This state university has the only study

program in the world about kris

 News Desk

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta / Tue, June 18, 2019 / 08:58 am

One of the many kris in the Keris Museum collection. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

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As high schoolers are gearing for the joint university entrance test, known as the Entrance Test
for State Universities (SBMPTN), they must also choose a program to study in their future
schools.

While highly competitive programs such as medicine, law and communications often have to cut
students, some programs lack them.

One such program on Kris and Traditional Weaponry offered by the Surakarta Arts Institute
(ISI) in Central Java was started in 2014.

On average the program has eight students per year. However, ISI is still going to offer the
program for 25 students this year.

The vice rector of ISI, I Nyoman Sukerna, said, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com: “this
program is suited to those who are interested in cultural preservation.”

No other university in Indonesia, or in the world, has offered such class, Sukerna said. Some
institutions have history, archaeology and even mythology programs, but nothing as specific as
what ISI has to offer.

Other unfamiliar programs include a material engineering program offered by Malikussaleh

University in Aceh and actuarial science offered by the Sumatra Institute of Technology in
Lampung.
Material engineers are expected to be able to examine and recreate various materials in our daily
lives, such as through studying bio materials.

Actuaries are highly sought after in industrialized countries as they are taught to manage future
financial risks. (eyc)

Iran denies role in Gulf of Oman attacks

 News Desk

Agence France-Presse

Tehran, Iran / Fri, June 14, 2019 / 01:41 pm

A picture obtained by AFP from Iranian News Agency ISNA on June 13, 2019 reportedly shows
fire and smoke billowing from Norwegian owned Front Altair tanker said to have been attacked
in the waters of the Gulf of Oman. Suspected attacks left two tankers in flames in the waters of
the Gulf of Oman today, sending world oil prices soaring as Iran helped rescue stricken crew
members. The mystery incident, the second involving shipping in the strategic sea lane in only a
few weeks, came amid spiralling tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has pointed
the finger at Iran over earlier tanker attacks in May (AFP/ISNA)

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Iran's foreign ministry Friday dismissed as "baseless" US accusations of being behind attacks on
two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, adding Washington was trying to "sabotage diplomacy".

The US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran --(without) a shred of factual
or circumstantial evidence," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.

That showed it was "abundantly clear that the #B_Team is moving to a #PlanB: Sabotage
diplomacy -- including by @AbeShinzo -- and cover up its #EconomicTerrorism against Iran".
Zarif regularly uses the term "B Team" to refer to US National Security Advisor John Bolton as
well as Israel's prime minister, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are all pushing a
hard line on Tehran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of being behind Thursday's attacks which left
at least one of the tankers ablaze off the Iranian coast, while the crews had to abandon ship.

"It is the assessment of the United States that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the
attacks," Pompeo told reporters.

But Iran foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi hit back that Iran had come to "help" the
ships in distress and "saved" their crew as quickly as possible, according to a statement published
on his Telegram channel.

Pompeo said there was strong evidence of Iran's culpability "based on the intelligence, the
weapons used, the level expertise needed to execute the operation" and only Iran in the region
had the ability to undertake such an operation.

"Apparently for Mr. Pompeo and other American authorities accusing Iran is the easiest thing to
do," said Mousavi, insisting Iran was upholding the burden of securing the key Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks came as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Iran seeking to defuse tensions
between Washington and the Islamic Republic.

Indonesia ferry sinking leaves at least 15

dead


Agence France-Presse

Jakarta / Tue, June 18, 2019 / 02:09 pm

People board a ferry headed for their hometowns on Java island from the port of Gilimanuk in
Jembrana ahead of Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of the Ramadan, on the majority Hindu island of
Bali on June 1, 2019. Millions of Indonesians have started heading to their hometowns to
celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan.
(AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)

At least 15 people have died after a passenger ferry sank off the Indonesian island of Java, police
said Tuesday, the latest maritime accident to hit the archipelago nation.
The overloaded boat was carrying around 50 people when it overturned Monday in rough seas
near Madura island, East Java Police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera said.

Search and rescue teams found 13 bodies Tuesday morning, bringing the total number of dead to
15, with 31 survivors.

Rescuers are searching for at least three people officially listed as still missing. But local reports
have suggested that there could be more victims not on the official manifest.

"It's suspected that the boat was overloaded," Mangera said in a statement.

"The boat was hit by a large wave, overturned and sank."

The 10-metre (32 foot) long traditional vessel was found by fishermen shortly after it was
swamped, he added.

Marine accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands,
where many use ferries and other boats to travel despite poor safety standards.

More than 160 people died when a passenger ferry sunk into the depths of one of the world's
deepest lakes on Sumatra island last year.

More than 300 people are estimated to have drowned in 2009 when a ferry sank between the
islands of Sulawesi and Borneo.