VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI, Jakarta - Pre-discharge test results released by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) show the third batch of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima to be discharged in the third round of Japan's nuclear wastewater disposal process to the sea contains carbon-14, cobalt 60, strontium-90, and several other types of radionuclides. TEPCO said that preparations for the third round in the process of discharging wastewater into the sea will begin after the second round is completed, and that relevant maintenance and confirmation operations have been carried out. This is despite growing concerns and resistance among local fishermen and from other countries.

After passing through the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) must enter measurement and confirmation facilities and await the results of pre-discharge testing before being discharged into the sea. The measurement and confirmation facility is divided into three groups of 10 tanks with each group used on a rotational basis as receiving tanks, measurement and confirmation tanks, and discharge tanks. Currently, the 10 tanks in Group B have been emptied in the first round of wastewater discharge that started on August 24.

Meanwhile, 10 tanks in Group C were confirmed to have met the discharge standards on September 21, and their discharge began on October 5. Sampling of nuclear wastewater stored in Group A tanks for the third round of disposal was completed on July 10. According to TEPCO's report on Thursday (Oct 19), the analysis results showed that the wastewater contained trace amounts of carbon-14, cobalt 60, strontium-90, iodine-129, and cesium-137, with strontium-90 not detected in the second round of discharge on Oct 5.

TEPCO claims that its ALPS facility, a multinuclide removal system, can remove 62 radioactive substances except tritium. However, it was found that about 70 percent of the water in the waste storage tanks contained non-tritium radionuclides at concentrations exceeding regulatory standards for discharge into the natural environment. (VOI)

VOI, Jakarta - About 50 percent of Palestinian residential units have been partially or completely damaged by the ongoing Israeli offensive in the coastal enclave, a Palestinian official said on Sunday (Oct 22). "The Israeli occupation deliberately damaged residential buildings, public facilities, and service facilities," Salama Maarouf, head of the Hamas-run state media office in Gaza, said in a press statement. "As a result of the intensified Israeli airstrikes, more than 165,000 housing units were partially damaged and nearly 20,000 housing units were completely destroyed or uninhabitable," Maarouf said.

As a result, around 70 percent of local residents were displaced from their homes and moved to 220 shelter centers or other places throughout the Gaza Strip. The Israeli airstrikes were triggered by Hamas' large-scale attacks on Israeli military targets and cities on October 7, which have so far killed at least 1,400 people in Israel. The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip rose to 4,651, the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry said on Sunday. (VOI)

VOI, Jakarta - The Budapest Overseas Election Committee (PPLN) in Hungary has collected data on the list of additional overseas voters (DPTbLN) in several areas that are pockets of Indonesian citizens (WNI) in Hungary for the 2024 General Election.

Quoting Antara, Budapest PPLN Chairman Agung Wicaksono in his official release received by Indonesia Window here on Sunday explained that the data collection for additional voters took place on October 8, 2023, October 13, 2023, and October 15-18, 2023.

Agung said that during the data collection, PPLN recorded more than 100 additional voters, mostly Indonesian migrant workers and students who had just arrived in Hungary. He estimated that the number could increase considering that Indonesian migrant workers and students continue to come to Hungary to study and work.

On the sidelines of the data collection event, PPLN Budapest also held a socialization event for Indonesian citizens regarding the stages of the 2024 Election, including voting in Hungary.

"PPLN Budapest is committed to making the 2024 General Election process understandable to all voters in Hungary. This socialization and data collection effort is an important step to ensure the active participation of the Indonesian people in this (democratic) process," Agung said.

In the same official release, Agung detailed PPLN Budapest's socialization and data collection activities in the past two weeks.

"On October 8, 2023, the first event was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Budapest with participants from among students in Hungary," he said.

He added that Indonesian students who have the right to vote and have just arrived in Hungary are the main target of the activity. The event was also supported by the Indonesian Student Association in Hungary.

Then on October 13, 2023, PPLN Budapest collaborated with the Muhammadiyah Hungary Special Branch to socialize the 2024 Election. Members of PPLN Budapest, on the same day, also traveled to Szarvas City to record Indonesian migrant workers as well as provide information on how they could vote during elections in Hungary.

The other agenda took place on October 15, 2023 and October 18, 2023 at the Indonesian migrant workers' dormitory in Budapest.

"This activity is important because many Indonesian migrant workers have just arrived in Hungary. PPLN Budapest seeks to ensure that their voting rights can be accommodated," Agung said.
Not only that, PPLN Budapest also held counseling related to elections and data collection of additional voters in Pecs City on October 17, 2023, Agung added. (VOI)

The Ministry of Health is intensifying the handling of mpox (monkeypox) cases through four measures — surveillance, therapeutics, vaccinations, and risk communication.

This was conveyed by the ministry's director general of disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, when contacted here on Monday.

According to him, the measures have been taken in response to the seven active cases of mpox in Indonesia, which have all been detected in Jakarta.

He said that the efforts to curb cases through surveillance have included epidemiological investigations of confirmed cases so that close contacts can be traced and the source of infection can be identified, and the results of the investigations will continue to be updated.

Another form of surveillance has been the setting up of a reference laboratory to confirm cases and conduct sequencing.

"We are also routinely coordinating with health offices, community health centers (puskesmas), and hospitals and utilizing recording and reporting via the Mpox NAR (New All Record system)," he informed.

Rondonuwu further said that therapeutic and vaccination efforts are being made by preparing the logistics for medicines, treatment, and monitoring isolation, as well as conducting pilot vaccinations for risk groups such as health workers and close contacts.

The Ministry of Health is also intensively carrying out risk communication by sending alerts through circular letters to all health officials in regions and notifying the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding confirmed cases.

"We are also trying to provide communication media, such as FAQs (frequently asked questions) and short videos," he added.

The Health Ministry is also actively collecting global and regional information through trusted official information portals, which will be periodically reported to the relevant stakeholders.

The ministry has so far confirmed seven active cases of mpox in Indonesia. All of them have been detected in Jakarta.

The seven active cases have involved local transmission, though one of the patients has a history of travel abroad. (Antaranews)