o m p a n y ’s e m p l o y e e s . T h e company said investigators were looking into those emails to see whether they were connected to the stolen data.

On Sunday, a user on Twitter demanded a halt to operations at three nuclear power plants.

The user, who wrote in Korean,

threatened to disclose more data and carry out another attack if the request was not met by Christmas.

The leaked documents from the nuclear power company dominated headlines of South Korean media. The scare comes amid international attention of the hacking of Sony Pictures, which the United States has blamed on North Korea.

There is, however, no evidence yet that Pyongyang is behind the purported hacking threat against the nuclear plants.

Yonhap News reported that investigators are casting a wide net, looking at hackers who have previously used the phrase “WHO AM I?” as well as others who have used a similar tactic in the past. (ap)

SYDNEY — A 5-year-old boy and his 7-year-old brother were recovering in an Australian hospital Monday after surviving with their father for 10 days in the wilderness with little food and in weather conditions that ranged from stormy to scorching.

Their ordeal began Dec. 11 when dad Steven Van Lonkhuyzen took a wrong turn during a family road trip and then got his four-wheel-drive vehicle bogged in mud. The family was rescued Sunday after farmer Tom Wagner went searching and found them in the remote Expedition National Park.

“They were pretty hungry by the time I got to them, and pretty happy to see me,” Wagner said. He said the younger boy, Timothy, kept asking him if he had any eggs, while the older one, Ethan, appeared dehydrated. He said the father had given the limited food he had to his sons, who themselves had gone with little or nothing to eat for a week.

“Luckily it rained,” he said. “Otherwise they would have perished.” Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Mick Bianchi says Van Lonkhuyzen had planned to drive from his home in Brisbane to Cairns using an inland route.

“Quite simply, he took a wrong turn,” Bianchi said.

He said the boys were getting their strength back after their ordeal, during which temperatures rose to about 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). The boys were both listed as being in a stable condition at the Taroom Hospital.

Bianchi said the family had limited provisions but luckily it was stormy at times and they were able to collect rainwater in a plastic container. He said the father had tried to attract attention by laying out high visibility items around his vehicle and lighting fires. He said Van Lonkhuyzen made the right choice by staying with his vehicle.

“They were very trying conditions, and it would have tested the family’s relationship,” Bianchi said. He said the father attempted to establish routines with his children and to keep them occupied.

He said there was little or no cellphone reception in the park and so the trio hadn’t been able to contact anybody. Bianchi said the boys’ mother had raised the alarm when the trio didn’t arrive at a friend’s home in Cairns. He said the national park is not usually visited at this time of year because of the extreme weather conditions. (ap) In this Dec. 22, 2014 photo provided by Queensland Police, Steven Van Lonkhuyzen, back with his sons Timothy, 5, front right, and Ethan, 7, pose for a photo after they were found by farmer Tom Wagner in the remote Expedition National Park, northwest of Brisbane in Australia.

AP Photo/Queenland Police

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

11

INDONESIA All parties should defend women’s rights

JAKARTA - Enforcing and defending the rights of women, including mothers, is the responsibility of the government and all parties, according to President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo.

“Congratulations on observing the 86th Mother’s Day. I hope that women and mothers can attain what they have aspired for,” the president remarked while attending the main event of Mother’s Day held at the Ciracas Sports Stadium in East Jakarta on Monday.

President Jokowi pointed out that currently, a major imbalance exists, for instance, between what is being faced by the women and mothers in Jakarta and those in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.

He said on-field facts revealed that significant efforts need to be taken to improve the welfare of women and mothers throughout the country.

“Improving the welfare of women and mothers across the country is not solely the responsibility of the president, vice president, and the

ministers but also of all parties,” the head of state noted.

Therefore, the president called on all parties to shoulder the responsibility of improving the fate of women and mothers, particularly in remote villages such as in East Nusa Tenggara, which he had recently visited. (ant)

Two men holding poster during a celebration of Mother’s Day that falls every December 22. Enforcing and defending the rights of women, including mothers, is the responsibility of the government and all parties, according to President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo.

ANTARA FOTO/Dewi Fajriani

Navy sinks two more foreign fishing vessels SURABAYA - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has sunk two more foreign fishing vessels for poaching in Indonesian waters. “The two Papua New Guinea-registered fishing vessels were impounded on Tuesday (Dec 9) and sunk today (Dec 21),” TNI AL spokesman Col. Suradi Agung Slamet said on Sunday.

The two fishing vessels, called Century 4 and Century 7, were found fishing illegally in Arafuru waters, Maluku province. Century 4 carried 43 tons of fish and Century 7 carried 20 tons of fish when they were impounded, he said.

On December 5, the Navy also sank two fishing vessels flying Vietnamese flag in the waters off Anambas Island, Riau Islands province.

The government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is committed to taking the strongest possible action against foreign illegal fishing vessels, warning that Indonesia will not hesitate to even sink them if necessary.

Following reports that at least 5.5 thousand vessels indulged in illegal fishing and inflicted a loss of Rp300 trillion per year on the state, Jokowi has stated that the concerned authorities will sink the fishing boats poaching in Indonesian waters,

ANTARA FOTO/Izaac Mulyawan

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has sunk two more foreign fishing vessels for poaching in Indonesian waters. The two Papua New Guinea-registered fishing vessels were impounded on Tuesday (Dec 9) and sunk on Sunday. albeit after firstly taking their crew into custody.

Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief General Moeldoko revealed that the TNI has been looking for the best possible way to sink foreign vessels found fishing illegally in

Indonesian waters.

“Following Jokowi’s instruction to sink foreign illegal fishing vessels, I have requested the Navy chief of staff to find the best possible way to carry out the president’s order,” Moeldoko noted. (ant)

Cleaner jailed over school sex abuse

JAKARTA - A cleaner was jailed for seven years Monday over the sexual abuse of a young boy at one of Indonesia’s most prestigious international schools, in a scandal that has rocked Jakarta’s expatriate community.

Presiding judge Mohamad Yunus told the South Jakarta district court that Afrischa Setyani, the only female cleaner among five defendants, “was found guilty of assisting in violence and sexual abuse of children”.

“We sentenced her to seven years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($8,000),” he said.

Her sentence was lower than the prosecutors’ recommended 10 years.

The judges were also expected to deliver verdicts Monday on four male cleaners -- Agun Iskandar, Virgiawan Amin, Zainal Abidin, and Syahrial, who goes by one name.

Their trials began in August, following the first allegation in April that cleaners had raped the six-year-old nursery school boy at

the Jakarta International School, which has long been favoured by expatriates and wealthy Indonesians but is now facing the worst crisis in its 60-year history.

Several of the cleaners who originally confessed have since recanted, claiming they were beaten by police.

The family of the abused boy is suing the school and seeking $125 million in damages.

Setyani wept after the verdict was handed down but refused to speak to reporters.

Her lawyer Isdarwati Aprihadi maintained her client never confessed and said she would appeal.

A sixth cleaner was implicated in the case but died in custody, with police saying he committed suicide by drinking floor-cleaning fluid.

Canadian Neil Bantleman, an administrator at the school, and Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong, are also on trial separately, accused of sexually assaulting children. They deny the charge. (afp)

10

Destination

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

International

Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest

IBP/File Photo

Sardine Restaurant Looking for Security,Gardener, Waiter must Speak English Telp.733617 Jl.Petitenget 21 Email:sardine@sardinebali.com

B.BP.141.12.14.0001821

Dcr Sgr FO/Rcption Wnt Good English Suku Spa Jl.Kerobokan 60 Br.Taman dtg lsg/Hub.731187

B.BP.001.12.14.0001856

Cari Therapist&Hairdresser bsa Bhs.Inggris T.0361-8987219/081 547326779 Magenta Singakerta

B.BP.104.12.14.0001490

Dibthkan Sgr Waiter/s,Staff Cook,Bartender&admin utk Cafe diSuwung,dtg lgsg dijln ByPass Ngurah Rai 854 depan pertamina Suwung Telp.0361-710948

A.BP.001.12.14.0003038

SPG For Butiq Shop in Kuta & Seminyak Good English Salery Around 1,7 Call 081999198578

Manager Required,For Villa Min D3 & 1 Yr Exp,Send CV to info@villadianabali.com

Receptionist Dcr utk Fitness Pnampilan Menarik umur 21-30Th Hub.0361-289700/081916435407

Hotel in Kuta Looking For Chef Driver.Send CV to:hrd@kutatown house.com or Call 761464

Dcr House Keeping P/W Min SMK B.Inggris untuk Homestay Jimbaran Hub:081246552838

Looking For Waiter/s,Pr,Runner Exp,Motivated&GoodEnglish Send CV to:lanaibeach10@gmail.com

Dcr:Sales&Mrkting,Reception,HK Gardener,Therapist087862210677

Looking Receptionist Villa/Hotel Speak English 085739201686

B.BP.001.12.14.0001855

B.BP.001.12.14.0001853

A.BP.156.12.14.0002988

B.BP.001.12.14.0001866

A.BP.001.12.14.0002727

B.BP.145.12.14.0001875

B.BP.102.12.14.0001882

A.BP.001.12.14.0003072

Luxury Hotel in Umalas looking for Security Staf Please Send CV to:office@villamathis.com Phone:0361-4733311.

A.BP.001.12.14.0002973

New Open Italian Restaurant Jln Danau Tamblingan Sanur Dicari Waitres,Bartender,Staff Kitchen dan Cashier Hub. 0361751236/081338560202

A.BP.169.12.14.0002966

Dicari Kary u/Desa Seni Resort Security, FO, Waiter, Accounting, Enginering Great Oppornity Sent CV admin@desaseni.com A.BP.157.12.14.0002363

Needs Accounting,Rest Spv,Seni or Cook Masakan Nusantara,Send CV to Bhuwana Ubud Hotel Jl.Ry Pengosekan.Phone 971915 Email: lebih@bhuwanaubudhotel.com

B.BP.104.12.14.0001535

New Open Dicari Staff Diving Shop dan Mekanik Diving Jln.Danau Tamblingan No.192 Hub.082236292739

A.BP.169.12.14.0002967

SPG Silver Shop @Kuta,Sanur, Jimbaran & Ubud,Active English & Experience,Telp.08123816794

B.BP.166.12.14.0001898

Sgr HK Spv cowok Krm CV ke personnel@the-dusun.com Phone: 734000 Fax: 734100

A.BP.001.12.14.0002884

TABANAN - Alas Kedaton is situated at Kukuh Village, Marga Subdistrict, or some 4 km from the town of Tabanan. This temple has two kinds of uniqueness.

Firstly, it has four entrances into the temple, namely the entrance from the west functioning as the main entrance, then from the north, east and the south.

All the entrances lead to the middle courtyard. Secondly, the courtyard becoming the sanctum sanctorum is even lower than the middle and outermost courtyard. The sanctum is surrounded by a forest becoming the native home to a group of monkeys considered sacred. Besides, there also live a group of flying foxes suspending on the branches of large trees. When they are flying together, it generates a very interesting attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

Piodalan or anniversary of this temple is celebrated on Tuesday (Anggara Kasih) or twenty days after Galungan. Uniquely, the ritual should be commenced at noon and should be completed before sunset. The temple is often called Alas Kedaton or Dalem Kahyangan Temple.

Urgently: New Hotel Looking for Accounting Staff,Min 2year Experience,Good English&Computer Send CV:eka_lepirate@yahoo.com /Telp 085100416833

B.BP.145.12.14.0001881

Sports

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

7

Prizes shared but Djokovic and Serena still rule

LONDON - Grand slam titles were shared around like slices of pizza in 2014 but for all the welcome variety Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams ended the year still setting the standard. For the first time since 1998 the eight grand slam singles trophies on offer were lifted by eight players.

While the four women’s champions were existing members of the elite club, Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka and Croatia’s Marin Cilic marked the biggest shake-up of men’s tennis for a decade with breakthrough victories. After years spent in the shadow of 17-times grand slam champion and compatriot Roger Federer, Wawrinka came good in Melbourne, beating Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and showing no mercy to injured Spaniard Rafa Nadal in the final.

Nadal rebounded to claim a ninth French Open title, but the year was too prove a worrying one for the injury-prone Mallorcan who suffered a shock defeat by Australian teenager Nick Krygios at Wimbledon before a wrist problem and a grumbling appendix restricted him to only seven more matches.

Federer, 33, claimed five titles but was unable to add to his record collection of grand slams. He came close though. The Swiss maestro went toe to toe with Djokovic for five sets in an epic Wimbledon final, while a few weeks later in New York he looked favourite for the title before being ambushed by the powerful Cilic in the semi.

The door had been opened invitingly by events earlier on that sweltering New York day when Asian trailblazer Kei Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a grand slam singles final with a stunning defeat of Djokovic.

It meant that, for the first time since 2005 a men’s grand slam final took place without a member of the Fab Four, be it Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Briton Andy Murray.

DOPING BAN Cilic seized his chance in ruthless fashion by destroying Nishikori, completing a stunning comeback from the depths of the previous year when he served a doping ban. Djokovic, who got married and became a father this year, claimed a chartleading seven titles and won his last three events, culminating at the ATP World Tour Finals.

“I physically feel very fit,” Djokovic said ominously. “I’m very motivated to keep on playing on a very high level. I’m going to try to use these years in front of me to fight for number one in the world and the biggest titles in the sport.”

Like Djokovic, Williams, 33, will start 2015 as the measuring stick for

REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Novak Djokovic from Serbia falls during his men’s singles match against Gilles Simon from France at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London in this June 27, 2014 file photo.

the rest as usual.

The American, now the oldest world number one, overpowered Caroline Wozniacki to win her 18th grand slam title at the U.S. Open, moving level on the all-time list with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert and only four behind record holder Steffi Graf.

While not as dominant as the year before, she still bagged seven titles and the way she scythed through the

draw at Flushing Meadows was aweinspiring, winning 14 consecutive sets and dropping only 32 games in bagging a sixth U.S. Open crown.

Romania’s Simona Halep, the most improved player on the circuit, and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard both contested their first grand slam finals but the establishment showed they are unwilling to cede the top trophies to the new generation.

Chinese veteran Li Na, who retired

in September, won the Australian Open, Maria Sharapova fought off Halep to win the French Open title while Czech Petra Kvitova thrashed Bouchard to win her second Wimbledon title. Tennis entered the brave new world of the International Premier League in December but a more fitting climax to a memorable year was Federer leading Switzerland to the Davis Cup title to fill one of the final gaps on his CV. (rtr)

James guides Cavaliers over Grizzlies

CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s LeBron James had 25 points and 11 assists and put in a strong second-half performance to guide the Cavaliers to a 105-91 home victory over NBA Southwest Conference leader Memphis on Sunday. Among other games, Washington missed a chance to build a lead in the Southeast when it was beaten at home by Phoenix, New Orleans took a tight victory at Oklahoma City, and Toronto downed New York to open a 10game lead in the Atlantic Division.

Cleveland’s James scored 16 points in the second half and Dion Waiters scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to make it 21 for the game as the Cavaliers shot a season-best 61 percent from the field. The Cavaliers have won eight of their past nine home games to move within one game of Chicago for the Central Division lead.

Marc Gasol had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who played without forward Zach Randolph due to a knee injury. Phoenix won 104-92 at Washington, AP Photo/Mark Duncan ending the Wizards’ six-game winning Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) drives between Memphis Grizzlies’ Courtney Lee streak. Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris (5) and Tayshaun Prince (21) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. each scored 17 points for the Suns, who 21, 2014, in Cleveland. completed a perfect three-game road trip,

having lost their previous six games.

Rasual Butler’s 17 points led the Wizards, who dropped into a tie with Atlanta atop the Southeast. New Orleans’ Anthony Davis scored 38 points to lead the Pelicans to a 101-99 win at Oklahoma City. It was the third-highest point total of Davis’ career. He made 16 of 22 shots and had 12 rebounds.

Jrue Holiday had 11 points and matched a career high with 15 assists for the Pelicans. Russell Westbrook scored 29 points for the Thunder, but he missed a 3-pointer that could have given Oklahoma City the lead in the closing seconds.

Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant missed his second straight game because of a sprained ankle. Toronto pushed its winning streak to six with a 118-108 home win over New York.

Lou Williams and Kyle Lowry each scored 22 points for the Raptors, who led from start to finish and are already a yawning 18 games above the Knicks in the Atlantic, after having only played 28 games. Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points for New York, which has lost 15 of its past 16 games. (ap)

8

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Sp rt

Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico’s 4-1 win at Bilbao

AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos

BARCELONA, Spain — France forward Antoine Griezmann netted a second-half hat trick to help Atletico Madrid roar back for a 4-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, as Diego Simeone’s side pulled within four points of the lead in the Spanish league. Bilbao bossed the first 45 minutes at its New San Mames Stadium, not allowing Atletico a shot on goal while Mikel Rico headed in a free kick for the 17th-minute lead. words and everything went better in the second half,” said Griezmann, who doubled his season goal tally in the league. Pacesetter Real Madrid, with a game to play, leads Barcelona by one point and Atletico by four.

Bilbao finished 2014 in 11th place, two spots behind promoted Basque neighbor Eibar. Villarreal and Malaga also won to end the year on winning streaks.

Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto scored two goals to secure a comfortable 3-0 win over visiting Deportivo La Coruna, while Malaga had to rally 2-1 at Elche.

Villarreal eased to a fifth straight victory over a Deportivo side that remained one point above the relegation zone. A strike by

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

9

Liverpool scores late for 2-2 draw vs Arsenal

Atletico de Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann gestures during their La Liga soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Atletico de Madrid, at San Mames stadium, in Bilbao, northern Spain, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014.

But Atletico emerged the more aggressive side from halftime, and Griezmann headed in Juanfran Torres’ cross to finish off a sublime team move started from kickoff after the restart. “Griezmann played a fabulous second half,” said Simeone. “He was the player we went after (to sign this summer).”

Raul Garcia put the titleholders ahead in the 53rd from the penalty spot after the referee ruled Mikel San Jose had tripped Tiago Cardoso in the area. Griezmann, starting for suspended striker Mario Mandzukic, then struck a decisive double blow with breakaway goals in the 73rd and 81st.

“We played a bad first half, but Simeone motivated us with his

International

Denis Cheryshev led to Jonathan Dos Santos finishing off the rebound, giving the hosts the lead in the 10th.

Villarreal made it 2-0 when Vietto tapped in a low cross from Victor Ruiz in the 68th. The Argentine struck again from a similar pass by Cheryshev five minutes later. Villarreal played the last 10 minutes down a man after substitute Tomas Pina received a direct red for a tackle.

“We wanted to finish off a good year with a win,” said Vietto. “It’s difficult to concentrate on the last game when you are thinking about the holidays with your family, but we played well.” Malaga recorded its eighth win in the last 10 rounds to keep Elche in last place.(ap)

LIVERPOOL — Martin Skrtel powered home a header deep into stoppage time to earn 10-man Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

In the seventh of nine minutes of injury time, Skrtel leaped high to head a right-wing corner from Adam Lallana into the bottom corner.

Despite being mostly outplayed, Arsenal recovered from conceding a 45th-minute goal to Philippe Coutinho by scoring in first-half injury time through Mathieu Debuchy before Olivier Giroud swept home from close range in the 64th.

Substitute Fabio Borini was sent off two minutes into stoppage time for picking up two quick bookings, yet there was still time for Skrtel to rescue a point for Liverpool, which climbed a place to 10th. Arsenal is sixth, four points of the top four.

It was the least Liverpool deserved for an effervescent performance that overran Arsenal at times but exposed the team’s biggest problem this season — a lack of a true goal scorer to finish off the glut of chances created.

In the end, the Reds relied on a center back to get the team out of trouble — in a lengthy period of injury time allotted after Skrtel himself was trodden on by Giroud early in the second half, requiring a long stoppage to put eight staples into his bleeding head. “He is a

strong character, a real warrior, and thankfully he stayed on and scored a great header,” Rodgers said.

In Liverpool’s situation, though, a point is not enough if last season’s runner-up is to climb back into the Champions League places.

With almost half the season gone, Liverpool is nine points behind fourth-place West Ham. “There is a bit of work to do but at least we are moving in the right direction,” Rodgers said.

“Our performance today was outstanding: the passing and intensity and the pressing in our game is starting to return.” Arsenal has been guilty of starting big games slowly in recent years and the team did so again here, with Liverpool’s pace and movement too much for Arsene Wenger’s side and Mathieu Flamini being badly exposed as Arsenal’s holding midfielder.

Liverpool’s fluid 3-4-3 formation, again containing winger Raheem Sterling as a main striker, seemed to befuddle Arsenal and the only surprise was that it took almost 45 minutes for the home side to score — and even then it was from an error. Giroud’s misjudged lay-off was pounced on by Jordan Henderson, who slipped the ball forward for Coutinho to jink past Debuchy and strike a low shot in off the post from just inside the area.

Outplayed, Arsenal did not

deserve to go into halftime level but that was what happened after Flamini nodded a loose ball in the area onto Debuchy, whose header brushed against the back of Skrtel’s head and deflected into the net. It was almost the last touch of the half.

The second half started with Skrtel needing lengthy treatment after being stamped on the head by Giroud, and the striker inflicted more pain on Liverpool by putting Arsenal ahead. Giroud passed out wide to Santi Cazorla, whose return pass from the byline was met with a firsttime finish from six meters through goalkeeper Brad Jones’ legs.

Lucas Leiva, Coutinho and Borini all wasted decent chances but Liverpool’s chance of an equalizer looked to have disappeared when Borini raked his studs across the chest and left arm of Cazorla. Less than three minutes earlier, the Italian forward had been booked for chucking the ball away after a throw-in was awarded against him.

Skrtel, who scored twice against Arsenal in Liverpool’s 5-1 win in the corresponding fixture last season, came to the team’s rescue with his late goal.

“We had problems to get our flow going,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “Maybe bad memories from last year. Some players were not at their best.”(ap)

Newcastle’s Gutierrez to return after beating cancer

LONDON - Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez will return to action in an under-21 game on Monday after recovering from testicular cancer, the Premier League club said.

Gutierrez had an operation in his native Argentina in September to remove his left testicle after the discovery of a tumour and received chemotherapy treatment.

The 31-year-old will feature as an over-age player for Newcastle in an under-21 Cup fixture against West Ham United, the north-east club said on their website (www.nufc.co.uk).

Gutierrez, who has scored 10 goals in 177 league appearances for Newcastle since joining the club in 2008, last made a firstteam appearance on loan at Norwich City in April. (rtr)

AP Photo/Jon Super

Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel holds his head after a collision with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 21, 2014. Skrtel recovered to score a late goal as the side’s drew 2-2.

AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre,Filel

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2009 file picture, Wolfgang Niersbach,then secretary general of the German Soccer Federation, DFB, arrives at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Germans set 10-year plan, want Euro 2024

FRANKFURT — At a reception shortly before Christmas, German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said his plan for the holidays was to sit back on a sofa, shut off the radio and television and think about the wonderful year behind him. After winning a fourth World Cup title, Germany has plenty of reason to celebrate 2014 as an extraordinary year. But the Germans don’t want to rest on their laurels and again end up waiting 24 years for a World Cup title.

“The year behind us was extraordinary but it shouldn’t be the only one,” Niersbach said. “We are not going to lean back. That’s why we’ve set out a 10-year plan.”

The ambitious long-term project is aimed at making success more permanent. Few would consider Germany a failure in football, but the title in Brazil was its first championship since the 1996 European Championship.

“When you are first, you always have something to lose,” German national team director Oliver Bierhoff said. “It’s dangerous to think it’s always going to continue like that. We went through that in 1990.

Ten years later, you wake up and notice that you’ve slept through something.”

Germany coach Joachim Loew hopes his team can create somewhat of a dynasty, like Spain did with two consecutive European titles and a World Cup. “We want to leave our mark on an entire era,” Loew said.

Germany hopes to follow its World Cup triumph with the 2016 European Championship title in France.

Then there are World Cups in 2018 and 2022 and another European tournament in 2020.

“We are still hungry,” said Hansi Flick, Loew’s assistant in Brazil and now the federation’s technical director. Niersbach said “we should be thankful and humble for what we’ve achieved,” but promised to embark on the project for the future.

The plan culminates with the 2024 European Championship that Germany hopes to be awarded.

“It would be a wonderful perspective for us and our most ambitious goal to get the 2024 championship and we are confident we are going to get it,” Niersbach said.

“Not many nations are able to host a 24-team competition.” Germany plans to use 10 stadiums, all of them already in existence and most used for the 2006 World Cup. Another highlight of the project is an 89 million euro ($109 million) academy to be built on the outskirts of Frankfurt, the federation’s biggest investment to date. The national training and research facility will be home not only to Loew’s team but also to all other national selections starting at youth level.

“It’s important to use the momentum of the World Cup title and to lay down structures for future success,” Bierhoff said. He and Flick will visit the United States early in 2015 to visit similar academies, and Bierhoff said the academy will also offer its know-how to other nations.

Work on the academy is scheduled to start in 2016 and to be completed by the end of 2018.

Frankfurt residents, however, have started a move that could end up in a referendum and ultimately scuttle the project despite previous approval and a contract with city authorities.(ap)

8

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Sp rt

Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico’s 4-1 win at Bilbao

AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos

BARCELONA, Spain — France forward Antoine Griezmann netted a second-half hat trick to help Atletico Madrid roar back for a 4-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, as Diego Simeone’s side pulled within four points of the lead in the Spanish league. Bilbao bossed the first 45 minutes at its New San Mames Stadium, not allowing Atletico a shot on goal while Mikel Rico headed in a free kick for the 17th-minute lead. words and everything went better in the second half,” said Griezmann, who doubled his season goal tally in the league. Pacesetter Real Madrid, with a game to play, leads Barcelona by one point and Atletico by four.

Bilbao finished 2014 in 11th place, two spots behind promoted Basque neighbor Eibar. Villarreal and Malaga also won to end the year on winning streaks.

Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto scored two goals to secure a comfortable 3-0 win over visiting Deportivo La Coruna, while Malaga had to rally 2-1 at Elche.

Villarreal eased to a fifth straight victory over a Deportivo side that remained one point above the relegation zone. A strike by

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

9

Liverpool scores late for 2-2 draw vs Arsenal

Atletico de Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann gestures during their La Liga soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Atletico de Madrid, at San Mames stadium, in Bilbao, northern Spain, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014.

But Atletico emerged the more aggressive side from halftime, and Griezmann headed in Juanfran Torres’ cross to finish off a sublime team move started from kickoff after the restart. “Griezmann played a fabulous second half,” said Simeone. “He was the player we went after (to sign this summer).”

Raul Garcia put the titleholders ahead in the 53rd from the penalty spot after the referee ruled Mikel San Jose had tripped Tiago Cardoso in the area. Griezmann, starting for suspended striker Mario Mandzukic, then struck a decisive double blow with breakaway goals in the 73rd and 81st.

“We played a bad first half, but Simeone motivated us with his

International

Denis Cheryshev led to Jonathan Dos Santos finishing off the rebound, giving the hosts the lead in the 10th.

Villarreal made it 2-0 when Vietto tapped in a low cross from Victor Ruiz in the 68th. The Argentine struck again from a similar pass by Cheryshev five minutes later. Villarreal played the last 10 minutes down a man after substitute Tomas Pina received a direct red for a tackle.

“We wanted to finish off a good year with a win,” said Vietto. “It’s difficult to concentrate on the last game when you are thinking about the holidays with your family, but we played well.” Malaga recorded its eighth win in the last 10 rounds to keep Elche in last place.(ap)

LIVERPOOL — Martin Skrtel powered home a header deep into stoppage time to earn 10-man Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

In the seventh of nine minutes of injury time, Skrtel leaped high to head a right-wing corner from Adam Lallana into the bottom corner.

Despite being mostly outplayed, Arsenal recovered from conceding a 45th-minute goal to Philippe Coutinho by scoring in first-half injury time through Mathieu Debuchy before Olivier Giroud swept home from close range in the 64th.

Substitute Fabio Borini was sent off two minutes into stoppage time for picking up two quick bookings, yet there was still time for Skrtel to rescue a point for Liverpool, which climbed a place to 10th. Arsenal is sixth, four points of the top four.

It was the least Liverpool deserved for an effervescent performance that overran Arsenal at times but exposed the team’s biggest problem this season — a lack of a true goal scorer to finish off the glut of chances created.

In the end, the Reds relied on a center back to get the team out of trouble — in a lengthy period of injury time allotted after Skrtel himself was trodden on by Giroud early in the second half, requiring a long stoppage to put eight staples into his bleeding head. “He is a

strong character, a real warrior, and thankfully he stayed on and scored a great header,” Rodgers said.

In Liverpool’s situation, though, a point is not enough if last season’s runner-up is to climb back into the Champions League places.

With almost half the season gone, Liverpool is nine points behind fourth-place West Ham. “There is a bit of work to do but at least we are moving in the right direction,” Rodgers said.

“Our performance today was outstanding: the passing and intensity and the pressing in our game is starting to return.” Arsenal has been guilty of starting big games slowly in recent years and the team did so again here, with Liverpool’s pace and movement too much for Arsene Wenger’s side and Mathieu Flamini being badly exposed as Arsenal’s holding midfielder.

Liverpool’s fluid 3-4-3 formation, again containing winger Raheem Sterling as a main striker, seemed to befuddle Arsenal and the only surprise was that it took almost 45 minutes for the home side to score — and even then it was from an error. Giroud’s misjudged lay-off was pounced on by Jordan Henderson, who slipped the ball forward for Coutinho to jink past Debuchy and strike a low shot in off the post from just inside the area.

Outplayed, Arsenal did not

deserve to go into halftime level but that was what happened after Flamini nodded a loose ball in the area onto Debuchy, whose header brushed against the back of Skrtel’s head and deflected into the net. It was almost the last touch of the half.

The second half started with Skrtel needing lengthy treatment after being stamped on the head by Giroud, and the striker inflicted more pain on Liverpool by putting Arsenal ahead. Giroud passed out wide to Santi Cazorla, whose return pass from the byline was met with a firsttime finish from six meters through goalkeeper Brad Jones’ legs.

Lucas Leiva, Coutinho and Borini all wasted decent chances but Liverpool’s chance of an equalizer looked to have disappeared when Borini raked his studs across the chest and left arm of Cazorla. Less than three minutes earlier, the Italian forward had been booked for chucking the ball away after a throw-in was awarded against him.

Skrtel, who scored twice against Arsenal in Liverpool’s 5-1 win in the corresponding fixture last season, came to the team’s rescue with his late goal.

“We had problems to get our flow going,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “Maybe bad memories from last year. Some players were not at their best.”(ap)

Newcastle’s Gutierrez to return after beating cancer

LONDON - Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez will return to action in an under-21 game on Monday after recovering from testicular cancer, the Premier League club said.

Gutierrez had an operation in his native Argentina in September to remove his left testicle after the discovery of a tumour and received chemotherapy treatment.

The 31-year-old will feature as an over-age player for Newcastle in an under-21 Cup fixture against West Ham United, the north-east club said on their website (www.nufc.co.uk).

Gutierrez, who has scored 10 goals in 177 league appearances for Newcastle since joining the club in 2008, last made a firstteam appearance on loan at Norwich City in April. (rtr)

AP Photo/Jon Super

Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel holds his head after a collision with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 21, 2014. Skrtel recovered to score a late goal as the side’s drew 2-2.

AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre,Filel

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2009 file picture, Wolfgang Niersbach,then secretary general of the German Soccer Federation, DFB, arrives at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Germans set 10-year plan, want Euro 2024

FRANKFURT — At a reception shortly before Christmas, German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said his plan for the holidays was to sit back on a sofa, shut off the radio and television and think about the wonderful year behind him. After winning a fourth World Cup title, Germany has plenty of reason to celebrate 2014 as an extraordinary year. But the Germans don’t want to rest on their laurels and again end up waiting 24 years for a World Cup title.

“The year behind us was extraordinary but it shouldn’t be the only one,” Niersbach said. “We are not going to lean back. That’s why we’ve set out a 10-year plan.”

The ambitious long-term project is aimed at making success more permanent. Few would consider Germany a failure in football, but the title in Brazil was its first championship since the 1996 European Championship.

“When you are first, you always have something to lose,” German national team director Oliver Bierhoff said. “It’s dangerous to think it’s always going to continue like that. We went through that in 1990.

Ten years later, you wake up and notice that you’ve slept through something.”

Germany coach Joachim Loew hopes his team can create somewhat of a dynasty, like Spain did with two consecutive European titles and a World Cup. “We want to leave our mark on an entire era,” Loew said.

Germany hopes to follow its World Cup triumph with the 2016 European Championship title in France.

Then there are World Cups in 2018 and 2022 and another European tournament in 2020.

“We are still hungry,” said Hansi Flick, Loew’s assistant in Brazil and now the federation’s technical director. Niersbach said “we should be thankful and humble for what we’ve achieved,” but promised to embark on the project for the future.

The plan culminates with the 2024 European Championship that Germany hopes to be awarded.

“It would be a wonderful perspective for us and our most ambitious goal to get the 2024 championship and we are confident we are going to get it,” Niersbach said.

“Not many nations are able to host a 24-team competition.” Germany plans to use 10 stadiums, all of them already in existence and most used for the 2006 World Cup. Another highlight of the project is an 89 million euro ($109 million) academy to be built on the outskirts of Frankfurt, the federation’s biggest investment to date. The national training and research facility will be home not only to Loew’s team but also to all other national selections starting at youth level.

“It’s important to use the momentum of the World Cup title and to lay down structures for future success,” Bierhoff said. He and Flick will visit the United States early in 2015 to visit similar academies, and Bierhoff said the academy will also offer its know-how to other nations.

Work on the academy is scheduled to start in 2016 and to be completed by the end of 2018.

Frankfurt residents, however, have started a move that could end up in a referendum and ultimately scuttle the project despite previous approval and a contract with city authorities.(ap)

10

Destination

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

International

Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest

IBP/File Photo

Sardine Restaurant Looking for Security,Gardener, Waiter must Speak English Telp.733617 Jl.Petitenget 21 Email:sardine@sardinebali.com

B.BP.141.12.14.0001821

Dcr Sgr FO/Rcption Wnt Good English Suku Spa Jl.Kerobokan 60 Br.Taman dtg lsg/Hub.731187

B.BP.001.12.14.0001856

Cari Therapist&Hairdresser bsa Bhs.Inggris T.0361-8987219/081 547326779 Magenta Singakerta

B.BP.104.12.14.0001490

Dibthkan Sgr Waiter/s,Staff Cook,Bartender&admin utk Cafe diSuwung,dtg lgsg dijln ByPass Ngurah Rai 854 depan pertamina Suwung Telp.0361-710948

A.BP.001.12.14.0003038

SPG For Butiq Shop in Kuta & Seminyak Good English Salery Around 1,7 Call 081999198578

Manager Required,For Villa Min D3 & 1 Yr Exp,Send CV to info@villadianabali.com

Receptionist Dcr utk Fitness Pnampilan Menarik umur 21-30Th Hub.0361-289700/081916435407

Hotel in Kuta Looking For Chef Driver.Send CV to:hrd@kutatown house.com or Call 761464

Dcr House Keeping P/W Min SMK B.Inggris untuk Homestay Jimbaran Hub:081246552838

Looking For Waiter/s,Pr,Runner Exp,Motivated&GoodEnglish Send CV to:lanaibeach10@gmail.com

Dcr:Sales&Mrkting,Reception,HK Gardener,Therapist087862210677

Looking Receptionist Villa/Hotel Speak English 085739201686

B.BP.001.12.14.0001855

B.BP.001.12.14.0001853

A.BP.156.12.14.0002988

B.BP.001.12.14.0001866

A.BP.001.12.14.0002727

B.BP.145.12.14.0001875

B.BP.102.12.14.0001882

A.BP.001.12.14.0003072

Luxury Hotel in Umalas looking for Security Staf Please Send CV to:office@villamathis.com Phone:0361-4733311.

A.BP.001.12.14.0002973

New Open Italian Restaurant Jln Danau Tamblingan Sanur Dicari Waitres,Bartender,Staff Kitchen dan Cashier Hub. 0361751236/081338560202

A.BP.169.12.14.0002966

Dicari Kary u/Desa Seni Resort Security, FO, Waiter, Accounting, Enginering Great Oppornity Sent CV admin@desaseni.com A.BP.157.12.14.0002363

Needs Accounting,Rest Spv,Seni or Cook Masakan Nusantara,Send CV to Bhuwana Ubud Hotel Jl.Ry Pengosekan.Phone 971915 Email: lebih@bhuwanaubudhotel.com

B.BP.104.12.14.0001535

New Open Dicari Staff Diving Shop dan Mekanik Diving Jln.Danau Tamblingan No.192 Hub.082236292739

A.BP.169.12.14.0002967

SPG Silver Shop @Kuta,Sanur, Jimbaran & Ubud,Active English & Experience,Telp.08123816794

B.BP.166.12.14.0001898

Sgr HK Spv cowok Krm CV ke personnel@the-dusun.com Phone: 734000 Fax: 734100

A.BP.001.12.14.0002884

TABANAN - Alas Kedaton is situated at Kukuh Village, Marga Subdistrict, or some 4 km from the town of Tabanan. This temple has two kinds of uniqueness.

Firstly, it has four entrances into the temple, namely the entrance from the west functioning as the main entrance, then from the north, east and the south.

All the entrances lead to the middle courtyard. Secondly, the courtyard becoming the sanctum sanctorum is even lower than the middle and outermost courtyard. The sanctum is surrounded by a forest becoming the native home to a group of monkeys considered sacred. Besides, there also live a group of flying foxes suspending on the branches of large trees. When they are flying together, it generates a very interesting attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

Piodalan or anniversary of this temple is celebrated on Tuesday (Anggara Kasih) or twenty days after Galungan. Uniquely, the ritual should be commenced at noon and should be completed before sunset. The temple is often called Alas Kedaton or Dalem Kahyangan Temple.

Urgently: New Hotel Looking for Accounting Staff,Min 2year Experience,Good English&Computer Send CV:eka_lepirate@yahoo.com /Telp 085100416833

B.BP.145.12.14.0001881

Sports

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

7

Prizes shared but Djokovic and Serena still rule

LONDON - Grand slam titles were shared around like slices of pizza in 2014 but for all the welcome variety Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams ended the year still setting the standard. For the first time since 1998 the eight grand slam singles trophies on offer were lifted by eight players.

While the four women’s champions were existing members of the elite club, Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka and Croatia’s Marin Cilic marked the biggest shake-up of men’s tennis for a decade with breakthrough victories. After years spent in the shadow of 17-times grand slam champion and compatriot Roger Federer, Wawrinka came good in Melbourne, beating Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and showing no mercy to injured Spaniard Rafa Nadal in the final.

Nadal rebounded to claim a ninth French Open title, but the year was too prove a worrying one for the injury-prone Mallorcan who suffered a shock defeat by Australian teenager Nick Krygios at Wimbledon before a wrist problem and a grumbling appendix restricted him to only seven more matches.

Federer, 33, claimed five titles but was unable to add to his record collection of grand slams. He came close though. The Swiss maestro went toe to toe with Djokovic for five sets in an epic Wimbledon final, while a few weeks later in New York he looked favourite for the title before being ambushed by the powerful Cilic in the semi.

The door had been opened invitingly by events earlier on that sweltering New York day when Asian trailblazer Kei Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a grand slam singles final with a stunning defeat of Djokovic.

It meant that, for the first time since 2005 a men’s grand slam final took place without a member of the Fab Four, be it Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Briton Andy Murray.

DOPING BAN Cilic seized his chance in ruthless fashion by destroying Nishikori, completing a stunning comeback from the depths of the previous year when he served a doping ban. Djokovic, who got married and became a father this year, claimed a chartleading seven titles and won his last three events, culminating at the ATP World Tour Finals.

“I physically feel very fit,” Djokovic said ominously. “I’m very motivated to keep on playing on a very high level. I’m going to try to use these years in front of me to fight for number one in the world and the biggest titles in the sport.”

Like Djokovic, Williams, 33, will start 2015 as the measuring stick for

REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Novak Djokovic from Serbia falls during his men’s singles match against Gilles Simon from France at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London in this June 27, 2014 file photo.

the rest as usual.

The American, now the oldest world number one, overpowered Caroline Wozniacki to win her 18th grand slam title at the U.S. Open, moving level on the all-time list with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert and only four behind record holder Steffi Graf.

While not as dominant as the year before, she still bagged seven titles and the way she scythed through the

draw at Flushing Meadows was aweinspiring, winning 14 consecutive sets and dropping only 32 games in bagging a sixth U.S. Open crown.

Romania’s Simona Halep, the most improved player on the circuit, and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard both contested their first grand slam finals but the establishment showed they are unwilling to cede the top trophies to the new generation.

Chinese veteran Li Na, who retired

in September, won the Australian Open, Maria Sharapova fought off Halep to win the French Open title while Czech Petra Kvitova thrashed Bouchard to win her second Wimbledon title. Tennis entered the brave new world of the International Premier League in December but a more fitting climax to a memorable year was Federer leading Switzerland to the Davis Cup title to fill one of the final gaps on his CV. (rtr)

James guides Cavaliers over Grizzlies

CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s LeBron James had 25 points and 11 assists and put in a strong second-half performance to guide the Cavaliers to a 105-91 home victory over NBA Southwest Conference leader Memphis on Sunday. Among other games, Washington missed a chance to build a lead in the Southeast when it was beaten at home by Phoenix, New Orleans took a tight victory at Oklahoma City, and Toronto downed New York to open a 10game lead in the Atlantic Division.

Cleveland’s James scored 16 points in the second half and Dion Waiters scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to make it 21 for the game as the Cavaliers shot a season-best 61 percent from the field. The Cavaliers have won eight of their past nine home games to move within one game of Chicago for the Central Division lead.

Marc Gasol had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who played without forward Zach Randolph due to a knee injury. Phoenix won 104-92 at Washington, AP Photo/Mark Duncan ending the Wizards’ six-game winning Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) drives between Memphis Grizzlies’ Courtney Lee streak. Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris (5) and Tayshaun Prince (21) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. each scored 17 points for the Suns, who 21, 2014, in Cleveland. completed a perfect three-game road trip,

having lost their previous six games.

Rasual Butler’s 17 points led the Wizards, who dropped into a tie with Atlanta atop the Southeast. New Orleans’ Anthony Davis scored 38 points to lead the Pelicans to a 101-99 win at Oklahoma City. It was the third-highest point total of Davis’ career. He made 16 of 22 shots and had 12 rebounds.

Jrue Holiday had 11 points and matched a career high with 15 assists for the Pelicans. Russell Westbrook scored 29 points for the Thunder, but he missed a 3-pointer that could have given Oklahoma City the lead in the closing seconds.

Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant missed his second straight game because of a sprained ankle. Toronto pushed its winning streak to six with a 118-108 home win over New York.

Lou Williams and Kyle Lowry each scored 22 points for the Raptors, who led from start to finish and are already a yawning 18 games above the Knicks in the Atlantic, after having only played 28 games. Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points for New York, which has lost 15 of its past 16 games. (ap)

6

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

W

RLD

International

Tunisia awaits election final, press hails Essebsi

TUNIS — Newspapers in Tunisia have followed exit polls in proclaiming an 88-year-old former minister the winner of the presidential election.

Official results are expected later Monday but polls immediately after voting ended gave Beji Caid Essebsi around 55 percent of the vote.

The election ends four years of transition to democracy after Tunisians overthrew their long-ruling dictator. The Tunisian observer group Mourakiboun on Tuesday gave similar estimates to Essebsi, who served as a minister under Tunisia’s first president.

His competitor, human rights activist and outgoing interim president Moncef Marzouki, has yet to concede the election, however.

Voting was largely pronounced free and fair with a participation rate of 59 percent, less than the nearly 70 percent in the previous round and legislative elections in October. (ap)

Australia family found after 10 days in wilderness

AP Photo/Nick Ut, File

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2014 file photo, cars enter Sony Pictures Entertainment headquarters in Culver City, Calif. North Korea released a statement Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014 that clearly relished a cyberattack on Sony Pictures, which is producing an upcoming film that depicts an assassination plot against Pyongyang’s supreme leader.

SKorea holds N-plant drills against cyber threats

SEOUL — South Korea’s monopoly nuclear power company said it began drills Monday against possible cyberattacks after online threats of attack against its plants. State-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. said the two-day drills are meant to prepare workers in the event of hacking attacks aimed at disabling the plants’ controlling systems.

The company and the energy ministry said that even though the controlling system is safe from hacking, they are holding the exercises to assure public safety.

Last week, documents including layouts of nuclear facilities and personal information of nuclear workers were published online. Local media said the unidentified user who posted images of the stolen nuclear documents imprinted with “WHO AM I?” on a South Korean blog were hackers. The company said the documents were not confidential and that the safety of the nuclear power plants was not affected.

A Korea Hydro official said investigators were still looking into whether the data were stolen by hackers who breached into its

computer systems or if they were leaked by employees. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter, the official said the company had not yet determined how the documents were leaked.

But Hauri Inc., an anti-virus company based in Seoul, said it alerted the company earlier this month after detecting malicious computer codes that were attached in emails to the nuclear c o m p a n y ’s e m p l o y e e s . T h e company said investigators were looking into those emails to see whether they were connected to the stolen data.

On Sunday, a user on Twitter demanded a halt to operations at three nuclear power plants.

The user, who wrote in Korean,

threatened to disclose more data and carry out another attack if the request was not met by Christmas.

The leaked documents from the nuclear power company dominated headlines of South Korean media. The scare comes amid international attention of the hacking of Sony Pictures, which the United States has blamed on North Korea.

There is, however, no evidence yet that Pyongyang is behind the purported hacking threat against the nuclear plants.

Yonhap News reported that investigators are casting a wide net, looking at hackers who have previously used the phrase “WHO AM I?” as well as others who have used a similar tactic in the past. (ap)

SYDNEY — A 5-year-old boy and his 7-year-old brother were recovering in an Australian hospital Monday after surviving with their father for 10 days in the wilderness with little food and in weather conditions that ranged from stormy to scorching.

Their ordeal began Dec. 11 when dad Steven Van Lonkhuyzen took a wrong turn during a family road trip and then got his four-wheel-drive vehicle bogged in mud. The family was rescued Sunday after farmer Tom Wagner went searching and found them in the remote Expedition National Park.

“They were pretty hungry by the time I got to them, and pretty happy to see me,” Wagner said. He said the younger boy, Timothy, kept asking him if he had any eggs, while the older one, Ethan, appeared dehydrated. He said the father had given the limited food he had to his sons, who themselves had gone with little or nothing to eat for a week.

“Luckily it rained,” he said. “Otherwise they would have perished.” Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Mick Bianchi says Van Lonkhuyzen had planned to drive from his home in Brisbane to Cairns using an inland route.

“Quite simply, he took a wrong turn,” Bianchi said.

He said the boys were getting their strength back after their ordeal, during which temperatures rose to about 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). The boys were both listed as being in a stable condition at the Taroom Hospital.

Bianchi said the family had limited provisions but luckily it was stormy at times and they were able to collect rainwater in a plastic container. He said the father had tried to attract attention by laying out high visibility items around his vehicle and lighting fires. He said Van Lonkhuyzen made the right choice by staying with his vehicle.

“They were very trying conditions, and it would have tested the family’s relationship,” Bianchi said. He said the father attempted to establish routines with his children and to keep them occupied.

He said there was little or no cellphone reception in the park and so the trio hadn’t been able to contact anybody. Bianchi said the boys’ mother had raised the alarm when the trio didn’t arrive at a friend’s home in Cairns. He said the national park is not usually visited at this time of year because of the extreme weather conditions. (ap) In this Dec. 22, 2014 photo provided by Queensland Police, Steven Van Lonkhuyzen, back with his sons Timothy, 5, front right, and Ethan, 7, pose for a photo after they were found by farmer Tom Wagner in the remote Expedition National Park, northwest of Brisbane in Australia.

AP Photo/Queenland Police

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

11

INDONESIA All parties should defend women’s rights

JAKARTA - Enforcing and defending the rights of women, including mothers, is the responsibility of the government and all parties, according to President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo.

“Congratulations on observing the 86th Mother’s Day. I hope that women and mothers can attain what they have aspired for,” the president remarked while attending the main event of Mother’s Day held at the Ciracas Sports Stadium in East Jakarta on Monday.

President Jokowi pointed out that currently, a major imbalance exists, for instance, between what is being faced by the women and mothers in Jakarta and those in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.

He said on-field facts revealed that significant efforts need to be taken to improve the welfare of women and mothers throughout the country.

“Improving the welfare of women and mothers across the country is not solely the responsibility of the president, vice president, and the

ministers but also of all parties,” the head of state noted.

Therefore, the president called on all parties to shoulder the responsibility of improving the fate of women and mothers, particularly in remote villages such as in East Nusa Tenggara, which he had recently visited. (ant)

Two men holding poster during a celebration of Mother’s Day that falls every December 22. Enforcing and defending the rights of women, including mothers, is the responsibility of the government and all parties, according to President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo.

ANTARA FOTO/Dewi Fajriani

Navy sinks two more foreign fishing vessels SURABAYA - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has sunk two more foreign fishing vessels for poaching in Indonesian waters. “The two Papua New Guinea-registered fishing vessels were impounded on Tuesday (Dec 9) and sunk today (Dec 21),” TNI AL spokesman Col. Suradi Agung Slamet said on Sunday.

The two fishing vessels, called Century 4 and Century 7, were found fishing illegally in Arafuru waters, Maluku province. Century 4 carried 43 tons of fish and Century 7 carried 20 tons of fish when they were impounded, he said.

On December 5, the Navy also sank two fishing vessels flying Vietnamese flag in the waters off Anambas Island, Riau Islands province.

The government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is committed to taking the strongest possible action against foreign illegal fishing vessels, warning that Indonesia will not hesitate to even sink them if necessary.

Following reports that at least 5.5 thousand vessels indulged in illegal fishing and inflicted a loss of Rp300 trillion per year on the state, Jokowi has stated that the concerned authorities will sink the fishing boats poaching in Indonesian waters,

ANTARA FOTO/Izaac Mulyawan

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has sunk two more foreign fishing vessels for poaching in Indonesian waters. The two Papua New Guinea-registered fishing vessels were impounded on Tuesday (Dec 9) and sunk on Sunday. albeit after firstly taking their crew into custody.

Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief General Moeldoko revealed that the TNI has been looking for the best possible way to sink foreign vessels found fishing illegally in

Indonesian waters.

“Following Jokowi’s instruction to sink foreign illegal fishing vessels, I have requested the Navy chief of staff to find the best possible way to carry out the president’s order,” Moeldoko noted. (ant)

Cleaner jailed over school sex abuse

JAKARTA - A cleaner was jailed for seven years Monday over the sexual abuse of a young boy at one of Indonesia’s most prestigious international schools, in a scandal that has rocked Jakarta’s expatriate community.

Presiding judge Mohamad Yunus told the South Jakarta district court that Afrischa Setyani, the only female cleaner among five defendants, “was found guilty of assisting in violence and sexual abuse of children”.

“We sentenced her to seven years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($8,000),” he said.

Her sentence was lower than the prosecutors’ recommended 10 years.

The judges were also expected to deliver verdicts Monday on four male cleaners -- Agun Iskandar, Virgiawan Amin, Zainal Abidin, and Syahrial, who goes by one name.

Their trials began in August, following the first allegation in April that cleaners had raped the six-year-old nursery school boy at

the Jakarta International School, which has long been favoured by expatriates and wealthy Indonesians but is now facing the worst crisis in its 60-year history.

Several of the cleaners who originally confessed have since recanted, claiming they were beaten by police.

The family of the abused boy is suing the school and seeking $125 million in damages.

Setyani wept after the verdict was handed down but refused to speak to reporters.

Her lawyer Isdarwati Aprihadi maintained her client never confessed and said she would appeal.

A sixth cleaner was implicated in the case but died in custody, with police saying he committed suicide by drinking floor-cleaning fluid.

Canadian Neil Bantleman, an administrator at the school, and Indonesian teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong, are also on trial separately, accused of sexually assaulting children. They deny the charge. (afp)

12

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

BUSINESS

South Korea trims 2015 growth forecast

SEOUL - South Korea on Monday trimmed its economic growth forecast for 2015 to 3.8 percent from 4.0 percent as it vowed to continue expansionary policies aimed at spurring domestic consumption.

The revised projection comes after the country’s central bank this month warned its own 3.9 percent growth forecast would be “difficult” to maintain as domestic demand alternated between positive and negative territories and a weak yen hurt the price competitiveness of South Korean firms against Japanese rivals abroad.

The finance ministry said Monday that, in addition to the 2015 growth forecast being lowered, its estimate for this year’s economic growth was also revised down to 3.4 percent from 3.7 percent. South Korea’s economy grew 3.0 percent last year.

“We must maintain our expansionary macroeconomic and fiscal policies so that people AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon can feel the effect of economic recovery,” Sale signs are displayed at Seoul shopping district, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 22, President Park Geun-Hye said at a meeting 2014. South Korea on Monday trimmed its economic growth forecast for 2015 to of economic ministers on Monday.

3.8 percent from 4.0 percent as it vowed to continue expansionary policies aimed Consumer spending has recovered at a at spurring domestic consumption. slower-than-expected pace this year despite a

government stimulus package and a series of cuts in the Bank of Korea’s key interest rate, which now stands at 2.0 percent.

The ministry said domestic demand may pick up next year, helped by lower oil prices.

“Our economy will pick up gradually thanks to our expansionary macroeconomic policy, lower international oil prices and an expected global economic recovery,” Finance Minister Choi Kyung-Hwan said.

But economic weakness in China and Europe, as well as the US Federal Reserve’s expected policy tightening, might weigh on South Korea’s growth, the ministry said.

It also said consumer prices are expected to rise about 2.0 percent next year, faster than this year’s estimated 1.3 percent rate.

The country’s current-account surplus for 2015 may fall to $82 billion in 2015 from $89 billion this year, it added. (afp)

Gulf oil producers stand firm on OPEC output ABU DHABI - Oil-rich Arab Gulf countries stood firm against non-OPEC crude producers on Sunday, vowing they will not cut output nor hold an emergency cartel meeting to support slumping prices.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said they would not cut production even if non-OPEC members reduce their output, while the United Arab Emirates and Iraq shrugged off calls for an emergency meeting of the group.

“If they (non-OPEC countries) want to cut production they are welcome. We are not going to cut, certainly Saudi Arabia is not going to cut,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told reporters on the sidelines of an energy conference in the United Arab Emirates.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali alOmair agreed.

“I don’t think we need to cut. We gave a chance to others and they were not willing to do so,” Omair said, in a clear reference to shale and sand oil producers from North America and elsewhere.

“OPEC will not cut. Nothing will happen until June and there is no emergency meeting,” he said.

The global oil market has become increasingly competitive in recent years with the surge in shale and sand oil production from

countries outside the decades-old alliance of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

World oil prices have fallen almost 50 percent since June, mainly due to a supply glut, the weak global economy and a strong US dollar. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei was emphatic that OPEC, which pumps a third of global crude supplies, will not make any move soon to shore up the market.

“We will not interfere with market fundamentals and do something that is a short fix,” he said.

“We need at least six months” to assess the market and “even if nothing happens when we meet after six months, we will not change our position,” Mazrouei said.

Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdulmahdi also ruled out calls for an OPEC emergency session.

“We have to wait and see the reactions of the oil markets and other countries,” Abdulmahdi said, adding that he believes oil prices will stabilise around $60 a barrel.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq pump around 20 million barrels a day, or two-thirds of OPEC output.

The cartel decided last month to maintain its production unchanged AP Photo/Desmond Boylan at 30 million barrels per day, which Oil-rich Arab Gulf countries stood firm against non-OPEC crude producers on Sunday, vowing they will led to a slump in oil prices. (afp) not cut output nor hold an emergency cartel meeting to support slumping prices.

International

Bali News

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

5

Ganesha Statue, a remover of evil power

DENPASAR - If you are slightly attentive, today many people display the statue of Lord Ganesha, whether at private home, office, businesses or others. Why? The elephant-headed god is usually placed in the front yard, right at aling-aling or divider of courtyard and entrance gate space. At Taman Punggul, Abiansemal - Badung, for instance, virtually every home has a Ganesha statue. Aside from functioning as decorative work, it is also functioned as shrine.

Ganesha statue was believed

by Hindu community in Bali as a remover of any obstacles (evil intent). It was placed in front of the house as an entry guard. Ganesha as the son of Lord Shiva serves as ganeswara believed to remove all the obstacles.

As the gods of wisdom and intelligence, Ganesha statue was placed in schools. Its vehicle was a mouse symbolizing a great wisdom and could al-

ways suppress the cunning of mouse.

Broken fang of Ganesha symbolizes if he has been able to eliminate the internal enemy, so that he can also defeat the external enemy.

According to Semaradahana palmleaf manuscript told about the birth of Ganesha originating from the powerful ogre that disrupted heaven. Lord Shiva then meditated, so that it was born a god (elephant-headed human).

Ganesha baby then fought against the ogre. He was willing to break the fangs to beat the powerful ogre.

Balinese people also commonly place a Ganesha statue in haunted places. To place the statue did not require special offerings, but depended on the people’s capability. There was no requirement to place a Ganesha statue, but Hindu community

believed in its strength. To make it more secure, around the statue was also planted with broadleaf lady palm and holy basil that also functioned to remove evil spirits.

The power of the Lord Ganesha was also evidenced by rishi gana ritual where it was equipped with the installation of Ganesha pennant so that the environment was free from evil spirits.

Wayan Balik, a sculptor of Sura Patung in Batubulan said that a Ganesha statue could be made from any materials provided that they were sturdy. Some sculptors used stone, clay, concrete, wood, jewelry or gold.

In keeping with the increasingly rampant placement of the decorative sculpture, Balik suggested to pay attention that the statue should be placed honorably. So, it would not be placed haphazardly because it functioned as decoration. (kmb)

IBP/File Photo

Segara Temple:

Historical evidence of Singaraja

IBP/File Photo

SINGARAJA - Another historical evidence of Singaraja town is now still standing firmly namely the Segara Temple venerated by 4,887 residents of Buleleng customary village, Buleleng subdistrict. Characteristic of the temple is indicated by design of the entrance gates and the doors were carved with typical ornamental style of Buleleng. Besides, the wall of the entrance gates composed of several round stones neatly arranged gives unique impression to the beachfront temple.

There were no definite evidences regarding the age of the temple located in the heart of Singaraja town. However, in reference to the village bylaw it was known if the temple belonged to khayangan tiga or trinity temple.

Since it was established, the temple was introduced by the King of Buleleng as neo-geological temple. In the passage of time, function of the temple was converted into territorial temple. With the new status as a territorial temple, it became a historical evidence of Buleleng Regency that had become the Lesser Sunda Regency and the birth of Singaraja town. As the time went by, the temple buildings were damaged and renovated in 1846. The renovation itself was made by the royal family of AA

Made Karangasem.

The bylaw predetermined the temple anniversary (piodalan) held with the togetherness of residents.

Based on the convention (prarem) stipulated, within the period of three years it was held five times small-scale anniversary, while in the same period was held once grandiose anniversary. For the ceremony in the Segara Temple, the residents in charge to prepare everything had been determined.

They were taken from the five customary hamlets consisting of the Kampung Baru, Kampung Anyar, Kaliuntu, Bali and Banjar Jawa.

Meanwhile, the temple priest officiating over the ceremony was taken from the Buleleng customary village.

Aside from doing maintenance, the group also often organized psalmodic activities in the temple.

In addition, the Buleleng customary village also hired an attendant to oversee the temple area.

Because of the old age and location within the area of Buleleng Harbor attraction, the temple was frequently visited by foreign tourists. Temple attendant would recommend visitors to wear scarves and not allow entering for those in temporary impure condition (due to family’s death or menstruation). (kmb)

4

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bali News

International

International

W

Freshwater fish farming becomes fishing tourist destination on holiday

RLD

GIANYAR - Gianyar has huge potential.

When used properly, it can become a tourist destination like the presence of freshwater fish farming in the area of Pande hamlet, Tulikup village, Gianyar. The fish farming belonging to Mr. Dolah poses an alternative tourist destination during school holidays.

In addition to Dolah stall, in Gianyar County there are many fishing tourist attractions as well freshwater fish farming as at the Pinda region, Saba village and in the area of Medahan village, Blahbatuh. Similarly, at Pering village almost every week is held a fishing contest.

However, the presence of this fishing pond is experiencing the ups and down. Based on the data on the potential of fishing pond in Gianyar County as mentioned in the profile of the Gianyar 2011, the potential reached 1,473 tons.

Meanwhile, on Sunday (Dec 21), the Mr. Dolah fishing pond was visited by a number of children.

Together with parents, many children had a fishing tour. In addition, they could also enjoy a meal of fresh fish cultivated by the man from the Pande hamlet, Tulikup.

Nyoman Mustana alias Poleng, one of the employees who is also a relative of the owner of the Dolah freshwater fishing pond said the small business owned by Mr. Dolah was started in 2012.

With the existing three fishing ponds, the fishing visitors were not only from Gianyar.

Those who came were from various regions such as Klungkung, Bangli and Denpasar. Even, the fishing pond was also equipped with stall facilities at the edge of the pond that could also be used to make a gathering. “Many visitors came during school holidays and feast day,” he said.

For the availability of fish, most fishing pond businesses in Gianyar still bring in fish from the area of Kintamani, Bangli. The fish were of various types ranging from pomfret, tilapia to catfish.

“At least, the fishing pond can sell 10 kilograms of fish per day,” he said. (kmb16)

AP Photo/Saurabh Das

In this Sept. 13, 2014 photo, children play on a farmland destroyed by asbestos sediments in Roro, India.

An asbestos mine, abandoned nearly three decades ago still affects the people around it and 18 were diagnosed with asbestosis in 2012.

Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers

IBP/Gungdar

The families are enjoying their time by fishing

Docking of roro vessel delayed

Nusa Penida residents disappointed SEMARAPURA - The promise of Klungkung Transportation, Communications and Informatics Agency to bring in the roro vessel before Galungan could not be realized. Up to Sunday (Dec 21), in fact the vessel could not serve the crossing. This condition made the people of Nusa Penida disappointed. Actually, the surge of passengers always occurred before and after Galungan.

Chief of the Nusa Penida Headman Forum, I Nyoman Murta, highly deplored the delay in the service of roro vessel, Sunday. This kind of problem nearly occurred every Galungan feast day. Local government was assessed to never learn

from previous incidents. Murta requested the local government to immediately bring in the roro vessel to serve the backflow of Galungan from Nusa Penida to mainland Bali.

“It should be encouraged. During the docking process, all the basic needs have gone up. At least three days before Kuningan, it must already be operated,” he urged.

Delayed docking schedule of the roro vessel did not only reap some protests, but also kindled the surge in the price of groceries.

The Nusa Jaya Abadi roro vessel owned by Klungkung government was very important for the community of Nusa Penida. It had been repaired since November 16.

Ideally, after a month-long docking, precisely on December 16, the local government-owned vessel had been in operation. For this delay, the people of Nusa Penida were very disappointed because ahead of Kuningan, the roro vessel was not yet operated.

One of the residents, I Dewa Made Suarjana, said on Sunday that when there was any delay in services due to docking at Surabaya shipyard, it should be informed properly to the public. He also asked the government not to repeat the same mistakes without ever going to learn from the previous ones.

Similar disappointment was also delivered by headman of Kutampi,

I Made Martawan. He did not want the adverse effects occurred to Nusa Penida just because the roro vessel arrived late from the initial docking schedule.

The Head of Klungkung Transportation Agency, Nengah Sukasta, when contacted on Sunday admitted if the docking schedule of roro vessel was delayed. It should have been in operation on December 16 to serve the crossing from Padangbai Harbor to Nusa Penida.

However, his party ensured if the roro vessel had departed from the Surabaya shipyard to Nusa Penida Port. Starting on Monday (Dec 22), the roro vessel could have served the crossing as before. Previously,

Sukasta estimated the roro vessel would start to serve the crossing from Tuesday (Dec 16).

However, the departure from Surabaya to Nusa Penida was forced to be postponed because it could not get the certificate of the Indonesian Classification Board (BKI). He asserted the roro vessel docking was already completed on Saturday (Dec 13). However, because the next day was a holiday, the BKI was said to be unable to do a final check. After the last check, it would issue a certificate on the vessel conditions required by local governments before the roro vessel sailed to Nusa Penida Port. (kmb31)

RORO VILLAGE, India — Asbestos waste spills in a gray gash down the flank of a lush green hill above tribal villages that are home to thousands in eastern India. Three decades after the mines were abandoned, nothing has been done to remove the enormous, hazardous piles of broken rocks and powdery dust left behind.

In Roro Village and nearby settlements, people who never worked in the mines are dying of lung disease.

Yet in a country that treats asbestos as a savior that provides cheap building materials for the poor, no one knows the true number and few care to ask. “I feel weak, drained all the time,” Baleman Sundi gasped, pushing the words out before she lost her breath. “But I must work.”

The 65-year-old paused, inhaled. “I don’t have a choice.” Another gasp.

“I have to eat.”

Sundi and 17 others from a clutch of impoverished villages near the abandoned hilltop mines were diagnosed in 2012 with asbestosis, a fatal lung disease. One has since died. Tens of thousands more, some of them former mine workers, remain untested and at risk. Asbestos makes up as much as 14.3 percent of the soil around Roro Village, analysis of samples

gathered by The Associated Press showed.

Few have done anything to help people such as Sundi. The villagers have no money for doctors or medical treatment, and cannot afford to move. Neither the government nor the Indian company that ran the mines from 1963 to 1983 has made any move to clean up the estimated 700,000 tons of asbestos tailings left scattered across several kilometers (miles) of hilly mining area.

The mine’s operator, Hyderabad Asbestos Cement Products Ltd., nowadays known as HIL Ltd., says it has done nothing illegal.

“The company had followed all rules and procedures for closure of a mine and had complied with the provisions of the law, as in force in 1983,” it said in a statement released to the AP. Sundi and the others are suing in the country’s environmental

court for cleanup, compensation and a fund for future victims of asbestos-related disease. If they win, the case would set precedents for workplace safety and corporate liability, subjects often ignored or dismissed in developing India.

“There will be justice only if we win,” Sundi rasped. “Whoever did this must pay.” India placed a moratorium on asbestos mining in 1986, acknowledging that the fibrous mineral was hazardous to the miners.

But that was the government’s last decision curtailing the spread of asbestos. It has since embraced the mineral as a cheap building material. Today India is the world’s fastest-growing market for asbestos.

In the last five years, India’s asbestos imports shot up 300 percent.

The government helps the $2 billion asbestos manufacturing industry with low tariffs on imports. It has also blocked asbestos from being listed as a hazardous substance under the international Rotterdam Convention governing how dangerous chemicals are handled. (ap)

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

13

Killer of 2 NYC officers had long criminal history

NEW YORK — The gunman who fatally ambushed two police officers in their squad car had a long criminal record, a hatred for police and the government, and an apparent history of mental instability that included an attempt to hang himself a year ago, authorities said. Moments before opening fire, Ismaaiyl Brinsley approached people on the street in Brooklyn and asked them to follow him on Instagram, then told them, “Watch what I’m going to do,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

A portrait of the Brooklynborn gunman emerged as big-city police departments and union leaders around the U.S. warned officers to change their routines and insist on extra backup a day after Brinsley carried out what he portrayed online as retaliation for the slayings of black men at the hands of white police officers.

Brinsley was black; the slain officers were ethnically Asian and Hispanic.

The slayings come at a tense time. Police across have been criticized for months for their tactics, following Eric Garner’s death in a New York officer’s chokehold and Michael Brown’s fatal shooting

in Ferguson, Missouri. Protests erupted in recent weeks after grand juries declined to charge the white officers involved.

Investigators were trying to determine if Brinsley had taken part in any protests over the deaths of Brown and Garner, whose names he invoked in his online threat, or simply latched on to the cause for the final act in a violent rampage.

They said he traveled frequently between the South and New York, where he fathered a child in Brooklyn, and had been in the city earlier in the week.

Brinsley, 28, had at least 19 arrests in Georgia and Ohio, spent two years in prison for gun possession and had a troubled childhood so violent that his mother was afraid of him, police said. He ranted online about police and the government and expressed “selfdespair and anger at himself and where his life was,” Boyce said.

Boyce said Brinsley’s mother believed he had undiagnosed mental problems and may have been on medication at some point, but detectives were still trying to determine if he had a mental illness.(ap)

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Lucy Ramos, aunt of Rafael Ramos, attends a news conference with members of the Ramos family in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014. Just minutes before a wanted poster for Ismaaiyl Brinsley arrived in the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center, he ambushed two officers in their patrol car in broad daylight, fatally shooting them before killing himself inside a subway station.

14

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Science

International

International

Rosetta comet-landing is Science’s 2014 breakthrough

MIAMI - The top scientific breakthrough of 2014 was the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft’s rendez-vous with a comet, the US journal Science said.

After leaving Earth in 2004, the Rosetta spacecraft caught up with the comet known as 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko in August, then sent its Philae lander down for the first-ever soft landing on the comet itself.

While the probe soon went dark, hopes are high that it will reawaken next year and send back more scientific data about conditions at the comet.

“Philae’s landing was an amazing feat and got the world’s attention,” said Tim Appenzeller, news editor of the journal Science.

“But the whole Rosetta mission is the breakthrough. It’s giving scientists a ringside seat as a comet warms up, breathes, and evolves.” (afp)

US Journal annual top 10 issue: - A series of papers on how certain dinosaurs evolved to become birds.

- Research that showed blood from a young mouse can rejuvenate the muscles and brains of older mice, leading to a clinical trial in humans with Alzheimer’s disease.

- Teams of termite-inspired robots that collaborate to get a task done without human supervision.

- The development led by IBM of computer chips that mimic the architecture of a human brain.

- New ways of growing cells that closely resemble beta cells, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, as a new avenue for studying diabetes.

- The discovery that Indonesian cave stencils and animal paintings, once thought to be 10,000 years old, were actually between 35,000 and 40,000 years old.

- Advances in manipulating the memories of mice using optogenetics, or beams of light.

- Cheap satellites with sides that are just 10 centimeters (four inches) squared, called CubeSats, were hailed for their foray into “real science.”

- The engineering of synthetic E. coli bacteria that harbors two additional nucleotides -- X and Y -- in addition to the normal G, T, C and A that make up the standard building blocks of DNA.

AP Photo/Michael Probst

MANGUPURA - A total of 1,000 travelers per day would visit the Timeless Indonesia Festival (TIF) organized by Konderatu. The target was very enthusiastic as delivered by Nyoman Kandia, a member of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), Saturday (Dec 21).

Mangku Kandia also becoming the part of the TIF committee was very optimistic to bring in 1,000 travelers to the TIF. He also explained how to achieve the targets. Considering Bali had many five-star hotels, his party was also making cooperation with the hotels to help make the TIF event successful. “We ask every hotel to lead their guests to visit the TIF,” he said.

The TIF is a unique festival because it provides a wealth of culinary treasures of the archipelago, architecture, traditional and contemporary dance, crafts and antiques so that the festival is very different from the other festivals. “It is expected to attract travelers to make a visit,” said Herlinda Siahaan, President Director of PT Konderatu Duta Nusantara. (may)

AP Photo/ESA

WASHINGTON - After nearing extinction in Europe in the early 20th century because of hunting and shrinking habitats, large carnivores like the gray wolf, brown bear, lynx and wolverine are thriving once more.

So say the results of a study carried out across the continent, except Russia and Belarus, by an international team whose report was published Thursday in the US journal Science.

“The total area with a permanent presence of at least one large carnivore species in Europe covers 1,529,800 square kilometers (roughly one-third of mainland Europe), and the area of occasional presence is expanding,” the authors wrote.

The study involved 76 scientists examining 26 countries.

Brown bears were the most numerous of the four species, with nearly 17,000 specimens and a permanent presence in 22 countries.

The gray wolf came next, with a population of more than 12,000 scattered across 28 countries, followed by the Eurasian lynx, 9,000 of which were to be found in 23 countries.

Wolverines were the scarcest of the four, with an estimated 1,250 of the cold-climate creatures found in three Nordic countries: Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Although most populations of these large predators have been on the rise or stable in recent years, some are on the verge of extinction, such as the gray wolves of Spain’s Sierra Morena region, the Pyrenees bears or the lynx found in

the Vosges region of France.

All four species of carnivores live and reproduce mostly outside protected areas, such as national parks, in humandominated landscapes.

Their numbers suggest that they can coexist with humans in areas dominated by the latter, testifying to the success of European Union conservation policies, the authors wrote.

For instance, Europe today has twice as many wolves as the United States even though its territory is half the size of North America and its population twice as dense.

“Our results are not the first to reveal that large carnivores can coexist with people but they show that the land-sharing model for large carnivores (coexistence model) can be successful on a continental scale,” the study stated.

In the US, by contrast, protected species often live far from human-inhabited ones, such as wolves of Yellowstone National Park.

The researchers said several factors explained the vitality of Europe’s populations of large carnivores, including the replenishing of stocks of prey such as deer and wild boars, which provides them with ample food.

They also cited an exodus of people from rural areas in the 20th century, which allowed wolves, bears and lynxes to expand their territories.

But the report mainly attributed the success to laws aimed at preserving species of wild animals and their habitats, such as the Berne convention of 1979.

So far, tourist arrival to Indonesia is not evenly distributed. In some provinces, such as in Bali and Java Island, the tourist arrival is high enough. However, some other provinces having beautiful nature and culture that are not inferior to the provinces mostly visited by travelers are even rarely visited by travelers.

This concern encourages a successful businesswoman, Herlinda Siahaan, to initiate an event featuring diverse cultural attraction and characteristics of the 34 provinces in Indonesia at a single venue. The activity designed like a cultural, art and culinary festival is then called the Timeless Indonesia Festival (TIF).

This President Director of PT Konderatu Duta Nusantara said the festival provided space for each province in Indonesia to showcase their art and cultural richness to international community. “The festival aims to help increase the number of tourist arrival to other provinces in Indonesia,” said the woman who had been successfully working on various famous property projects.

Bali, according to Herlinda, was chosen as the venue considering that it had high number of tourist arrival, both domestic and foreign travelers. As planned, this tourism event would be organized regularly every six months.

For the first implementation, the TIF would highlight cultural and tourism potential of seven provinces, namely the East Java, North Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi and Bali.

Meanwhile, the cultural performance would be held on December 25-31 on the K-land Beach, Jimbaran. A variety of activities would be presented not only the art show at night but also at day time including water sports, children’s competitions, traditional games, exhibition of antiquities at Kon-

deratu gallery, Jalan Uluwatu II Jimbaran and culinary exhibition of 7 provinces.

According to the woman that was born at Pematang Siantar,

IBP/Wawan

Herlinda Siahaan

the activity she initiated was an event to feature cultural and tourism potential of each participant.

This woman who celebrated birthday every December 2 said it had been in accordance with the vision and mission of Konderatu to introduce, promote and advance the cultural potential of the archipelago to international community. “Our target market is well-known hotel guests in Bali which have the ability to resume their trip from Bali to various corners of the country. Hopefully, this event could increase the saleability of tourism, culture and commodities of all the provinces in Indonesia,” said Herlinda.

Konderatu

In December of 2012 Herlinda started building the Konderatu Suites. In August, 2013 she opened the Konderatu restaurant, gallery, and spa and followed with the opening of Konderatu House of Prayer on the 28th of September.

Late in 2013 Herlinda started her journey in cultural events with promoting Minahasa Sulawesi

3

IBP/Eka Adhiyasa

Fishermen of Kelan Beach prepared their traditional ship before catching fish.

Kelan Beach will become the venue of Timeless Indonesia Festival that organized by Konderatu. Around 1,000 tourists expected to visit this cultural event that held for seven days, from December 24 to 31.

Help increase tourist arrival

The image comprised of four images taken with the navigation camera on Rosetta and released by the European Space Agency ESA on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 shows comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Nov. 17, 2014 from a distance of 42 km (26 miles) from the center of the comet.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

1,000 travelers expected to visit TIF

He said that Kelan was the venue selected to host the TIF 2014, where three years before the location was nothing more than a landfill.

However, Konderatu was trying to make the location a new tourist destination. “I am very interested in this TIF because I have been working in tourism industry for 30 years but have not done anything yet,” he said.

Once-threatened wolves, bears and lynx now plentiful in Europe

In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, a European wolf is pictured in a wildlife park in Hanau, Germany. Scientists studying populations of bears, wolves, Eurasian lynx and wolverines found they have flourished on the continent, decades after being driven almost to extinction by hunting and the destruction of their habitat.

Timelees Indonesia Festifal

followed by Nusa Tenggara Timur.

This cultural promotion as a main mission of Konderatu will continue every month for each of the 34 provinces of Indonesia.

Herlinda grew up on a palm oil plantation where her father worked for a government firm, managed by a Dutch company at that time.

In 1973, she went to Jakarta to continue her high school studies where she studied interior design at Trisakti University and graduated in 1981. With much success and to her great content, she established her first design studio in 1986 called PT Intra Adisthana.

She says, “In 1987, I was very lucky and won the tender to do the design and building of interior work by the big corporation PT Tugu Pratama Insurance, owned

by Bapak Bob Hasan, and our former president Bapak Suharto.

From that point on, my studio was flooded with good projects and I was able to build my first workshop in Jakarta in 1988 and I continued with several workshops thereafter.”

In 1989, Herlinda’s company got its first hotel project in Bali called Puri Ratih, followed by Bali Padma Hotel, Hotel Nusa Indah, The Sheraton Bali, and many hotel projects in Bali, Jakarta, Lombok, and Surabaya ever since. She decided to move the head office and interior showroom to Bali in 1998 when the economic crisis hit Indonesia and furthermore, all of Asia.

Herlinda continues, “It was a difficult time, during 1998 to 2000, however, I managed to start my first Konderatu Ethnic Textile Gallery in 2001 and continued my business by supplying furniture to showrooms in Paris, Guam, Fukuoka, and Los Angeles. We designed and built projects in Saipan, Palao, and Guam such as the Daichi Hotel, Westin Hotel, Outrigger, Hyatt, Hilton, etc. During the difficult times in 1998-2000, a friend in the

Schedule of TIF December 24 - 31, 2014

------------------------------------------------------------Event

Date

Time

------------------------------------------------------------Opening of TIF Performance from Bali Performance from NTB Performance from South Sulawesi Performance from East Kalimantan Performance from North Sulawesi Performance from East Java Performance from North Sumatra

furniture business in LA reached out to me and was very kind to introduce me to big company called Ethan Allen. It was a successful venture which then saw me supplying Ethan Allen with handicraft from all over Indonesia. I travelled to many islands like Kalimantan, Lombok, Padang, Lampung, and many more. During that period I was motivated to do a promotion of Indonesian provinces, which was not as fortunate as Bali in the tourism industry. During 20022005, my partner and I exhibited at a furniture showroom in Reading, England. In 2004 we designed and realized a project for Istana President Tampak Siring which was renovated for the Asian Summit in 2004. In 2005, we designed and built the Marriot Courtyard Hotel in Kauai, Hawaii and thereafter we opened a furniture showroom in Honolulu and supplied many hotels there until 2008.”

“In 2006, my partner and I started our first restaurant business in Kerobokan, Bali called Aurora and opened Konderatu Spa and Gallery in Kemang, Jakarta. By the end of 2011, again in order to accomplish my mission of promoting Indonesian culture and heritage, I started working on the design of condotel as an additional facility to our Konderatu Restaurant and Gallery. Having the accommodation facility made it easier to do the work of promoting Indonesian culture and heritage in a professional

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm 6 - 10 pm

way. I engaged Miles Humprey as the international architect for Konderatu Suites and Residences and my own design company to do the interior design work. At the same time we also renovated the existing building to make it the common area of the condotel.” (iah)

2

International

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bali News

Rainy season, farmers difficult to sell grain

SEMARAPURA - The life of farmers is increasingly erratic. When dry season comes, they scream as shortage of water, but when rainy season comes, they should face difficulty to sell grain. This condition makes them complain whereas the harvest this month is pretty good.

As expressed by Wayan Sudiarta, a farmer of Subak Toya Hee at Gelgel village, Klungkung, Sunday (Dec 21), all the farmers in the subak area were distraught.

The harvest amidst the rain of high intensity caused no body to bid their grain. Actually, previously during dry season many middlemen and buyers were looking for farmers to nook and cranny of the land to make an offer. “Since entering the rainy season, the situation is so quiet.

Buyers seem to be afraid of buying grain of farmers harvested during rainy season,” said a farmer from Kamasan village. Since the harvest a few weeks ago, he claimed not to be able to dry out his grain to make it drier.

Persistent rain every day made him and friends more difficult to dry out their grain. As a result, such conditions caused the price of grain at Subak Toya Hee to slump. Coming buyers only dared to bid at IDR 3,000 to IDR 4,000 per kilogram. Actually, under normal circumstance, the price could reach IDR 4,500 to IDR 5,000 per kilogram. Buyers were said to worry as in the situa-

tion of rainy season the grain was very prone to damage because it could grow. If it was allowed, the damage could be more severe and farmers would make a total loss. Actually, the last harvest was very good reaching 4 tons for half a hectare of agricultural land.

Likewise, he did not dare to sell in the form of rice. Before it could be processed into rice, the grain should be dried out for a few days. Meanwhile, the drying could not be done due to limited land and in the rainy season condition. Against this situation, he admitted to surrender. He still hoped there would be sunny days to convince the buyers to buy his grain or perform drying to process it into rice. The last option to avoid a total loss was by selling it at cheap price. He would take this option if there would be no buyers bidding his grain.

Different case was presented by another farmer, Wayan Yadnya, from the local subak group.

He told that too frequent rain caused his yellowing paddy to be attacked by many diseases ranging from stem borer disease,

IBP/Sri Wiadnyana

The farmers are trying to dry the grain during this rainy season. locusts, empty fascicle and various other diseases. The attacks were very difficult to overcome because they were pretty much immediately after the rainfall in recent weeks.

“Grasshoppers are the most dif-

ficult to overcome because their presence in large numbers cannot be effectively sprayed,” said Yadnya when encountered at his paddy field.

Farmers at Subak Toya Hee hoped the high intensity rainfall could immedi-

ately end. In addition, they also asked for a solution to local government so that they could sell their grain and the effort to cope with a variety of diseases attacking the paddy plants in rainy season. (kmb31)

Jumbled sidewalk, residents complain BANGLI - Condition of the sidewalk on Jalan Nusantara in Bangli is very apprehensive. Due to heavy rainfall flushing Bangli recently, the sidewalk was jumbled. The sidewalk was detached and drain cover was opened. They showed off poor look of the town. According to one of the residents, Ketut Sanih, Sunday (Dec 21), the sidewalk had been damaged for a long time, approximately from twenty days ago.

“It already collapsed around twenty days ago and so far it has not been

repaired,” he said.

The sidewalk located right at the traffic light of Tembuku-Kintamani surely caused residents who opened shop around the area to complain.

Sanih added when it rained, the water in the drains overflowed onto the shop courtyard. Other than water, it was also accompanied by smelling mud. “When it rains, the water overflows into my shop so that I become uncomfortable,” she complained.

When asked about any improve-

ment, Sanih also explained that no officer came to dealing with the problem. Similarly, it could also be seen in the absence of building materials used for the repair.

“No officer came here, from the beginning it remains like this,” she added.

Sanih hoped the damaged sidewalk could be addressed so that the water would not overflow again.

“Please help address this problem as it has lasted for a long time.

Please do not allow continuing like

this,” she asked.

Similar condition also occurred at Kubu village because when it rained, the drains were not able to accommodate the incoming water flow. As a result, the road shoulder backfilled with sand finally got eroded. The sand was seen to scatter in the middle of the road due to swept away by rainwater.

One of the residents said the swift water flow at Kubu village was flash flood from Kayu Biyi and Kayang. Some time ago, the

Activities

International

water from Kayu Biyi and Kayang was transferred to Kubu village. “It is flash flood from Kayu Biyi and Kayang. So, the water flowing here is getting larger, while the drain is small. Ultimately, the water flows onto the street,” he explained. Other than small drains, it was also made difficult by the condition where at some places the drain was in higher position than the road surface. Of course, it caused the water to flow onto the road shoulder and eroded some sand. (sos)

 Founder : K.Nadha,  General Manager :Palgunadi Chief Editor: Diah Dewi Juniarti  Editors: Gugiek Savindra,Alit Susrini, Alit Sumertha, Daniel Fajry, Mawa, Suana, Sueca, Sugiartha, Yudi Winanto Denpasar: Dira Arsana, Giriana Saputra, Subrata, Sumatika, Asmara Putra. Bangli: Suasrina, Buleleng: Dewa kusuma, Gianyar: Agung Dharmada, Karangasem: Budana, Klungkung: Bagiarta. Jakarta: Nikson, Hardianto, Ade Irawan. NTB: Agus Talino, Izzul Khairi, Raka Akriyani. Surabaya: Bambang Wilianto.  Development: Alit Purnata, Mas Ruscitadewi.  Office: Jalan Kepundung 67 A Denpasar 80232. Telephone (0361)225764, Facsimile: 227418, P.O.Box: 3010 Denpasar 80001. Bali Post Jakarta, Advertizing: Jl.Palmerah Barat 21F. Telp 021-5357602, Facsimile: 021-5357605 Jakarta Pusat. NTB: Jalam Bangau No. 15 Cakranegara Telp.

(0370) 639543, Facsimile: (0370) 628257. Publisher: PT Bali Post

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

15

Favehotel opens at Palembang JAKARTA – With Sumatra becoming an ever-popular destination for both business and leisure travel, Archipelago International made a favehotel debut on the flourishing island with the opening of favehotel Palembang on 15 December, 2014; the latest favehotel location that will cater to Pelembang’s growing demand for budget business hotels.

Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province; the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan and the seventh largest city in Indonesia. The recent spike in commercial development in Palembang has brought a substantial increase in business travelers to the area, thereby triggering a high demand for cost-effective accommodation that directly services the MICE market. favehotel Palembang will therefore target South Sumatra’s corporate business travelers whilst simultaneously being budget-sensitive and providing a cost-effective alternative. favehotel Palembang boasts a strategic location half way between the Sultan Mahmud Badarudin Airport and Palembang’s Central Business District.

Its close proximity to the Palembang Trade Center Mall further makes favehotel Palembang an ideal base for business and leisure travelers alike.

Archipelago International is dedicated to establishing favehotel Palembang as the preferred hotel in the area and a truly unique business hotel experience.

Despite the budget price-tag, the 7-story hotel features a stunning open-air swimming pool and a high-tech gymnasium, together with delicious dining experiences that include the eclectic signature

Profile

restaurant and the lounge bar that offers a robust culinary journey across the world.

The hotel’s 163 stylish rooms are modern, functional and super clean offering edgy interior designs decked out with LED TVs, security key card systems, air conditioning, in room safes and top of the line beds with high knot count cotton linens.

The wide range of business facilities include the hotel’s swimming pool for adults and kids, Gym, Wellness Spa, ample parking space, 6 modern meeting rooms and ballroom for training, workshops, product launches, exhibitions and other social events, as well as truly high-speed WiFi throughout the entire hotel, making this “fave” the best in class amongst the area’s economy hotels.

“We have been keen to introduce our favehotel brand to Sumatra for some time, so we are delighted to be opening favehotel Palembang this December at a time when affordable business hotels are in high demand. We hope that with our presence, Palembang’s MICE market will continue to grow, establishing Sumatra as the next best destination for Indonesia’s business travelers.” Said John Flood, Archipelago International’s President & CEO. (r)

IBP/Courtesy of Archipelago International

Balinese Temple Ceremony

Dewa Putu Makapagal

Emphasizes on responsibility Working in the field of hospitality should not be halfhearted but accompanied with responsibility as its foundation. It was revealed

by Corporate General Manager of The Living Kusemas Hospitality, Dewa Putu Makapagal. The man of Jembrana-born is now managing two units of property in the company. They are Royal Eighteen Resort & Spa and Grand La Villais Hotel & Villa.

He expressed that emphasizing the responsibility to each employee could have a positive impact on the attitude of the employees themselves. Responsibility would result in maximal working process and results. “Two of our hotel properties are renowned for their service. This is one of the evidences if we are responsible,” he said.

The way to improve the responsibility, said Makapagal, could be

made by directing the goal of the company in accordance with the right management. For example, the goal was intended to increase the financial earnings, customers and potential employees. “For employees, we provided them with skills and general training in terms of both ethics and sanitation,” he said friendly.

In addition, added Makapagal, maintaining relationships was also a part of the responsibility. There were two relationships that should be nurtured internally with the employees such as employee relations, employee with employer and employee with the surrounding environment.

While external relationships went with stakeholders and guests. “Fostering the relationship is extremely important because it is the part of the philosophy of the Tri Hita Karana in Bali,”he said. (ocha)

IBP/Ocha

Dewa Putu Makapagal

Every Temple and Shrine has a special date for it annual Ceremony, or “ Odalan “, every 210 days according to Balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. Because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some Village in Bali. There are also times when the entire island celebrated the same Holiday, such as at Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi day, Saraswati day, Tumpek Landep day, Pagerwesi day, Tumpek Wayang day etc.

The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some temple celebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.

The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.

In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbulumbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land.

Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

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 5 7th year

Price: Rp 3.000,-

Entertainment

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Elton John, David Furnish marry in England LONDON — Entertainer Elton John and longtime mate David Furnish officially married Sunday on the ninth anniversary of the day they entered into a civil partnership.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File

The couple converted their civil bond under new laws implemented in England earlier this year that allow same-sex marriages.

On Sunday the couple posted an Instagram picture of themselves preparing to sign official documents. “That’s the legal bit done.

Now on to the ceremony!” they wrote.

John and Furnish planned a celebration at their estate near Windsor Castle west of London. An A-list crowd is expected — even if the festivities are likely to be much more sedate than the parties in John’s hellraising rock ‘n’ roll days.

The singer — known for an impressive string of hits dating back decades — promised to post pictures of the festivities to fans around the

world.

The nuptials came as no surprise: John had tweeted about his plans earlier in the week, and earlier in the year had praised England for embracing same-sex marriage. He said there had been a remarkable change in a country where homosexual acts had long been deemed criminal offenses.

John said the wedding would be a joyous occasion shared with the couple’s two sons, Zachary and Elijah.

The menu was traditional and posh, featuring wild mushroom soup with truffle cream, beef short rib with caramelized onion pie and warm chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert, according to a photo of the menu posted by

Brooklyn Beckham, son of soccer start David Beckham and designer Victoria Beckham.

The champagne was LaurentPerrier.

In his post, Brooklyn Beckham offered congratulations to “Uncle Elton and Uncle David.”

John said earlier this year that he and Furnish planned to take advantage of the changes to the law, even though they already had a civil bond recognized by the courts.

“We shouldn’t just say, ‘Oh well, we have a civil partnership, we’re not going to bother to get married,” he said.

John and Furnish met in 1993.

Both have been active in a number of charities, with John focusing on efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 in recognition of his charitable works. (ap)

Fantasy epic ‘The Hobbit’ casts spell on box office LOS ANGELES - Tolkien epic “The Hobbit” weaved its magic at the North American box office this weekend, signaling a farewell to the blockbuster fantasy franchise, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The last of six films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books by Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” took $56.2 million on its debut weekend in the United States and Canada, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The success of “The Hobbit” flattened the competition in the final weekend before the Christmas holiday period.

Second spot went to “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” the third film in the Ben Stiller family comedy franchise based on the popular 1993 children’s book.

The movie, which sees Stiller reprise his role as the security guard trying to keep a track on exhibits which come to life at the New York Museum of Natural History, took $17.3 million.

In third place was another debutant, “Annie,” the rebooted big-screen adaptation of the famous Broadway musical about the adventures of an orphan girl which also spawned film versions in 1982 and 1999.

The latest version, starring Quvenzhane Wallis

in the title role and Jamie Foxx as the tycoon who takes her under his wing, took $16.3 million.

Ridley Scott’s historical blockbuster “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” starring Christian Bale as Moses, meanwhile fell to fourth spot with $8.1 million.

Another sequel, “Hunger Games: Mockingjay,” slipped to fifth with $7.8 million, pushing its earnings to $289.2 million after five weeks.

Jumping four spots to sixth was Reese Witherspoon drama “Wild” about a woman grappling personal demons on a grueling three-month solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.

The film, which has vaulted Witherspoon into contention for best actress honors in Hollywood’s awards season, took $3.75 million.

Seventh spot was occupied by Chris Rock’s “Top Five” about a comedian trying to become a serious actor while grappling with his reality TV star fiancee about broadcasting their wedding. The film took $3.6 million on its second weekend.

In eighth place was Disney animated hit “Big Hero 6” with $3.56 million, with another animated movie, “Penguins of Madagascar” in ninth with $3.5 million.

AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Mark Pokorny Rounding out the top 10 was new entrant In this image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Orlando Bloom, left, and “P.K.,” an Indian comedy from Bollywood star Evangeline Lilly appear in a scene from “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Aamir Khan, with $3.5 million. (afp) Armies.”

WEATHER FORECAST Dps

23 - 32

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

Tuesday, December 23, 2014 SKorea holds N-plant drills against cyber threats

Page 6

Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico’s 4-1 win at Bilbao

Page 8

Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers

Page 13

Prevent disasters through Nangluk Merana

Hundreds of Hindus throng Lebih Beach

GIANYAR - Although the heat of the sun was so intense, it did not discourage the vivacity of Gianyar people to carry out Nangluk Merana ceremony on the new moon of the sixth month in Balinese calendar on Lebih Beach, Sunday (Dec 21).

The ceremony was usually done as an effort to anticipate the coming disasters often accompanying the rainy season.

As observation on Lebih Beach on Sunday morning, the arrival of thousands of pilgrims had been visible from 05:00 a.m. Even, the ceremony was performed from the morning till night. As a result, the traffic condition at the intersection of Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra was

stagnating. Moreover, thousands of motorcycles and cars filled the Jalan Bypass I.B. Mantra to get to the Lebih area.

Even though it was very hot and crowded, it did not discourage hundreds of people to say prayers together. The ceremony held every

sixth month in Balinese calendar especially in Gianyar was meant to maintain the neutrality of nature.

The month was often considered identical to the coming of disaster and disease outbreaks.

“This time the whole family comes to pray in order to avoid unwanted disasters. In addition, today is also a holiday so that we take the whole family to enjoy the beauty of the beach,” said one of the residents, I Wayan Budiarthawan, from Sema hamlet, Bitera.

Similar comment was also

delivered by the Assistant II of Gianyar government, I Ketut Suweta. To that end, the Gianyar government was involved in saying prayers en masse, tawur padanan and mulang pakelem or animal sacrifice in the form of black duck and black chicken. The ceremony was held once a year and officiated over by Ida Pedanda Istri from Griya Kesian, Lebih, Gianyar. “It is organized in the new moon of Balinese sixth month because when it is believed to be the season of plagues and natural

disasters such as landslide, flood or others,” said I Ketut Suweta met after the ceremony.

This ceremony was expected to reject any outbreak of diseases, either the diseases on human, agriculture, plantations or others.

“That’s why the Gianyar government with the community appeals to God in his manifestation as Lord Varuna in order to be provided with safety and success in agriculture.

Thus, this ceremony is termed to reject disasters and miserables,” he said. (kmb35)

Although the heat of the sun was so intense, it did not discourage the vivacity of Gianyar people to carry out Nangluk Merana ceremony on the new moon of the sixth month in Balinese calendar on Lebih Beach, Sunday (Dec 21).

IBP/Manik