JAKARTA – Indonesia’s notorious traffic congestion was on display for the world Thursday after the country’s president was forced to walk two kilometres through the scorching heat to attend a military parade.

Graft-ridden Indonesia is home to one of Asia’s most inefficient bureaucracies and gridlock plagues many of the archipelago’s largest towns.

The country’s traffic nightmares were aptly illustrated when President Joko Widodo had to walk more than two kilometres to attend a ceremony marking the 72nd anniversary of the Indonesian military’s founding.

Widodo and senior government officials were held up by gridlock as they approached the military parade in Cilegon, a port city about two-and-a-half hours drive from the capital Jakarta, the presidential palace said.

After a 30-minute wait, “the president then decided from inside the car that he would walk,” Widodo’s guard Ili Dasili said in a statement.

National police chief Tito Karnavian, who was also stuck in the jam, joined the president.

Video footage shows the president walking with a phalanx of security personnel while spectators yell and chant his name.

Widodo’s unorthodox entrance wasn’t lost on social media users, who questioned why the leader of Southeast Asia’s largest economy was compelled to walk to the event.

“How come the president walked for two kilometres to the military anniversary location, why didn’t they give him the privilege of vacating the road or taking him in a helicopter?” Twitter user @Pujithegooners wrote.

BANGKOK – Almost 12 million people, or almost one sixth of Thailand’s population, have visited the glittering Grand Palace in Bangkok to pay their respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej since he died last October, the palace said on Thursday.

Thousands lined the streets of Bangkok’s historic area near the Chao Phraya River to enter the palace on Thursday, the last day to see the late king before the royal cremation on Oct. 26.

Queues stretched for more than two km (1.2 miles), officials said, with many lining up since Wednesday.

“I’ve been here since 6 pm and I managed to pay respects at 7 am,” Tossapon Thongmak, 33, a Bangkok resident.

“We were rained on last night but this is a must – we must pay our respects to father,” he said.

King Bhumibol died last October aged 88 and his body has laid in state in a gold hall at the palace.

He was widely seen as a father figure and regarded as the nation’s moral compass during decades of on-off political turbulence including several coups, bloody street protests and a region-wide 1997/98 financial crisis.

He was succeeded in December by his only son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, known as Rama X, who has since overseen a shake-up at the palace to give himself greater authority.

The royal funeral will be a mix of Buddhist religious ceremonies and Hindu Brahmin rituals.

“This is the first time that many Thais will experience a royal funeral for a monarch. So the grandeur, the beauty, and the determination of everyone involved in the preparation is a new experience for all,” Tonthong Chandransu, a public relations official for the funeral organisation committee and an expert on the Thai monarchy, told Reuters in an interview.

“From the architecture, the craftsmanship, the various preparations and their fine details, I have never seen this sort of dedication.” Builders have been working for months on a royal crematorium that was built from scratch on a green in front of the palace.

“Time was needed in order to build heaven, based on imagination and belief systems that fused Buddhism with Brahmin Hindu traditions that are important in Thai society,” Tonthong said.

The palace has said it expects 250,000 mourners to attend the royal cremation.

Thailand’s tourism body has asked tourists to respect Thai sensitivities during what promises to be an emotionally-charged time. 

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei – Brunei’s all-powerful and fabulously wealthy sultan marked 50 years on the throne in spectacular style Thursday, travelling in a gilded chariot through the streets and holding a tradition-filled ceremony at his golden-domed palace.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers waving the country’s flag lined the streets and cheered as Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world’s second-longest reigning monarch, passed by in a chariot pulled by dozens of his subjects.

Marching bands took part in the colourful procession as it made its way through the streets, the highlight of about two weeks of celebrations to mark the golden jubilee of one of the world’s wealthiest men.

An absolute monarchy with strict Islamic laws, Brunei is one of the world’s wealthiest nations thanks to abundant oil and gas reserves.

Among the crowds was Melissa Ibrahim, an airline employee, who said she was grateful to Hassanal for ensuring the people of the tiny sultanate were well looked after.

“His majesty cares about the people, their welfare, education and heath,” she told AFP.

“Everything is subsidised by the government, so for that we are very, very thankful.” Celebrations got under way earlier at the sultan’s sprawling palace, where an honour guard performed a 21-gun salute and the ruler and his wife sat on golden thrones for a royal audience.

The 71-year-old ascended to the throne of the Muslim country perched on the north of tropical Borneo island in October, 1967.

He is the 29th sultan of Brunei from a royal family that has ruled the country continuously for over 600 years.

His decades in charge of one of the world’s few absolute monarchies have seen the country gain full independence from Britain and living standards soar to among the highest in the world due to its huge energy reserves.

– Marked by controversies – 

But his reign of Brunei, which has a population of about 400,000, has also been marked by controversies.

These include the introduction of tough Islamic laws in 2014, and a sensational family feud which revealed details of his brother Prince Jefri Bolkiah’s jet-set lifestyle, including allegations of a high-priced harem and a luxury yacht he owned called “Tits”.

Still, the jubilee was a chance for citizens to focus on the positive aspects of Hassanal’s rule as well as a rare source of excitement in the sleepy sultanate, which is known for its slow pace of life and lack of nightlife – alcohol is largely banned under Islamic practice.

Thursday’s festivities began with Hassanal, dressed in yellow and gold royal finery and accompanied by his wife Anak Hajah Saleha, inspecting a guard of honour in the grounds of his palace, before the gun salute.

The couple then held the royal audience in the throne room of the palace, a vast complex of resplendent white buildings with golden domes and almost 1,800 rooms, attended by hundreds of guests including members of the royal family ministers.

The sultan and other members of the royal family travelled through the streets in a convoy of Rolls-Royces before boarding the golden chariot, known as the Usongan Diraja, which has long been used for royal ceremonies in Brunei.

The festivities will continue Friday when Southeast Asian leaders and Middle Eastern royalty attend a banquet to mark the jubilee.

Guests include Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, according to organisers.

The sultan only comes behind one sovereign in terms of having the longest reign – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952.

She became the world’s longest serving monarch a year ago following the death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose reign spanned seven decades.

The next test in the martial arts journey of ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard ‘Landslide’ Folayang (18-5) has arrived. 

The Filipino star will take on ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen (9-1) in a champion versus champion bout that is already setting pulses racing ahead of their 10 November showdown.

The bout headlines ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, as Folayang looks to defend his lightweight title – and the honour of Filipino martial arts – on home soil.

Folayang captured the ONE Lightweight World Championship in dramatic fashion, when he defeated Japanese legend Shinya Aoki last November by TKO, then defended the belt against Ev Ting at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY earlier this year.

The title defense was an occasion that was full of nerves and anxiety for ‘Landslide’, who admitted he’d put himself under considerable pressure to retain the title, and do so in impressive fashion.

“There was a lot going on during my first title defence,” he said. “There was immense pressure on me to put on a good performance, because I always want to make the people of the Philippines happy.

“At the same time, my daughter was just born, so I was juggling a lot of things personally. It was hard to be completely prepared for the bout. But the important thing is that we learn.”

His five-round decision victory over Ting meant Folayang cemented his position at the top of the ONE lightweight rankings, and set him up for the historic clash with Nguyen, an opponent he admitted he was surprised by.

With the bout signed and sealed, Folayang is deep in preparation for the bout, which sees two reigning champions go head to head for the first time in ONE Championship history.

Nguyen is one of ONE’s shining stars. The 28-year-old Vietnamese Australian is riding a spectacular five-bout win streak that has seen him finish each opponent in eye-catching fashion.

His most recent finish saw him end the title reign of the unbeaten Marat Gafurov with a one-punch KO that shocked the martial arts world at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in August. It was a finish that made Folayang sit up and take notice, even though at the time he wasn’t aware he’d be facing the Aussie at the time.

“Martin shocked the world in his last bout,” said Folayang. “Gafurov is not an easy opponent, but Martin showed incredible toughness and tenacity.

“It brought back a lot of memories of my victory against Shinya (Aoki). This is going to be a battle between two martial artists who are capable of anything.”

Folayang sees his time as world champion as much more than being a standard-bearer for ONE Championship. He also sees it as a chance to achieve his lifelong aim in martial arts – to inspire others, particularly those in his home nation of the Philippines.

“My time as champion has been spent working with the youth, visiting schools in the Philippines to give motivational talks to young athletes,” the Baguio City native explained. “It is a privilege that I hold dear to my heart. To be able to touch the lives of others is an awesome feeling.

“I remember the times when I was just starting, and experiencing the same hardships that these kids are going through now. It was tough. So if I can give them just a little bit of inspiration, then I know it will really boost their morale.”

His next chance to do that will be when he steps into the ONE Championship cage to face Nguyen, who has a different motivation ahead of the contest. 

“The Situ-Asian” has the chance to become the first athlete in ONE Championship history to hold world championships in two weight classes simultaneously, a feat that would afford him legendary status in martial arts circles.

Folayang may not have the opportunity to add to his belt collection against Nguyen, but victory over another active world champion would see him elevated to pound-for-pound status as one as one of ONE Championship’s most revered athletes.

Despite the competitive rivalry for their upcoming contest, Folayang revealed the pair are actually friends, having spent time together during a media tour of the United States last year. Folayang says the rivalry may be there, but the respect goes hand-in-hand with it.

“Martin and I had gotten to know each other during our tour in the United States last year, and I consider him a friend,” he explained. “But I am definitely up for the challenge, and that is why I accepted this bout.

“Martin is a great competitor and he has earned the highest level of my respect. If anything, there is no chance of me underestimating him. That would be unwise.”

That mindset is driving Folayang through the last few weeks of his training camp, as he finalises preparations for their historic meeting on 10 November.

“I am preparing for the best Martin Nguyen possible, one that has no weaknesses, and that is the only way I can prepare to be at my best,” he stated.

“I believe this match is going to be a battle between two high-level martial artists and world champions, and fans have definitely never seen anything like this. It is going to be a battle from start to finish.”

Viral video star Thomas Derksen is better known for poking fun than pushing for societal change. Yet in July, he attempted to do just that in his native Germany.

In the runup to the G20 gathering in Hamburg, the Shanghai-based funnyman wrote to Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, urging her administration to follow China’s example of building a “cashless” society.

“My Chinese friends always tell me that they admire a lot of things about Germany, but now the time has come that we Germans should learn from the Chinese people,” he wrote.

“In Germany, I never went outdoors without taking my wallet, but since I’ve lived in China, I’ve found that a cashless economy is not something that will happen in the future, it is happening now.”

Derksen, known as Afu to his 5 million followers on social media, said it was the first time he had tried to use his celebrity status to enhance Sino-German relations.

The 29-year-old comedian, who speaks fluent Mandarin as well as the Shanghai dialect, is famous for his humorous videos, which poke fun at the cultural differences between his homeland and his adopted home.

In some episodes, he dresses as his mother-in-law and mimics the way older women in Shanghai ask about his salary or plans for starting a family. In others, he appears as a driving instructor who yells at his students, using Shanghai slang to describe the brake pedal and accelerator.

One of his most popular videos, in which he jokes about being married to a Chinese woman, has been viewed more than 900,000 times on Sina Weibo.

Derksen said his chief inspiration for starting the videos was Papi Jiang, a graduate of Beijing’s Central Academy of Drama who shot to fame after uploading similar sketches in 2015. “At the time, Papi Jiang was so overwhelming popular in China, and I thought I could be a male, German version of her,” he said. However, rather than being known as the “male Papi”, he’s more commonly referred to as the “happy, chubby German”.

Derksen first visited China in 2007 as a high school student. That three-week trip, which included stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing in Jiangsu province, left a deep impression of a nation with a unique culture and warmhearted people.

In the fall of 2012, he returned as an exchange student at Tongji University in Shanghai, where he met his future wife, Zhu Liping.

Yet the course of true love never did run smooth. For a long time, Zhu’s father refused to speak to Derksen. Undeterred, the German enrolled at Fudan University to continue his studies and learn more about China and its culture.

He was eventually accepted by the family, and the couple were married in 2015. In fact, his Chinese name Afu came from his father-in-law.

After becoming an internet celebrity, Derksen said he is recognised from time to time on the street. He and his mother-in-law were also shown square dancing in the Shanghai government’s recent promotional video, This Is Shanghai.

“In Germany, it would take many years to get so many followers,” he said, adding that now he has such a large fan base he sees an opportunity to be a cultural bridge between Germany and China.

In addition to online payment, he said he has also witnessed rapid developments over the past five years in bike-sharing, high-speed rail and e-commerce, which has brought more convenience to millions of people.

His homeland would benefit from introducing such innovation, he said, adding, “I think it’s time Germany learns from China.”

Perakumpura Primary School in Medirigiriya was closed for two days as it was invaded by a herd of 12 wild elephants which stayed there for two days.

Principal D. M. Upali told “The Island” that he had been compelled to close his school due to the presence of the wild jumbos.

He said, the Medirigiriya police and Wildlife Department had launched a joint operation to chase the elephants away.

Wildlife officials said the elephants had strayed into the school land while they were searching for food.

They had come from the Somawathi National Park, the official said.

Sharad Poornima ushers in the Sharad season which marks the beginning of autumn and the end of monsoon. It is celebrated on a full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin.

It is believed that on this day, the moon showers elixir of life through its beams on the earth.

It is considered that the moon and the earth are at closer distance on Sharad Poornima night, due to this, the moonlight has magical healing properties which are said to nourish the body and soul of an individual.

Thus, the day is also known as the ‘Kaumudi celebration’.

TRADITIONS OF SHARAD POORNIMA

On this day, many people in India follow a custom of preparing kheer and keep it open under the moonlight throughout the night. The next morning, it is distributed among all family members with the belief that it has become ‘Amrit’.

Sharad Poornima is also believed to be the day on which Goddess Lakshmi is said to have been born. That’s why the day is also known as ‘Kojagari Lakshmi Pooja’.

In this form, the day is mainly celebrated by the Bengali community by staying awake for the whole night to receive the blessings of goddess Lakshmi. Singing of bhajans and dances are organised to keep awake all night.

Women observe fast with the belief that the goddess will bless them with wealth and prosperity. They clean their houses and make beautiful rangolis with rice paste along with footprints of the Goddess.

Special food is prepared to offer Maa Lakshmi. After Durga Pooja, this is another big festival celebrated in almost every house in West Bengal.

Besides worshipping goddess Lakshmi, the day also signifies the importance of good harvest and prosperity in farmers’ lives. On this pious day, they seek blessings of the divine power to achieve good yield and plentiful harvest.

According to another belief, Lord Krishna began his Raas Leela with Radha and the Gopis on the night of Sharad Poornima. So, the day is also closely linked with Radha-Krishna’s love and Krishna’s romance with Gopis.

In Gujarat, people celebrate this night by doing Garba and Raas. In Orissa, it is celebrated as Kumar or Kartikeya Poornima. Kartikeya was the handsome son of Lord Shiva who was born on this day.

Girls in Orissa who want to get a handsome husband like him take bath early in the morning, offer food to the sun and keep fast throughout the day. In the evening, they worship the moon with offer special food and prayers.

People observing fast are supposed to break it at night by eating rice flakes and drinking cold milk. There is a scientific logic behind this practice. During this weather, acidity becomes predominant in the body due to very hot days and cold nights.

Cold milk and rice flake is a good combination to have and getting rid of this problem. With the popularity of this festival, it has become customary to consume these food items.

So, what are you waiting for? Bring special joy with the brightness of the full moon on Sharad Poornima 2017.

Get ready with a bowl of kheer, keep it under the moon overnight and turn it into elixir.