Bali

Yvette Tanamal and Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) PREMIUM Jakarta/Denpasar   ● Tue, March 21, 2023 Bali Governor Wayan Koster requested Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali to ban the Israeli soccer team from participating in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Bali, saying it was “out of respect” for Indonesia’s diplomatic stance on the Palestine issue. The longstanding conflict between Palestine and Israel was “a serious regional problem”, Koster said in a letter he sent to Amali recently. “[There is no] diplomatic relationship between the Indonesian government and the Israeli government. [...] We request the Minister adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali,” Wayan wrote in the letter, dated on March 14, which went viral on Monday. He also sent copies of the letter to the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and the Coordinating Human Development Ministry. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month … [Read more...] about Bali governor rejects Israel’s participation in FIFA U-20 Cup

Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar   ● Tue, March 21, 2023 2023-03-21 14:11 0 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b0530127e 1 Archipelago bali,Holiday,hindu,Nyepi Free Bali is getting ready for 24 hours off as Balinese Hindus on the resort island will observe Nyepi, its day of silence, on Wednesday. All entries to Bali will be suspended from Wednesday at 6 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA) until 6 a.m. the next day, including all harbors and the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. During Nyepi, no vehicles will be allowed on the streets except for emergency services. Hotels will be allowed to turn on minimum lighting and tourists will be confined to hotel compounds. All markets, shops, offices, cafes, bars, restaurants and other public spaces will be closed. People on the island are expected to refrain from using all forms of home entertainment, such as televisions, radios and the internet. “We observe Nyepi, the day of silence, once a year to … [Read more...] about Bali gears up for 24 hours of silence on Nyepi

For most of last year, thousands of Russians and Ukrainians flocked to the Indonesian island of Bali to escape the war. There they found refuge in a tropical paradise where locals rolled out the welcome mat for Ukrainians fleeing the shelling and Russians dodging the draft. Then, a Russian influencer scaled a 700-year-old sacred tree, naked. After that, a Russian street artist painted an antiwar mural on a private house, and a Russian teenager was caught vandalizing a school. A string of recent motorbike collisions involving Russians and Ukrainians has raised questions about traffic safety on the island. Now, the once-welcoming Balinese people have had enough. Confronted with a barrage of complaints, the governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, announced earlier this month that he asked the Indonesian government to revoke Russia’s and Ukraine’s access to the country’s visa-on-arrival program. He said many of those who have flocked to Bali to avoid the war have not … [Read more...] about A Refuge for Russians and Ukrainians, Bali Rethinks Its Open-Door Policy

Bali has revealed plans to ban holidaymakers from renting motorbikes due to traffic laws being flouted by tourists. The Indonesian island unveiled the plans, which include a crackdown on foreign tourists who work illegally on the island, in a press conference. Bali governor Wayan Koster said the changes, being introduced this year, will allow tourists to rent cars from travel agents, but not motorbikes. He said the policy comes after a series of incidents in which foreigners violated traffic rules. Mr Koster said: "Borrowing or renting motorbikes is no longer allowed. "As tourists, [you should] act as tourists, using the vehicles prepared by travel agents, instead of roaming around with motorbikes, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules], and even without a licence." The new rules come after a series of accidents in Bali ( Image: Getty Images) He added the ban is being introduced this year as Bali is now experiencing … [Read more...] about Bali to ban holidaymakers from renting motorbikes as part of tourist clampdown

Editorial board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta   ● Sat, March 25, 2023 2023-03-25 04:47 0 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc33e017 1 Editorial bali,tourists,crime,visa-violation,raids,law-enforcement,Deportation,traffic,drug Free Authorities of Bali are cracking down on delinquent behaviors of foreign nationals, launching a special police operation last week. While we support the measures, we are calling the local administration to go beyond ad hoc means. March marks one year since one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations reopened to foreign visitors after two years of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the coronavirus seems to be at bay now, another virus has begun plaguing the island, known by many as a safe haven for those seeking fun and lately income. On March 17, the Bali Police launched an operation targeting foreign nationals who committed crimes or violated the law and order, amid an increasing number of foreigners showing bad … [Read more...] about Be good, lawful guests

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Fractured East-West relations over Russia’s war in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China’s global aspirations are set to dominate what is expected to be a highly contentious meeting of foreign ministers from the world’s largest industrialized and developing nations this week in India . The increasingly bitter rift between the United States and its allies on one side and Russia and China on the other appears likely to widen further as the top diplomats from the Group of 20 gather in the Indian capital on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken , Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will all be in attendance and battling for support from non-aligned members of the group. While they will all be in the same room together, there was no sign that Blinken, … [Read more...] about East-West showdown looms at G-20 FMs meeting in India

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized and developing nations on Thursday opened what are expected to be contentious talks dominated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s moves to boost its global influence. Host India appealed for all members of the fractured Group of 20 to reach consensus on issues of deep concern to poorer countries even if the broader East-West split over Ukraine cannot be resolved. In a video address to the assembled foreign ministers in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said multilateralism is “in crisis” and urged them not to allow current tensions to destroy agreements that might be reached on food and energy security, climate change and the debt crisis. “We are meeting at a time of deep global divisions,” Modi told the group, which included U.S. Secretary … [Read more...] about India urges G-20 ministers to look beyond East-West crisis

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails With the foreign ministers of the Group of 20 leading economies meeting Thursday in New Delhi , host India is promoting itself as a rising superpower while leveraging its position on the global stage to bridge the gap between the West and Russia . Experts expect India to be at the center of bitter global divisions, particularly over Russia’s war in Ukraine. But it's also an opportunity for the South Asian nation to position itself as the voice of the Global South and as a potential mediator between the West and Moscow. India is expected to adopt a neutral stance on Ukraine, as it has in the past. The event is likely to be overshadowed by the war in Europe and its impact on global energy and food security. However, senior foreign ministry officials said Wednesday that India was determined to focus on … [Read more...] about At G-20, high expectations for India as rising global power

A viral video of a woman who recently recalled getting back at her ex-boyfriend by feeding him laxatives has drawn a lot of praise and little criticism. In a six-second TikTok video posted by a user named Andi, Patsy Cline's "Crazy" plays in the background, with overlay text: "Thinking about the time my ex hit me so I convinced him to hike a mountain with me but gave him laxative laced brownies a few hours before and he cried the entire hike down because he pooped himself and then I packed my dorm room and left without telling him and disappeared off the face of the earth." The video has been viewed over 1 million times and "liked" nearly 225,000 times. Two days after it was posted, the original poster commented and said her ex-boyfriend saw her video and reportedly got her phone number from someone. She then said she posted another update today that was ultimately removed by the platform "for harassment and bullying." When users inquired as to what she posted that had to be … [Read more...] about Woman Praised for Feeding Laxative-Laced Brownies to Allegedly Abusive Ex

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby pushed back against Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy on the origins of COVID-19 at Tuesday’s press briefing. Biden signed the Republican-led COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023 into law Monday to declassify intelligence related to the origins of the virus. The U.S. Department of Energy concluded in February with “low confidence” that the virus likely originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a laboratory in Wuhan, China, while the FBI reached the same conclusion with “moderate confidence.” Government, media and public health authorities previously claimed that the virus had a natural origin and dismissed the “lab leak” explanation as a conspiracy theory. “[Biden] says he will declassify COVID origins intel except info that would harm national security. Is there a bigger national security threat than something that killed one million people in this country?” Doocy asked. “Yeah, I’ve seen some of the commentary on your … [Read more...] about ‘Let Me Finish My Answer’: Kirby Pushes Back Against Doocy On Origins Of COVID